Dutch

We have reached the final installment of this season's NBA Sour Rankings and it's been a wild ride.
Of the 30 NBA teams, 28 appeared on the list at some points in the season. I inversed each ranking and turned it into a point value to tally up the most prominent members. The Los Angeles Lakers (134 points), Sacramento Kings (117), New York Knicks (113) and Portland Trail Blazers (99) were the highest point-getters, and continuously peppered the rankings since they each disappointed at consistent levels throughout the year.
Who never touched the Sour Rankings? The San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic. I bet you didn't expect them. Those squads had the combination of extremely low expectations and frequent flashes from young talent. Despite those franchises never being on top of the NBA sphere, I never felt frustrated by by either team because there was always a silver lining after every game.
So we arrive at the final ranking with several playoff contenders sputtering to the finish.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that are so common throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they are updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Dallas Mavericks have climbed up to fourth in the Western Conference standings and flipped to home-court advantage against the Utah Jazz, who they'll likely play in the postseason. The Chicago Bulls have somewhat righted the ship and maintain a hold on fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks may be out of the playoff picture, but they've suddenly been hit with a wave of developmental flashes from the young core. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-immanuel-quickleys-unusual-shot-diet-can-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Immanuel Quickley leads the way</a>.&nbsp;
10. Boston Celtics (47-28)
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ESPN Sources: Celtics C Robert Williams has suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee and will minimally miss several weeks. Further evaluation today will help provide a timetable. Boston moved into first-place Sunday, and Williams has been immense part of NBA&rsquo;s best defense.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1508469824195899398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Man... <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/report-celtics-center-robert-williams-feared-to-have-torn-meniscus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that is pain</a>. What else is there to say?
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Brooklyn Nets (39-36)
Brooklyn boasts the league's fourth-ranked offense over the past two weeks, and that was before the New York City vaccination policies changed, allowing Kyrie Irving to play in home games. The Nets can end their season with some positive momentum, as they face just three more teams at .500 or better.
One of those teams is the Atlanta Hawks, who Brooklyn is currently slotted to play in the Play-In bracket. The race for the eighth seed is dead even between the Nets and Charlotte Hornets, and that's a battle within a battle to get at least two extra shots at a playoff spot. Should the Nets lose, do they want to face a dominant Trae Young with their not-so-dominant defense?
(Last week: 8)
8. Golden State Warriors (48-27)
The Warriors have lost 5 of their last 6 games and just took a 123-115 defeat against the Wizards. They are 6-10 since the All-Star break, and while those losses have come with a mix of injured absences involving Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, it's concerning that the rest of the cast can't keep things together &mdash; even against bad teams. Golden State is currently two games up on the Mavericks for the third seed, but only four games separate the team from the sixth-place Denver Nuggets. This is a sneaky-close middle tier with the Warriors holding little momentum.
(Last week: 10)
7. Atlanta Hawks (37-37)
As mentioned, the Hawks face a potential playoff preview with the Nets. But they'll likely have to meet both Brooklyn and Charlotte in some order in the postseason. Atlanta went 2-2 against the Hornets in the regular season, and is 0-2 vs. the Nets prior to this coming Saturday's matchup. That doesn't inspire much confidence that the Hawks, as the No. 10 seed, can storm through both to the playoffs.
(Last week: 7)
6. Utah Jazz (45-30)
Utah received a quality playoff test this past week with games against the Nets, Celtics, Hornets and Mavericks. The Jazz lost all four games, though they missed Gobert. Their perennially stalwart defense is down to 20th over the past two weeks, and against the Celtics in particular, they couldn't seem to contain anyone. Donovan Mitchell is averaging 26.4 points per game since the All-Star break, but even that isn't mattering when the defense doesn't show up beyond Gobert.
(Last week: Unranked)
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5. Miami Heat (47-28)
Bryan Fonseca wrote a great piece this past week about <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-miami-heats-blow-up-was-necessary-but-now-the-rest-is-up-to-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that Heat meltdown on Wednesday</a> against the Warriors. His message was that these types of altercations don't have to define the rest of the season. But the dust-up certainly is right now, as the Heat have lost their grip on the East's top spot. They followed up the defeat with two more bad losses to the Knicks and Nets.
Miami still has conference powers in Boston, Chicago and Toronto left on the schedule. With the top four seeds separate by half a game, the Heat could easily plummet to the bottom of the tier.
(Last week: Unranked)
4. Washington Wizards (32-42)
Let's talk about Corey Kispert! The No. 15 pick flailed, as most rookies do, to open his NBA career. But Kispert has meaningfully caught fire in recent weeks. The 23-year-old sharpshooter is drilling 42.4% of his three-pointers in March. He just hit six triples on his way to a career-high 25 points in the team's aforementioned win over the Warriors. Washington hasn't had too much to get excited about in these last two weeks, so at least Kispert is helping send the young core into the summer on a high note.
(Last week: 2)
3. Portland Trail Blazers (27-47)
According to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jerami-grant-trade-rumors-portland-is-still-the-frontrunner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James L. Edwards III of&nbsp;The Athletic</a>, the Trail Blazers are still the front-runner to trade for Jerami Grant this offseason. "I think a lottery pick would be the kind of sweetener that would [get a deal done]," Edwards told HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.
I just don't understand how a team so badly in need of a reset can cash in what will likely be its highest draft pick in a decade to go make a last-ditch attempt at keeping the current group relevant. Portland does not have a playoff-caliber roster regardless of Damian Lillard's health. Trading away several key future pieces for Jerami Grant will not change this. I'm simply against this move for the franchise's future.
(Last week: 4)
2. Los Angeles Lakers (31-43)
Here we go!
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WHAT A COMEBACK 😱 The Pelicans rally from a 23-point deficit to take down the Lakers in NoLa! <a href="https://t.co/MmFRQr8n2l">pic.twitter.com/MmFRQr8n2l</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1508254421804716033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The Lakers are on a two-game skid and the Spurs are on a three-game win streak. Los Angeles has eight games to try and hold off San Antonio and at least survive to reach the postseason. Over the past two weeks, in which the Lakers have gone 2-5, they have the league's ninth-ranked offense and 27th-ranked defense. Their last eight games include the Mavericks, Jazz, Pelicans, Suns, Warriors, Thunder and Nuggets (twice).
Whew, this is not going to be easy!
(Last week: 1)
1. Sacramento Kings (27-48)
The Kings shut down Richaun Holmes for the season due to "personal reasons" and did not specify why. Robin Epley of the <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article259668860.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sacramento Bee found out</a>: Holmes is facing serious domestic violence allegations amid an ongoing custody battle.
Obviously this is an ongoing process with no conclusion yet. But Epley makes the point painfully clear in her article.
"I&rsquo;m not convicting Richaun Holmes ahead of his court date. It does, however, appear that the Kings were focused on covering up a serious situation involving allegations of domestic violence by one of their players. When I contacted the team this week, they refused to comment on the serious charges facing their player, or say anything beyond the cryptic announcement of Holmes&rsquo; departure," she writes.
Epley goes more into some important statistics surrounding domestic violence cases in the U.S. and in the NBA. I seriously implore you to read them if you haven't yet. But the point is: This is yet again another case being swept under the rug by the league and its franchises.
(Last week: 3)
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Ethan Fuller ranks the most frustrating NBA teams in the last Sour Rankings of the season.

NBA Sour Rankings: The final countdown

We&rsquo;re still two months away from the NBA trade deadline in February, but expect rumors to pick up once the moratorium on recently signed players lifts on Dec. 15. Once that occur, it&rsquo;s open season on anything and everything, wherever the trade winds blow in the league.
In the meantime, which teams seem poised to buy or sell? Are there any players who could be better off elsewhere? Here are five trade ideas that have already piqued my interest. Think of it as a hypothetical early Christmas gift for these teams mentioned. Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into the scenarios below.
Christian Wood &mdash; Golden State Warriors
According to The Ringer&rsquo;s Kevin O&rsquo;Connor, the Houston Rockets will be <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/11/29/22807223/seven-observations-stephen-curry-kristap-porzingis-julius-randle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">willing to listen to trade offers on Christian Wood</a> leading up to February&rsquo;s deadline. O&rsquo;Connor also notes that the market is expected to be robust for the versatile 26-year-old big man.
So far this season in Houston, Wood is averaging 16.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. With Houston in a full-fledged rebuild centered around No. 2 overall pick, Wood simply doesn&rsquo;t fit the team's timeline. Whatever the Rockets would be able to gather for Wood would be a win at this point, and he could swing the fortunes of a championship contender.
Although the Warriors likely won&rsquo;t mess with their team chemistry, why not kick the tires on Wood? Not only would he fit the short-term goal of chasing another Larry O&rsquo;Brien trophy, but he&rsquo;s young enough where you can continue building around him. Wood in Kevon Looney&rsquo;s starting spot alongside Stephen Curry would be completely unfair. Wood would feast with the gobs of spacing available to him, plus he could take pressure off others in the Warriors&rsquo; system.
The question is: What&rsquo;s a win-win hypothetical trade that makes sense for both Houston and Golden State revolving around Wood? Although Houston just selected two bigs in the 2021 NBA Draft &mdash; Alperen Sengun and Usman Garuba &mdash; why not have as many bites of the apple for elite talent as possible? 2020 No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman plus Looney&rsquo;s salary to match contract value actually makes a lot of sense here. Wiseman would be able to play an extensive role alongside Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., plus the rotation at center would sort itself out eventually.
Maybe Golden State tosses in a protected future first-round pick to sweeten the offer further, but I love this for both sides. Wood raises the already immense ceiling for Golden State, while Wiseman could be another lottery ticket to develop for Houston&rsquo;s new era.
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Myles Turner &mdash; Charlotte Hornets
Indiana needs to come to the realization of where its roster stands. It&rsquo;s time to sell to the highest bidder with some of their core players. One of those who could attract a serious slew of offers is Turner, who has proven himself to be a valuable defensive anchor and floor-spacer.
Charlotte is exceeding expectations this season thanks to LaMelo Ball&rsquo;s superstar rise, plus Miles Bridges becoming the No. 2 option. Imagine how much better the Hornets would be if they acquired Turner to stabilize their inconsistent defense. Mason Plumlee isn&rsquo;t going to cut it. Throwing Turner into the mix in Charlotte would be a perfect scenario for both the team and the player. Turner would thrive alongside LaMelo in an up-tempo offense and take away a lot of easy looks that have caused serious problems this season for Charlotte.
Would Indiana be enticed by Kelly Oubre Jr. and PJ Washington as a trade package? Maybe swap out Washington for James Bouknight, who hasn&rsquo;t been able to crack the rotation due to Terry Rozier?
Either way, this type of return feels reasonable for Turner. If Indiana decides to finally pull the trigger and embrace a roster overhaul, Charlotte should be blowing them up to acquire an elite rim protector.
Domantas Sabonis &mdash; Portland Trail Blazers
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If the Pacers decide to go in the aforementioned direction with their team and ship off Sabonis to the highest bidder in February, we already have a realistic baseline in place for a package thanks to Nikola Vucevic last season. Orlando traded Vucevic, a similar player archetype as Sabonis, to Chicago for Wendell Carter Jr. and two future first-round picks. With Sabonis being five years younger and a better overall player, that&rsquo;s the floor for what should come back in any deal for Indiana's two-time All-Star center.
Portland is already dealing with roster imbalance on top of organizational issues, which now has led to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/trail-blazers-fire-neil-olshey-following-independent-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">general manager Neil Olshey&rsquo;s firing</a>. As a last-ditch effort to appease Damian Lillard, how about pushing the chips in for Sabonis? It would be awesome to see another Sabonis suit up for the Blazers, and him being a secondary hub to the offense alongside Lillard and CJ McCollum would create an explosive offense. Lillard finally seeing the Blazers making an aggressive move could delay/off his eventual trade request at some point as well.
With Sabonis only being 25 years old and having three years remaining on his bargain of a contract, the price would be steep. Would Portland be willing to trade Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little for Sabonis?
Pascal Siakam &mdash; Sacramento Kings
The quick emergence of No. 4 overall pick Scottie Barnes is leading to the inevitable conversations revolving around Siakam&rsquo;s long-term future in Toronto. With OG Anunoby and Barnes, is Siakam (and his hefty contract) a necessity to stay around? Personally, I don&rsquo;t think so. If the Raptors are able to find a big-time offer to offload Siakam, it makes a ton of sense to explore that possibility.
Who around the league would be interested in Siakam, though? There would be a bidding war ensuing for a near-star who can lift the ceiling of a team on both ends of the court. One team that actually makes a lot of sense for Siakam, potentially out of sheer desperation, would be Sacramento.
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After firing head coach Luke Walton, there are really no more excuses for the Kings to not figure it out sometime soon. It might simply just be time to reshuffle the roster a little bit to see what happens. Adding Siakam would be a brilliant move to help out De&rsquo;Aaron Fox. Imagine how much fun this would be in Sacramento: Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Harrison Barnes, Siakam, Richaun Holmes. That right there is starting lineup that can push the pace and score efficiently while also holding up on the defensive end.
With Toronto on the outside looking in for the playoff picture, acquiring Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III and two future first-round picks may not be enough to say goodbye to Siakam. Maybe I&rsquo;m underselling Siakam&rsquo;s value here, but I absolutely love the on-court fit for him with the Kings, so let&rsquo;s roll with it.
Ben Simmons for CJ McCollum blockbuster
Nothing has changed when it comes to Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers&rsquo; standoff. If anything, Simmons&rsquo; trade value is plummeting. At some point, will Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey lower his asking price and circle back around to discussions with Portland around a Simmons for McCollum swap? Ever since Simmons passed up a wide-open dunk in a pivotal moment in the Eastern Conference Finals, this trade has felt inevitable.
Simmons would be Lillard&rsquo;s own version of Draymond Green, helping stabilize the Blazers&rsquo; defense while also being a potent forward driving to the rim. Meanwhile, McCollum would help the Sixers&rsquo; short-term hopes of forming a title contender. Philadelphia certainly loses juice on defense swapping out Simmons for McCollum, but he&rsquo;s an experienced All-Star-level player who can score 20 points per game with ease. Imagining McCollum and Tyrese Maxey is a fun exercise for a potential Sixers backcourt combination post-Simmons.
What even is the value for Simmons right now around the Association? It&rsquo;s tough to gauge, but this trade construction still feels like the easiest to navigate. As I wrote once news broke a few months ago about Simmons wanting out of Philadelphia, it could lead to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-sixers-destined-for-a-rare-winwin-breakup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a true win-win for both parties in the end</a>.

With certain free-agent trade restrictions lifting on Dec. 15, it's time to start hypothesizing which teams could be buyers or sellers.

5 potential moves that make sense leading up to NBA trade deadline

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The 2021 NBA Draft is less than a week away. Fireworks are always set off (one way or another) on draft night, making it one of the best dates on the Association&rsquo;s yearly calendar. This year looks to be no different, as certain teams have been very aggressive and plenty of trade rumors have been surfacing recently.
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Matt Babcock, our NBA Draft analyst, has been hearing the same rumblings.
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&ldquo;There seems to be a lot of trade chatter this year, so do not be surprised if we have some deals involving lottery picks,&rdquo; Babcock <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1417526240722911234" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>.
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So, who will shake things up once they&rsquo;re on the clock? Which players could be on the move? When looking around the league, six names stand out as possible trade chips.
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Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
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What will the Pacers do with their big-man duo of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner? I recently wrote about whether Indiana&rsquo;s jumbo-big-man <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-rick-carlisle-make-a-domantas-sabonis-myles-turner-pairing-work-for-the-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">duo can coexist</a>. The numbers show that they shouldn&rsquo;t play Sabonis and Turner together (and Rick Carlisle has talked about staggering them), which means Indiana should definitely shop one or the other on draft night.
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Knowing the value of Sabonis as an offensive hub (similar to Nikola Jokic and Nikola Vucevic), the Pacers would be wise to find the best value out there for Turner instead.
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Many teams around the league would be clamoring for a win-now piece like Turner, who can be an elite shot-blocking anchor for a defense, while also spreading the floor adequately from three-point range. Multiple teams showed interest in Turner last offseason. For example, the Boston Celtics were in talks with Indiana about a potential Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade involving Turner.
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According to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/warriors-pacers-have-reportedly-discussed-trade-involving-myles-turner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Ringer&rsquo;s Kevin O&rsquo;Connor</a>, the Golden State Warriors have entered into discussions with Indiana surrounding Turner. The fit for Turner with Golden State is amazing. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have always missed a big man with the talents of Turner. Golden State&rsquo;s stars are reportedly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/warriors-interested-in-bradley-beal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushing for a win-now move</a>, and the team has been trying to deal their two lottery picks (No. 7 and No. 14) for a player who can help elevate them back into the Western Conference&rsquo;s elite tier. Adding Turner alongside Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green would do just that.
A trade package revolving around Andrew Wiggins and multiple picks could potentially get the job done for Indiana, who would also send out Jeremy Lamb for salary-matching purposes.
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Golden State receives: Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb, No. 13 pick
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Indiana receives: Andrew Wiggins, No. 7 pick, No. 14 pick
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Kemba Walker, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Kemba Walker is in a weird spot right now. After leaving Charlotte for Boston, which didn&rsquo;t go well in terms of the on-court fit alongside the Celtics&rsquo; young core, Walker and the No. 16 pick were <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rapid-reaction-to-boston-trading-kemba-walker-for-al-horford-moses-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shipped to Oklahoma City</a> in exchange for Al Horford, Moses Brown and a second-round pick.
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A player of Walker&rsquo;s caliber shouldn&rsquo;t be long with the Thunder, though. Oklahoma City is in a full-fledged rebuild with countless picks over the next five-plus years. Even with three years remaining on his lucrative contract, Walker should intrigue some teams who are looking to bolster their playoff chances.
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How about Kemba finally playing full-time in Madison Square Garden for the New York Knicks? New York will likely want to wait to see what happens with Damian Lillard in Portland before making any decision, but Walker&rsquo;s fit next to their young core is actually pretty interesting. Trotting out a starting lineup featuring Walker, Julius Randle, and R.J. Barrett fortifies the Knicks as a strong playoff team entering 2021-22.
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As seen in the Celtics-Thunder trade, Walker&rsquo;s value is not high at all. New York could get the deal done sending one of their first-round picks plus a player to shed some of their own salary.
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New York receives: Kemba Walker, No. 34 pick 
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Oklahoma City receives: Kevin Knox, No. 21 pick
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Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings
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Buddy Hield&rsquo;s tenure in Sacramento has been a roller coaster ride, to say the least. Bouncing back and forth from a starter to a sixth-man role, Hield&rsquo;s frustration with the organization feels like it&rsquo;s reached a boiling point. At times, he <a href="https://twitter.com/Chase_Everett_/status/1331428184445730817" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hasn&rsquo;t even tried to hide</a> his displeasure. With three years remaining on Hield&rsquo;s contract and this divorce seeming inevitable, perhaps the Kings will look to deal him this offseason.
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Looking back at the Kings&rsquo; decision, choosing Hield over Bogdan Bogdanovic was a big mistake. Still, if Hield does become available, many teams would be calling to inquire about the sharpshooter. As one of the best three-point marksmen in the NBA, hitting 40.9% over his last four years, Hield could seemingly fit on any roster.
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After a surprising first-round exit in this year&rsquo;s playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers make so much sense as a potential suitor for Hield. Los Angeles has been floated in almost every rumor surrounding big free agents (from <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-want-veteran-point-guard-have-interest-in-chris-paul-russell-westbrook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Paul</a> to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyle-lowry-demar-derozan-interested-in-joining-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Lowry</a> to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyle-lowry-demar-derozan-interested-in-joining-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DeMar DeRozan</a>), but Hield&rsquo;s floor-spacing gravity would open up the offense even more for LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
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Just imagine Hield as a third or fourth option, running around the perimeter while LeBron and AD do their damage on drives. This is something that Los Angeles should seriously explore, while also keeping their options open in free agency for potential sign-and-trades for a new starting point guard (*cough, Kyle Lowry, cough*).
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For Sacramento, receiving a first-round pick along with a young player who fits their timeline in Kyle Kuzma feels like a win considering their current situation with Hield.
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Los Angeles receives: Buddy Hield 
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Sacramento receives: Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, No. 22 pick
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Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors
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Golden State feels destined to make a move on draft night, no matter what size deal it may be. With two lottery picks at No. 7 and No. 14 overall, the Warriors are trying to make one final push for another championship in the Curry era.
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Andrew Wiggins&rsquo; $31.6 million salary for the 2021-22 season puts the Warriors in any discussion for star-caliber players. Already included earlier in a hypothetical Myles Turner trade, Wiggins also makes sense in another scenario.
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Pascal Siakam rumors have bubbled up occasionally over the last few weeks, as Toronto decides on their long-term vision. Siakam is &ldquo;considered available for trade by sources around the league,&rdquo; according to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pascal-siakam-seen-around-the-league-as-available-for-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report</a>. Holding the No. 4 overall pick in this year&rsquo;s draft, should the Raptors re-tool or rebuild?
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If Toronto decides to blow it up, leaving behind only OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and their top-five pick, a deal with Golden State makes way too much sense. The Warriors can send Wiggins, last year&rsquo;s No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, and their two lottery picks, which is an enticing package that&rsquo;s hard to pass up. This deal also allows both teams to embrace their current directions (with Golden State in win-now mode and Toronto rebuilding).
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Toronto receives: Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, No. 7 pick, No. 14 pick
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Golden State receives: Pascal Siakam, Aron Baynes&nbsp;
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Collin Sexton, Cleveland Cavaliers
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Darius Garland is the prioritized member of the Cavaliers&rsquo; young backcourt, so Collin Sexton looks to be <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-landing-spots-for-collin-sexton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on the way out soon</a>. Cleveland is not comfortable paying Sexton a big chunk of money on his looming second contract, so finding the best potential deal on draft night could be the route they&rsquo;re headed.
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Sexton is a score-first combo guard who averaged 24.3 points this past season for the Cavaliers. Many teams should be interested in acquiring the 22-year-old, but some organizations will be worried about whether those are empty-calorie stats.
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One team that has already been rumored to be interested in Sexton is the New York Knicks. Sexton is a strong fit for the culture that head coach Tom Thibodeau is trying to build in New York, and he&rsquo;s another tantalizing piece to add to their young core alongside R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Also, Sexton could be used later on as a trade piece for the next disgruntled superstar who asks out.
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Sending Cleveland Obi Toppin, Kevin Knox, the No. 19 overall pick, plus a top second-round pick (No. 32 overall) feels like a fair package for both sides in this scenario.
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New York receives: Collin Sexton 
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Cleveland receives: Obi Toppin, Kevin Knox, No. 19, No. 32
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Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
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Something has to give in the city of Brotherly Love this offseason. After an awful playoff performance, the Sixers must explore moving off of Ben Simmons&rsquo; massive max contract. For years, many have questioned the long-term fit between Simmons and Joel Embiid. After losing to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, once again coming up short of an NBA Finals appearance, Philadelphia needs to make some tweaks to reach their ultimate goal.
</div>
<div>
Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/finals-tomorrow-trade-talk-today" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> earlier this month that all of the following teams have inquired about Simmons&rsquo; availability: Indiana, Cleveland, Minnesota, Sacramento, and Toronto.
</div>
<div>
Out of those five teams mentioned, who makes the most sense to pay the hefty price needed for Simmons? Sacramento strikes me as the one who&rsquo;s desperate enough to pay whatever it takes (outside of their young backcourt of De&rsquo;Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton).
</div>
<div>
A package revolving around Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, and three first-round picks (including the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) could make Sixers GM Daryl Morey seriously consider pulling the trigger.
</div>
<div>
For Sacramento, a young big three consisting of Simmons, Fox, and Haliburton is their last-ditch effort to try to escape the proverbial abyss. Missing the playoffs for 15-straight seasons, a massive move needs to occur in order to keep Fox happy long-term, while also trying to jump another tier in the loaded Western Conference.
</div>
<div>
In return for sending Simmons to the Kings, Philadelphia adds a ton of shooting in the short-term, while holding golden tickets in draft capital long-term. If the Sixers are serious about making a Finals push while adding security past that window, this deal makes so much sense.
</div>
<div>
Sacramento receives: Ben Simmons, George Hill 
</div>
<div>
Philadelphia receives: Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, No. 9 pick, 2023 1st, 2025 1st
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Stay tuned to <a href="http://basketballnews.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com</a> for all the latest news and rumors. Check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our latest 2021 mock draft here</a>.
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From Buddy Hield to Collin Sexton and Ben Simmons to Myles Turner, we may see a blockbuster deal on draft night. Here are some ideas.

6 players who could be traded during the 2021 NBA Draft

Nekias Duncan dissects every detail of the moves that went down at Thursday's NBA trade deadline and gives them grades.

Grading every move from the 2021 NBA trade deadline

Ethan Fuller breaks down the general direction of all 30 NBA teams in his weekly Sour Rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: New Year, New Problems

The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1326678884226658311" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped a bombshell of a tweet</a> on Wednesday night, reporting that Rockets star Russell Westbrook wants out of Houston.
It&rsquo;s a bizarre and abrupt request on the heels of Big-Mouth-styled changes going on in the organization. Head coach Mike D&rsquo;Antoni is gone, replaced by Stephen Silas. Daryl Morey, the architect of the smaller-than-smallball Rockets, left for bluer pastures in Philadelphia. Westbrook, reportedly frustrated with the direction of the organization and the lack of offensive rhythm, now wants to take his talents elsewhere.
If the Rockets decide to move him, his market will be a tough one to navigate. On one hand, Westbrook remains one of the most talented players in the sport. He can get to the rim when he wants and finish at a high level. There aren&rsquo;t many players who create as many threes or lobs as Westbrook does. He&rsquo;s still a triple-double machine, for whatever that&rsquo;s worth to you.
On the other hand, the lack of off-ball value really hinders his effectiveness in playoff situations. The Lakers flat-out ignored him during their second-round series whenever he didn&rsquo;t have the ball. He also failed to capitalize on advantage situations whenever the Lakers trapped James Harden -- a massive indictment on Westbrook&rsquo;s decision-making in high-leverage spots, though it&rsquo;s fair to note that Westbrook was trying to work himself into playoff shape after dealing with COVID and injuries.
Further complicating matters is Westbrook&rsquo;s age (32) and contract (three years, $132 million left). It&rsquo;s hard for teams to swallow that much money on the back-9 of Westbrook&rsquo;s career. But from a talent perspective, the Rockets will rightfully want a good young piece and more for a guy of Westbrook&rsquo;s status. In order for a deal to work, there will have to be some compromise on both sides.
Let&rsquo;s take a look at several potential suitors.&nbsp;
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Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets are in a weird spot. They&rsquo;re clearly a bad team, but one with some useful vets and intriguing young talent that falls a tier (or two) below &ldquo;blue-chipper&rdquo; status. They&rsquo;re technically in position to land a high-profile youngster in this year&rsquo;s draft, but let&rsquo;s just say the merits of that distinction can be heavily debated.
In short: the Hornets are in position to make a move for a less-than-desirable star if they want to.&nbsp;
For a guy like Westbrook, who is still good enough to raise the floor of a team to playoff-level, and for a team like the Hornets that have little hope in nabbing a big name in free agency, a marriage could make some sense.
Starter Offer: Terry Rozier, Nicolas Batum
There was mild controversy around Rozier&rsquo;s acquisition last summer, though most of that was no fault of his own. The Hornets either failed or flat-out decided not to re-sign franchise cornerstone Kemba Walker, depending on who you talk to. Losing him hurt on and off the floor; losing him then immediately handing Rozier a three-year, $57 million deal&hellip; the optics didn&rsquo;t look great.&nbsp;
To Rozier&rsquo;s credit, he put together a solid season alongside Most Improved candidate Devonte&rsquo; Graham. Rozier averaged 18 points while shooting north of 40 percent from three on nearly seven attempts per contest. He also provided his usual brand of pesky defense at the point of attack. If the jumper proves to be real, he&rsquo;d be an ideal fit next to Harden as a secondary playmaker.
The Batum signing has mostly been a failure. Since signing his five-year, $120 million deal in the summer of 2016, Batum has waved between injuries and inconsistent play. At his best, he&rsquo;s a versatile forward capable of shooting, finishing, operating secondary pick-and-rolls and defending three positions credibly. It&rsquo;s just been difficult for him to put things together for extended stretches.
In Houston, he can enjoy easier looks playing off of the brilliance of Harden. Flanked by defenders like Robert Covington and PJ Tucker, Batum&rsquo;s defensive workload could also be a little lighter. A one-year flier on Batum could be a worthwhile gamble -- and we&rsquo;ve seen Contract-Year Batum before.
Last Ditch Offer: Terry Rozier, Cody Zeller, Malik Monk
If Batum isn&rsquo;t appealing, swapping him out for the Zeller/Monk combo could make things work. That may require the Rockets to throw in another piece -- Ben McLemore? Danuel House? -- depending on how confident the Hornets are in Monk moving forward.
Zeller has dealt with injury woes over the past three seasons, but has proven to be a reliable screener and lob threat when upright. Adding a screen-and-dive big back to Houston&rsquo;s arsenal would be a positive.&nbsp;
The jury remains out on Monk. He&rsquo;s a bucket-getter at his best, able to use a shifty handle and quick trigger to flow into pull-ups whenever he wants. The issue is that his shooting ability is more theoretical at this stage of his career. There&rsquo;s enough raw talent there to argue that a change of scenery would benefit him; maybe providing bench relief for a better team and occasionally playing off of Harden can lead to a mini-breakout.
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Dallas Mavericks
The Luka Doncic-led Mavericks made their return to the postseason behind, statistically, the greatest offense in NBA history. Doncic pick-and-rolled his way into rim forays and stepback jimmies; Kristaps Porzingis pick-and-popped his way into triple after triple. Gunners like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Seth Curry thrived off of the open looks created by the Doncic-Porzingis tango.&nbsp;
The next step for Dallas is finding someone to take some on-ball pressure off of Doncic, which is where a Westbrook deal could make some sense for them. There&rsquo;s rightful concern about Westbrook&rsquo;s value and/or inactivity without the ball in his hands, as well as how Westbrook&rsquo;s contract could affect their eventual pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021. The counter there is that Dallas shouldn&rsquo;t get in an all-out bidding war for Westbrook&rsquo;s services. Beyond that, Westbrook could likely be moved again next offseason, with a year less on his contract at that point, if they received word that Giannis was interested in joining.
First and Final Offer: Tim Hardaway Jr., Delon Wright, Dwight Powell
Hardaway Jr. is coming off his most efficient season as a pro, posting career highs in three-point percentage (39.8) and True Shooting percentage (58.1). With new head coach Stephen Silas looking to add more variety to Houston&rsquo;s offensive attack, having an off-ball mover like Hardaway Jr. could make them more dangerous in the half-court.
Wright had a smaller role than anticipated in his first year in Dallas, only starting five games and averaging a shade under 22 minutes a night. Still, he provided solid perimeter defense across multiple positions, and showcased some improved craft in pick-and-roll.&nbsp;
Wright pick-and-rolls (including passes) generated a little over 1.08 points per possession, per Synergy. Wright can slot in nicely alongside Harden or help anchor the second unit with Eric Gordon. There would be enough size for Houston to go with three-guard lineups with any three of Harden, Hardaway Jr., Gordon, or Wright if the situation called for it.
Powell is one of the more underrated bench bigs in the league, an elite roll option in ball screens and solid positional defender. There may be some hesitancy in taking on the remainder of his contract, especially with him coming off an Achilles injury, but I think it&rsquo;s fair to say that his deal is an easier pill to swallow than Westbrook&rsquo;s.&nbsp;
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Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are in the suburbs of purgatory: good enough to not only make the playoffs, but to host a playoff series, but not good enough to make legitimate noise in the postseason. There is no capital-s star, though Domantas Sabonis comes the closest. The player that did occupy that role has dealt with injuries and is set to hit unrestricted free agency next summer. This may be the time for the Pacers to make a swing that could vault them into the next tier.
Starter Offer: Victor Oladipo, Jeremy Lamb, Goga Bitadze
Any offer from the Pacers would likely start with Oladipo, a recently-oft-injured-but-talented guard that may be <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-rumors-possible-destinations-victor-oladipo-indiana-pacers">on his way out</a>. He may not be able to be the focal point of an offense at this point, but still has the driving and spot-up shooting skills necessary to operate as a secondary option. That, combined with his still-rugged perimeter defense, makes him an ideal fit next to Harden.
Lamb is a silky two-dribble attacker that can beat rotating defenses with pull-ups or tough finishes at the rim. He&rsquo;s also an active defender, if not an especially good one.&nbsp;
Goga Bitadze is an intriguing big prospect that didn&rsquo;t see much daylight last season. The former Serbian League MVP has enough shooting touch to feast off pick-and-pops, and he built a reputation overseas as a stout rim protector and shot blocker. The Pacers may not want to part with him, especially if the smoke around Myles Turner being on the block is true. If they&rsquo;re willing to move Bitadze, though, he&rsquo;d have a clear-cut path to playing time in Houston.
Last Ditch Offer: Myles Turner, Victor Oladipo, TJ Leaf
Turner is a good, albeit frustrating player. In theory, he&rsquo;s the type of 3-and-D center you want. Silky jumper that he launches into the freaking sun before it kisses through the net; a ridiculous rim protector that can swat shots from just about anywhere; enough of a handle and straight-line speed to pump-and-go against overeager defenders. Turner just hasn&rsquo;t managed to put it all together. That reality, combined with the emergency of Sabonis as the team&rsquo;s best player, and the presence of Bitadze makes a Turner move a more realistic outcome.
Leaf would be filler in a move like this. The shooting ability he flashed at UCLA hasn&rsquo;t really translated on the NBA level, and that&rsquo;s made it difficult for him to carve out consistent playing time to this point of his career.
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Los Angeles Clippers
The clock is definitely ticking in Los Angeles.
Fresh off of an embarrassing playoff collapse, the Clippers now find themselves in a dangerous spot. Their title window is wide open for next season -- having Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as your top two will do that -- but both players have the ability to hit free agency in 2021. It would be an outright disaster if even one of them leaves considering the capital it took to bring them in last offseason. Changes are needed, and fast.
Starter Offer: Montrezl Harrell (S&amp;T), Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams
Making the money work in a deal like this is tough without including Leonard or George. It is possible, though, by utilizing a sign-and-trade with Montrezl Harrell, last year&rsquo;s Sixth Man of the Year. TradeNBA&rsquo;s trade machine allows you to give players custom contracts. I gave Harrell a 3-year, $57 million deal -- quick hat tip to this <a href="https://www.dangerc.art/contract-structures">NBA contract generator</a> -- to make things work.
(Also, can I just say that it&rsquo;s ridiculous that the Clippers had two players as finalists for the Sixth Man award? By definition, one of Harrell or Lou Williams had to be the seventh man, which would eliminate them from contention. Come on, man. The math just ain&rsquo;t mathin&rsquo;.)
Beverley remains one of the most annoying players in the league to dribble against. He&rsquo;s also turned himself into one heck of a shooter, draining 39.3 percent of his threes over the past five seasons.
Williams is a multi-time Sixth Man of the Year award winner, a slithery pick-and-roll guard that wins with a variety of shoulder, head and pump fakes. There&rsquo;s obvious regular-season value with him, though he&rsquo;s never really put it together in the postseason.&nbsp;
Last Ditch Offer: Paul George
Ideally, if the Clippers are going to make a move for Westbrook, it&rsquo;ll be to create a Big 3 with him, Leonard and George.&nbsp;
The Hail Mary here would be to flip George, who reportedly <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/disappointment-frustration-lack-of-chemistry-portrait-of-the-clippers-collapse-172338674.html">played a role</a> in the Clippers&rsquo; ruffled locker room last season. His playoff struggles have been a little overblown -- people have really lost sight of what he was able to do in Indiana, and an argument can be made that he was OKC&rsquo;s best playoff performer during his stretch there -- but they can&rsquo;t completely be ignored.&nbsp;
If the Clippers prioritize the playmaking and rim pressure that Westbrook -- and they might, considering Leonard reportedly <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2020/10/19/report-kawhi-leonard-wants-clippers-to-add-point-guard/">wants some help</a> in that regard -- there&rsquo;s room for a swap. That may require the Rockets to toss in an extra piece like House, but it&rsquo;s easy to see the on-court benefit from both sides.&nbsp;
Westbrook could help push the pace, create lob opportunities for Ivica Zubac, and take some of the creation burden off of Leonard. George can flow off of pindowns and attack bent defenses in Houston, or float around the perimeter to create driving lanes for Harden, Gordon and others.

Nekias Duncan breaks down four possible trade destinations for Russell Westbrook since the former MVP reportedly wants out of Houston.

Breaking down possible trade destinations for Russell Westbrook

This article is part of a two-part series preview for the upcoming 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs.
With the 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs starting, all eyes will be on all teams competing for the championship as fans and players look on for a taste of postseason action. As eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges. In this article, we take a closer look at the biggest question facing each Western Conference team heading into the playoffs, from injuries and roster changes to key matchups and strategic decisions.
<h3>Oklahoma City Thunder - How far can their youth and inexperience take them in the playoffs?</h3>
The Thunder got away through the regular season with historic from MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous Alexander, an impressive rookie season by Chet Holmgren, a star sophomore leap by Jalen Williams, and a coaching masterclass in a genius coach Mark Daigneault.
However, the playoffs as we know it is a different beast &ndash; will Mark Daigneault be able to sustain the good coaching he has done with his team throughout this regular season?
How much of this youth and inexperience be a factor for them to advance deeper in the playoffs; will they be able to use it to their advantage? Or will it be a hindrance against other experienced teams when they face each other in these tight situations? Most of the time, these situations require patience and discipline &ndash; teams with playoff experience have shown over time and have done it time and time again on their way to a deep playoff run.
<h3>Denver Nuggets - Can they go back to back?</h3>
There&rsquo;s really no other question for a team like the Nuggets at the peak of their powers: Can they win back-to-back titles? There has not been a back-to-back champion in the NBA for the past 5 years, with the last one coming in 2017 and 2018 when the Warriors won it all.
Like Boston, it is a title or bust status with Denver as of now. They have been fairly healthy throughout the regular season, have a mostly intact roster that won it all last year, and have the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic in his absolute prime. Denver this year has again all the necessary pieces to win &ndash; the right amount of shooters, defensive guys, scoring in the paint &ndash; which are all the makings of a championship team.
A couple of questionable factors though would be how much of an impact the loss of Bruce Brown would have in these playoffs. Brown was arguably the 5th, or 4th best player in their championship run last year &ndash; maybe even the 3rd in some games. He was essential on offense and defense, guarding the opponent&rsquo;s best perimeter threats while providing off-ball scoring and cuts that fit perfectly with Jokic.
Second, they&rsquo;ll be facing championship-caliber teams with hunger and drive to defeat them, and all have been competitive with the Nuggets this season. The Lakers, although the Nuggets swept them last year in the Western Conference Finals, still have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and they won&rsquo;t take that lightly &ndash; likely coming back with a vengeance.
The Suns have won the season series with the Nuggets 2-1 and they pose a threat to the Nuggets with their formula of having three elite shotmakers that can explode anytime &ndash; which the Nuggets may not cover all at the same time.&nbsp; The Wolves, who perhaps have the best lineup suited to defeat them, are lurking in the same bracket waiting to pounce on them at sight.&nbsp;
These are all challenges a defending champion must go through to achieve a rare feat because the playoffs are supposed to be hard.
<h3>Minnesota Timberwolves -&nbsp; Will they finally break through after years of heartbreak?</h3>
This has already been a win of a season for the Timberwolves, achieving their second most wins in franchise history (56) since 2004 when they won 58 wins and reached the conference finals.
However, this has not stopped them from wanting more, and the wolfpack is not satisfied nor contented with just this achievement &ndash; they want more.
Minnesota wanting to go win that first playoff series like a hungry pack of wolves has been evident since trading for 3-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Although they fell short last season due to untimely injuries to key players, the Wolves ran it back and have proven their little experiment with two bigs in star Karl Anthony Towns and Gobert would work.&nbsp;
Led by their resurgent young superstar Anthony Edwards equipped with the best defense in the league, Minnesota certainly hopes this team would be the one &ndash; the one to end the longest playoff series win droughts in the league for quite some time now.
<h3>Los Angeles Clippers - Will they be able to meet the expectations this time around?</h3>
The Clippers trading for James Harden signaled one thing for the franchise: They are going all in with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and surrounding them with all the help they can get. They are far from a perfect team, but the Clippers want to have the best possible results this season before transferring to their new arena next year.
The Clippers have only appeared in the conference finals once in the Leonard-George era after being plagued by several injuries during their different playoff runs. Due to that, people haven&rsquo;t been able to see what the team is capable of when their two stars are fully healthy in a playoff run.
However, this year might just be their year. Their core of Harden, George, and Leonard have been mostly healthy all season long. The front office has also surrounded them with complementary pieces to help them win. LA now has usable bigs in Zubac, Plumlee, and Theis; they have Terrance Mann as their designated stopper; Norman Powell being the sixth man off the bench microwave scorer; a 3-and-D wing in Amir Coffe; and Russell Westbrook as the spark plug that gives them the boost and the energy off the bench.
After being just the &lsquo;second team in LA&rsquo; and &lsquo;that other team in LA&rsquo; for years, the Clippers aim to prove the doubters wrong and change the perception that surrounds the team as they pivot into a new era of Clippers basketball.&nbsp;
<h3>Dallas Mavericks - Will Luka finally fulfill the promise he has been showing so far in his career?</h3>
Throughout his young NBA career, Luka Doncic has had one of the best starts since LeBron James statistically. He has been in constant range of breaking or matching LeBron&rsquo;s records in points scored, triple-doubles, assists, and rebounds. However, this has not always translated into wins with Doncic just appearing in just one conference finals in the first six years of his career. But that might change this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;
This year, the Mavericks have put up arguably the best roster on paper that Luka has had in his career &ndash; arguably even better than the 2022 team that made the conference finals.
Alongside Doncic&rsquo;s MVP act is a true partner in crime in Kyrie Irving; shot-blocking and rim-rolling vertical threats in Daniel Gafford and Lively; rugged forwards that can shoot in PJ Washington, Dante Exum, Josh Green, and Derrick Jones; a microwave off-the-bench scorer in Tim Hardaway Jr; and veteran bigs that have been in Dallas for quite some time now and you can count on in always with Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell.
Can Luka finally overcome the Clippers? This season was one for the books with an MVP caliber and worthy year by averaging close to 34 points a game with 9 rebounds and 9 assists per game. Doncic has taken his game to another level in the regular season &ndash; this time, can he take his playoff game to another level as well?
All great young players have to go through someone as the stepping stone to reach newer heights &ndash; and Luka has lost to this Kawhi Leonard and Paul George-led Clippers team twice already in his career in the playoffs.
LeBron had to go through the Celtics, Jordan had to go through the Pistons. Could it be Luka&rsquo;s turn to get through this Clippers team that has tormented him for two playoff series?
<h3>Phoenix Suns - Will this new formula take them over the top?</h3>
The Suns have experienced substantial playoff success over the past three years by having a Finals appearance and reaching the conference semifinals twice. However, those groups fell short, with the feeling of something lacking or something missing that could take them over the top.
So lo and behold, Phoenix scrapped it and took a different approach this season &ndash; ditching the point guard spot and getting a rugged and physical big that could set screens and not demand the ball much on offense.
In its place came through as the Suns traded for Bradley Beal &ndash; going with a new formula by having three shot creators and shotmakers on the floor at the same time &ndash; pairing him with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. They also traded away former no.1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton for Jusuf Nurkic, a wide-bodied center whose job is to set screens, rebound, and get their three creators open in the lane or for jump shots.
They added an elite shooter in Grayson Allen to space the floor alongside those three, or sometimes Royce O&rsquo;Neale comes in for more defense against the opposing perimeter threats.
The Suns&rsquo; new approach and formula to the game make it incredibly hard to defend because you have to have three elite defenders to contain those three shot-creators, who can explode and get buckets at any point in the game. Although their defense is still suspect at times, the main point of this lineup is not to outscore &ndash; but to out-create teams and have a variety of options to dissect and defeat defenses.
If this new strategy works and could take the Suns to the promised land in these playoffs remains to be seen.
<h3>Los Angeles Lakers - Will they have enough this time around?</h3>
Despite a strong run to the Western Conference Finals as a 7th seed, the Lakers fell short last year vs the Nuggets after being swept 4-0. Throughout the season, the Nuggets&rsquo; dominance of the purple and gold continued, and now they have lost eight straight games against this Denver team.&nbsp;
However, there is optimism that the Lakers will turn it around and have a different result vs the Nuggets. Superstar LeBron James, even at 39 years old, looks to prove that he still has something left in the tank. Although they got outplayed and outcoached last in that series by the Nuggets, James can make those adjustments being the cerebral and high IQ player that he is.
James is perhaps one of the best if not the best tactically sound players of all time, so it would make sense &ndash; if they were to defeat Denver, he needs to be able to outsmart Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets this time around. Superstar tandem Anthony Davis will also be vital to the series having to defend the &lsquo;Joker&rsquo; and producing buckets himself.
The Lakers will also feature some new bench pieces this year that could be difference makers in the series Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Gabe Vincent, all of whom could defend and hit those spot-up threes if needed.
Then there&rsquo;s a hungry D&rsquo;Angelo Russell who had a bad series vs Denver last year raring to bounce back along with an always-solid Austin Reaves to be the stabilizer.
<h3>Pelicans - How will they fare without Zion Williamson?</h3>
The New Orleans Pelicans start and end with their young star Zion Williamson. After going out with what is to be believed a left hamstring strain, everything now hinges on his health.&nbsp;
The Pelicans obviously need him no matter what and whether or not he&rsquo;s healthy for their first-round series vs the Thunder will likely be the answer if they win it or not.
We&rsquo;ve seen what Williamson is capable of doing, scoring 40 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in his first taste of postseason action in their play-in game vs the Lakers. The burly forward bullied the Lakers&rsquo; defense and he showed his once generational type of body and scoring prowess come together after finally being healthy for a full season in his five years in the NBA.
New Orleans has fallen short a lot of times in the playoffs, either failing to make it or to win a series, and it is clear that Zion is the difference that separates them from winning or losing a playoff series.

s eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges.

2024 Western Conference Playoffs: Each team’s biggest question heading into the playoffs

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Load management is a big topic across the NBA these days.
One great way to make sure players get rest in the playoffs is to end the series early.
The Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics all have that opportunity on Tuesday night when they host Game 5s with a 3-1 lead in the series.
&ldquo;Closeout games are always the hardest,&rdquo; Suns center Deandre Ayton said. &ldquo;We expect it&rsquo;s going to be a battle. We&rsquo;re just gearing up.&rdquo;
The Western Conference top-seed Nuggets already had one opportunity to end their series, but the feisty Timberwolves managed to extend it with a Game 4 win in overtime on Sunday.
&ldquo;We really wanted to come out and have a sweep under our belt. Didn&rsquo;t happen,&rdquo; Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said. &ldquo;They fought. They fought like hell, all game long. Even when we put a scare in their heart a little bit, they kept fighting, kept playing, and the crowd was into it.&rdquo;
The Suns-Los Angeles Clippers series has been shaped by Kawhi Leonard&rsquo;s knee injury. Leonard has missed the past two games with a sprained knee, which has helped tip the series in favor of Phoenix.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s definitely hurt. It&rsquo;s not load management where he&rsquo;s taking time off,&rdquo; Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s shown in the past that he&rsquo;s played through injuries in the playoffs and so if it&rsquo;s something he can&rsquo;t play through, then it has to be pretty serious.&rdquo;
L.A.&rsquo;s Paul George has been out since March 21 with the same injury as Leonard.
HAWKS AT CELTICS
Boston leads 3-1. Game 4, 7:30 p.m. EDT, TNT.
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Celtics have never lost a best-of-seven playoff series after building a 3-1 lead. They are 27-0 in those situations over their storied history.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Jaylen Brown&rsquo;s facial wear. The Boston star had been using a protective mask since February, when he sustained a broken bone in his face. But he ditched the mask in the second quarter of Game 4 after making just 1 of 7 shots. He went 11 of 15 the rest of the way to finish with 31 points in a 129-121 victory. Presumably, he won&rsquo;t be wearing the mask anymore in these playoffs. &ldquo;As soon as I took it off, things started to turn around a little bit,&rdquo; Brown said.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Boston G Marcus Smart looked just fine in Game 4 after falling hard on his tailbone in the previous contest. He said they were times when his lower back tightened up, and he&rsquo;ll have to remain diligent in his treatment to make sure the pain doesn&rsquo;t keep him off the court. &ldquo;Throughout the game, it got a little tight on me. It flared up. But once I got it stretched out again, got it loose, got some heat on it, it was pretty good,&rdquo; Smart said.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: The Hawks. It looks like another brief playoff appearance unless they can pull of a win in Boston, and the challenge got even tougher when guard Dejounte Murray was suspended for Game 5 after bumping and verbally abusing an official after the end of Game 4. Murray is averaging 25.3 points in the series. Atlanta has lost five straight at TD Garden since its last victory on Feb. 17, 2021, including a pair of 13-point defeats in the first two games of this series. If the Hawks lose, it would be the second straight year they&rsquo;ve gone down in five games in the opening round and could signal major changes heading into the offseason.
TIMBERWOLVES AT NUGGETS
Denver leads 3-1. Game 5, 9 p.m. EDT, NBA TV.
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Nuggets closed the last 2&frac12; minutes of the fourth quarter of Game 4 on a tying 12-0 run, but the Timberwolves recovered with an 18-point overtime on 6-for-8 shooting for a 114-108 victory. It denied Denver a first playoff-series sweep in franchise history and keep the first-round matchup alive despite Nikola Jokic&rsquo;s playoff-career-high-tying 43 points.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Anthony Edwards. Minnesota&rsquo;s All-Star guard has 129 points in four games, the second-most in the NBA playoffs behind Phoenix&rsquo;s Devin Booker (139). He delivered a wide array of clutch baskets down the stretch for the Wolves in Game 4, including a pull-up 3-pointer from the wing with 11.5 seconds left in overtime to push their lead to four. He&rsquo;s the first player in Wolves&rsquo; history with 100-plus points over three consecutive playoff games. Only LeBron James (eight) had more 30-plus-point playoff games before age 22 than Edwards does (five). Still, Edwards was aiming for a higher bar after his 12-for-27 shooting performance.
&ldquo;I played terrible, if you ask me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I took three bad 3s, three terrible possessions, and I damn near shot us out the game.&rdquo;
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: Wolves sixth man Kyle Anderson was inadvertently struck by a stray arm from Edwards during a leap for a rebound late in the third quarter and did not return after suffering what the team announced as a left eye and facial contusion. Coach Chris Finch said Anderson went to see an eye specialist. ... Nuggets coach Mike Malone on Jokic&rsquo;s aggression with 12 free-throw attempts in Game 4 after zero in Game 3: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s banged up. He&rsquo;s playing hard.&rdquo;
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Jamal Murray. After scoring 40 points in Game 2, Denver&rsquo;s standout point guard missed 26 of 43 shots over the two games in Minnesota. He had 19 points in Game 4, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker frequently picking up his defense before half court and making him work hard for every shot, drive and pass.
CLIPPERS AT SUNS
Phoenix leads 3-1, Game 5, 10 p.m. EDT, TNT
&mdash; NEED TO KNOW: The Suns took control of the series with two wins in Los Angeles and now return to Phoenix to try and close it out. The Suns have taken advantage of the absence of L.A. star Kawhi Leonard, who missed both Games 3 and 4 because of a sprained knee.
&mdash; KEEP AN EYE ON: Three-time All-Star Devin Booker is cooking for the Suns, averaging 34.8 points on 57.1% shooting. The 26-year-old isn&rsquo;t just scoring, he&rsquo;s averaging 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks.
&mdash; INJURY WATCH: All eyes are on Leonard to see if he can return. The Suns have been without backup point guard Cam Payne, who hasn&rsquo;t played in the series because of a sore back.
&mdash; PRESSURE IS ON: Russell Westbrook. If Leonard can&rsquo;t play, the Clippers almost certainly have to have another massive game from Westbrook, who has played well in the series. He&rsquo;s improved his scoring total each game, rising from 9 points in Game 1 to 28 in Game 2, 30 in Game 3 and 37 in Game 4. L.A. might need a 40-spot from him on Tuesday to extend the series.

The Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics all have an opportunity to advance on Tuesday night when they host Game 5s.

Suns, Nuggets, Celtics can all advance with Game 5 wins

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; A magical journey put San Diego State in its first Final Four.
A thrilling buzzer-beater by Lamont Butler landed the Aztecs one win away from a national title.
Hot early shooting Monday night helped them race to an early lead against the mighty UConn Huskies.
Then things fell apart.
For more than 11 tortured minutes in the title game, no matter what they tried, the Aztecs could not make a field goal in their 76-59 loss.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s difficult to play like that,&rdquo; Butler said.
Fighting against a stifling defense, they missed hook shots, had layups blocked, badly missed wide-open 3s and saw easy jump shots fall short.
The Aztecs (32-7) took shot after shot after shot &mdash; 14 in all as the clock ticked, ticked and ticked &mdash; but no matter what they tried nothing would fall.
&ldquo;We were talking about it for sure,&rdquo; Butler said. &ldquo;And we were trying to figure out what we can do to stop the scoring drought and create advantages for ourselves. We tried but things weren&rsquo;t working.&rdquo;
By the time Darrion Trammell mercifully made a jump shot with about 5 &frac12; minutes left in the first half, the Aztecs had seen a four-point lead turn into a 26-17 hole.
A team that got here on the strength of its vaunted defense was in the end done in by an offense that went cold at the worst possible moment.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the national championship game, a lot of things had to go right on our end in order to win,&rdquo; guard Matt Bradley said. &ldquo;And when you&rsquo;re missing shots and turning the ball over and even when you&rsquo;re playing hard on defense, it&rsquo;s not going to be enough. So we learned that tonight for sure.&rdquo;
The Aztecs rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat Florida Atlantic in the national semifinal, with Butler&rsquo;s game-winner at the buzzer marking the first time in Final Four history that a buzzer-beater took a team from trailing to a victory.
This time there would be no such heroics. They did go on a second half run to make it interesting, though.
San Diego State used a 14-4 spurt, with the first four points from Jaedon LeDee, to get within 60-55 with about five minutes to go.
But Jordan Hawkins made a 3-pointer seconds after that to start a 9-0 run that shut the door on any designs the Aztecs had on another remarkable comeback.
Though their defense had been the star of this Cinderella&rsquo;s tournament run entering Monday night, their offense had done plenty to complement it.
Through their first five games in the tournament, the Aztecs shot an average of 42.48%. In the biggest game in school history Monday night, they shot a tournament-low 32% &mdash; a number significantly lowered by a 28.6% first half.
It was their second-lowest shooting percentage of the season, behind the 31.7% they shot in a 62-57 win over Utah State in the Mountain West Conference Tournament title game. Their 24 first-half points was the second-fewest they&rsquo;d managed all season.
There were no tears in San Diego State&rsquo;s locker room after the loss that snapped a nine-game winning streak, but rather a bunch of guys who were proud of how far they got, even if they came up short.
&ldquo;We were the only ones who believed we could get here,&rdquo; Trammell said. &ldquo;We surpassed our expectations honestly.&rdquo;
Added Keshad Johnson, who led the team with 14 points Monday night.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure we put our school&rsquo;s name on the map and I&rsquo;m proud of that,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

Hot early shooting Monday night helped the Aztecs race to an early lead against the mighty Huskies. Then, things fell apart.

Long drought seals SDSU’s fate in title game against UConn

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Lamont Butler hit the biggest shot in San Diego State history, putting the Aztecs in the national championship game for the first time.
The next step, in Monday&rsquo;s title game, will be a difficult one.
UConn has been the dominant team all through the bracket, delivering one beatdown after another while showing no weaknesses &mdash; even on a short turnaround.
The Huskies snatched the euphoria right out of Gonzaga last week in the Elite Eight, ruining the Zags&rsquo; vibes after their last-second win over UCLA two days earlier. Baylor did the same thing to Gonzaga in the 2021 national title game, bullying the Zags two days after Jalen Suggs&rsquo; miracle shot.
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t stop,&rdquo; UConn guard Jordan Hawkins said after scoring 13 points against Miami on Saturday night. &ldquo;We keep putting our foot on their neck. We have a really tough team.&rdquo;
The Huskies got to the title game by breaking their opponents&rsquo; will.
UConn won its first four NCAA Tournament games by at least 15 points and wrecked Miami&rsquo;s first Final Four appearance by dominating the Hurricanes at both ends in a 72-59 win.
The Aztecs have done it with defense.
San Diego State shut down four straight NCAA Tournament opponents and leaned on its D in the second half to overcome a 14-point deficit to ruin Florida Atlantic&rsquo;s first Final Four. Butler provided the heroics, hitting a buzzer-beater in the 72-71 win that had all of San Diego celebrating.
The first buzzer-beating game-winner by a trailing team in Final Four history now puts the Aztecs within a win of the Mountain West Conference&rsquo;s first national title.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t consider ourselves a mid-major,&rdquo; San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said. &ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re a high-major program.&rdquo;
UConn (30-8) will be vying for its fifth national title since 1999, but first since Dan Hurley was hired to bring back the program after its fall from grace.
UConn won its fourth title under Kevin Ollie in 2014, but spiraled downward in the wake of recruiting violations and Ollie&rsquo;s ugly departure.
When Hurley took over in 2018, UConn was 170th on the KenPom analytics rankings and low on the national relevance scale.
The knock on Hurley&rsquo;s Huskies then turned to UConn&rsquo;s meager Marches; two first-round NCAA Tournament burnouts, including to No. 12 seed New Mexico State last year.
UConn had an uneven 2022-23 season, climbing to No. 2 in the AP Top 25, tumbling back toward irrelevance with six losses in eight games.
The Huskies turned into the best team in the maddest of Marches that culminated in the most unexpected Final Four, putting them in position to tie Duke and Indiana for fourth on the all-time championships list.
&ldquo;The group has shown their quality so many times in terms of the level that we could play at,&rdquo; Hurley said. &ldquo;And I think we experienced everything in that month of January, it&rsquo;s a battle-tested team.&rdquo;
For San Diego State (32-6), Monday&rsquo;s title game will be the culmination of the program building Steve Fisher started and Dutcher pushed forward.
Fisher had built San Diego State into a mid-major power, leading them to six straight NCAA Tournaments. When he retired in 2017, the reins were handed to Dutcher, his assistant back to Michigan&rsquo;s national championship with the Fab Five in 1989.
Dutcher kept many of the same principles Fisher had, adding an extra dash of defensive devilry.
San Diego State appeared ready to break through in 2020, on its way to a likely No. 1 seed before the pandemic wiped out the NCAA Tournament.
The Aztecs suffered first-round NCAA Tournament flameouts the next two seasons before becoming defensive dominators this year.
San Diego State was fourth in the KenPom.com defensive efficiency ratings while winning 27 games during the regular season. The Aztecs took it to new lows in the NCAA Tournament, holding their first four opponents to 57 points per game and 17% shooting from the 3-point arc.
Upstart FAU appeared to have solved San Diego State&rsquo;s defense in the first half of Saturday night&rsquo;s first semifinal, stretching its lead to 14 midway through the second half.
The Aztecs got back to being dirty (in a good way) to get back in it and Butler finished if off with one of the most memorable shots in NCAA Tournament history.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to the national championship,&rdquo; Butler said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not things many people do.&rdquo;

The fifth-seeded Aztecs will meet the red-hot, fifth-seeded Huskies in the national championship game Monday.

March Madness: San Diego State to meet UConn in title game

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Everything seemed set for a college basketball season marked by the familiar &mdash; right up until the season, anyway.
There was North Carolina returning four starters from a wild ride to last year&rsquo;s NCAA championship game&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-unc-went-from-preseason-no-1-to-missing-ncaa-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to open at No. 1</a> in the preseason Associated Press poll. Fellow bluebloods Kentucky, reigning champion Kansas and Duke were near the top. Instead, they crashed away to bring us here: the season&rsquo;s final weekend with a decidedly unexpected Final Four.
So what happened? A bad bout of flawed projection? A shift in the sport itself? March Madness arriving early?
&ldquo;I think obviously between the transfer portal, the extra COVID year and NIL, that created a lot of opportunities, I think, for parity,&rdquo; Connecticut coach Dan Hurley said this week, &ldquo;where brand isn&rsquo;t quite as important when there&rsquo;s so much inventory in terms of players, and they can move freely. And they&rsquo;re old and good."
The Huskies are headliners in Houston, both as a four-time national champion and as the team hurtling into the weekend&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/uconn-routs-gonzaga-8254-for-first-final-four-in-9-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">after dispatching tournament foes with ruthless efficiency</a>. They&rsquo;re also a team that was unranked in preseason, lost six of eight at midseason and was a 4-seed for the NCAA Tournament ahead of San Diego State (5), Miami (5) and Florida Atlantic (9).
Of this quartet, only San Diego State (19th) was ranked in the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll?week=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preseason AP Top 25</a>. That marks only the second time since the tournament&rsquo;s expansion to 64 teams in 1985 that three teams went from unranked in the preseason to reaching the Final Four, the other coming in 2006 with eventual champion Florida, LSU and the George Mason team led by current Hurricanes coach Jim Larra&ntilde;aga.
&ldquo;I always say with the NCAA Tournament, if you were to start it off with the exact same brackets and start it today, we&rsquo;d have four different teams in the Final Four,&rdquo; Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher said. &ldquo;I mean, this is a hard event to win in, and it&rsquo;s almost a perfect-storm scenario.&rdquo;
Maybe so, but this season&rsquo;s journey is about the headlining teams that didn&rsquo;t make it here too.
Take UNC. Its riveting run last year included&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-north-carolina-tar-heels-mens-basketball-duke-blue-devils-mens-basketball-sports-mike-krzyzewski-76be1099a009ac7c2993c36a2eba00a8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an epic Final Four win against Duke</a>&nbsp;in the first NCAA meeting between the fierce rivals that also marked the farewell for retiring Blue Devils Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski. But this year&rsquo;s team&nbsp;looked weighed down by expectations&nbsp;and became&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-unc-went-from-preseason-no-1-to-missing-ncaa-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the first team to go from preseason No. 1 to missing the tournament since its 1985 expansion</a>.
Yet it goes further.
Three other preseason top-10 teams (Kentucky, Creighton and Arkansas) finished unranked. Two others (Baylor and Duke) spent at least one week wandering among the &ldquo;Others Receiving Votes.&rdquo; Three teams ended up going from unranked to the top 10 <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in the final poll</a>, including Purdue &mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-fairleigh-dickinson-purdue-16-seed-715e3e361344928ea10880dd9a9d8a58" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which became the second No. 1 seed ever to lose to a 16-seed</a>&nbsp;&mdash; and Marquette joining UConn.
By comparison, only two teams slid from preseason top 10 to unranked at any point last year during the first full season with the transfer portal, while one (Arizona) finished in the top 10 after opening the year unranked.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/1000-3.jpeg" alt="" width="700" height="472" />
In all, four teams held the No. 1 ranking this year, including Houston, Alabama and Purdue. None gave the whiff of a potential juggernaut like 2021 champ Baylor and Gonzaga combining for three losses that season.
&ldquo;Through the season, No. 1s were losing, rankings were always changing,&rdquo; San Diego State senior guard Jared Barnett said Thursday. &ldquo;So we always felt like we had a chance.&rdquo;
Joel Berry II, the Final Four&rsquo;s Most Outstanding Player in 2017 during UNC&rsquo;s title run, is struck by those swings.
He&rsquo;ll never forget the last Final Four in Houston: He was on the court in 2016 for the Tar Heels&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/march-madness-ranking-the-top11-ncaa-tournament-buzzerbeaters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">when Villanova&rsquo;s Kris Jenkins hit a last-second 3-pointer for the title</a>. That crushing moment was the driving force when the Tar Heels returned a year later to claim the title that had eluded them.
Now, he figures those redemption arcs are harder to complete with the transfer portal offering the equivalent of college free agency as a landscape-altering variable.
&ldquo;Schools like North Carolina, Kansas, Villanova, Duke, these teams can&rsquo;t get by anymore just bringing in (high school) All-Americans,&rdquo; said Berry, now an ACC Network analyst. &ldquo;These other teams have All-Americans that went to schools and maybe it didn&rsquo;t work out. Now they&rsquo;re transferring to other places where they have better opportunities.&rdquo;
That was a popular take among players in the locker rooms at Houston&rsquo;s NRG Stadium, too, with several mentioning the portal when asked about whether the season felt more wide open.
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have to sit out now, so people are changing schools whenever,&rdquo; said Florida Atlantic guard Jalen Gaffney, who transferred from UConn. &ldquo;So I guess a lot of players, a lot of teams are just evening out at this point.&rdquo;
And to listen to them, it&rsquo;s both welcome and a sign of what&rsquo;s ahead.
&ldquo;High-major dudes could bounce back and go to some of these low- and mid-majors and really turn a program around,&rdquo; said UConn guard Joey Calcaterra, a graduate transfer from San Diego.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just cool to see the different types of teams who could step up in big moments. It&rsquo;s not always what you expect like in past years.&rdquo;

This is the second time since the tournament’s expansion in 1985 that 3 teams went from unranked in the preseason to the Final Four

March Madness came early in topsy-turvy college hoops season

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; One short year ago, college basketball was getting ready for the game of a lifetime: North Carolina vs. Duke at the Final Four.
And this year? Well, to put it kindly, who the heck are these guys?
The NCAA Tournament, the annual event that has told and sold and made marketing gold out of the story of underdogs and busted brackets has, for 2023, produced an extreme rendition of what happens when&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-final-four-uconn-fau-6ca1aeceb20e4d9cde254e52ea77430f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all that cherished unpredictability</a>&nbsp;plays itself out to the end.
In one Final Four meeting Saturday, it will be San Diego State against Florida Atlantic. In the other, it will be Miami vs. UConn.
&ldquo;I expect the prognosticators to pick us fifth at the Final Four,&rdquo; Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May said in a nod to the reality that nobody really expected the Owls, or any of these teams, to be here.
Of the four programs descending on Houston this week, only one has ever sniffed a Final Four before. It&rsquo;s the first time in 53 years that has happened.
With its four national titles and some famous names from the past, including Jim Calhoun, Kemba Walker&nbsp;and Rip Hamilton, the name &ldquo;Connecticut&rdquo; certainly should ring a bell, even if it might not tread all the way into true blueblood territory.
Miami?&nbsp;That was a program that was literally shut down for 14 years in the 1970s and 1980s due to lack of interest. The school was too busy building a football program that would become (in)famous for winning with a certain panache.
May&rsquo;s Florida Atlantic&nbsp;program? It&rsquo;s a relative new kid on the block, a member of Division I since 1993 that is based in the retirement community of Boca Raton, a locale better known for its 4:30 dinner specials than its 7 p.m. tipoffs.
San Diego State?&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/final-four-san-diego-state-46eefb6f73d12368b158126d5365cb0a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In their defense</a>, maybe this shouldn&rsquo;t be the Aztecs&rsquo; first Final Four. In 2020, they were 30-2 and generally slotted in as a No. 1 seed, albeit still an underdog to a stacked Kansas team that was the odds-on favorite. Then COVID hit and wiped that season off the boards.
&ldquo;There are a lot of really good teams in college basketball, and the difference between winning and losing is paper thin,&rdquo; San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said.
Will anyone, outside of the truest of diehards, bother to watch?
As of Thursday, a pair of seats in the nosebleed section for Saturday&rsquo;s doubleheader &mdash; the most-anticipated day on the college hoops calendar &mdash; were going for around $100 each on the secondary market. A year ago, shortly after the Duke-Carolina matchup was set, the average price for those same seats nearly doubled to $800 a ticket.
There has been a lot of debate and even some handwringing about how one of America&rsquo;s greatest sporting events produced a 4 seed, two 5s and a 9 &mdash; for a seed total of 23, which is the second-highest in history &mdash; that between them boast not a single McDonald&rsquo;s All-American nor one consensus top-30 recruit.
The transfer portal, which allows players to come and go from school to school without having to sit out a year, might be the best explanation. Miami coach Jim Larranaga called it basketball&rsquo;s form of &ldquo;speed dating,&rdquo; a get-rich-quick scheme that, with the right timing, chemistry and luck, can make a roster very good (or very bad) very quickly.
Some other possibilities: an NCAA selection committee that some say is divorced from reality; the ever-shifting landscape caused by name-image-likeness (NIL) deals that give players more leverage (and money); and, for sure, an abundance of flawed teams &mdash; including Alabama, Houston and Kansas &mdash; that were overvalued and placed at the top of the heap this year.
But before jumping to grand conclusions about matchups like these becoming the &ldquo;new normal&rdquo; at the Final Four, former Duke star and current TV analyst Jay Bilas reminds us that we are a scant 365 days removed from a completely different sort of get-together.
&ldquo;I love the one about the narratives that you don&rsquo;t need those McDonalds guys to win,&rdquo; Bilas said. &ldquo;OK, so don&rsquo;t recruit the best players, and see how that goes for you. I just don&rsquo;t understand how all this gets this way.&rdquo;
A year ago, the tournament felt perfect. The country got its dose of Cinderella &mdash; namely, when 15 seed Saint Peter&rsquo;s made a first-of-its-kind run into the Elite Eight. Then, a sense of perfectly timed normalcy took over.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski got to close out his career at the Final Four, and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-north-carolina-tar-heels-mens-basketball-duke-blue-devils-mens-basketball-sports-north-carolina-26014ae4edf5d2649b3543ab3b43528f">the end</a>&nbsp;came against none other than archrival North Carolina. Joining those power programs in New Orleans last year were Kansas and Villanova, two more of the country&rsquo;s great programs with seven national titles between them. The total seed value of those four teams: 13, with most of that accounted for by the Tar Heels, who got in as an 8 after knocking out Saint Pete&rsquo;s.
So, will 2023 be remembered as the year when chaos took over for good, or just a minor blip in the proceedings while all those Jayhawks and Blue Devils reload?
&ldquo;The tournament is about a lot of different things to a lot of different people,&rdquo; Bilas said. &ldquo;Some people love it for the brackets, some people love it for the basketball. But no matter who&rsquo;s in the Final Four, the bandwagon is always wide open, and you can jump on it whenever you want.&rdquo;

Of the four teams descending on Houston, only one has ever sniffed a Final Four before — the first time that's happened in 53 years.

Final Four: Last year’s bluebloods are this year’s no-names

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; It wasn&rsquo;t so much that social media was criticizing his son. That happens sometimes &mdash; especially after a loss like THAT.
But when a post came up suggesting Terrance Williams II, a junior forward for Michigan, be left for dead in a ditch, his dad decided enough was enough. Terrance Williams Sr.&rsquo;s profanity-laced response to all the haters was, in many ways, an expected byproduct of social media vitriol that bubbled up after the Wolverines blew an eight-point lead in a one-point loss to Vanderbilt earlier this month &mdash; not in the NCAA Tournament but in the NIT.
&ldquo;You actually root for them when they&rsquo;re good,&rdquo; Williams Sr. said of the Michigan fans in an interview with The Associated Press two days after the season-ending loss. &ldquo;But then they make a mistake, and a game doesn&rsquo;t go your way and you turn to hate. That&rsquo;s unacceptable.&rdquo;
The episode was just one of countless examples of the toxic minefield that athletes, coaches, friends and family face all too often on social media, all of it amplified for college basketball players when the calendar flips to March and the madness begins.
College administrators and coaches alike have warned for several years that students and athletes are facing increasing mental-health challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. And never have there been more outside voices that not only scrutinize every move players make on the court, but impact their emotional well-being away from it.
&ldquo;The feedback right now, it can be so harsh and it&rsquo;s so immediate, and I think that&rsquo;s the hardest part,&rdquo; said Melissa Streno, a Denver-based mental health consultant for high-level athletes. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the immediacy of the feedback from people they don&rsquo;t even know. And it can be so impactful on their identity and how they see themselves as a player on the court.&rdquo;
Turning off social media is one option, but it&rsquo;s not really practical, not with the way society interacts in the 21st century. And many athletes use social media to open the door to cash. It comes with a toll.
A survey conducted by the NCAA in the fall of 2021 found spikes among athletes who experienced mental exhaustion, anxiety and depression compared with a similar survey two years earlier &mdash; before the pandemic, and also before name-image-likeness deals became an everyday reality of college sports. The survey also found that despite a growing recognition of mental health as something to be addressed, fewer than half the respondents felt comfortable seeking support from a counselor on campus.
Even so, those counselors have been busy; a growing number of questions they field from the players involve how to manage social media.
&ldquo;For some of them, social media brings pressure to put out information, to create content, build their brand and that can cause anxiety,&rdquo; said Charron Sumler, a former college basketball player who is now an athletic counselor at Ohio State. &ldquo;On the flip side, there&rsquo;s the input where they&rsquo;re receiving messages. And with phones in the locker room, sometimes they&rsquo;re receiving that negative feedback and content before they&rsquo;ve even had a chance to debrief with their coaches or with themselves.&rdquo;
Just this month, Virginia&rsquo;s Kihei Clark started trending for the wrong reasons when his ill-advised pass at the end of a first-round March Madness game against Furman allowed the Paladins to make the game-winning 3-pointer that sent the Cavaliers home.
After the game, Clark sat in the locker room and patiently answered every question. Predictably, social media was destroying him before the final buzzer even sounded.&nbsp;
Among those who knew the feeling was Matthew Fisher-Davis. He was the Vanderbilt guard who, thinking the Commodores were trailing, fouled a Northwestern player in the waning seconds of a first-round game in 2017. In fact, Vanderbilt was ahead by one; Northwestern made both free throws after the foul and won by a point.
Before the next season, Fisher-Davis released a slickly produced video showing him working out, the main theme of which was: &ldquo;Everybody&rsquo;s got something to say.&rdquo;
&ldquo;It gets to the point where, the stuff coming from outside the locker room doesn&rsquo;t make anything easier,&rdquo; Fisher-Davis told the AP in an interview this month.
Stanford&rsquo;s Haley Jones was named most outstanding player at the women&rsquo;s Final Four after helping the Cardinal win the national title in 2021. Two weeks ago, when Stanford made an early exit from this year&rsquo;s March Madness, Jones&rsquo; performance &mdash; and her prospects for the upcoming WNBA draft &mdash; were being dissected, sometimes cruelly, on social media.
&ldquo;Right after every game. I know what I did well, and I know what I didn&rsquo;t do well,&rdquo; said Jones, who is part of a program called Game 4 Good that focuses on mental wellness for athletes. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t need to go and listen to thousands of people who don&rsquo;t know me tell me these same things, and probably say it in a lot meaner way.&rdquo;
On rare occasions, players get ripped for doing something good.
In an episode that illustrates the parallel explosive growth of both social media and online sports wagering, TCU&rsquo;s Damion Baugh was the object of scorn in the second round this month when he launched a shot at the buzzer from near the halfcourt logo in a game that had already been sealed by Gonzaga.
Baugh&rsquo;s 3 went in. It trimmed TCU&rsquo;s final deficit to three, which allowed the Horned Frogs to cover the 4.5-point spread. That shot did nothing to change the brackets, but it did flip millions of dollars across the country and Baugh was roundly ripped on Twitter.
Baugh barked back: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t get how y&rsquo;all mad because I played until the last buzzer.&rdquo;
Former Ohio State guard E.J. Liddell also felt compelled to defend himself after he missed a late free throw that was key to an upset loss to Oral Roberts two years ago.
&ldquo;Honestly, what did I do to deserve this? I&rsquo;m human,&rdquo; he said in a post in which he posted screenshots of some of the insults directed at him, including a death threat.
Even one of social media&rsquo;s biggest stars, Oregon&rsquo;s Sedona Prince, who became famous after her video outlining the disparity between men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s weight rooms at the 2021 NCAA Tournaments went viral, had to take a brief break last year from TikTok.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not any different because I&rsquo;m on TikTok. I&rsquo;m still a person,&rdquo; Prince said in a tearful video since taken down, while acknowledging her mental health had been declining.
Streno, the mental health consultant, said social media can exacerbate depression and anxiety.
During a three-month stretch last spring, at least five college athletes died by suicide. Among the reasons given by friends and family were the constant pressure of performing at a high level, the pressure to maintain a certain weight or physique, the fear of being perceived as weak because of injuries and the limited social opportunities because of the demands of a sports schedule.
Given the amount of daily interaction athletes have with friends and family on social media apps, Streno said it&rsquo;s more realistic to coach players on how to deal with feedback than simply advising them to shut down everything.
&ldquo;If it were as simple as &lsquo;don&rsquo;t look at your phone,&rsquo; then this wouldn&rsquo;t be an issue,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But there&rsquo;s such a quick, immediate, &lsquo;Oh, this must mean this about me. I&rsquo;m not good enough, or I&rsquo;m not living up to this level.&rsquo; And then your mind can kind of start going down into this spiral.&rdquo;
Williams, the father of the Michigan forward, said his son does a good job of shutting out social media during the season. After the events of this month, the dad planned on going dark for a while, too.
&ldquo;People said he didn&rsquo;t play well, and I get that,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;But when you say my son, who I&rsquo;ve raised and who I love tremendously, that you wish him to be dead in a ditch, that&rsquo;s when I&rsquo;ve got to turn the switch.&rdquo;

There is a toxic minefield that athletes, coaches, friends and family face all too often on social media when the calendar flips to March.

A different March Madness: Online hate for the athletes

Everyone&rsquo;s heard of UConn. All these other guys? They&rsquo;ll need name tags at the Final Four.
When they travel to Houston next week to play for the national title, Florida Atlantic, San Diego State and Miami will be making their first appearances at college basketball&rsquo;s grand finale, the first time since 1970 that three first-timers all showed up in the same year.
If the unfamiliar names &mdash; to say nothing of the seedings &mdash; are any indication, fans might look back on 2022-23 as the season when true parity finally sunk down deep into the bones of America&rsquo;s favorite basketball tournament and turned March Madness into a total free-for-all, all the way to the last weekend.
There will be no No. 1 seed at the Final Four for the first time since 2011. Instead, there will be a 9 seed in Florida Atlantic, a pair of 5 seeds in SDSU and Miami, and a 4 seed in UConn. The combined seed total of the four teams is 23, the second-highest total since the seeding began in 1979. This marks the first time that not a single top-3 seed made it.
The matchups for Saturday: San Diego State against FAU, in a not-so-classic 5-vs-9 matchup. (San Diego State, a 57-56 winner over Creighton on Sunday, is a 1.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.) Who saw that coming?&nbsp;
In the later game, it&rsquo;s the Hurricanes as 5 1/2-point underdogs against UConn, which is the prohibitive favorite, at minus-135, to bring a fifth national title home.
If UConn does win, it will join Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas as the fourth school to win the championship under three or more coaches. Dan Hurley would join Jim Calhoun and Kevin Ollie in the winner&rsquo;s circle for the Huskies.
In the past, some of the upheaval in the brackets could have been pinned on the single-elimination format and the tournament selection committee, which sometimes overvalues its top seeds &mdash; this year, that included first-round loser Purdue and seven-loss defending-champion Kansas &mdash; while clearly underrating others.
No team got undervalued more than UConn (29-8), which had 25 wins coming in, a No. 8 standing in the NET rankings &mdash; which looks at quality wins among other factors &mdash; and the still-developing potential of junior Adama Sanogo, who has averaged 20 points and just a touch under 10 rebounds in four tournament games.
But all the other factors upending college sports &mdash; namely, NIL deals and the transfer portal &mdash; played a role here, too.
Heading into the Elite Eight, Miami coach Jim Larra&ntilde;aga &mdash; who brought George Mason to the Final Four as an 11 seed 17 years ago &mdash; said the portal was the basketball equivalent of speed dating. Worked for him. The third- and fourth-leading scorers for the Hurricanes (29-7), Nijel Pack and Norchad Omier, both came to The U from the portal.
Also down in South Florida, FAU got three key players, including 7-foot-1 Russian center Vladislav Goldin, from elsewhere. All moved to the campus in Boca Raton after less-than-successful stays at big-conference schools. No one was quite sure how coach Dusty May would blend all these new faces from different places. Turns out, he did pretty well. At 35-3, nobody has more wins this season than the Owls.
&ldquo;We already had a good chemistry last year, and the pieces that we added just complemented everything we had going on,&rdquo; said Bryan Greenlee, in his second year at FAU after coming over from Minnesota.
A longtime power in the Mountain West Conference, San Diego State was 30-2 and projected for a No. 1 seed in 2020 when the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Three years later, the Aztecs (31-6) are two wins away from the title. Their top two scorers, Matt Bradley and Darrion Trammell, are &mdash; you guessed it &mdash; products of the transfer portal, though coach Brian Dutcher brought them in as much for defense as scoring. SDSU made it this far behind a defense that held top-seeded Alabama to 32% shooting in the Sweet 16 and held Creighton to 11% from 3-point range in Sunday&rsquo;s win.
Asked what to expect from the Aztecs in Houston next week, Dutcher said, &ldquo;I would think pretty good defense, to start with.&rdquo;

This year in the men's NCAA Tournament, it's the first time since 1970 that three first-timers all showed up in the Final Four.

Final Four newcomers: Grab your name tag at the door

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Darrion Trammell converted a go-ahead free throw after he was fouled on a floater with 1.2 seconds left, and San Diego State muscled its way into its first Final Four, grinding out a 57-56 victory over Creighton on Sunday in the NCAA Tournament&rsquo;s South Region final.
Lamont Butler scored 18 points and Trammell had 12 for the fifth-seeded Aztecs (31-6), who slowed down the high-scoring, sixth-seeded Bluejays (24-13) and became the first Mountain West Conference team to reach the national semifinals.
The experienced Aztecs, in their sixth season under coach Brian Dutcher, will play the surprising East Region champion, ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic, on Saturday in Houston for a spot in the national title game.
With the game tied at 56-all on San Diego State&rsquo;s final possession, Trammell drove toward the free-throw line, elevated for the shot and was fouled by Creighton&rsquo;s Ryan Nembhard. Trammell missed the first free throw but converted the second.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been dreaming this my whole life, grateful to be here and thankful to everyone who believed in me,&rdquo; Trammell said.
Creighton&rsquo;s Baylor Scheierman threw the ensuing inbound pass the length of the floor. San Diego State&rsquo;s Aguek Arop and Creighton&rsquo;s Arthur Kaluma both jumped for it and the ball deflected out of bounds. Officials reviewed the play and determined that time had expired, and the celebration was on for the Aztecs.
&ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t given an explanation other than there was no time on the clock,&rdquo; Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. &ldquo;They made no call on the floor but officiating is part of the game and we&rsquo;re not gonna go there.&rdquo;
Scheierman had tied the game at 56-all when he stole an inbounds pass and converted a layup with 34 seconds remaining.
Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 17 points and Scheierman and Kaluma had 12 apiece for the Bluejays, who went 2 of 17 from 3-point range.
The Aztecs, who got this far thanks to defense and physical play, held the Bluejays to 23 second-half points on 28% shooting as they won for the 14th time in 15 games. Creighton shot 40% overall.
San Diego State shot 38% but got clutch baskets from Nathan Mensah, whose jumper gave the Aztecs a 56-54 lead with 1:37 left, and Arop, who made two straight shots for a 54-50 advantage with 3:03 remaining.
Creighton, which beat San Diego State in overtime in the first round of last year&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament, fell just short of joining Big East rival UConn in the Final Four.
The teams didn&rsquo;t appear to share any hard feelings from last year&rsquo;s meeting. They shared a round-trip flight to Hawaii last fall for the Maui Invitational, and there were no dustups during a tight, physical game in which no team led by more than eight points.
DIVIDED LOYALTIES
Kaluma played against his brother, San Diego State&rsquo;s Adam Seiko. Their parents sat a few rows up at midcourt, sitting quietly before joining Seiko to celebrate.
BIG PICTURE
Creighton&rsquo;s offense started well enough as the Bluejays built a 33-28 halftime lead and extended their advantage to seven in the second half. But Creighton didn&rsquo;t make a single 3-pointer after halftime.
San Diego State proved again that defense matters, especially since the Aztecs also scuffled for points. Their experience as depth showed as Mensah and Arop, who averaged just 6.1 and 4.5 points per game respectively, converted the last three baskets.

With a clutch Darrion Trammell free throw with 1.2 seconds left to go, the Aztecs ended up grinding out a 57-56 victory over Creighton.

San Diego State muscles past Creighton, makes first Final Four

LAS VEGAS (AP) &mdash; March has gone from madness to unprecedented.
With Miami&rsquo;s win over Houston and San Diego State&rsquo;s takedown of Alabama on Friday night, the men&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament will not have a No. 1 seed in the Elite Eight for the first time since seeding began in 1979.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s not a lot of difference between the best team in the country and the worst team in the country,&rdquo; San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re seeing that on this stage.&rdquo;
Purdue, Kansas, Houston and Alabama are all gone, ensuring the Final Four will not have a No. 1 team for the first time since 2011 and the third overall. The four teams deemed by the NCAA to be the best in the country combined to win five tournament games this year, the fewest by three among No. 1 seeds since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Texas is the lone No. 2 seed remaining after bouncing Xavier out of the bracket 83-71 Friday night under interim coach Rodney Terry. The fewest combined No. 1-2 seeds in the Elite Eight before this year was two (three times).
How crazy has it been? The national title game is guaranteed to have at least one of these teams: San Diego State, Creighton, Florida Atlantic or Kansas State. The Aztecs, Bluejays and Owls have never been to the Elite Eight. The Wildcats were picked to finish last in the Big 12.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s also a lock the winning coach will be a first-time champion.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lot of really good programs in the country that have lost &mdash; I mean, we could go down the list of them,&rdquo; Alabama coach Nate Oats said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what makes the NCAA Tournament the NCAA Tournament. They&rsquo;re all good teams.&rdquo;
The madness started in the opening round of the East Region, when fairytale Fairleigh Dickinson wrecked brackets around the world by becoming the second No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1.
Goodbye, Purdue.
Arkansas was the next giant killer, taking down reigning national champion and West Region No. 1 seed Kansas in the second round.
The Sweet 16 turned sour on Friday for Alabama, the bracket&rsquo;s No. 1 overall seed. The Crimson Tide were no match for Dutcher&rsquo;s ball-and-body-hawking San Diego State Aztecs in a 71-64 South Region loss in Louisville, Kentucky. San Diego State is the first Mountain West Conference school to reach the Elite Eight.
Miami capped the No. 1 carnage in the Midwest Region by taking apart one of the nation&rsquo;s stingiest defenses in a 89-75 win over Houston in Kansas City, Missouri that had Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga dancing in the locker room.
&ldquo;Unfortunately, one off-night and you go home in this tournament,&rdquo; Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson said.
On to an Elite Eight unlike any other.
___
AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.

The Men’s NCAA Tournament will not have a No. 1 seed in the Elite Eight for the first time since seeding began in 1979.

Crazy Eight: No top seeds among last 8 in March Madness

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) &mdash; San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher has insisted throughout the NCAA Tournament that if his team plays to its strengths, it doesn&rsquo;t matter what the opposition does.
The Aztecs certainly played the way they wanted to against the top overall seed in March Madness.
Darrion Trammell and San Diego State used a dominant defensive performance to knock Alabama out of the tournament, bottling up All-America freshman Brandon Miller in a 71-64 victory in the Sweet 16.
Trammell scored 21 points while Miller, whose outstanding season was marred by off-the-court complications, was held to nine points on 3-of-19 shooting and had six turnovers.
The fifth-seeded Aztecs (30-6) will face sixth-seeded Creighton on Sunday in the South Region final. Each program is seeking its first Final Four appearance.
Roughly 30 minutes after Alabama fell, the tournament&rsquo;s final remaining No. 1 seed, Houston, lost 89-75 to Miami, leaving March Madness without a single top seed among its final eight teams for the first time since seeding began in 1979. The other top seeds, Purdue and Kansas, lost during the tournament&rsquo;s opening weekend.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just parity,&rdquo; Dutcher said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what it is. There&rsquo;s not a lot of difference between the best team in the country and the worst team in the country. You&rsquo;re seeing that on this stage.&rdquo;
San Diego State trailed 48-39 midway through the second half before going on a 12-0 run and controlling the game from there. The Aztecs finished with eight blocked shots &mdash; five by Nathan Mensah &mdash; and forced 14 turnovers.
Trammell scored the first eight points of SDSU&rsquo;s big run. He made a 3-pointer, stole the ball from Miller and converted a layup, and then buried another 3.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to go on our run,&rdquo; Trammell said, &ldquo;and I just took the opportunities they gave me. I took my shot, and I just made a play on defense. From there, our team was in it. That&rsquo;s when the momentum changed.&rdquo;
So did the Crimson Tide&rsquo;s season.
The March Madness run of Alabama (31-6) was clouded by its response to the Jan. 15 fatal shooting of a 23-year-old woman in Tuscaloosa, which led to capital murder charges against a then-Crimson Tide player, Darius Miles.
Miller was at the scene of the shooting and has not been charged, but police have said in court documents that Miles texted Miller to bring him his gun. Authorities have said Miller is a cooperating witness, and he did not miss any playing time. Miller received armed security protection during the tournament.
Mark Sears had 16 points and Jahvon Quinerly and Charles Bediako scored 10 each for Alabama, which shot 32% overall and a miserable 3 of 27 (11.1%) from 3-point range. The Crimson Tide fell short of the second Elite Eight berth in school history.
&ldquo;We came to this game prepared as much as we could possibly,&rdquo; Miller said. &ldquo;I think our shot-making could have been better. Our shot choices could have been better, but it&rsquo;s just that San Diego&rsquo;s a good group of guys. They&rsquo;re vets, so they have a lot of experience. I feel like they came out and played hard.&rdquo;
San Diego State&rsquo;s players knew they had to impose their will on Alabama&rsquo;s deep and gifted roster.
&ldquo;Alabama&rsquo;s a great team. They have a lot of talented players and individuals,&rdquo; Trammell said. &ldquo;We knew it was going to be hard. It was a dogfight. Very physical.&rdquo;
Sears&rsquo; layup got Alabama within 66-64 with 46 seconds remaining, but Matt Bradley made two free throws and Micah Parrish followed by making three of four attempts, including two with 17 seconds left.
After the final buzzer sounded, Aztecs players and coaches rushed the court and hugged each other in a joyous celebration.
Jaedon LeDee finished with 12 points for the Aztecs.
San Diego State shot just 38% overall and was outrebounded 52-48, but made clutch shots to rally when Alabama seemed in control behind a faster pace after halftime. A technical foul on Dutcher also seemed to spark his seasoned team, which maintained its physical play and thwarted every attempt by the Tide to rally.
BLOCK PARTY
Mensah and Johnson had emphatic rejections with San Diego State ahead 53-50.
Both blocks came on layup attempts by Quinerly. Mensah swatted the first and Johnson rejected a subsequent attempt seconds later. Trammell followed with a step-back jumper for a five-point cushion.
BIG PICTURE
San Diego State: The Aztecs never seemed fazed by Alabama or Miller. More impressive was their resilience when the game seemed to be slipping away.
Alabama: Other than the second-half run that put them ahead briefly, the Crimson Tide seemed out of sorts in multiple ways. The team&rsquo;s reliance on 3-pointers showed its desperation.

Darrion Trammell and San Diego State used a dominant defensive performance to knock Alabama out of the tournament, 71-64.

San Diego State ousts top seed Alabama from March Madness

Princeton forward Tosan Evbuomwan spent his first three college seasons enduring one disappointment after another.
Reaching the NCAA Tournament and advancing to the Sweet 16 made it all worthwhile.
After the 2020 Ivy League Tournament was canceled, after the entire 2020-21 season was canceled, after losing by two points in the conference&rsquo;s 2022 tourney title game and after watching three friends transfer just to keep playing in 2022-23, this resilient 6-foot-8 Brit has taken the Tigers on their deepest NCAA Tournament run since 1967 and has emerged as survivor of one of college basketball&rsquo;s strangest journeys.
&ldquo;I think it did start with that COVID year,&rdquo; Evbuomwan said. &rdquo;There was a togetherness with that group. One of my favorite things about that time was the Zooms with one another, the Face Times, just talking about what we wanted the next season. We wanted a championship.&rdquo;
Now,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-princeton-3e7e64d87d64a24587f258af065e7ce0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Ivy League tourney champions are the talk of the nation</a>&nbsp;and an illustration of the impact two pivotal COVID years have had on the college basketball world.
Nobody outside the Princeton locker room expected this run &mdash; especially when three of last year&rsquo;s top five scorers left to take advantage of the NCAA&rsquo;s extra season. League rules allowed them only to use that season at a non-conference school.
But these Tigers pride themselves on perseverance. So instead of allowing the obstacles to derail their dreams or steal their spirit, they dug in, stuck around, forged a bond and finished the job.
&ldquo;We missed out on a whole year. That hurt, watching essentially every other team in the country play,&rdquo; Princeton guard Matt Allocco said. &ldquo;But I think it actually helped us in the long run. We were able to get together in the spring and practice, be with each other, build those relationships. It ended up being a great experience.&rdquo;
Not everyone remembers the COVID years fondly.
San Diego State and Dayton saw their 2020 title hopes dashed by the NCAA&rsquo;s announcement. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo thought he had a Final Four team, too.
Northern Kentucky coach Darrin Horn&rsquo;s long-awaited return to March Madness was extended by three more years, prompting him to acknowledge two weeks ago that winning the 2020 Horizon League crown almost seemed like it never happened.
There&rsquo;s no way to replace what was lost &mdash;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-march-madness-san-diego-state-charleston-orlando-0d6d6cd47a1ff1baa3bfb448286b0ff6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">even for this year&rsquo;s 16 regional semifinalists</a>.
Just ask San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher, whose team faces top-seeded Alabama on Friday in the Louisville Regional. The Aztecs were supposed to be a top-two seed three years ago.
&ldquo;As I said all those years ago, as good as Malachi Flynn and KJ Feagin and Yanni Wetzell were, they never played in the NCAA Tournament one time in their careers. That&rsquo;s unbelievable,&rdquo; Dutcher said. &ldquo;Sometimes we take for granted just going and losing in the first round. Just to have a chance to play would have meant the world to those guys so I feel bad for that, that they never got a taste of March Madness.&rdquo;
Meanwhile, at Creighton, it was a different scenario.
In 2021, the tourney provided the Bluejays with a bittersweet memory: Celebrating their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1974 inside the lonely Indianapolis &ldquo;bubble.&rdquo;
So when&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-creighton-nembhard-d5b5da14046dffc8c7fb28e2f8b2da13" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sixth-seeded Creighton knocked off third-seeded Baylor 85-76 last weekend</a>&nbsp;to return to the Sweet 16, something suddenly felt far more satisfying about Friday&rsquo;s matchup against 15th-seeded Princeton in Louisville.
&ldquo;We had a lot of fans there to celebrate at the end of the game with us (in Denver) and then you go back to the hotel with family and friends and have a chance to celebrate rather than go back to your room and eat another piece of rubber chicken out of a Styrofoam box, which is what we did in Indianapolis,&rdquo; Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. &ldquo;To get to the Sweet 16 is a difficult thing to do, it was just a little more fun to celebrate that particular night.&rdquo;
What about 2021 national champion Baylor? Of course, the Bears had no complaints.
Kansas State coach Jerome Tang was an assistant on that title team and has used the lessons from that run as the model for his third-seeded Wildcats, who take on Izzo&rsquo;s seventh-seeded Spartans on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-transfer-portal-0b9862a4e4e4b6da08ce56b3eb2c443a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tang believes the similarities in roster composition</a>&nbsp;will help Kansas State this weekend.
&ldquo;We spent 30 days in the &lsquo;bubble,&rsquo; right? And if you don&rsquo;t like each other, nobody wants to spend that amount of time together,&rdquo; Tang said. &ldquo;That team, we really liked each other. We loved being together. I mean, it was fun to be around them. I feel the same way around these guys. We could be in a bubble for 30 days and we&rsquo;ll be just fine. We&rsquo;re going to have a great time.&rdquo;
But nobody will have more fun than Princeton.
Just two years after watching everyone else&rsquo;s games, the Tigers need two wins to end a 48-year Final Four drought, two wins to become the first Ivy League team in the national semifinals since Penn in 1979 and two wins to cement their status as one of the greatest and most compelling advance-and-survive stories in tourney history.
And it might not have happened without Princeton&rsquo;s COVID experience.
&ldquo;Having to watch those games on TV, the tournament, hurt. I think looking back on it, it fueled us for the next year,&rdquo; Princeton guard Ryan Langborg said. &ldquo;I think this year, this Sweet 16 run so far, it&rsquo;s more than making up for it.&rdquo;

Princeton is on its deepest NCAA Tournament run since 1967 after surviving one of college basketball’s strangest journeys.

Princeton’s journey becomes face of March Madness’ COVID era

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Destiny Harden made a shot in the lane with 3.5 seconds left to send ninth-seeded Miami past top-seeded Indiana 70-68 on Monday night, lifting the Hurricanes to their first Sweet 16 since 1992.
The Hoosiers (28-4) became the second No. 1 seed to be eliminated in two nights. Stanford was upset Sunday on its home court. It&rsquo;s the second time since the bracket expanded to 64 teams in 1994 that two No. 1 seeds didn&rsquo;t make the Sweet 16. It also happened in 1998.
Harden finished with 18 points and Lola Pendade had 19 points for the Hurricanes (21-12), who never trailed.
Indiana tied the score at 68 on Yarden Garzon&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 6.6 seconds left but couldn&rsquo;t get the defensive stop it needed and turned the ball over on the final possession to seal their only home loss of the season.
No. 4 VILLANOVA 76, No. 12 FLORIDA GULF COAST 57
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) &mdash; Maddy Siegrist scored 31 points and sent the winningest team in Villanova history into the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history with a win over Florida Gulf Coast.
The fourth-seeded Wildcats (30-6) won their record 30th game and celebrated the March Madness milestone in front of another packed house at the Pavilion. Siegrist, the first-team AP All-American, made 13 of 24 shots in what was likely her final home game. The four-year star has left some wiggle room that she could return for a fifth season, but all signs point toward her playing in the WNBA this summer.
One thing is sure, Siegrist is headed to the Sweet 16.
The Wildcats are going for the first time since 2003 -- the coach of that team, Harry Perretta, watched this one from behind the basket -- and they will the play winner of Monday&rsquo;s game in Indianapolis between top-seeded Indiana and No. 9 seed Miami.
SEATTLE 3 REGION
No. 4 TENNESSEE 94, NO. 12 TOLEDO 47
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Reserves Sara Puckett and Jillian Hollingshead led five Lady Vols in double figures with 13 points apiece as Tennessee routed Toledo.
This is the first time since 2015 and 2016 that Tennessee (25-11) has reached consecutive Sweet 16s and the first in coach Kellie Harper&rsquo;s fourth season. The Lady Vols now have reached the Sweet 16 for the 36th time as the only program to play in all 41 NCAA Tournaments.
Toledo (29-5) snapped a program record 17-game winning streak and missed out on its first Sweet 16. The Rockets lost for the first time since Jan. 18 at Bowling Green, which was avenged in the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship for their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2017.
Quinesha Lockett led Toledo with 19 points.
No. 3 OHIO STATE 71, No. 6 NORTH CAROLINA 69
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) &mdash; Jacy Sheldon made a tiebreaking jumper in the lane with 1.8 seconds left to lift Ohio State to a win over North Carolina and help the Buckeyes advance to the Sweet 16 for the second straight season.
With the game tied, Sheldon took the pass from Eboni Walker and floated in the game-winning score. North Carolina had one final chance, but turned it over with a second remaining.
Ohio State (27-7) saw its 12-point lead with 7:02 to go erased as the Tar Heels went on a 13-2 run midway through the fourth quarter. The Tar Heels did most of that run without star Deja Kelly, who exited midway through the final quarter with a leg injury. She went to the locker room, but returned to the court a short time later.
Trailing 66-63, Kelly made two free throws before Paulina Paris made a layup in transition to give the Tar Heels (22-11) its first lead of the game with 2:09 left.
No. 2 UCONN 77, No. 7 BAYLOR 58
STORRS, Conn. (AP) &mdash; Azzi Fudd scored 16 of her 22 points in a decisive third quarter, leading UConn to a win over Baylor and into a 29th straight Sweet 16.
Aaliyah Edwards added 19 points and Nika Muhl had 10 assists for the Huskies (31-5). Dorka Juhasz chipped in with 11 points and Caroline Ducharme added 10.
Ja&rsquo;mee Asberry scored 15 points and Jaden Owens had 14 for Baylor, which finishes its season 20-13. Bella Fontleroy scored 12 points for the Bears, who made 12 3-pointers after hitting 14 in their first-round win over Alabama.
But the Huskies dominated inside, outscoring the Bears 36-12 in the paint and outrebounding Baylor 42-31.
SEATTLE 4 REGION
No. 5 LOUISVILLE 73, No. 4 TEXAS 51
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Hailey Van Lith scored 21 points and Louisville rolled over Texas on the Longhorns&rsquo; home court to send the the Cardinals to the Sweet 16 for the sixth NCAA Tournament in row.
In a matchup of two teams that began the season in the Top 10 only to all out of the rankings before regrouping late, the Cardinals smothered the Longhorns and standout point guard Rori Harmon all night, stretching a 14-point halftime lead to 21 by end of the third quarter.
Louisville (25-11) led by as much as 27 early in the fourth. The win sends the Cardinals to the Seattle 4 Region to play No. 8-seed Mississippi, which upset No. 1 Stanford on Sunday.
DeYona Gaston scored 12 points to lead Texas (26-10).
No. 6 COLORADO 61, No. 3 DUKE 53
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Quay Miller had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Aaronette Vonleh converted two overtime baskets in the lane after picking up her fourth foul, helping Colorado beat Duke.
Jaylyn Sherrod had 14 points and Vonleh finished with 12 as the Buffaloes (25-8) advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 20 years.
Elizabeth Balogun scored 14 points and Reigan Richardson had 10, but the Blue Devils didn&rsquo;t hit a field goal in overtime. Duke overcame a 13-point deficit in regulation.
Next up for Colorado is Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Seattle 4 Region semifinals.
Duke lost for the third time in its last four second-round home games in the NCAA tourney.
GREENVILLE 1 REGION
No. 4 UCLA 82, No. 5 OKLAHOMA 73
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Charisma Osborne scored a career-high 36 points in her final game at Pauley Pavilion and UCLA rallied in the fourth quarter after blowing an 18-point lead to defeat Oklahoma.
The Bruins, who had an 18-point lead in the second quarter, found themselves trailing 54-50 late in the third quarter before Osborne started the comeback. She drove the lane and hit a layup while being fouled by Beatrice Culliton. Osborne made the ensuing free throw to bring them within one.
She had 13 points in the final 10 minutes as the Bruins (26-7) advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019. UCLA regained control by going on a 6-1 run at the beginning of the fourth.
Kiki Rice added 14 points for the Bruins, who will face top-ranked South Carolina on Saturday in a Greenville 1 Regional semifinal. UCLA hung tough with the Gamecocks earlier in the season before losing 73-64.
Madi Williams scored 24 points and Ana Llanusa 15 for the Sooners, who end their season 26-7.

A recap of Monday's action of the 2023 Women's NCAA Tournament includes yet another eight seed upending a top seed.

Miami women shock top-seed Indiana in March Madness

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; San Diego State had little trouble ending the run of March Madness darling Furman, getting 16 points from Micah Parrish to pace a balanced scoring attack and pulling away for a 75-52 win on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Darrion Trammell had 13 points, Lamont Butler added 12 and leading scorer Matt Bradley finished with 10 for San Diego State (29-6), which is heading to its first Sweet 16 since 2004.
The fifth-seeded Aztecs have won 11 of their past 13 games and will play top overall seed Alabama next week in the South Region semifinals in Louisville, Kentucky.
&ldquo;You should play your best at the end of the season, and we&rsquo;re playing our best basketball as the end of the season,&rdquo; coach Brian Dutcher said.
&ldquo;Obviously we hang our hat on defense. That&rsquo;s the one thing that we do every game,&rdquo; Dutcher added. &ldquo;Then when we get the opportunity, we start making shots and play good offensively, then we&rsquo;re very good.&rdquo;
San Diego State is the first Mountain West Conference team to reach the Sweet 16 since Nevada in 2018. It&rsquo;ll be the third regional semifinal appearance for the Aztecs and the seventh for the Mountain West overall.
Two days after shrugging off cold shooting and overcoming a 12-point, second-half deficit&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/furman-virginia-march-madness-upset-1b4e3c5c8b1ce5896eea85ba9fd42761" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to shock No. 4 seed Virginia 68-67</a>&nbsp;on JP Pegues&rsquo; bracket-busting 3-pointer, Furman was outmuscled and gradually worn down by the much more physical Aztecs.
The Paladins feel they still showed they belong in March Madness.
&ldquo;We wish we would have played better. Wish we would have shot the ball a little bit better. But some of that you have to give credit to (San Diego State). But there&rsquo;s nothing that can take away what this group has done,&rdquo; coach Bob Richey said.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an unbelievable story, and I couldn&rsquo;t be more proud of our team, at a time where I&rsquo;m extremely disappointed that we didn&rsquo;t advance,&rdquo; Richey added. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s really hard to not pull the lens back a little bit and still see what that group was able to accomplish.&rdquo;
San Diego State led 39-25 at the half, getting 14 points off the bench from Parrish and limiting Furman to one field goal over the final 11 minutes leading into the break.
The Aztecs took control during a 15-0 run that turned a two-point deficit into a 30-17 lead. Furman missed seven straight shots and turned the ball over four times during a 9:56 field goal drought that dumped the Paladins into the big halftime hole.
Southern Conference player and the year Jalen Slawson picked up his fourth foul with 16:27 remaining and fouled out shortly after returning midway through the second half. The super senior stomped the floor in frustration, drawing a technical foul that gave San Diego State a pair of free throws that put the Aztecs up 60-37.
Mike Bothwell led the 13th-seeded Paladins (28-8) with 15 points. Alex Williams had 11 and Pegues finished with 11 as Furman shot 32%, including 6 of 26 from 3-point range.
Like Slawson, Bothwell is a super senior who returned to Furman for a fifth season after the Paladins were denied the Southern Conference&rsquo;s automatic NCAA Tournament berth by a buzzer-beater in their league championship game.
Making this year&rsquo;s field, then getting Furman&rsquo;s first win in the tournament in 49 years, created memories that&rsquo;ll last a lifetime.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s something no one can take away from this team,&rdquo; Bothwell said. &ldquo;Greatest team in the school&rsquo;s history. No one has won more games than us, and we enjoyed it. That&rsquo;s the best part about it.&rdquo;
BIG PICTURE
Furman: The Paladins lose Slawson and Bothwell, but feel they&rsquo;ve set the tone for continued success.
&ldquo;Sometimes what success can do is make you complacent, and I think the challenge going forward for us is to understand this has to make us hungrier,&rdquo; Richey said. &ldquo;This has to push us every day to want to get back here and continue to show that we belong in the NCAA Tournament.&rdquo;
San Diego State: The Aztecs are 0-2 in Sweet 16 games. Dutcher feels this team is capable of going further.
&ldquo;Now that we&rsquo;ve settled into the rhythm, and we know what this is about, I think we&rsquo;ll play better moving forward,&rdquo; the coach said. &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s really encouraging moving into the Sweet 16.&rdquo;

Darrion Trammell had 13 points for San Diego State (29-6), which is heading to its first Sweet 16 since 2004.

San Diego State dominates Furman 75-52 to reach Sweet 16

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; UConn is starting to finally get healthy.
The fourth-ranked Huskies welcomed back coach Geno Auriemma and star guard Azzi Fudd on Wednesday night in a 30-point rout of St. John&rsquo;s. The Huskies had to postpone a game a few days earlier against DePaul when they didn&rsquo;t have the seven healthy scholarship players required to play the contest.
It&rsquo;s been that kind of a year for UConn, which has only had two players play in all 16 games this season with the others missing at least a game with an injury, illness or travel problems.
They also have missed their Hall of Fame coach for four games due to an illness he&rsquo;s been dealing with for a month. He was back on the bench against St. John&rsquo;s after he had missed the Huskies&rsquo; previous two games because he wasn&rsquo;t feeling well. He also missed two games while sick last month. The 68-year-old coach is also grieving the death of his 91-year-old mother in early December.
&ldquo;Obviously, we really missed him,&rdquo; senior forward Dorka Juh&aacute;sz said of Auriemma. &ldquo;They did a great job while he was gone, but obviously having the whole coaching staff is amazing. It&rsquo;s good to see him smiling, laughing, and I think it was a good little rest for him, I hope he rested enough and he feels great. But I mean for us, we&rsquo;re just happy to have him back.&rdquo;
Associate head coach Chris Dailey, who has been filling in while Auriemma has been away, said that she didn&rsquo;t know for sure he was going to be back until he got on the bus for the trip to New York on Tuesday.
&ldquo;He said he was coming on the trip, that&rsquo;s when I knew,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I just wanted to make sure he was in a good place and he should come back and he was ready to come back. He assured me he was.&rdquo;
Fudd missed eight games after injuring her right knee against Notre Dame on Dec. 4. She was cleared to resume basketball activities two weeks ago and had gone through warmups a few times before playing Wednesday.
&ldquo;I had to go into the game and just remind myself to stay aggressive,&rdquo; said Fudd, who scored 14 points in 20 minutes in the 82-52 win. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been out for a while, so I felt like I did a good job of kind of shaking the rust off. But I know that my reaction time and all that will get better as we keep playing.&rdquo;
UConn was still missing Caroline Ducharme and Ayanna Patterson, who are in concussion protocol. Paige Bueckers (ACL tear) and freshman Ice Brady (dislocated patella) are out for the year.
&ldquo;I think once we get (Caroline Ducharme) back and Ayanna in the mix it&rsquo;s just going to add to what we&rsquo;re working towards,&rdquo; Dailey said. &ldquo;So I just think everybody&rsquo;s in a good place now.&rdquo;
The Huskies have a busy stretch coming up with six games over 14 days and having a full roster would make that a little easier.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve tried holy water. We&rsquo;ve tried sage burning. None of them seem to work,&rdquo; Dailey said after a win over Xavier last week. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just something we have to deal with. Whoever we have, we feel like we have enough.&rdquo;

The fourth-ranked Huskies welcomed back coach Geno Auriemma and star Azzi Fudd on Wednesday in a 30-point rout of St. John’s.

Fudd, Auriemma return as UConn finally gets healthy after rough stretch

Depleted and fatigued as they get set to wrap up their season-long, six-game road trip Wednesday night in Cleveland, the reeling Phoenix Suns are keeping things in perspective.&nbsp;
It started with a candid conversation between the whole team, coaching staff included, following a listless 102-83 loss to the Knicks on Monday afternoon in New York &nbsp;&mdash; Phoenix&rsquo;s third straight defeat and sixth in seven contests. However, the topic of discussion shifted Tuesday on the heels of the tragic cardiac arrest that Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered mid-game in Cincinnati after Phoenix's contest ended.
&ldquo;We saw last night how important our brotherhood in sports is, watching the young man [Damar Hamlin] go down on the field last night. We talked about that today,&rdquo; &nbsp;Suns head coach Monty Williams told Basketball News and the Arizona Republic at an afternoon practice on Tuesday.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Yeah, we want to be really good as a team, but let's not forget people are going through a lot more worse than us. We lost a few games, you know? This young man is fighting for his life and his family's going through a tough time... I think it's just another situation where a guy was doing the very best to help his team in one of the biggest NFL games of the year, and then that happened and the whole scene changed from 'sport' to 'life.' And that always has to be at the forefront. With that in mind, we have to be able to compartmentalize as best we can and do the jobs that we're paid to do.&rdquo;
Suns forward Mikal Bridges echoed Williams&rsquo; sentiments about the trivial nature of the game versus the health of a human being.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It's life. It's gonna get bumpy on the road. Luckily for us, our 'bumpy on the road' is just losing games. [There are] a lot of other things that's worse,&rdquo; Bridges told Basketball News and the Arizona Republic. &ldquo;We've just gotta stay with it, just keep getting better and just get through it. You know, it ain't gonna rain forever, but if you just soak it in, just sit out there, it will. So you've just gotta keep fighting through it, keep going and just get through it.&rdquo;
On the court, away from the Footprint Center since Christmas Day, Phoenix has had its troubles with the injury bug and finding a rhythm on both ends. Devin Booker went down four minutes into a trip that began on a holiday in Denver and will conclude across the country in Cleveland just days into the New Year.&nbsp;
Nobody&rsquo;s body feels perfect; Bridges had a bag of ice on his right knee and Chris Paul had a wrap on his left calf, while Cam Payne just reentered the fold last game after missing half of December with a foot injury and Landry Shamet even missed some time with a sore Achilles following a 31-point outburst in relief of Booker. Cameron Johnson is still on the mend as well, recovering from meniscus surgery, and hasn&rsquo;t played a game since Nov. 4. (He was getting shots up on Tuesday, so that&rsquo;s a good sign.)
But the longtime NBA player and coach Williams knows this is what happens over the course of an 82-game NBA season, and in these short-handed times, it&rsquo;s about finding a way to execute with the Suns players who are available to go.
&ldquo;I just think you want to see a consistent style of play, no matter who you have on the floor,&rdquo; Williams responded to Basketball News. &ldquo;The outcome might not be the same because of the talent, but you can still play the same style. Nobody can take away your effort and your defense, and that's something that is an old adage in the NBA. I'm looking more for a consistent style of play. Sometimes you're not gonna make shots, but you can still play hard, you can still defend.&rdquo;
Williams said that the Suns were shocked when he told them they actually won the second half against the Knicks. (Phoenix outscored New York 52-48.)
&ldquo;You always want to finish out a road trip on a winning note, but in order to do that, it has to be a step-by-step process,&rdquo; Williams stated. &ldquo;We have to stack salad as best as we can, and not get deflated if you miss a few shots. I thought that hurt us in the first half. The first half put us in a hole; that can't happen, but more in a hole emotionally.
"I believe we'll be better tomorrow because you have to learn through these moments. Everybody in the league is gonna go through it. You can lose, or you can lose and learn, and I hope we do the latter.&rdquo;
Bridges kept it simple about his expanded role and how the team can adapt.
&ldquo;Maybe being a little more aggressive, but I just feel like keep playing the right way, find opportunities to score and then, just playing good ball. Play the right way at all times,&rdquo; Bridges said.
&ldquo;I just know you have to be resilient through the ups and downs of a season,&rdquo; Williams added. &ldquo;Like, no team in this league is gonna have a full allotment of their players through the season. So you're gonna have those adversities. No team is gonna play a game where they agree with the whistle every game. And I could go through the list of notes. You have to be resilient. We've had a long road trip. We've been on the road for a long time. It's like, look, man, that's life. You could be digging a ditch in a different country. So our guys understand what we have to do, we gotta do it more consistently, but we also understand that basketball is just a game.&rdquo;
Whether the Suns finish with a victory at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse or not, they&rsquo;ll return home for a quick cup of coffee against the Miami Heat and the same Cavs they&rsquo;ll face Tuesday. Then, another four-game swing on the road will await.
The competition will come fast and furious, and there will be no time to feel sorry for themselves. Williams appreciates the fact that Phoenix is unhappy with its play of late and has taken initiative to ensure things get turned around.
&ldquo;I mean I think teams have these [meetings] two or three times a year, especially if you have expectations. I applaud the guys for caring enough to talk about it,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;I'm not into the 'team meetings' stuff where they go off and do all that. That's just not my thing. If you're gonna have a team meeting, in my opinion, you do it with everybody, [including] coaches, so we can all hear each other talk about stuff.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And it's not that dramatic. The guys understand that there's things that we have to do at a higher level because we are one, missing guys, and two, playing on the road against good teams. It's not like Hebrew math. You've gotta figure it out. So I applaud the guys for talking and caring, and they care. Our team is filled with a bunch of poor losers. It's one of the reasons I love these guys so much.&rdquo;

Monty Williams and Mikal Bridges share their thoughts on Damar Hamlin and how a Suns slump is trivial. Spencer Davies writes.

Suns keep things in perspective after frightening Damar Hamlin moment

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

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Aliyah Boston had 11 points and 10 rebounds for her 68th career double-double to keep No. 1 South Carolina undefeated with a 102-39 victory over Coastal Carolina on Wednesday.
Boston, who played just 13 minutes, moved four games away from matching the program&rsquo;s all-time mark for double-doubles held by Sheila Foster established four decades ago.
Freshman Ashlyn Watkins had a career high 16 points and Zia Cooke 14 as the defending national champs improved to 12-0 for a second straight season and fourth time in Dawn Staley&rsquo;s 15 years as coach.
This figured to be a challenge for the Chanticleers (5-6), who have just two players 6 feet or taller while South Carolina had 10.
NO. 3 OHIO STATE 84, NO. 16 OREGON 67
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Rebeka Mikulasikova scored 27 points, Taylor Mikesell added 25 and Ohio State remained undefeated to win the San Diego Invitational.
Ohio State (13-0) is off to its best start since 2011-2012, when the Buckeyes won their first 15 games
Oregon (10-2) was led by forward Grace VanSlooten, who scored 29 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Freshman teammate Te-Hina Paopao, who grew up in Oceanside, California, just outside San Diego, added 17.
NO. 4 INDIANA 67, BUTLER 50
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Mackenzie Holmes scored 17 of her 21 points in the first half, and Indiana completed an unbeaten nonconference schedule with a win over Butler.
Yarden Garzon added 13 points and Sydney Parrish 10 for the Hoosiers (12-0).
Rachel McLimore scored 13 and Sydney Jaynes 11 for Butler (5-7).
Indiana is nearing the program record for most successive wins to open a season: 15-0 in 1972, the first year for women&rsquo;s basketball at the school. The Hoosiers were 14-0 in 2013-14.
NO. 5 NOTRE DAME 85, WESTERN MICHIGAN 57
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Maddy Westbeld scored 10 points in four minutes and Notre Dame started the second half on a 17-0 spree en route to a big win over Western Michigan.
The Fighting Irish (10-1) led 38-30 at the half, but scored on seven of their first eight possessions during the third quarter with a trio of 3-pointers. Westbeld scored a season-high 23 points, including 15 in the third quarter, and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
The Broncos (5-6) missed their first nine shots from the field in the period and saw their three-game winning streak snapped. Lauren Ross led Western Michigan with 15 points.
NO. 8 VIRGINIA TECH 86, HIGH POINT 66
HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Elizabeth Kitley scored 25 points and dished out a career-best seven assists as Virginia Tech captured a road victory over High Point.
Kitley, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, shot a season-high 78.5% from the floor, making 11-of-14 field goals, and had seven rebounds and four blocks for the Hokies (11-1). Taylor Soule added 24 points and Kayana Traylor chipped in 22 for Virginia Tech.
Claire Wyatt led High Point (2-8) with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point land. Callie Scheier added 11 points and Nakyah Terrell had 10.
NO. 9 UCONN 98, SETON HALL 73
STORRS, Conn. (AP) &mdash; Aaliyah Edwards had 23 points, leading six players who scored in double figures for UConn in its rout of Seton Hall.
Caroline Ducharme and Nika Muhl each had 16 points and were a combined 8 of 11 from 3-point range. Lou Lopez Senechal had 14 points, Aubrey Griffin added 13 points and seven rebounds, and Dorka Juhasz had 10 points and 10 rebounds for UConn (9-2, 2-0 Big East).
Sidney Cooks had 18 points and Lauren Park-Lane finished with 17 for Seton Hall (9-4, 2-1), which had its seven-game winning streak snapped.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma missed his second straight game due to illness. Associate coach Chris Dailey ran the team and improved to 15-0 when filling in for Auriemma.
NO. 13 IOWA 92, DARTMOUTH 54
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Caitlin Clark&rsquo;s 20 points tied her for the quickest men&rsquo;s or women&rsquo;s Division I player to reach 2,000 career points since at least 1999-2000, and Iowa beat Dartmouth for its fifth straight victory.
Clark hit the career scoring mark in her 75th game, tying Elena Delle Donne for the quickest DI player to hit the mark, according to ESPN Stats &amp; Info. And Clark did it in style with her 242nd career 3-pointer.
Clark also had 10 rebounds and six assists. Teammate Monika Czinano, who entered with 1,969 career points in 98 games, also scored 20 points for Iowa (10-3).
Iowa scored 34 points in the first quarter and held Dartmouth to just five points in the second quarter.
Allie Harland led Dartmouth (2-11) with 11 points.
NO. 15 MARYLAND 88, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 51
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Shyanne Sellers scored 18 points, Diamond Miller had 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and four blocks and Maryland beat Purdue Fort Wayne in the final nonconference matchup for the Terps.
Abby Meyers added 14 points and Brinae Alexander had 13 off the bench for Maryland (10-3).
Shyanne Sellers, Miller, Meyers and Alexander were all in double figures by the end of the third quarter when Maryland led 71-35. Amellia Bromenschenkel led Purdue Fort Wayne (4-8) with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
SOUTH FLORIDA 66, NO. 17 ARKANSAS 65, OT
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Elena Tsineke scored all four of South Florida&rsquo;s points in overtime and finished with 23 points lifting the Bulls over Arkansas in the San Diego Invitational.
Maria Alvarez forced overtime against Arkansas by making three free throws with 17 seconds left to tie it at 62-all. Arkansas was trapped in the corner at the other end and wasn&rsquo;t able to get a shot off before the buzzer.
Fankam Mendjiadeu finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for South Florida (11-4).
Erynn Barnum scored 21 points and Daniels added 20 for Arkansas (13-2).
NO. 18 ARIZONA 78, UT ARLINGTON 59
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) &mdash; Esmery Martinez scored 13 points and was part of dominating Arizona rebounding performance with nine boards in a win over UT Arlington.
Lauren Fields, Shaina Pellington, and Cate Reese scored 10 points apiece for Arizona (10-1), which won its third straight game. Maya Nnaji grabbed nine rebounds to go with six points before fouling out at the start of the fourth quarter.
Arizona outrebounded the Mavericks 47-26, including 17-7 on the offensive glass resulting in a 22-4 bulge in second-chance points.
Starr Jacobs scored 15 points, Kayla White 13 and Taleya Jones 12 for the Mavericks (6-6), who lost their first home game this season after four wins.
NEBRASKA 85, NO. 20 KANSAS 79, 3OT
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Jaz Shelley scored 24 points, hitting two of Nebraska&rsquo;s three 3-pointers in the third overtime, and the Cornhuskers handed Kansas its first loss of the season.
Alexis Markowski had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Cornhuskers (10-3), who are now 2-2 against ranked teams with their next two games against ranked Big Ten rivals. Sam Haiby had 12 points in just her third game after an offseason injury and Isabelle Bourne scored 10.
Zakiyah Franklin finished with a career-high 27 points in 54 minutes for Kansas (10-1). Taiyanna Jackson had 18 points and a career-high 21 rebounds, Holly Kersgieter had 12 and 11. Ioanna Chatzileonti had 10 points and Chandler Prater had 10 rebounds as Kansas had a 68-46 advantage on the boards, including 25 offensive rebounds.
NO. 22 GONAZAGA 82, MONTANA 67
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) &mdash; Brynna Maxwell scored 23 points and Kaylynne Truong added 18 and the pair combined to hit nine of Gonzaga&rsquo;s 12 3-pointers to lead the Bulldogs over Montana.
Maxwell made 8 of 12 from the field and 5 of 9 from 3-point range and Truong finished with five rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Yvonne Ejim had 15 points and nine rebounds, Eliza Hollingsworth scored 13 points and McKayla Williams finished with 11 points, five assists and two steals for Gonzaga (12-2).
Carmen Gfeller had 22 points and eight rebounds for Montana (4-7) and Sammy Fatkin added 21 points and five steals. Libby Stump scored 14.
NO. 23 OKLAHOMA 95, FLORIDA 79
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Madi Williams had had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Taylor Robertson added 18 points on six 3-pointers, and Oklahoma defeated Florida at the Jumpman Invitational.
Robertson made 6-of-7 3-pointers and matched her own Big 12 record of 53 consecutive games with a 3-pointer. It marked the 14th time during the current streak that she has made at least five 3-pointers.
Skylar Vann had 15 points and Nevaeh Tot scored 12 for the Sooners (10-1), who have won seven in a row.
Florida&rsquo;s KK Deans made a career-high seven 3-pointers, scored 28 points and had nine assists. Ra Shaya Kyle had 16 points and 13 rebounds for her second consecutive double-double, the fifth in her career. Nina Rickards added 15 points for the Gators (11-2).
NO. 24 BAYLOR 73, LONG BEACH STATE 52
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Caitlin Bickle scored 17 points, Sarah Andrews missed a triple-double by one point and Baylor pulled away for a win over Long Beach State.
Andrews had career highs of 14 assists and 12 rebounds to go with nine points on 2-of-11 shooting. Je&rsquo;Mee Asberry and Bella Fontleroy both had 11 points for the Bears (9-3).
Tori Harris scored 14 points for the Beach (5-5) and Ma&rsquo;Qhi Berry and Kianna Hamilton-Fisher had 10 each.
NO. 25 ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 80, WAGNER 51
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Jayla Everett scored a season-high 24 points to lead St. John&rsquo;s over Wagner and its best start in program history.
St. John&rsquo;s (12-0), ranked for the first time in almost seven years, surpassed the 11-0 start of the 2004-05 team for the best in the history of the program&rsquo;s 48 years.
Kadaja Bailey added 14 points for the Red Storm, who had 11 of 12 players reach the scoring column.
Lina Loceniece scored 13 points for Wagner (5-6) and Zhaneia Thybulle had 10.

A recap of Wednesday night's women's college hoops slate includes Aliyah Boston notching another double-double for South Carolina.

Boston four double-doubles from tying Gamecocks’ all-time mark

The Syracuse men&rsquo;s basketball team kicks off the 2022-23 season Tuesday with an exhibition game against Indiana (PA) at the Carrier Dome. (I know it&rsquo;s technically now called the JMA Wireless Dome, but I&rsquo;m not ready to call it that yet, and not sure if I ever will be.)
Orange center Jesse Edwards made the tough decision against going pro and making the early jump to the NBA to return for his senior season. Before his junior year abruptly came to an end due to a wrist injury on Feb. 8 vs. Boston College, Edwards was averaging an impressive 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and ranked second in the ACC in blocks with 3.07 rejections per contest. He also was 12th in the nation in field goal percentage (69.5%).
I asked an NBA scout for his thoughts on Jesse Edwards:
"He&rsquo;s long, athletic, (a) shot-blocker, can run the floor, (has) great mobility for a 7-footer, (has the) ability to roll quickly out of the high pick and roll and finish or make the right play to avoid getting the charge," the scout said. "(He) has great touch around the basket and really good footwork. (He) needs to get stronger and improve (his) rebounding. His draft comparison would be a more offensively-skilled Rudy Gobert. (He) could definitely be a pro with longevity in the league."
The 6-11, 230-pounder from the Netherlands is poised for a dominant senior season for the Orange and has the potential to be one of the most offensively skilled centers in not only the ACC, but the entire NCAA.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
I caught up with Edwards to discuss his perseverance through his difficult early years under head coach Jim Boeheim, his progression, the upcoming season, the talented freshman class and much more.&nbsp;
Etan Thomas: How was your experience playing for the Dutch National Team?
Jesse Edwards: "It was a great learning experience because I got the opportunity to play with and against pros. I saw how they approached the game. It&rsquo;s different than teenagers in college; they approach it as their livelihood. It&rsquo;s all businesses. It was really a great experience."
Etan: This season, we have some young guns, we also have returning vets. Joe Girard, Symir Torrence, yourself, of course. What can 'Cuse fans expect this season?&nbsp;
Edwards: "Our practices have really been a lot of fun. We have six freshmen and a transfer. That&rsquo;s seven new people. And everyone is hungry. We really go at it in practice. Not to say we didn&rsquo;t do that before, but now, it&rsquo;s just different. It&rsquo;s a feeling that things are not as set in stone as they were last year. This season, it feels like playing time is really up for grabs, so the tenacity in practice is just really competitive. It&rsquo;s great."
Etan: A lot of fans are discussing how the team is going to look very different as far as style of play compared to last year. Do you think that as well?&nbsp;
Edwards: "For sure. Last year, we had fantastic scorers, top-tier three-point shooters. This season, we still have Joe, but we added a lot of athleticism to our roster. And Benny [Williams] will be playing a lot more, and he&rsquo;s as athletic as they come. So yeah, it will be a much faster pace this year. (It) will be fun to watch."
Etan: Now, you&rsquo;re coming into this season as one of the top big-men prospects in the country. People are really high on you now. People are complimenting your scoring ability, and Coach Boeheim even said something to that effect. How does that feel coming into the season for your confidence? It seems like people are finally recognizing what you can do on the basketball court.
Edwards: "It definitely feels good to get that recognition, for people to see what you&rsquo;ve been working on for the last few years. But for myself, I try to not put too much into what people say. I know how quickly what they say can change. I&rsquo;m just trying to continue working hard, getting better and doing the things that can help this team win. It&rsquo;s great to hear, don&rsquo;t get me wrong, but none of that is going to my head, trust me."
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Etan: That&rsquo;s a great mentality to have. So, I wanna go back now because it wasn&rsquo;t always like this &mdash; how you&rsquo;re regarded and people recognizing and acknowledging what you can do. You know, myself and Roosevelt Bouie, we&rsquo;ve been the founders of the Free Jesse Fan Club and the Feed Jesse Club, lobbying for you to get the ball more.
But explain the mental toughness and perseverance that it took for you to weather the storm during those tough years where you weren&rsquo;t getting to play, or you would get put in for a few minutes, then get taken right out. Or you would play really well one game, then wouldn&rsquo;t play for two games after. What did it take to mentally get through those tough periods?
Edwards: "Well, first of all, I know I&rsquo;ve said this to you and Rosie privately, but I want to say it publicly &mdash; I really want to say thank you for keeping my head up during those tough times you mentioned. The texts, the DM&rsquo;s, coming up to me after the game; that really helped me a lot, especially coming from you. And you always used yourself as an example saying, 'Yeah it was tough for me at first too, but it got better. Just hang in there.'
"I can&rsquo;t tell you how much that helped. That kept me on the right track, motivated, and you didn&rsquo;t let me get down. It was like you knew the perfect time where I needed some encouragement. I remember one time in particular, you listed all of the positive things I did one game, and it was a game I felt like I did nothing right."
Etan: Well, it's because I&rsquo;ve been there. And like I told you before, Roosevelt came to me while I was going through my tough times and did that same thing for me. He saw the potential in me just like I saw it in you. But I know what it feels like to not feel like you can do anything right in Coach Boeheim&rsquo;s eyes.
To have the entire halftime speech or postgame speech be focused on what you did wrong, and you&rsquo;re looking around like, "I only played 5 minutes, I couldn&rsquo;t have done all that in 5 minutes." I remember all that, and I know what it can do to a player&rsquo;s confidence, and I didn&rsquo;t want that to happen to you. So how was you able to weather that storm? Because it&rsquo;s not easy.
Edwards: "No, it&rsquo;s definitely not easy. I don&rsquo;t know. I just tried to occupy my mind by working hard. Going to the gym by myself or just getting someone to rebound for me and just workout and take my frustrations to the court. When you&rsquo;re in that situation, it&rsquo;s hard not to start doubting if it will ever change. But I didn&rsquo;t want to give up, or have my love for the game to be taken away, and that&rsquo;s one of the things you kept saying: 'Don&rsquo;t give him a reason to point to because if you start sulking, or not cheering on the bench, or not working hard in practice, or not coming in early and staying late, or not interacting with your teammates, they are going to use that as reasons to justify not playing you.' So I made sure I didn&rsquo;t do any of that. But to be honest, there were times I thought, 'Did I make the right decision coming here?'"
Etan: I&rsquo;m sure there were. I remember after my freshman year, I was this close to transferring. I doubled back to some of the colleges that recruited me.
Edwards: "Yeah, and that was back when it wasn&rsquo;t easy to transfer. Y'all had to sit out right?"
Etan: Yeah, you had to sit out a year. Let me tell you how frustrated I was, though. The rules were if you transferred in conference, you had to sit out two years. And I was still considering it! (Laughing)&nbsp;
Edwards: (Laughing) "Dang! That&rsquo;s crazy."
Etan: Man, listen, so when I would tell you I feel you, I meant it. But you battled through it, and every year, you added something to your game and it was great to see the development. And to hear the announcers start speaking highly of you and giving you the praise you deserved, it was great to see that. Specifically, your sophomore year, because there was a stretch where the media kept asking Coach Boeheim why you weren&rsquo;t playing more. Do you remember that?&nbsp;
Edwards: "Well, I remember you writing about it and tweeting it and then, more of the Syracuse media almost quoting you to Coach."
Etan: Okay, semantics (laughing), but Coach Boeheim would keep telling them, "He&rsquo;s not strong enough. He&rsquo;s too thin. He doesn&rsquo;t rebound well enough. I play the guys who play the best at practice," and his most consistent response: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not ready.&rdquo; And yes, I wrote about when you was put in a few crucial games &mdash; after not playing for a few games and really getting inconsistent minutes even before that &mdash; and you shined against Georgia Tech. Then, you came back the next game against North Carolina and shined again. And I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/syracuse-center-jesse-edwards-answers-critics-with-his-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about it</a>.
But people don&rsquo;t understand how difficult it is to just &ldquo;stay ready." People use that phrase as a cliche, but they don&rsquo;t really understand how it feels if you haven&rsquo;t played in a few games, then you&rsquo;re thrown into an important game. Then, you know that if you don&rsquo;t play well, Coach Boeheim is going to say, &ldquo;See, that&rsquo;s why I can&rsquo;t play him because he&rsquo;s not ready.&rdquo; So all that is in the back of your mind, but you came in both times and played great. How were you able to do that?
Edwards: "Yes, exactly the way you described. It&rsquo;s so crazy. You check in, you&rsquo;re thinking, 'Okay, don&rsquo;t mess up, don&rsquo;t mess up' because you know (you make) one mistake and you are going to get snatched out the game. And people don&rsquo;t understand that feeling unless they have experienced it. There&rsquo;s no way they could understand.
"But I always come back to what you and Rosie kept telling me. Whether it&rsquo;s three minutes or 23 minutes, when you go out there, make something happen and get yourself going. Don&rsquo;t have the deer-in-headlights look. Understand what coach wants. Don&rsquo;t freeze up at any yelling from the bench. Like, shake it off immediately and keep playing. All that stuff helped. I don&rsquo;t want to keep thanking you throughout this entire interview, but I wouldn&rsquo;t have been able to do it without that advice. I was prepared, mentally prepared, which is really a large percentage of what you need."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Etan: Definitely, and you really did a great job with that. So let&rsquo;s talk about last season. You&rsquo;re playing great. Everything was going well. Things were really turning the corner for you and the entire team. And then, you hurt your wrist and was out for the season. Talk about how devastating it was for that to happen right at that time when you were rolling.
Edwards: "Aw man, it was so devastating. The team was rolling like you said. We were all finally clicking. So to have it happen then, it really sucked. That&rsquo;s all I could say. But to watch the team almost pull off a crazy upset against Duke and how Buddy [Boeheim] was playing, I was really happy for him. But yeah, it was tough. I can&rsquo;t lie. But like you told me, injuries are part of the game. You get knocked down, you pick yourself back up and you work harder, and that&rsquo;s what I did this summer."
Etan: So coming into this season, all that&rsquo;s behind you. You&rsquo;ve weathered all the Syracuse storms, and now you&rsquo;re a senior, you&rsquo;re established. People recognize what you mean to this team. Your inside presence, scoring ability. You can even step out and hit the jumper. You can really score in a variety of ways. I love the drag screen in transition and how you attack the rim; you gotta stay outta foul trouble though because we need you on the floor, so don&rsquo;t go over any one&rsquo;s back fighting for rebounds and getting cheap fouls &mdash; but also, keep fighting for rebounds (laughing). I ain&rsquo;t telling you not to rebound now
Edwards: (Laughing) "Yeah, I hear you."
Etan: But you&rsquo;re one of the leaders on the team, and really, the sky&rsquo;s the limit for yourself and this super talented team.
Edwards: "I can&rsquo;t wait. This is really going to be an exciting team to watch. We have high-flyers, scorers. The defense is going to be better, we still have three-point specialists; (we have) young players who are all hungry and excited to play. We&rsquo;re really going to be fun to watch. I can&rsquo;t wait."
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Etan Thomas chats with Syracuse senior Jesse Edwards to discuss past criticisms, how he's grown mentally and this coming season.

Syracuse big man Jesse Edwards excited for upcoming season with Orange

Pete Carril, the rumpled, cigar-smoking basketball coach who led Princeton to 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, where his teams unnerved formidable opponents and rattled March Madness with old-school fundamentals, died Monday. He was 92.
Princeton released a statement from Carril&rsquo;s family, which said he died &ldquo;peacefully this morning.&rdquo; It did not give a cause of death.
&ldquo;We kindly ask that you please respect our privacy at this time as we process our loss and handle necessary arrangements. More information will be forthcoming in the following days,&rdquo; the statement said.
Carril, a Hall of Famer, schooled his teams in a distinct and throwback brand of ball &mdash; the Princeton offense, a game marked by patience, intelligence, constant motion, quick passing and backdoor cuts that often ended in layups.
It was an offense that could be played at any level of basketball &mdash; as Carril proved when he left Princeton and joined the NBA&rsquo;s Sacramento Kings as an assistant.
At Princeton, Carril&rsquo;s offense was performed by players often dismissed or overlooked by some of the nation&rsquo;s basketball powers. Come the NCAA Tournament, however, Princeton&rsquo;s unforgiving discipline could offset the disparity of talent on the floor.
During Carril&rsquo;s 29 seasons as the Tigers&rsquo; coach, the system worked splendidly. His teams won 13 Ivy League titles and posted a 514-261 record without the benefit of scholarship players. Its deliberate approach draining the high octane from many opponents, Princeton led the nation in scoring defense in 14 of his last 21 seasons, including the last eight in a run that ended in 1996.
He guided Princeton to the National Invitation Tournament championship in 1975 and was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997.
Basketball fans loved to watch the headaches Carril&rsquo;s teams caused in March. That was certainly the case in 1989 for Georgetown&rsquo;s John Thompson, the Hall of Fame coach sweating late in the game with his trademark towel draped over his shoulder.
Princeton gave a No. 1 seeded Georgetown team featuring Alonzo Mourning and Charles Smith all it could handle, and as a No. 16 seed was on the verge of a monumental upset. The Tigers had two shots in the closing seconds at sending Thompson and his team home but were denied, losing 50-49.
Carril&rsquo;s final season in 1996 was highlighted by a first-round NCAA victory over defending champion UCLA, an outcome many consider one of the biggest surprises in tournament history.
Former Princeton athletic director Gary Walters was taught civics by Carril in the classroom and played on the hardwood under Carril in high school in Pennsylvania. He later served as an assistant coach to him at Princeton and was a lifelong friend.
&ldquo;His adaptability as a coach and being able to put the pieces together in a constructive way, was very, very important,&rdquo; Walters told The Associated Press on Monday. &ldquo;He also understood the game so well fundamentally. Very few coaches had his ability to teach fundamentals.&rdquo;
There was an outpouring of sympathy and praise on social media for Carril.
&ldquo;I believe that in defining greatness in coaches u must determine if they get maximum out of their TEAM personnel,&rdquo; ESPN sportscaster Dick Vitale tweeted. &ldquo;PETE CARRIL is a prime example of a brilliant coaching mind that got max out of his talent. May Coach RIP !&rdquo;
Peter Joseph Carril was born on July 10, 1930, to Spanish immigrant parents in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He played at Lafayette College under a venerable coach in Butch Van Breda Kolff. After an Army stint, Carril coached in high school in Pennsylvania in the 1950s and &rsquo;60s before getting a college head coaching job at Lehigh. He spent the 1966-67 season there, going 11-12, and then was on his way to Princeton.
Carril was more than a basketball coach. Friends and former players say he was intelligent, philosophical, a great judge of character, honest and caring. He was not the country-club type. He was down to earth, his attire simple: open-collared shirts, wrinkled sweaters, his thinning hair never quite combed. Occasionally, there would be a sport jacket.
On the court, Carril was demanding. He worked his players hard and sought perfection. It would not be unusual for him to sit on the bench with a 20-point lead and a pained look creasing his face following a bad pass, a turnover or missed layup. It was the craft, the process that mattered, never mind the score.
If asked, he would recall what his father had told him growing up in Bethlehem, one of the country&rsquo;s steel capitals.
&ldquo;When you lower your standards, they can turn around and attack you,&rdquo; Carril said often.
Success on the court never changed Carril. He liked his cigars. He enjoyed a drink, a coffee or just chatting with people at Andy&rsquo;s Tavern in Princeton, that is until it became a sushi bar in the 1990s. Conte&rsquo;s Pizza remained one of his hangouts. He would occasionally stop at the Princeton basketball office to talk hoops with Mitch Henderson, who became Princeton&rsquo;s coach in 2011.
After leaving Princeton, Carril jumped to unfamiliar ground &mdash; the NBA. He spent 10 seasons as a Kings assistant, helping coach Rick Adelman&rsquo;s teams win two Pacific Division titles and a spot in the 2002 Western Conference finals.
He joined the Washington Wizards&rsquo; staff in 2007 and in 2009 returned to the Kings. He retired from coaching in 2011.

The Princeton offense was a game marked by patience, intelligence, constant motion, quick passing and backdoor cuts that led to points.

Pete Carril was an old-school offensive maestro at any level

Welcome to Basketball News' 10-part mini-series, Blazing the Trail, where Mat Issa breaks down the most revolutionary players of the 1990s and 2000s. Throughout this series, we'll examine how these players changed basketball and pioneered their respective skills. 
In this first installment, Mat goes in-depth on Hall-of-Fame point guard Steve Nash and his incredible effect on the point guard position, with insight from Mike D'Antoni, Raja Bell and more. 
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When Steve Nash earned back-to-back NBA MVP awards in the mid-2000s, some circles viewed his achievements as a horrid oversight on the part of voters.
How is it possible that &mdash; in a world featuring the likes of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal &mdash; the league&rsquo;s most prestigious regular-season honor could be awarded to someone averaging less than 20 points per game? The nerds are ruining our sport!
But what if I told you the so-called "nerds" got this one right? What if Nash really was the most valuable player in the world? And what if he was a pioneer who blazed the trail for a generation of All-Star floor generals?
Let&rsquo;s find out.
What Made Nash Special
To understand Nash as a quarterback, we first need pick the brain of his offensive coordinator that season: then-Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D&rsquo;Antoni.&nbsp;
D'Antoni is a well-traveled basketball mind with an ideology morphed during his playing days at the University of Marshall, a brief stint in the NBA and his legendary career in Italy. At his core, he believed in efficiency, creativity and enabling players with the freedom to express themselves.
&ldquo;Basketball is an art,&rdquo; D&rsquo;Antoni told Basketball News via Zoom. &ldquo;Everybody could be Picasso if you had rules. [In basketball], there are no rules.&rdquo;
Raja Bell, a two-time All-NBA defender and Nash&rsquo;s former running mate, explained D&rsquo;Antoni&rsquo;s philosophy in detail.
&ldquo;Taking the reins all the way off &mdash; that&rsquo;s what D&rsquo;Antoni essentially did for players, and that&rsquo;s why most people have so much success with him offensively," Bell explained to Basketball News. "[With him], there are no bad shots. Every time you toe that line, and you're open, he wants you to let it go. [With] other coaches, you miss one, they might get you out of there or talk to you about driving the ball. Mike never did that.&rdquo;
D&rsquo;Antoni&rsquo;s greatest contribution to the game was, without question, his implementation of the spread pick-and-roll offense.&nbsp;
For those unfamiliar with the scheme, Orlando Magic assistant Dylan Murphy (better known by some as the author of the invaluable <a href="https://medium.com/the-basketball-dictionary/the-basketball-dictionary-5c3835e9fe58">Basketball Dictionary</a>) defined the concept in layman's terms.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just the basic idea of putting guys around the three, running pick-and-roll and making [the defense] pick between protecting against the roll, protecting against the ball-handler getting to the rim or protecting the three-point line,&rdquo; Murphy said.
To visualize how the Suns utilized this pick-and-roll variation, here's an example.
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In Nash, D&rsquo;Antoni obtained the conduit who could bring his pace-and-space vision to fruition. As D&rsquo;Antoni puts it, Nash wielded four attributes that made him the ideal spread pick-and-roll conductor: great shooting, playmaking, decision-making and finishing.
D&rsquo;Antoni called Nash one of the greatest shooters ever, and like one of Steve&rsquo;s jumpers, he was right on the money. According to Cleaning the Glass, Nash placed in the 90th percentile or higher in three-point and mid-range shooting every season from 2004 to 2010. Nash's proficiency from long range made drop coverage and going under screens a moot point for defenses.
His playmaking and decision-making exist in the same rarified air. The ultimate <a href="https://www.npr.org/2006/05/16/5408616/steve-nash-basketballs-selfless-socialist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on-court Marxist</a>, Nash had every high-value delivery method in the book at his disposal. From 2000 to 2012, he placed in the 97th percentile or higher in Ben Taylor&rsquo;s Box Creation stat (a metric that estimates playmaking), leading the league in that category seven times during that span.&nbsp;
Lastly, the Canadian floor general boasted a reliable finishing profile thanks to his dexterity and footwork that were groomed by years of soccer and jump-roping. His training as a finisher made him a master of dribble penetration, something that separated him from Utah Jazz great John Stockton. Nash constantly got two feet in the paint, which allowed him to hypnotize defenses and pick them apart accordingly.
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On-Court Production
Despite facing a great deal of criticism for their offensive-orientated approach, the Suns demonstrated a championship-caliber recipe nearly a decade before The Splash Brothers hung a banner at Oracle Arena.
<a href="https://www.compare.bet/en-us/news/which-teams-are-eligible-for-an-nba-finals-run-this-season">Historically</a>, teams that make the Finals either have a great deal of balance on both ends of the court or are outlier-level elite at one end of the floor.
Under Nash, Phoenix finished top-two in the league in Offensive Rating every season from 2004 to 2010. For reference, the only other all-time primary ball-handler to accomplish this feat was Magic Johnson (1984-90), and it&rsquo;s safe to say that those offensively-slanted Los Angeles Lakers teams were indeed championship-caliber.
Individually, Nash put together the best offensive profile of any of the other MVP contenders of his time (not to mention that his team had the best record in the league that year):
2004-05 MVP Candidates: Offensive Stats (By Percentile)*
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9243%;">
Player
</td>
<td style="width: 17.1018%;">
Scoring Volume
</td>
<td style="width: 18.6684%;">
Scoring Efficiency
</td>
<td style="width: 13.3159%;">
Passing
</td>
<td style="width: 14.6214%;">
Playmaking
</td>
<td style="width: 10.9661%;">
Spacing
</td>
<td style="width: 12.2715%;">
Off. BPM
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9243%;">
Duncan
</td>
<td style="width: 17.1018%;">
93rd
</td>
<td style="width: 18.6684%;">
56th
</td>
<td style="width: 13.3159%;">
61st
</td>
<td style="width: 14.6214%;">
64th
</td>
<td style="width: 10.9661%;">
12th
</td>
<td style="width: 12.2715%;">
87th
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9243%;">
Iverson
</td>
<td style="width: 17.1018%;">
99th
</td>
<td style="width: 18.6684%;">
47th
</td>
<td style="width: 13.3159%;">
81st
</td>
<td style="width: 14.6214%;">
99th
</td>
<td style="width: 10.9661%;">
64th
</td>
<td style="width: 12.2715%;">
87th
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9243%;">
Nash
</td>
<td style="width: 17.1018%;">
55th
</td>
<td style="width: 18.6684%;">
97th
</td>
<td style="width: 13.3159%;">
100th
</td>
<td style="width: 14.6214%;">
100th
</td>
<td style="width: 10.9661%;">
97th
</td>
<td style="width: 12.2715%;">
100th
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9243%;">
Nowitzki
</td>
<td style="width: 17.1018%;">
96th
</td>
<td style="width: 18.6684%;">
84th
</td>
<td style="width: 13.3159%;">
69th
</td>
<td style="width: 14.6214%;">
78th
</td>
<td style="width: 10.9661%;">
99th
</td>
<td style="width: 12.2715%;">
98th
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9243%;">
O&rsquo;Neal
</td>
<td style="width: 17.1018%;">
97th
</td>
<td style="width: 18.6684%;">
89th
</td>
<td style="width: 13.3159%;">
62nd
</td>
<td style="width: 14.6214%;">
72nd
</td>
<td style="width: 10.9661%;">
1st
</td>
<td style="width: 12.2715%;">
95th
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
*Data Provided by Backpicks.com (scroll right to view full table on mobile) 
And while guards typically have a limited impact on the defensive side of the ball, Nash did enough on that end (by way of charge-drawing and off-ball intellect) to help propel the Suns to around average on defense from 2004 to 2010.
So why didn&rsquo;t the Suns make the NBA Finals?
Luck and shooting variance are two obvious, uncontrollable factors. However, Nash and D&rsquo;Antoni have both <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-nash-on-the-horry-shove-2007s-heartbreak/id1483525141?i=1000461769297" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> that they wished they doubled down more on what made them so special: zagging when others continued to zig.
&ldquo;You got all the criticism. You got all the people [criticizing you]. And you do sometimes back off when you should double down on it,&rdquo; D&rsquo;Antoni said.
&ldquo;At the time, Mike was so ahead of most of the NBA. There probably was some pressure &mdash; even within his own camp &mdash; to do things he might not have in his gut wanted to do, and given the time that&rsquo;s passed, wouldn&rsquo;t do now,&rdquo; Bell added. &ldquo;You could see that manifest itself in the way Mike coached with Houston, where he essentially said, 'F*** everything else. This is what we&rsquo;re going to do.'&rdquo;
To understand what "doubling down" essentially entails, let&rsquo;s take a look at a play from the Suns' infamous clash with the San Antonio Spurs in 2007.
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In this clip, Nash forces the legendary Tim Duncan out to the perimeter in a manner analogous to how Stephen Curry <a href="https://streamable.com/fps4dz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forced Robert Williams III and Al Horford to the three-point line </a>in the 2022 Finals.&nbsp;
Unfortunately for Phoenix, instances like that were few and far between. After Duncan strummed their defense to the tune of 33 points in Game 1, the Suns scrapped their original starting lineup that featured Amar'e Stoudemire at center, and instead turned to a more conventional rotation with Kurt Thomas playing the 5. The two teams were playing chicken, and the Suns were the ones to duck first.&nbsp;
The following year, Phoenix acquired an aging Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal as a last-ditch effort to battle with Duncan. But all this countermeasure amounted to was a gentleman&rsquo;s sweep at the hands of the Spurs in the 2008 postseason.
&ldquo;The way we beat them was not gonna be to match up to their better bigs," Bell said. "It was going to be to make them match down to, in theory, our better smalls."
Rather than try to outbid the best big in the Western Conference, Phoenix should have forced San Antonio to keep pace with its superior spacing.
&ldquo;I should have made Steve shoot more," D&rsquo;Antoni reflected. "He should have shot more threes. He&rsquo;s one of the best shooters ever."
Weaving the Thread&nbsp;
The dirty little secret about our series is that basketball has existed for far too long for there to be any true pioneers in the 1990s and 2000s. Each of these trailblazers was influenced in some way or another by the players who came before them.
For Nash, that player was Isiah Thomas.
&ldquo;My hero growing up was Isiah Thomas," Nash stated on the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-nash-ep-34-all-the-smoke-full-episode-stayhome/id1483638752?i=1000473893537">All the Smoke</a> podcast in May 2020. "He had everything, but he wasn&rsquo;t jumping over people, so I was like, 'Okay, there is someone I can try and emulate.' He was quick, but other than that, he used his skill level, his creativity [and] his competitive nature. The fight in him was incredible."
Like Nash, Thomas was adept at knifing his way into the paint and making mincemeat of his adversaries once he got there (<a href="https://streamable.com/vlfunj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like this</a>).
However, Nash wasn&rsquo;t a mere copycat. He expanded on his idol&rsquo;s dribble penetration. Before him, a ball-handler's entry into the paint signified one of four outcomes: a shot, a pass, a foul or a turnover. Nash&rsquo;s odyssey to stardom birthed a new wrinkle to basketball's dark arts &mdash; the perpetual dribble probe.&nbsp;
Better known today as &ldquo;Nashing.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Just because Steve was driving to the basket, didn&rsquo;t mean that he was going to finish right there,&rdquo; D&rsquo;Antoni explained.&nbsp;
Akin to how a hockey player may continuously cycle the puck around the ice to tire out an opponent, Nash would often maintain his dribble in the paint to extend the period in which he commanded the defense's gaze, which created more opportunities for teammates to spring free.
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&ldquo;With Nash, he popularized it, where he would keep his dribble alive past the basket," Sporting News writer Steph Noh explained to Basketball News. "He would go along the baseline and circle around the lane. And by extending his dribble like that, it would extend the time where teammates could get open, [and] it would give defenses the opportunity to make a mistake and let their guard down.
"And you&rsquo;ve seen that pretty much every small point guard that isn&rsquo;t a freak has found how effective that technique is and incorporated it into their own game &mdash; across all levels."
D&rsquo;Antoni believes Nash owns original patent rights on the technique.
"I think he was the first one that started doing that," D'Antoni said.
Impact on Today&rsquo;s Game
When asked who in today&rsquo;s game most resembles the former two-time MVP, Bell immediately suggested the reigning Finals MVP, Stephen Curry.
&ldquo;Steph Curry reminds me a lot of Nash. They&rsquo;re great athletes, don&rsquo;t get me wrong. But they&rsquo;re not put-your-elbow-in-the-rim type athletes.&rdquo; Bell said. &ldquo;These are athletes that people could see themselves in.
&ldquo;They both have really great hand-eye coordination, really good pace, great handle &mdash; like, they have it on a string. Even if it doesn&rsquo;t look like the AND1 mixtape all the time, I think they use it efficiently and effectively. They both have a great ability to be in the pocket [and] under control. [Both] have great vision. They are very similar.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Along with Curry, another All-NBA guard who warrants comparison to the Phoenix legend is Trae Young. Young even <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-116-trae-young/id1525281746?i=1000562762348" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly stated</a> that he picked up one of his most recognizable dribble moves &mdash; <a href="https://youtu.be/spnrMvqzjek" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his hesitation dribble</a> &mdash; from studying Nash.&nbsp;
Nash&rsquo;s legacy doesn&rsquo;t end there. Young guards like Fred VanVleet have earned All-Star nominations by following the pathway Nash carved out for them when he was dealing in the mid-2000s.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He kind of made it okay to dribble the air out the ball a little bit, keeping looking, because you knew he wasn&rsquo;t being selfish about it,&rdquo; VanVleet said in an March 2018 interview with <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/steve-nashs-basketball-legacy-can-seen-played-every-night/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SportsNet</a>.
There&rsquo;s no question that Nash&rsquo;s environmental footprint on the league is intense. And when you combine those innovative tactics with progressive coaching and elite scoring efficiency and playmaking, you get something more than just a great player.
You get an MVP, a Hall-of-Famer and, most importantly for us &mdash; you get a revolutionary.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/nash-tree.jpg" alt="" width="599" height="599" />
Tune in next week for Part 2 of Blazing the Trail, which focuses on Rashard Lewis &mdash; the pioneer of the modern-day stretch 4.

In the first installment of his "Blazing the Trail" series, Mat Issa goes in-depth on Steve Nash and his effect on the point guard position.

Blazing the Trail: Steve Nash, the magician who danced in the paint

Everyone enters NBA Summer League with something to prove.
For rookies, it's their first opportunity to show they belong at the highest level of professional basketball. To veterans, it's a chance to assert themselves, showcase their development and prove that they deserve a roster or increased minutes in the rotation.
Even in the relative nonchalance of the Las Vegas heat, for some young talents, the next 11 days will take on extra significance. For 10 in particular, this is a pivotal offseason for their pro career, and a standout Summer League could put them on a much-needed course correction.
I did not list any rookies here; it's their first shot in the league, so it's a bit unfair to stamp such high stakes on their inaugural action. Everyone on this list has at least a year of NBA experience under their belt, and one has been around the league for close to a decade. Beyond the top prospects, here are some players you should keep an eye on as they make their cases during Summer League.
Bruno Caboclo, Utah Jazz
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Justin Robinson finds Bruno Caboclo for the slam! 📺: ESPN2 <a href="https://t.co/VaFH9MTUNw">pic.twitter.com/VaFH9MTUNw</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1544860272367632384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Caboclo is one of the most experienced players on this summer's rosters. The No. 20 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Caboclo is remarkably still just 26 years old, but spent seven seasons with six teams in the NBA before suiting up for Sao Paulo FC in Brazil last year.&nbsp;
This is probably one of Caboclo's last shots at sticking in the league. He has averaged double-digit minutes per game just once in seven years, when he put up 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds across 23.5 minutes per game with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2018-19. He's far from the intriguing, raw prospect he was when entering the Association, so if Caboclo is going to earn a roster spot, even on a G League team, he has to show out.
Several other prospects enter Summer League in a similar situation. DJ Wilson (Raptors) and Chandler Hutchinson (Hawks) were first-round picks in the 2017 and 2018 NBA Drafts, respectively. They played 10 NBA games combined in 2021-22.&nbsp;
Usman Garuba, Houston Rockets
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Love this sequence from Usman Garuba. Does a brilliant job of switching onto Carsen Edwards, moves over to swat the ball loose from the ball-handler, and then pushes it up the floor in transition. <a href="https://t.co/WDfKs6cdG6">pic.twitter.com/WDfKs6cdG6</a>
&mdash; Dakota Schmidt (@Dakota_Schmidt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dakota_Schmidt/status/1490729110334808070?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Jalen Green backed up his No. 2 overall draft slot with a stellar finish to last season, landing on the All-Rookie First Team. Alperen Sengun dazzled fans with his passing and put up 11.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game after the All-Star break. Josh Christopher battled typical rookie inconsistencies, but closed out his year with three games of 20-plus points in his last seven contests.
Houston's fourth 2021 first-round pick, however, went relatively unnoticed. Usman Garuba appeared just 24 times and averaged 10 minutes per game. He was billed as a versatile defender who could pair with Sengun, but injuries slowed his progression, though he flashed promise in limited G League action.
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Sometimes, rebuilds move too quickly for player development to keep up. Houston drafted Jabari Smith Jr. with the third overall pick and Tari Eason at No. 17. Both figure to occupy one, if not two, forward spots, with Kenyon Martin Jr. and Jae'Sean Tate firmly in the mix as well. Garuba must demonstrate a stable offensive floor to balance his stellar defensive tools. I'll be interested to see how he's used in Las Vegas as a smaller center.
RJ Hampton, Orlando Magic
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Yeah , I asked to play. Nothing like getting reps and rhythm during the summer against competition and connecting with our new rooks 🤟🏽
&mdash; RJ (@RjHampton14) <a href="https://twitter.com/RjHampton14/status/1542161234493165568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs have graduated from Summer League play. Hampton is the lone young Magic guard returning to the roster. Orlando acquired the high-flying playmaker in March 2021, but he hasn't synced up with his backcourt mates quite yet, and playing time will only grow more scarce as the core improves.
The 21-year-old has just struggled to score efficienctly at any level. Despite his athleticism and power, Hampton made just 52.5% of his attempts at the rim last season and finished with a 48.1% True Shooting percentage.
In a featured role with this Magic summer group, he needs to display some takeover playmaking ability and consistent shotmaking. Hampton seems to be embracing the extra reps, which offer a promising chance for him to ball out with No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero.
Killian Hayes, Detroit Pistons
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Killian Hayes Is looking good 👀 Via 🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/DetroitXay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DetroitXay</a> <a href="https://t.co/xv97YJKAdl">pic.twitter.com/xv97YJKAdl</a>
&mdash; Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pistons__Talk/status/1541958241147658241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Our Nekias Duncan highlighted <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/views-from-the-bottom-young-players-to-keep-an-eye-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hayes' solid end to the 2021-22 season</a>. Though the overall stats might not show it, the former No. 7 pick did take meaningful strides as an off-ball player next to Cade Cunningham and a downhill driver when he had opportunities. Duncan also called Hayes "one of the most underrated guard defenders in the sport already."
That didn't stop Detroit from selecting Jaden Ivey to be Cade Cunningham's backcourt partner. Hayes is still very much part of a talented Pistons core, but his long-term projection with the franchise is murky right now. A standout effort in Vegas could solidify his standing, not only in the rotation, but also in the eyes of other teams around the league.
Kai Jones, Charlotte Hornets
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Kai Jones taking fight for the nasty dunk <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AllFly?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AllFly</a> <a href="https://t.co/rrhOfVjnrj">pic.twitter.com/rrhOfVjnrj</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1424516813417811970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Most expected Jones to be more of a developmental draft pick when Charlotte selected him No. 19 overall last year. He played just 63 total minutes with the Hornets and appeared in eight games for the G League affiliate Greensboro Swarm. Then, the Hornets went back to the NBA Draft for frontcourt help, selecting Mark Williams at No. 15 overall a few weeks ago.
What does this mean for Jones? Summer League head coach Jordan Surenkamp said more time at the four might be a possibility:
"Yeah, I still think that's up in the air. I think it kind of depends on what we're looking at from an organization standpoint in terms of rotations and things like that," <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/hornets/news/quick-hits-early-impressions-of-rookies-role-for-kai-jones-balancing-sl-minutes-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Surenkamp said.</a> "But like I said, he's been very willing to play at that position so far just as much as he has been at the five, which is more of what he's done in this league up to this point. In terms of how many minutes and how often, those are still things that are up in the air. Those are conversations that we'll have before Friday."
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I'm admittedly a skeptic toward this type of role shift for Jones. But Summer League is an excellent laboratory for him and the Hornets to try out the fit.
Aleksej Pokusevski, Oklahoma City Thunder
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And y'all expect me to quit Poku lol TUH <a href="https://t.co/2vRTHbLWrO">pic.twitter.com/2vRTHbLWrO</a>
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1544496249994465280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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One of the most unique players in the entire NBA enters his third season with the Thunder. But this will actually be Pokusevski's first NBA Summer League experience after OKC decided not to have him join the team last year (and there was no competition in 2020).&nbsp;
Pokusevski has his staunch advocates and critics on either side after another up-and-down season in 2021-22. But he was much better after the All-Star break, averaging 12.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists across 19 games. Poku still has a ways to go in his individual development, and the Thunder have shown a willingness to be patient as the seven-foot wing progresses. A strong summer showing against less experienced competition would help justify the franchise's belief in him.
Paul Reed, Philadelphia 76ers
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Paul Reed dropped 20 PTS and snatched 15 boards in Game 1 of the Salt Lake City Summer League for the <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sixers</a>! 20 PTS | 15 REB | 4 STL <a href="https://t.co/NlAd1vxQSr">pic.twitter.com/NlAd1vxQSr</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1544495884829954048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Big-man depth behind Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris was one of the more pressing concerns for the 76ers in the postseason, and the franchise has done nothing in the offseason to bolster their bigs so far. For now, the responsibility falls on Reed and/or Charles Bassey to take the mantle as a backup.&nbsp;
At 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds, Reed has a bit more in his tool kit offensively then Bassey and really battles hard on the glass. This is an atmosphere where he can physically dominate. Reed already posted 20 points and 15 rebounds in a Salt Lake City Summer League showing against the Grizzlies.&nbsp;
Xavier Tillman, Memphis Grizzlies
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Xavier Tillman &amp; Ziaire Williams combined for 31 points to lead the <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@memgrizz</a> to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> win!<a href="https://twitter.com/therealZiaire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@therealZiaire</a>: 15 PTS, 8 AST, 2 STL<a href="https://twitter.com/Rookiedunker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rookiedunker</a>: 16 PTS, 4 AST <a href="https://t.co/rD5YnPb63N">pic.twitter.com/rD5YnPb63N</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1544497186821619713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The No. 35 pick from the 2020 NBA Draft logged a really solid rookie season with Memphis, but saw his playing time and efficiency scale back in 2021-22. Tillman struggled to finish at the basket and lost the flashes of three-point promise that appeared in his first year. With Brandon Clarke surging back as a notable piece, Jaren Jackson Jr. healthy and Steven Adams locked in at center, Tillman only had scraps of big-man minutes left over.
However, he's still a notable Grizzlies prospect. Tillman is the type of multifaceted big defender that today's game craves, and he can rebound and pass well for his position. Like Reed, Tillman has the chance to impose his will inside against younger, leaner Summer League players, and he can state his case for more playing time to the team.
Brandon Williams, Portland Trail Blazers
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Brandon Williams has been lighting it up for the <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>! He dropped a career-high 27 points in his first career start last night - his second consecutive 20+ point game. 💪 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GLeagueAlum?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GLeagueAlum</a> <a href="https://t.co/WYteuaeBWm">pic.twitter.com/WYteuaeBWm</a>
&mdash; NBA G League (@nbagleague) <a href="https://twitter.com/nbagleague/status/1501331791558414340?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Lost in the Trail Blazers' aimless second half was the emergence of Williams, an undrafted rookie guard whom Portland locked up on a two-way contract in February. He had played just two NBA games before the All-Star break, but averaged 13.7 points, 4.2 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game in 22 contests afterwards. Nekias Duncan even <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/views-from-the-bottom-young-players-to-keep-an-eye-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted him in that same piece</a> for his pick-and-roll passing promise.
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Was Williams' opportunity solely because Portland was marred with injuries and well out of the playoff picture? Or does he have a real chance at a rotation spot this season? It's admittedly tough to envision with Damian Lillard getting healthy, Anfernee Simons secured on a lucrative extension and Keon Johnson on the rise. But there's no better case for Williams to assert his talent than at Summer League.
James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors
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Here is the full update from Jama Mahlalela on James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga. Said Wiseman probably won&rsquo;t play on Friday, &ldquo;but I&rsquo;d definitely imagine in the next few (summer league) games we&rsquo;ll see him.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/FxLFQJ71Bn">pic.twitter.com/FxLFQJ71Bn</a>
&mdash; Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) <a href="https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1544806078507954176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Warriors Summer League coach Jama Mahlalela said that he expects Wiseman to participate in Vegas at some point. It's been a long road of recovery for the 2020 No. 2 overall draft pick, who missed all of last season while rehabbing a torn meniscus. Wiseman's absence has fueled a chorus of critics to question his place with the defending champions.
Obviously, there's only so much Wiseman can do here as he continues to focus on his body. NBA training camp and the actual season far surpass any importance Summer League can provide. But if Wiseman does make appearances over the next two weeks, he'll assuredly be one of the summer's most-discussed players.

James Wiseman, Kai Jones and Killian Hayes are among the players who could use a standout Summer League showing in Las Vegas.

10 NBA veterans with a bit more to prove at Las Vegas Summer League

Dawn Staley hoisted the championship trophy high, strutted around the court and stopped for a brief victory dance. She handed over the hardware to South Carolina&rsquo;s student band, then headed back to midcourt for more merriment.
The Gamecocks hit all the right notes this season, and they finished with a masterpiece.
Staley&rsquo;s team buttoned up on defense and dominated on the glass, beating UConn 64-49 on Sunday night to end the Huskies&rsquo; undefeated streak in title games. Destanni Henderson scored a career-high 26 points, Aliyah Boston added 11 points and 16 rebounds, and the Gamecocks handed Geno Auriemma&rsquo;s Huskies their first loss in 12 NCAA title games.
&ldquo;We played every possession like it was our last possession,&rdquo; said Staley, the first Black men&rsquo;s or women&rsquo;s coach with two Division I titles. &ldquo;They were determined to be champions today.&rdquo;
A year ago, South Carolina lost in the Final Four when Boston missed a layup before the buzzer.
&ldquo;Honestly, I&rsquo;ve been thinking about this since last season. Everyone had a picture of me crying,&rdquo; said Boston, who was the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. &ldquo;Today, we&rsquo;re national champions and I&rsquo;m in tears.&rdquo;
With Staley calling the shots in a Louis Vuitton letterman jacket, South Carolina took UConn to school on the boards and capped a wire-to-wire run as the No. 1 team in the country in The Associated Press poll. The Gamecocks also won the championship in 2017 with A&rsquo;ja Wilson leading the way.
This time it was Boston &mdash; the AP Player of the Year &mdash; and her fellow South Carolina post players who dominated on the game&rsquo;s biggest stage. The Gamecocks outrebounded UConn 49-24, including a 21-6 advantage on offensive boards.
&ldquo;We knew tonight that if we didn&rsquo;t hold our own on the boards, that it was going to be a really bad night for us,,&rdquo; Auriemma said. &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s exactly what happened.&rdquo;
They also clamped down on star Paige Bueckers and the Huskies on defense, just like they did all season long.
&ldquo;They deserved it 100%,&rdquo; Auriemma said. &ldquo;They were the best team all year.&rdquo;
It was South Carolina&rsquo;s night from the start. The Gamecocks (35-2) jumped to an 11-2 lead, grabbing nearly every rebound on both ends of the floor. They led to 22-8 after one quarter much to the delight of their fans, who made the trip to Minneapolis to be part of the sellout crowd.
UConn (30-6) trailed by 16 in the second quarter before Bueckers, a Minnesota native, got going. After having just one shot in the first quarter, she scored nine points in the second to get the Huskies within 35-27 at the half. She finished with 14.
An 8-2 run to start the third quarter put South Carolina up 43-29 before the Huskies finally started connecting from behind the arc. UConn missed its first eight 3-point attempts until Caroline Ducharme made one from the wing and Evina Westbrook followed with another to get the Huskies within 43-37.
That&rsquo;s as close as they could get because of Henderson.
The senior guard had a three-point play to close the third quarter and then had the team&rsquo;s first four points in the fourth to restore the double-digit lead. The Huskies couldn&rsquo;t recover.
&ldquo;My teammates believed in me once again. We&rsquo;ve been working so hard since Day 1, and it finally paid off, all my hard work, all my focus,&rdquo; Henderson said. &ldquo;Me trusting the process. Me trusting God. She just put me in a position just to be great, and today, we national champions.&rdquo;
This was UConn&rsquo;s first trip to the championship game since 2016, when the Huskies won the last of four straight titles. Since then, the team has suffered heartbreaking defeats in the national semifinals, losing twice in overtime, before holding off Stanford on Friday night. The Huskies were trying to win their 12th title in the same city they won their first one in 1995.
Auriemma said Saturday that when his team had won each of its 11 titles, the Huskies entered the game as the better team. They certainly weren&rsquo;t on Sunday.
&ldquo;We just didn&rsquo;t have enough,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They were just too good for us.&rdquo;
It had been one of the most challenging seasons of Auriemma&rsquo;s Hall of Fame career. UConn overcame losing eight players for at least two games with injury or illness, including Bueckers, who missed nearly three months with a left knee injury suffered in early December. She came back in late February but wasn&rsquo;t at the same level that earned her AP Player of the Year as a freshman last season.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Gamecocks have been stalwarts on defense all season long, ranking third nationally with 50.5 points allowed per game. They were even sharper in the NCAA Tournament, holding opponents to 44.8 points entering Sunday&rsquo;s finale.
Henderson had three steals, Boston blocked two shots and South Carolina forced 15 turnovers. The Gamecocks&rsquo; plus-25 rebounding margin was the second biggest ever in a title game.
BIG PICTURE
UConn: The Huskies lose three seniors in Christyn Williams, Westbrook and Olivia Nelson-Ododa but still have a solid group back led by Bueckers and freshman Azzi Fudd. If the Huskies stay healthy, they&rsquo;ll have a good shot to contend for next year&rsquo;s title.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks lose Henderson and Victaria Saxton but have all the talent to repeat as champions.

The Gamecocks hit all the right notes this season, and they finished with a masterpiece.

Dawn Staley leads South Carolina over UConn for second NCAA title

Most NBA teams have approximately 15 games left in their regular-season schedules. Even if some squads are still mathematically in the postseason hunt, we can start to distinguish the desperate bids from the real races.
In the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards (despite how things look on the court) continue to chase the Charlotte Hornets and are three games back of an East Play-In spot. The Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs all hold some grip onto the Western Conference Play-In battle. But as the games wind down, the intensity ratchets up, and every loss can feel like a brick wall.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Toronto Raptors are riding a three-game win streak that includes quality victories over the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets. They now sit just one game back of the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers for the all-important sixth seed and definitely have enough momentum to take it with 15 games left in the regular season.
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10. Golden State Warriors (46-22)
The Warriors rallied with a massive week highlighted by two double-digit wins against the Nuggets and a Saturday primetime victory against the Milwaukee Bucks. The win over the Bucks was particularly impressive because Stephen Curry attempted just 7 field goals; Klay Thompson (38 points), Jordan Poole (30 points) and Andrew Wiggins (21 points) carried the scoring load. Golden State has looked rudderless at times without Draymond Green, but hopefully this three-game hot stretch inspires confidence.
(Last week: 7)
9. Houston Rockets (17-51)
Jalen Green is still playing superb basketball, but KJ Martin has come alive with a longer leash as Houston wades through its rebuilding season. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kj-martin-more-than-meets-the-eye" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Schindler wrote a fantastic article</a> over the weekend on Martin's mini-breakout. The 21-year-old is up to 43.8% from three-point range since the break and is much more than a slasher, as Mark illustrates. This is what you hope happens amidst all the losing, and if it continues, Houston might get out of the rankings altogether next week.
(Last week: 8)
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (38-29)
It's been a rough post-All-Star run for Cleveland, who is just 3-6 since the break. Jarrett Allen's finger fracture has impacted the Cavs' top-tier defense; it's now ranked 25th over the past two weeks. Caris LeVert, Lauri Markkanen and Rajon Rondo have also dealt with their own injuries. Cleveland is now just a single game up on Toronto in a tightly-packed East playoff race. The overall picture is still bright, but the recent downturn is simply a bummer for a franchise that can feel a tangible post-LeBron playoff appearance within its grasp.
(Last week: Unranked)
7. Charlotte Hornets (33-35)
Last week I attempted, for the second time this season, to point out a solid defensive stretch by the Hornets. Once again, they made me look like a buffoon. Charlotte gave up at least 115 points in all three of its games this past week, going 1-2 against the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Pelicans. At least Isaiah Thomas got in a nice game with 14 points against New Orleans. No matter how you feel about his viability as an NBA player, it's impossible not to root for Thomas.
(Last week: 9)
6. Brooklyn Nets (35-33)
Nets Twitter (and I presume the rest of Nets fandom) positively exploded with joy in Brooklyn's dominant 129-100 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. The triumph is perhaps the highlight of the season to date and hopefully a spark plug, as Brooklyn has rattled off three consecutive victories. We also need to keep talking about Bruce Brown, who is averaging 14.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game since the All-Star break.&nbsp;
(Last week: 1)
5. New York Knicks (28-40)
I'm an absolute sucker for Deuce McBride propaganda, so here you go:
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Deuce has been freakin absurd at the nail as he's finally started to get rotation minutes <a href="https://t.co/2m98NjOo4p">pic.twitter.com/2m98NjOo4p</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1502679211127054337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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New York went 2-2 this week, but with some respectable losses to the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat. More importantly, we're seeing meaningful time and flashes from young talents, whether it be McBride, RJ Barrett, Jericho Sims or Immanuel Quickley. That's all that matters over the final weeks.
(Last week: 2)
4. Los Angeles Lakers (29-38)
LeBron James has now dropped multiple 50-bombs out of the All-Star break and continues his lopsided battle with Father Time. Also lopsided? The Lakers are 2-0 since the break when James scored at least 50 points and 0-7 when he doesn't. That's... not exactly a desirable bar for success. Los Angeles now looks ahead at 6 games in 10 days with five against current playoff teams. I would not be surprised if they entered a March 27 contest against New Orleans behind the Pelicans in the standings.
(Last week: 3)
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3. Sacramento Kings (24-45)
Sacramento stands four-and-a-half games behind a Play-In spot, is 2-7 since the All-Star break and has bottom-10 metrics on both ends of the floor during that span. The Kings are giving up the ninth-highest frequency of three-pointers to opponents per Cleaning the Glass, and those teams are shooting a strong 38.2% from the floor. Sacramento has the playoff-bound Chicago Bulls, Bucks, Celtics and Suns next on tap, which doesn't bode well for them stopping the current four-game slide.
(Last week: 4)
2. Portland Trail Blazers (26-40)
Despite sitting 11th in the West and just one game behind the Pelicans, Portland simply can't put enough quality games together. The Blazers finally earned a 127-118 win over the Wizards to snap a six-game skid on Saturday. Anfernee Simons is down with a knee injury and will be re-evaluated in 1-to-2 weeks, meaning Portland loses its most coveted young player for the short-term future. Props to Josh Hart for his 44-point explosion though.
(Last week: 5)
1. Washington Wizards (29-37)
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Win, loss, tie, blowout either way: what on earth is this roster and minutes distribution man I know KP didn&rsquo;t play, but like how does that clear anything up lol <a href="https://t.co/1VkTfPnQfh">pic.twitter.com/1VkTfPnQfh</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1503001470148427779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Mark Schindler highlighted the rotation discord in Washington, and it's pretty baffling. Corey Kispert is playing 39 minutes? Deni Avdijia is playing 13 minutes? Washington should either be making a last-ditch playoff push (three games out of 10th right now) or committing to playing the more experienced young lottery talents it has added over the past few years. Yet somehow, neither is happening.
(Last week: 6)
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The Wizards and Trail Blazers are tumbling in Ethan Fuller's latest Sour Rankings.

NBA Sour Rankings: Wizards, Trail Blazers in postseason peril

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; Kyle Kuzma missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds, and he could accept that.
He was less diplomatic about a play earlier in the fourth quarter, when someone on the Brooklyn bench appeared to reach out and deflect a pass that was headed toward Kuzma in the corner.
&ldquo;AAU basketball. That's what it looked like," Kuzma said.
That was one of the more printable things Kuzma said about that bizarre play, but Washington still had plenty of opportunities after that Wednesday night. The Wizards lost to the Nets 119-118 when Kuzma and Spencer Dinwiddie missed 3-pointers in the final seconds.
Washington trailed by as many as 16 points, but a 3-pointer by Kuzma cut the lead to one with 36 seconds left. That set the stage for a wild finish. Kyrie Irving missed a 3 for Brooklyn, but the Wizards couldn't secure the rebound. Then James Harden had a shot blocked by Montrezl Harrell, giving Washington the ball.
The Wizards didn't call a timeout, and the ball ended up with Kuzma, who missed from the left wing. Harrell's offensive rebound gave Dinwiddie a last-ditch shot against his former team, but that was off the mark as well.
Irving scored 22 of his 30 points in the first half for Brooklyn. The star guard made his season debut two weeks earlier. His refusal to get vaccinated against the coronavirus means he can&rsquo;t play in New York, but he was sharp on this night in Washington.
&ldquo;Obviously having him on the road has been a big plus for us," coach Steve Nash said. "Tonight he was brilliant.&rdquo;
LaMarcus Aldridge added 27 points for the Nets, and Harden had 18. Brooklyn won for only the fifth time in its last 12 games.
Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 23 points.
Official Ben Taylor told a pool reporter nobody on the crew saw a deflection from the Brooklyn bench on the pass toward Kuzma with 5:45 remaining, which created a steal for the Nets. Joseph Blair, Washington's acting coach, said he was in &ldquo;utter disbelief&rdquo; about the play.
Kuzma was more pointed.
&ldquo;It's just an unfortunate situation,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There's a couple guys out there that were (expletive) all night. So, got to live with it."
The Nets are without Kevin Durant because of a left knee injury, and Joe Harris has been out following left ankle surgery. With Irving and Harden, Brooklyn still has plenty of star power.
In fact, the Nets went 16-3 last season when they had Irving and Harden but not Durant. They dropped their first game <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-brooklyn-nets-cleveland-kevin-durant-5e1e58a44ce2af237d92c18de0c00c02">in that situation</a> this season, Monday against Cleveland.
Brooklyn led 74-62 after shooting 63% from the field in the first half. A 9-0 run by Washington in the fourth quarter cut the lead to one, but a layup by Irving started a 7-0 run by the Nets that made it 111-103.
&ldquo;I just feel like, even coming into halftime, the Wizards were very comfortable,&rdquo; Irving said. "It was a good test for us. I felt like we could have maintained the lead a little bit more.&rdquo;
The Nets improved to 16-5 on the road this season. Only Phoenix (17-4) has been better.
NO TIMEOUT
Blair chose to let things play out at the end, hoping the Wizards could catch Brooklyn in an unsettled situation with no timeout.
&ldquo;I considered it for sure, but I felt like we had such momentum when we got the rebound going the other way, we had them scrambling,&rdquo; Blair said.
FAMILIAR FACE
Dinwiddie scored 11 points. He was acquired by the Wizards this offseason after blossoming into a quality contributor in five seasons with the Nets.
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TIP-INS
Nets: DeAndre' Bembry (back), Nic Claxton (left hamstring) and Paul Millsap (personal) did not play.
Wizards: Blair coached Washington for a second straight game after coach Wes Unseld Jr. and assistant Pat Delany entered health and safety protocols. ... Beal had nine assists, his 13th straight game with at least five. That ties the longest streak of his career.
UP NEXT
Nets: Visit San Antonio on Friday night.
Wizards: Host Toronto on Friday night.

The Brooklyn Nets managed a 1-point win against Washington, as Kyle Kuzma and Spencer Dinwiddie missed late jumpers.

Nets hold off Wizards' rally, beat Washington 119-118

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell dribbled out the clock in the backcourt, dodging Dallas&rsquo; last-ditch efforts to foul before letting out a triumphant yell and throwing the ball high in the air.
Mitchell celebrated Chrismas Day with 33 points and the Utah Jazz beat the COVID-19-depleted Mavericks 120-116 on Saturday night.
&ldquo;I grew up watching these games and wanting to be in this position. To play on Christmas is special &hellip; it&rsquo;s an honor and a blessing,&rdquo; said Mitchell, who overcame a back strain sustained in the first quarter.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 25 points and Mike Conley had 22 to lift the Jazz (23-9) to their 13th win in their last 15 games.
It wasn&rsquo;t the Christmas night matchup the NBA hoped for with Luka Doncic among the Mavs stuck in the league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols. Still, it was competitive to the end despite several new signees getting significant minutes for Dallas.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-134">&nbsp;</div>
&ldquo;Even with guys out, it&rsquo;s what you ask for. It&rsquo;s extra emotion, extra drive, just one step below the playoffs. Everybody&rsquo;s excited and locked in,&rdquo; Mitchell said.
Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber, Reggie Bullock, Trey Burke, JaQuori McLaughlin and Josh Green were also sidelined in the health and safety protocols for the Mavericks. In addition, Willie Cauley-Stein was out for personal reasons and Dorian Finney-Smith missed the game with a non-COVID illness.
The Jazz still have not lost a player to the coronavirus, and the depth and experience showed as Utah took over in the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t play our best and got behind by 16 points, but this time we didn&rsquo;t let it slip away. We&rsquo;re getting better and maybe learning some lessons,&rdquo; said Rudy Gobert, who had eight of his 10 points in the final period.
Jalen Brunson scored 27 points and Porzingis returned after two games out with a sore toe to tally 27 points for Dallas. Frank Ntilikina had a season-best 17 points, marking the first time he&rsquo;s scored in double figures in back-to-back games this season.
&ldquo;No matter who&rsquo;s on our side or who&rsquo;s on that side ... you got to be aggressive. You got to be locked in. You got to have that mindset of playing, whatever the defense,&rdquo; Brunson said.
Guarded by Royce O&rsquo;Neale &mdash; who is nine inches shorter &mdash; Porzingis scored six straight points to give Dallas an 84-75 lead with 4:45 left in the third quarter.
Dallas led 94-92 in the fourth quarter before the Jazz went on a 10-0 run punctuated by Jordan Clarkson&rsquo;s one-handed alley-oop to Gobert that made it 102-94 for Utah. The Jazz never trailed the rest of the way.
Mavericks (15-17) have lost four of five but started strong. Porzingis powered Dallas to a 26-11 lead with a jumper, a dunk and five throws while the Jazz went 5 for 17 and had five turnovers.
&ldquo;The frantic part of it was us fouling. That really hurt us, particularly in the first quarter, because it slows the game down and allows them to change their defense,&rdquo; Utah coach Quin Snyder said.
The Mavericks&rsquo; zone defense flustered the Jazz early, but the Jazz started hitting perimeter shots and getting to the basket. Mitchell scored 16 points in the second quarter to spur the Jazz to a 65-63 lead at the half.
The Mavericks&rsquo; aggressiveness kept the team neck-and-neck with Utah, and Dallas was 30 of 35 at the foul line, their highest number of free throws made and attempted this season. The teams combined to shoot 72 free throws.
&ldquo;That was one of the best teams in the league &mdash; not just the Western Conference,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;I thought those guys in our locker room fought all the way to the end. The ball just didn&rsquo;t bounce our way tonight in that fourth quarter. We had some good looks.&rdquo;
BOGEY FOR 3 IS A KEY
Bogdanovic made a 3-pointer with 2:01 remaining to lift the Jazz to an eight-point lead, a cushion Utah needed as the Mavericks made a final charge at the end of the game.
It&rsquo;s a familiar occurrence as the Jazz have hit their stride the last few weeks. Bogdanovic has gone 37 for 73 over the last 11 games from 3-point range and scored more than 14 points in every contest.
Bogdanovic&rsquo;s consistency from the outside, along with his post-up and transition scoring, has prevented defenses from helping on Mitchell&rsquo;s drives and Gobert&rsquo;s rolls to the rim.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Dallas shot 21 first-half free throws (and the Jazz shot 20). ... Porzingis missed both technical free throws he attempted, one in each half. ... Porzingis and O&rsquo;Neale wrestled to the ground on a boxout late in the game.
Jazz: Mitchell notched his ninth 30-point game of the season. ... Mitchell went to the locker room in the first quarter but returned in the second period for a flurry of offense, though a bit hobbled. ... The Jazz have outscored their opponents in 12 straight games while Conley has been on the court. ... Joe Ingles got a technical for the second straight game.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Visit Portland on Monday night.
Jazz: Visit San Antonio on Monday night for first road game in 16 days.
___
More AP NBA:&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://apnews.com/hub/NBA">https://apnews.com/hub/NBA</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a>

Mitchell scored 33 points, Bojan Bogdanovic scored 25 points and Mike Conley had 22 in the win.

Donovan Mitchell, Jazz rally past short-handed Mavs 120-116

STORRS, Conn. (AP) &mdash; UConn won its rivalry game against Notre Dame on Sunday but may have lost last year&rsquo;s national player of the year to a knee injury in the process.
Paige Bueckers scored 22 points before going down with just seconds left in No. 2 UConn&rsquo;s 73-54 victory over No. 24 Notre Dame.
Bueckers was dribbling up the court in the final minute of this one when she stumbled, twisting her ankle and coming down awkwardly on her left leg. She went to the floor a few seconds later and had to be carried off the court.
Coach Geno Auriemma said the extent of the injury won&rsquo;t be known until scans are completed on Monday.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Huskies (5-1). Freshman Caroline Ducharme scored a season-best 14 points and Aaliyah Edwards chipped in with 10.
Freshman Sonia Citron, coming off a 29-point game against Michigan State, scored 19 points for Notre Dame (7-2).

Bueckers had scored 22 points in the contest prior to the late injury.

Paige Bueckers injured in No. 2 UConn’s win over No. 24 Notre Dame

The NBA is often deemed a copycat league, and a trend doesn&rsquo;t truly become popular until it surfaces as a buzzword in our NBA lexicon.
When bully ball was deemed the route to success, big, bruising centers were at a premium. Centers like Roy Hibbert were highly coveted and &ldquo;verticality&rdquo; became the buzzword du jour. However, these centers were often too slow-footed to keep pace with the new era.&nbsp;
In fact, this next era demanded mobility. Pace-and-space came to be in direct response to the lumbering center, with the hopes of playing them off the floor.&nbsp;
This was spearheaded by the three-point revolution and the small-ball revolution (which are often conflated for one another).&nbsp;
The three-point revolution boils down to a simple math equation: 3 &gt; 2. The small-ball revolution exists to attack the limitations of a traditional roster construction. It does so by targeting a position that often struggles to guard in space: a plodding center.&nbsp;
Trends in basketball are no different than trends on the runway, in that they&rsquo;re cyclical and must come to an end (bye bye skinny jeans). While most teams are busy copying the latest fad, the most innovative teams are taking risks by developing their counters in search for the next trend.&nbsp;
The three-point revolution is unique in that the math makes it difficult to solve for. As long as a three-pointer is greater than a two, the NBA will never do away with a healthy reliance on the outside shot.
Small ball, however, is finally beginning to see it&rsquo;s counter. A new iteration of basketball is materializing, having been born out of a generation of big men who grew up watching the Golden State Warriors&rsquo; affectionately nicknamed &ldquo;Death Lineup&rdquo; make their traditional role obsolete.&nbsp;
To understand this next iteration of NBA basketball and the emergence of modern bigs, we must first understand the specific advantages that made small ball so successful and their necessary counters.&nbsp;
Small ball as a concept is easier to understand than to define. In the most simplistic terms, it is a style of play with a single big as opposed to two. A more granular definition is ripe with overlapping concepts that evolve with each new season. Buzzwords like &ldquo;positionless," &ldquo;5 out," &ldquo;pace-and-space&rdquo; and &ldquo;switchability&rdquo; have made up our understanding of small ball in recent years.&nbsp;
The base idea is by playing without a traditional two-big-man lineup, what you lose in size, strength and interior presence, you more than make up for in speed, agility and shooting. Seeing as centers are often the least mobile and fleet of foot, they&rsquo;re usually replaced by sliding a smaller player up.
For example, in 2012, while &ldquo;verticality&rdquo; was the buzzword that was taking the league by storm, Hibbert&rsquo;s Indiana Pacers faced the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. After Chris Bosh got injured, the Heat were forced to play 6-foot-8 Shane Battier, a career wing, in Bosh&rsquo;s place at the 4.&nbsp;
That nerdy love child of necessity and innovation gave way to big-time small-ball success. This would grow and take shape over the next decade, playing big men off the floor and reaching it&rsquo;s pinnacle with the Warriors dynasty.&nbsp;
Trading size and a domineering interior presence for shooting and speed is not a new concept. Offensively, it has not only existed but thrived for a long time, most notably with the 'Seven Seconds or Less' Phoenix Suns from the mid 2000s. However, for the better part of the last decade, we&rsquo;ve also begun to see it succeed defensively, and that&rsquo;s when teams all over the NBA started trying to imitate it. &nbsp;
As the old saying goes: Defense wins championships. Even the poster child of the NBA's small-ball era, the Warriors &mdash; who featured two of the greatest three-point shooters of all-time &mdash; won on the back of the most versatile defense in the league. The most successful small lineups aren't just a menace on the offensive end with their elite shooting; they must also wreak havoc defensively.
As teams in the three-point era attack with heavy diets of pick-and-roll, switching defenses became a necessity. On the flip side, traditional centers being switched onto crafty guards around the perimeter usually spells doom. And with an extreme emphasis on floor spacing and three-point shooting, this mismatch can do serious damage quickly. In order for small ball to succeed in keeping the big man off the floor, smaller defenders who can more than hold their own against bigger guys are essential (&agrave; la Draymond Green).
It&rsquo;s easy to understand why small ball took the league by storm. But while most teams have conformed, trying to play smaller with an emphasis on floor spacing, a few teams have gone in another direction: banking on length and hoping that "long ball" is the answer to the league&rsquo;s small-ball reign.
Though colloquially &ldquo;long ball&rdquo; refers to spacing the floor, in this case it refers to long players replacing small players to shrink the court. This next iteration features lengthy wingspans and wreaks havoc in the best way. It's built out of wings with the dimensions of a center (and centers who have ditched the weight room for a skills clinic). A perfect example is Anthony Davis.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17165616_lg.jpg" alt="" width="699" height="466" />
In 2020, the Houston Rockets took small ball to an extreme, trading away center Clint Capela and having no one taller than 6-foot-8 on their roster. In the regular season, they punished bigs by playing an inverted pick-and-roll, using guard James Harden as a screener and pretend big man Jeff Green as the ball-handler.
Though the experiment was successful in the regular season, it didn't work as well in the playoffs, as the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated the micro-ball Rockets in five games in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Lakers won because of Anthony Davis, who prefers to play the 4 but moved up to the 5 without fear of getting beat up down low. Unable to punish Davis in the pick-and-roll, Houston floundered.
Davis is unique in that he has the skills of a guard and the body of a big. This is because he was a 6-foot-3 guard <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anthony-davis-growth-spurt-2014-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">up until his growth spurt</a> to 6-foot-11 over the span of a year-and-a-half.&nbsp;
And now, we have a whole generation of future centers who are training to be like Davis. This is the revenge of the bigs, who have heard take after take about how the NBA is disposing of them and seen one too many small guys replace their role. The once foundational piece to every team&rsquo;s wardrobe has been left to either adapt offensively (&agrave; la Davis and Nikola Jokic) or be relegated to rim-runner duties.
With this archetype of big man disrupting the advantages of small ball, the question that innovative teams are asking is: How would a team fare with multiple Anthony Davis types? How about multiple Giannis Antetokounmpos? Would several tall, long men whose wingspans eat up inches on the court be able to suffocate the dimensions and disrupt passing lanes?
The Cleveland Cavaliers are testing this question out with their extra tall lineup, which many are referring to as "tall ball." &nbsp; I&rsquo;m hesitant to call this tall ball, because it&rsquo;s not about height as much as it is length. The same can be said of the Toronto Raptors, who are also bucking the small-ball trend despite not having a single player who's taller than 6-foot-10 on their roster. Instead, Toronto has six players with a wingspan of 7-feet or greater.&nbsp;
Height doesn&rsquo;t matter; length matters because it measures how far out you can guard. Basketball isn&rsquo;t played on the ground or above your head, it&rsquo;s played in the space in front of you and what&rsquo;s necessary is the arm length to guard it.&nbsp;
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The unfortunately-named Ape Index measures your height minus your wingspan. The majority of us average citizens have a neutral Ape Index, meaning our height and wingspan are identical in length.&nbsp;
Most NBA players have a positive Ape Index. The Raptors' starting frontcourt of Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and rookie Scottie Barnes have an absurdly long Ape Index, with an average of +5. What they lack in height, they more than make up for in length.
While having a long wingspan has its offensive benefits &mdash; as it allows you to get your shot up and score over your defender with relative ease &mdash; the main benefits are seen defensively.
It&rsquo;s no surprise that big men are slower than smaller guards; just Imagine Kyrie Irving and Jonas Valanciunas in a foot race. Taller men also have slower reflexes. This is because our reactions stem from electrical signals that travel along our nerves to our brain and then back to muscle that reacts. The longer the distance, the slower our reaction time. This would explain why a big man can never keep up with a guard&rsquo;s first step.
What length provides is additional leeway &mdash; the extra inches help you recover from a slower response time. Longer limbs provide better lateral movement and, not to mention, it&rsquo;s easier to block and contest shots without ever moving your feet.
The Raptors&rsquo; length affords them the ability to gamble a ton on defense, as their long limbs allow them to recover quicker than most. Toronto leads the league in deflections per game (20.9). Gary Trent Jr. leads all NBA players with 4.4 deflections per game, while Fred VanVleet ranks third (3.9), Siakam comes in at 10th (3.3) and Anunoby is 12th (3.2). That&rsquo;s four of the Raptors' starting five currently placing in the top-12 of the NBA's deflections leaderboard.
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This is a direct result of the aggressive, blitzing style of defense that head coach Nick Nurse deploys, which uses a flurry of limbs to rattle opposing offenses. Toronto's defense is still a work in progress, but it shows great promise.&nbsp;
Curiously, the NBA doesn&rsquo;t measure the in-seam. With more and more teams looking for the next Giannis Antetokoumnpo, you'd think that most teams would want to know whether a prospect can dribble the length of the court in three giant leaps.&nbsp;
Contact length measures the space between each step. Usain Bolt is often thought to be the fastest man in the world because of how he towers over his competitors. More than his height, it&rsquo;s his long legs that give him an advantage. The longer your legs, the longer your gait. Bolt only <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2008/08/usain-bolt-takes-sprinting-to-new-heights.html#:~:text=Bolt%20takes%2040%20to%2041,9%20bronze%20medalist%2C%20takes%2047.&amp;text=If%20Bolt's%20long%20legs%20give,as%20a%20detriment%20to%20sprinting." target="_blank" rel="noopener">requires 40 strides to run 100 meters whereas his competitors require at least 45 strides</a>.&nbsp;
In the NBA, that translates to the distance you can cover and ground you can make up scrambling on the court. While small ball creates space, long limbs fill the gaps. Shrinking the court allows guys to close out with plenty of recovery time to spare. It can be the added advantage in beating your man out to loose balls, and it makes getting out in transition a breeze. The Raptors rank first among all teams in loose balls recovered (7.6) and fastbreak frequency (with 20.3% of their possessions in transition).&nbsp;
No position has seen a shift in duties quite like centers. Prototypical centers of the 2010s like Dwight Howard, Andre Drummond and DeMarcus Cousins had to shed weight to stay in the NBA and play in this pace-and-space era. And no team exemplifies this shift in duties for seven-footers more than the Cavaliers.
After a couple years of drafting up-tempo guards, Cleveland has gone all-in on big men, becoming home to the biggest starting lineup in the NBA. The Cavaliers start three near seven-footers Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markkanen.
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What would once be considered an outdated and slow-footed trio is actually the most innovative starting lineup in the NBA. And it&rsquo;s all <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/evan-mobley-jarrett-allen-frontcourt-pairing-provides-unique-longterm-advantage-for-cavs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">centered around</a> the duo of Mobley (the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) and Allen (the fifth-year center). Mobley is 6-foot-11, with a 7-foot-4 wingspan and +5 Ape Index. Allen, who stands at 6-foot-11, has an impressive +6 Ape Index, with a 7-foot-5 wingspan.&nbsp;
The third big man in this gargantuan lineup is Markkanen. Despite Markkanen&rsquo;s 6-foot-11 frame, he only has a 6-foot-10 wingspan, which is the shortest Ape Index on the roster at -1. Markkanen is also far and away the worst defender of the trio (mentioned solely to stress the correlation between wingspan and good defense).
The Cavaliers' starting lineup features all three modern-big-man archetypes. Markkanen is the three-point specialist who spaces the floor and prefers to play on offense like a wing. Allen is the prototypical big who's an elite rim protector and excellent on the boards. And Mobley is the unicorn who makes this all work as a Swiss-army knife that can guard multiple positions, including hanging with quick guards on the perimeter.
The Cavaliers have a top-five defense despite the fact that their starting five features three poor defenders. The length of both Mobley and Allen more than makes up for the defensive liabilities at the other three positions. With Allen protecting the rim and Mobley guarding the perimeter, the two have been phenomenal, proving that multiple bigs can be on the floor together. Their length and ability to recover quickly mean a lot fewer bail-out fouls too. And despite being able to get to the rim, teams are having a very difficult time scoring there, as they&rsquo;ll always run into a seven-footer.
The defensive rating for the Cavs with Mobley, Allen and Markkanen on the court is 99.0 through eight games, which would be good for second-best in the league behind only the Warriors. Teams are shooting 58.5% within five feet of the basket, which is good for fifth-best in the league, per NBA.com.
Since the dawn of NBA time, giants have ruled the game. From Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon, centers were the foundation of a franchise. Within the last decade, the small-ball revolution and three-point revolution have made them an afterthought. Even All-Star ballots did away with the position, opting to keep it open to any frontcourt player.
Meanwhile, a new generation of seven-footers have been waiting in the wings and they are finally emerging. These big men were taught the value of pace-and-space and trained to exploit the lack of size in small-ball lineups, while not giving up anything in terms of speed and quickness. And now these long-legged bigs are ready to step onto the runway, with teams like the Raptors and Cavaliers going all-in on them and playing several together for the first time in a long time.
This is an era where seven-footers are long, slender and skilled, and just as adept at guarding along the perimeter as they are at protecting the rim. A new era, where seven-footer is now defined by wingspan rather than height. It's also an era certain to dictate the next NBA trend because, in the NBA, size still matters.

NBA teams like the Raptors and Cavaliers are ushering in a new era where length is valued above all else, writes Imman Adan.

Length matters: The NBA's long-ball revolution may be coming

It only took three-and-a-half quarters for Kai Jones to explode onto the NBA highlight reel.
A catch at the left elbow, a jab step to the left and a dribble-drive with the right led to a leaping detonation on the one they used to call Manimal, who unwisely attempted to take a charge. That sky-high, one-handed slam was Jones&rsquo; first viral moment as a pro.
&ldquo;The couple previous plays, I had drove and I saw that Kenneth [Faried] kept stepping up, and I had passed it a few times," Jones recalled. "In my head, I said, 'I probably could've dunked it.' So the next time that I drove and I saw him step up, I was just like, 'Jump over him this time.'
&ldquo;The moment itself was amazing, just getting that [spotlight]. But it was kinda, like, bittersweet because we lost the game and I felt like I could've had a better game too. I feel like I'm still working out some kinks, so I try not to get too high on it, but it was definitely good to show people that I'm able to do that type of play."
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KAI JONES OH MY 🤯✈️ <a href="https://t.co/VnAOShgBNr">pic.twitter.com/VnAOShgBNr</a>
&mdash; SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1424516237933961219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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When Jones had intentions of finishing with authority at NBA Summer League, you knew it. That doesn&rsquo;t mean it always worked.&nbsp;
In fact, the 20-year-old rookie forward out of Texas will be the first to tell you that he needs to learn, learn and learn some more about this level of basketball, and put that knowledge into action when he next steps foot on the court. There&rsquo;s much work to be done when it comes to Jones&rsquo; game, and that isn't lost on the Charlotte Hornets' rookie. It&rsquo;s encouraging to hear his honesty regarding where he&rsquo;s currently at in his development and where he wants to get to.
&ldquo;I feel like experience is the best teacher, and I feel like I've gained some experience from these past few games just learning &mdash; catching the pace of the game, finding the rhythm of the game. It's a lot faster, it's a lot more physical than college, so just figuring that out,&rdquo; Jones said after his second game in Las Vegas. &ldquo;I'm glad I got to do this. I'm glad I'm getting to play at summer league 'cause I see why the NBA does this. I feel like it's necessary just for you to get your feet under you."
Starting with the good from Jones&rsquo; five-game stint in Las Vegas, it&rsquo;s quite obvious that he carries a relentless nature with him. If he&rsquo;s in the dunker spot for a pass, he&rsquo;ll take off and throw it down with two hands. By the time you turn around or get there, don&rsquo;t even try to jump with him or attempt to contest it because you&rsquo;ll just send him to the line. Jones times up offensive boards off his teammates&rsquo; misses pretty flawlessly as well.
Defensively, he&rsquo;s solid on switches and grasped the concepts that Hornets assistant and summer league head coach Dutch Gaitley threw at him.
&ldquo;The main thing I'm seeing improvement-wise is his attention to the game,&rdquo; Gaitley said of Jones. &ldquo;He's looking over, &lsquo;What are we in defense?&rsquo; and understanding, &lsquo;Hey we're switching now. Now we're in zone.&rsquo; We change a lot, that's how we do it. &lsquo;We're pressing, we're not pressing.&rsquo; So I think that's the main thing I'm impressed by.&rdquo;
You can see flashes of a high-level defender, both when he&rsquo;s laterally keeping up with guys and, if he gets beat, in his recovery time. According to InStat, against pick-and-roll ball-handlers, Jones only allowed 0.54 points per possession.
As for the rest of the puzzle on the defensive end, it&rsquo;s going to take some time. There were more than a handful of instances when miscommunication led to wide-open shots. On top of that, by the time Jones recognized where a pass was going, the ball was in the shooters&rsquo; hands and he was often late on contesting the attempts. Watching him out there against an offense that constantly moves the ball, it just feels like he&rsquo;s a bit off-balance and kind of in scramble mode.
Regarding his role on offense, Jones will require a good amount of polishing. He was used mostly in the pick-and-pop and had a decent amount of success with his jump shot &mdash; his misses were way off &mdash; but having him slip or roll off screens should be a priority going forward. He only did that twice at summer league (according to InStat), and the results were elementary. So even though he doesn&rsquo;t have the typical big-man frame quite yet, his athleticism will catapult him to the cup.
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In some of the moments when Jones was operating with the ball in his hands on the outside, you could tell he was thinking a little too much.
&ldquo;He's so used to looking, 'I need to have the ball in my hands.&rsquo; He needs to get used to playing without the ball and now, when you do get the ball, attacking close-outs. So I think that's the main thing that can help him &mdash; being quicker with his close-outs and his reads," Gaitley said.
&ldquo;What the team wants from me is just playing hard, be ready to shoot when I'm open and just quick decisions,&rdquo; Jones said. &ldquo;I was talking to Coach Dutch about that. Just trying not to hold onto the ball too long&hellip; so I think that's gonna be huge for me, just making quick decisions out on the perimeter, out on the floor and dribbling."
In the following games, the message got across to Jones. And while it was good to see that progression, he appeared a little too antsy to pass the ball instead of letting the sets play out. Still, that&rsquo;s not nearly the area where he has to improve most when it comes to being a ball-handler.
In at least five different instances, whether in transition or on a catch-and-drive, Jones got ripped on his way to the tin. If he&rsquo;s going to have a strength disadvantage like this early in his career, he&rsquo;s got to keep the handle tight, or at least find a way to ensure the ball is secure. He has this tendency on the gather to bring it down with both hands, and pro-level defenders will take his lunch money every time if he continues to do that off the dribble.
Equally disconcerting was Jones' finish rate at summer league, particularly on layups: 3-for-17 with six of his shots blocked, per InStat. The good news is that the Hornets&rsquo; first-rounder is well aware of these shortcomings, and intends to eliminate those mistakes as he gains more experience.
&ldquo;I feel like I had a couple finishes that I should've finished &mdash; left-handed under the rim and that right-hand layup in transition. So just finishing, being more efficient, taking the right shots for me,&rdquo; Jones said.
&ldquo;For me, this summer, I've been working on my shooting a lot. I feel like I'm really good at shooting. I just haven't gotten the opportunity to shoot, [and] shoot the right shots. I've been taking some bad ones... Just focus on taking the right shots, getting my feet set and everything should take care of itself. But shooting a lot and just finishing, my all-around game, ball-handling, passing &mdash; I'm working on everything."
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The drive and the FINISH 🤯 Kai Jones drops the hammer on ESPNU! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> <a href="https://t.co/uMnR2s3nWZ">pic.twitter.com/uMnR2s3nWZ</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1425901853339004929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Jones finished his first summer league with averages of 9.8 points and 9.4 rebounds on 40% from the field. Albeit in a loss, as Charlotte went winless in Vegas, he saved his best performance for last. Jones had 16 points and 9 rebounds to go with a block against the Chicago Bulls, an inverse showing from the previous night against the Toronto Raptors (when he had 9 and 16).
If summer league taught us anything about Jones, it&rsquo;s that the draft evaluations of him being a raw, high-upside prospect seem pretty spot on. He even gets that he is nowhere near close to a finished product, and he has to find that happy medium between understanding his individual maturation&rsquo;s timeline and the team wanting to win.
"I think the best way to strike a balance is to try to be the best version of ourselves every time we step out on the court and get better every day, taking what the coaches are saying, understanding that they're there to help us and continue to play hard,&rdquo; Jones said of the young Hornets. &ldquo;Use our talent, because we are a really young, talented team, but have a growth mindset at the same time. I feel like that'll help us strike a balance.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Go out, compete, play hard and try to kill everybody, but also understand that we're learning and growing. And I feel like that goes for even championship teams. They go out and they try to compete, but they understand that they have things to get better at too... The good thing about it is I feel like the organization understands the young guys [and that] it takes time to develop. You can tell that they're very patient with coaching us on the sideline, just saying all the right things. Also, you have a lot of young vets around you, guys who just recently were rookies, so they can give you some good insight on the way to be [in] the game, when things may not be going your way and how to keep your head up and stay focused."
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To be fair to Jones, playing alongside established pros like Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward, plus a true table-setter like LaMelo Ball, will help him get easier looks closer to the basket. Imagine all the easy, high-handoffs throughout the season if/when Charlotte does go to him for minutes.
(Truthfully, at least this year, that may be difficult with Kelly Oubre, P.J. Washington, Jalen McDaniels, Miles Bridges and Mason Plumlee all likely ahead of him in the frontcourt's pecking order.)
You can&rsquo;t put a price on in-game exposure, though, and Jones is sure that this time at summer league will be crucial when training camp rolls around.
&ldquo;I think it's gonna be huge,&rdquo; Jones said. "Everything for me is gonna be experience, just getting the reps at summer league. We had a week of practice before we came out here. I'm the type of person who has a growth mentality, so I just feel like every game when we play, every time I get to get on the floor, I'm learning. So today was a learning experience, yesterday was a learning experience... Just continuing to learn and grow so by the time the season comes, I'm settled in completely, hopefully. And I feel like it's gonna be a ton to learn from there too.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It's a marathon, not a sprint, and I'm aware of that."

Charlotte Hornets rookie Kai Jones admits that he has a lot to learn. Spencer Davies dissects Jones' NBA Summer League performance.

Self-aware Kai Jones is an unfinished product who won't stop learning

Free agent Spencer Dinwiddie is headed to the Washington Wizards on a three-year, $62 million contract via sign-and-trade, sources tell The Athletic.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1423039960374988814" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The move is being completed as part of a massive five-team sign-and-trade between the Wizards, Lakers, Nets, Pacers and Spurs. Most of the parts already happen, but were lumped into the larger trade (such as the Westbrook move to L.A.) Here's how it looks via ESPN's Bobby Marks:&nbsp;
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Here is what the 5 teamer looks like To WASH Kuzma KCP Harrell Dinwiddie A. Holiday Rights to I. Todd (#31) To LAL Westbook To BKN 2024 2nd 2025 2nd (right to swap with GSW or WAS) $11.5M Trade Exception To IND Rights to I. Jackson (#22) To SAS C. Hutchison 2022 2nd (WAS)
&mdash; Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1423046618757189636?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Wizards will send a second-round pick and a draft swap to the Nets in return.

Spencer Dinwiddie agrees to deal with Wizards in 5-team sign-and-trade

Sometimes, it feels like the reality of possessing cap space does not line up with the rainbows-and-unicorns world of possibilities that some people imagine.&nbsp;
Fans can daydream about their favorite franchise hunting for a star because they have enough cap space to offer a max contract. But even if their team is capped out, many fans still spend hours on their online trade machine of choice until the result pops up with a green "Success!" and they've cracked the financial code on a title-winning maneuver.
If every NBA team can still wheel-and-deal, what's the benefit to having cap space, especially with a free-agency class generally viewed as mediocre?
It helps a lot &ndash; and often in unsuspecting ways. Take a look at the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have absorbed undesirable contract after undesirable contract to help add to their war chest of draft picks. Or the Brooklyn Nets, who kept their books clean enough to eventually pull off the James Harden blockbuster. Same with the Atlanta Hawks, who picked up some key depth pieces in 2020 free agency en route to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Teams get rewarded for being smart with their money. This offseason, eight teams will have an easy path to meaningful cap space while the rest would have to jump through more hoops. These squads range from playoff hopefuls to aggressive rebuilders. Who should capitalize with a spending spree or headliner trade, and who should wait for the longer-term future?
Let's break down each team's situation, using cap numbers provided by <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/">Basketball Reference.</a>
Charlotte Hornets &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $27.4 million
This estimate means the Hornets let Devonte' Graham and Malik Monk hit restricted free agency. They'll also have Cody Zeller, Bismack Biyombo and Nick Richards as unrestricted free agents &ndash; notably, all bigs. Graham is probably the most coveted of the five, and if the Hornets re-sign him, they'd have a pretty nice guard rotation between Graham, LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier.&nbsp;
Charlotte barely missed out on the postseason, and that was with a rookie leading the way and clear improvement areas inside. They can absolutely make the necessary depth moves (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hornets-mavericks-expected-to-pursue-richaun-holmes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richaun Holmes?</a>) to get close to playoff contention, and they have the No. 11 overall pick to help as well. Outside of Gordon Hayward's $120 million contract, Charlotte isn't tied down to too many deals right now.
Should they spend?&nbsp;Yes.
Miami Heat &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $34.5 million
The Heat would currently be over the cap, but that's before making a decision on team options for Goran Dragic ($19 million) and Andre Iguodala ($15 million). Those should probably be declined, and if they also ditch Omer Yurtseven's non-guaranteed deal, that suddenly gives Miami a ton of space.
However, the Heat would also have just five players on the team. They have to make re-signing decisions on Victor Oladipo, Duncan Robinson (RFA), Kendrick Nunn (RFA), Trevor Ariza, Nemanja Bjelica, Dewayne Dedmon, Udonis Haslem and the aforementioned players (Dragic, Iguodala and Yurtseven).
Miami is in a tough position. The Heat should be increasing their threat level as a playoff team, but first they simply have to worry about keeping the roster intact.
Should they spend?&nbsp;Yes.
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Memphis Grizzlies &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $24 million
The Grizzlies are in fantastic financial standing. With this estimate including Justise Winslow's $13 million team option being declined, only two players (Jonas Valanciunas and Dillon Brooks) will be making eight figures. Memphis will have 13 players, plus the No. 17 and No. 51 overall draft picks, at its disposal.
At the same time, the Grizzlies have been on the doorstep of the playoffs in two consecutive seasons, despite boasting one of the youngest rosters in the Association. There's no need to make a move simply to make a move. Everything should be purposefully built around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. &ndash; even if that means politely passing on splurging this summer.
Should they spend?&nbsp;Probably not.
Toronto Raptors &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $22 million
Perhaps the single biggest offseason decision, outside of some superstar player options, is Kyle Lowry's unrestricted free agency. Does the face of the Raptors make sense on an expensive contract as he approaches age-35? Or do the Raptors sign-and-trade him and take that gut punch? They also have to think about paying restricted free agent Gary Trent Jr.&nbsp;
Toronto can get to about $22 million in room prior to those decisions by renouncing Rodney Hood and Aron Baynes. Considering they're still very much a win-now team with long-term commitments to Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby, I think the franchise should pay up to keep both Lowry and Trent Jr. It's unlikely they can match that short-term value with another move.
Should they spend?&nbsp;Yes &ndash; to re-sign their own talent.
Dallas Mavericks &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $20.5 million
This is not a hot take by any means, but Luka Doncic desperately needs help on both sides of the ball. Dallas has to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/for-dallas-building-around-luka-doncic-is-only-going-to-get-harder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">make something happen</a> after a pretty tumultuous start to the offseason. They get some space with Tim Hardaway Jr. and J.J. Redick hitting free agency.&nbsp;
While $20 million is not a max slot, it can assuredly net a secondary scorer or prominent 3-and-D player who can take some pressue off of Dallas' franchise cornerstone. The Mavericks should feel the most pressure to spend of any team here. Every season that they underwhelm, the "Free Luka" chants will get louder.
Should they spend?&nbsp;PLEASE Yes.
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Oklahoma City Thunder &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $38 million
Even with Kemba Walker getting $36 million next season, the Thunder are free and clear in cap contexts because their second-largest contract will be the approximately $6 million given to the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. That's simply amazing.
OKC should continue to lean on its staple move: taking on bad contracts paired with picks or prospects. The full-scale rebuild is still in effect, though pieces are quickly coming together. There's no need to get sidetracked with spending money when everything is going according to plan. With 11 current players and six picks in the 2021 NBA Draft (three first-rounders and three second-rounders), the roster will fill itself out.
Should they spend?&nbsp;No &ndash; except to take on contracts for young talent.
San Antonio Spurs &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $48 million
San Antonio is at a crossroads unlike any other team. Veterans DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills and Rudy Gay are unrestricted free agents, and the oldest player currently under contract is now 27-year-old Derrick White. After hanging on the fringes of contention since Kawhi Leonard departed, this feels like a real reset for the Spurs, who now have the <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/san-antonio-spurs/cap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">youngest roster in the entire NBA</a>.
They should keep things that way. The Western Conference is as loaded as ever and even play-in spots will be a battle. Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell lead an intruiging young core that still appears well away from the playoffs.
San Antonio has been winning for decades, but they should not shell out larger deals to keep the team afloat when they can focus on developing something bigger long-term.
Should they spend?&nbsp;No.
New York Knicks &ndash; Possible Cap Space: approx. $50 million
New York's playoff berth was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-teamplayer-surprised-you-most-this-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the biggest surprise of the season</a>, so many people are forgetting that this was supposed to be a youth-focused team. But now that the postseason is the expectation, there's no turning back, and the Knicks have the potential to build out a deep roster without sacrificing young talent.
Assuming New York picks up Julius Randle's team option, they still have a ton of room to add better-fitting parts around Randle, R.J. Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Immanuel Quickley. The franchise can choose to retain or bypass unrestricted free agents Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Nerlens Noel, Elfrid Payton or Alec Burks. They will also be the easiest financial facilitator for any blockbuster trades.&nbsp;
Obviously, they shouldn't get reckless, and unless the perfect storm comes, they shouldn't part with their youth. But otherwise, go crazy, Leon Rose and Scott Perry.
Should they spend?&nbsp;Yes.

Eight NBA teams have an easy path to meaningful cap space this summer. Which franchises should splurge on free agents or trades?

Which NBA teams have cap room this offseason, and should they use it?

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Tears welled in Chris Paul&rsquo;s eyes. A message in black ink on his shoes said it all: Can&rsquo;t give up now.
In his 16th season, Paul led the Phoenix Suns into their first NBA Finals in 28 years, beating the Los Angeles Clippers 130-103 on Wednesday night to close out the Western Conference Finals in six games.
Paul scored 41 points and Devin Booker added 22 to send the Suns to their third Finals appearance in franchise history. They will face either the Atlanta Hawks or Milwaukee Bucks, who are tied 2-2 in the East finals.
Paul reached the NBA Finals for the first time on the same Staples Center court where he helped bring the Clippers to respectability over six seasons that ended in 2017. The 36-year-old guard punished his old team with 31 points in the second half and tied his playoff career high of 41 &mdash; the same amount Paul George had in pushing the Clippers to a road win in Game 5.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just so happy for all the people around me,&rdquo; Paul said on the court after the game, &ldquo;and the Clippers are my family, too. These fans, Billy Crystal, that&rsquo;s my family. This is a team I have the utmost respect for, I&rsquo;ll always be a Clipper.
&ldquo;But this group right here, this group right here...&rdquo; he said, gesturing at his Suns teammates wearing NBA Finals hats.
The West trophy glinted under the arena lights as orange-clad Suns fans outcheered boos from Clippers fans.
&ldquo;This is what we set out to get tonight, so we didn&rsquo;t want to go back to Phoenix without it,&rdquo; Booker said.
Phoenix is the first team to reach the NBA Finals after a 10-year playoff drought. The Suns last made the NBA Finals in 1993, when they were led by Charles Barkley and lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in six games.
Their only other Finals appearance was in 1976, a loss to the Boston Celtics in six games.
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Things got chippy in the fourth. Going into a timeout with 5:48 remaining, Paul stared at Patrick Beverley as he walked by. Beverley turned around and shoved Paul hard in the back, sending him to the floor. Beverley was ejected.
Marcus Morris led the Clippers with 26 points despite playing with a sore knee. George had 21 points and nine rebounds coming off his career playoff high that staved off elimination and brought his team back home for another chance.
But the exhausted Clippers &mdash; who rallied from 0-2 series deficits in getting to the West finals for the first time in franchise history &mdash; had little left in the tank. They were again without two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who has been out with a right knee spain, and center Ivica Zubac. He missed his second straight game because of a MCL sprain in his right knee.
Leonard moved from a suite to the bench for the game, his eyes staring from behind a black mask.
Paul dominated over the end of the third and well into the fourth, scoring 14 of Phoenix&rsquo;s 16 points after the Clippers closed within seven late in the third. He hit three 3-pointers in the final quarter, falling on his back and getting fouled on one of them.
The Suns stretched their lead to 17 points in the third, dulling the Staples Center crowd. Five different players scored, highlighted by Jae Crowder&rsquo;s fifth 3-pointer and Booker&rsquo;s dunk. Crowder finished with 19 points. Deandre Ayton added 16 points and 17 rebounds.
The Clippers briefly re-energized themselves and the fans with a 10-0 run that drew them to 89-82. Morris and Nicolas Batum each hit three-pointers.
But Paul closed on his own 8-0 run, including two three-pointers, that sent the Suns into the fourth leading 97-83.
Booker ditched the clear plastic mask he&rsquo;d worn to protect his broken nose in the last three games. He got elbowed in the nose defending George at the end of the third, and played with the mask on in the fourth. Moments later, DeMarcus Cousins earned a technical foul for elbowing Paul in the neck.
Phoenix led most of the first half, using runs at the end of each quarter to gain breathing room.
TIP-INS
Suns: They were 17-31 from 3-point range and owned a 54-34 edge in the paint.
Clippers: George scored at least 20 points in his first 19 games to begin the playoffs.

Chris Paul led the Suns to their first NBA Finals in 28 years, beating the Clippers 130-103 on Wednesday night to close out the WCF.

Suns advance to first NBA Finals since 1993, beat Clippers 130-103

Deandre Ayton is rapidly becoming the player the Phoenix Suns imagined when the ping-pong balls bounced their way for the 2018 NBA draft.
The third-year center was in top form Saturday in a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-suns-los-angeles-clippers-nba-sports-0a3ebb2306c67e80ec48fc9ad68fee5b">hard-fought 84-80 Game 4 win</a> over the Los Angeles Clippers. He scored 19 points, grabbed a playoff career-high 22 rebounds, blocked four shots, and was generally the only person on the floor who could put the ball in the basket with any kind of consistency.
Now the Suns have a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals and are one win from a trip to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993.
Game 5 is on Monday in Phoenix.
&ldquo;I thought Deandre&rsquo;s presence, his effort, the rebounding, shot blocking, his communication on defense, switching out on smaller guys and being able to guard them, he was the catalyst on the defensive end,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said. &ldquo;I thought it was an unreal performance from him. Our guys rallied around him.&rdquo;
Williams added of Ayton: &ldquo;Every possession he's playing like his life depends on it.&rdquo;
There have certainly been some growing pains for the No. 1 overall pick out of Arizona. His rookie year was decent, though his effort on the defensive end was sometimes inconsistent. His second year was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/5bff9ec75f884ad09bd5a016bb7ce536">marred by a 25-game suspension</a> for violating the league's Anti-Drug policy after testing positive for a diuretic.
It was easy to wonder if the Suns had made the right choice.
Now there's not much concern. The 22-year-old has already had one of the iconic moments in Suns playoff basketball history when he dunked an alley-oop pass from Jae Crowder with 0.7 seconds left to win Game 2 last week.
It was another example of Ayton's newfound confidence and tenacity.
&ldquo;I learned I could keep going,&rdquo; Ayton said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s another level &mdash; I learned that. I think I reached the next level that I really need to be at, at this level when it comes to competing.&rdquo;
(Editor's Note: Former Suns director of player development and current Memphis University assistant coach Cody Toppert <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-big-men-take-more-time-to-develop-in-the-nba-than-guards-and-wings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened up on Ayton's growth in a piece on developing NBA bigs by Spencer Davies</a>.)
NO KAWHI
There's little doubt that the Clippers have missed the presence of Kawhi Leonard. The All-Star forward has missed six straight games due to a sprained right knee after he averaged 30.4 points in the postseason.
He'll miss a seventh straight game on Monday.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Leonard would remain in Los Angeles while Game 5 is played in Phoenix. Lue hasn't given much clue as to when &mdash; or if &mdash; Leonard might return during the postseason.
UNFORGIVING RIMS
Chris Paul's return after missing two games in the league's COVID-19 protocol was supposed to be a big boost for the Suns' offense.
So far that hasn't been the case. The Suns scored just 92 points in Game 3 and 84 in Game 4.
Devin Booker hasn't been as productive since his broken nose suffered on a head-to-head collision with LA's Patrick Beverley in Game 2. Booker wore a plastic mask over his face in Game 3 and part of Game 4 before ditching it after he missed a layup.
&ldquo;I didn't think the shots were bad yesterday," Williams said. &ldquo;We just had so many shots go in and out, in and out. I don't know if I've ever seen that many in a game. I think both those guys &mdash; they've got multiple defenders on them, they're being blitzed at times, they're being switched onto. It's the playoffs.&rdquo;
Williams said the Suns' intense defense has allowed them to take a 3-1 lead. But he knows a few shots need to drop, too.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m hoping we see an offensive explosion soon,&rdquo; Williams said.
PAUL'S PROBLEMS
Without Leonard in the lineup, Clippers forward Paul George has had a huge role in the offense. He's averaging 27.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists through four games in the Western Conference finals.
The problem is George is needing a lot of shots to get to those numbers. He's shooting just 36% from the field, 28% from 3-point range and 70% from the free throw line, including a few late-game misses that have been crucial.
George was just 5 of 20 from the field in Game 4, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/az-state-wire-los-angeles-clippers-phoenix-suns-nba-sports-00517ad783132bf24c639ae43d1d38a7">Fatigue could be a problem</a>: George is playing more than 41 minutes per game in this series.
&ldquo;You know, it&rsquo;s just what it is. I feel good," George said. "Not going to let that be an excuse or have something to fall back on. I feel good. When I&rsquo;m out there, I feel good.&rdquo;

Deandre Ayton is rapidly becoming the player the Suns imagined when the ping-pong balls bounced their way for the 2018 NBA Draft.

Deandre Ayton's emergence has Suns a win from the NBA Finals

In this series, Matt Babcock shares his experience growing up around the Milwaukee Bucks organization since his dad, Dave Babcock, has been an executive with the team for 23 years. He also provides an inside look at the rise and fall of the Bucks during the late 1990s and early 2000s. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/growing-up-a-buck-millewahque-milwaukee-bucks-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">For Part 1, click here</a>. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-up-a-buck-george-karl-arrives-in-milwaukee" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> For Part 2, click here</a>.
The 1998-99 NBA trade deadline was approaching, and the Milwaukee Bucks were in playoff contention after not having secured a playoff bid since 1991. At the time, the Bucks were built around two young, blossoming stars: 23-year-old Ray Allen and 26-year-old Glenn Robinson. However, the team&rsquo;s front-office brass questioned if the supporting cast was enough to elevate their team to being championship-worthy.
Subsequently, Bucks general manager Bob Weinhauer made two bold moves prior to that year&rsquo;s trade deadline. The first move: a three-way trade where the Bucks exchanged oft-injured point guard Terrell Brandon for Sam Cassell, the charismatic lead guard from the New Jersey Nets. The second move had Milwaukee trading power forward Tyrone Hill to the Philadelphia 76ers for a young developing forward, Tim Thomas, and veteran big man, Scott Williams -- two transactions that ultimately proved to be extremely fruitful for the Bucks.
With their core unit set, the Bucks went on to finish that lockout-shortened season with a record of 28-22, giving them the seventh-best record in the Eastern Conference. After nearly a decade, the Bucks were headed back to the playoffs. In the first round, they faced a team that tied for the best record in the East, the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers were loaded with talent and experience, a tall task for a developing Milwaukee team, to say the least.
Due to my dad&rsquo;s position within the Bucks&rsquo; front office, I was given countless opportunities to be with and around that Bucks team during the late 1990s. I felt like I was part of that team, and one way or another, I was going to be in that arena for Game 1. I had traveled with the team earlier in the season, but I didn&rsquo;t go on the team plane for that trip. Don&rsquo;t feel too bad for me though... I was fortunate enough to be invited to fly with Senator Herb Kohl, the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks at the time, on his private jet.
Before I knew it, my dad and I were pulling into a private hangar and boarding Senator Kohl&rsquo;s jet. Onboard that flight was my dad, Larry Harris (who worked with my dad in the front office), Senator Kohl and myself. There I was, a freshman in high school, sitting with a US Senator and NBA team owner on his private jet, heading to my first-ever playoff game.
After a quick flight, we landed in Indy, and awaiting us was a car to take us to the arena. I learned quickly that the playoffs were completely different than the regular season. I vividly remember walking into the old Market Square Arena that night. I felt like my heart was going to pump out of my chest. Everyone from arena security to players to fans all had an extra pep in their step. Energy and excitement filled the arena. The intensity of the atmosphere was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and this was before the game even began. It was unforgettable!
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Once in the arena, I beelined to the court to find Coby Karl (the son of George Karl, Milwaukee's head coach at the time) so we could do our normal routine of shooting around with the players and hanging around the court before the formal warm-ups began. I remember being in awe watching some of the Pacers&rsquo; players.
To be able to see Chris Mullin do a shooting workout up-close was special. He is probably the most detail-oriented shooter I have ever seen. He would warm up doing a spot-shooting routine, where he would have five spots around the perimeter, which is typical. However, he would have to make a certain amount of shots in a row to move to the next spot and would not count the shot as a &ldquo;make&rdquo; if the ball even grazed the rim. That specific Chris Mullin workout has always stuck with me. That was one of my early lessons that elite shooters take a scientific approach to shooting and make a conscious effort to master their craft &mdash; going through the motions or just &ldquo;getting shots up&rdquo; is not enough to be elite.
The game was set to begin, but Coby and I didn&rsquo;t have assigned seats, so we sat on the court next to the Bucks' bench, as we usually did for away games. Aside from seeing Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls team the year before, I had never been impressed by a team quite as much as I was by that Pacers team.
First of all, their head coach was my childhood hero, the legendary former player, Larry Bird, who had been the recipient of the NBA Coach of the Year award the previous season in '98. His top assistant coach was Rick Carlisle, who had been Larry&rsquo;s teammate when they both played for the Boston Celtics in the mid-1980s. It had been said that Carlisle was the actual technical mastermind behind that Pacers team, and that Larry&rsquo;s role as head coach was somewhat as a figurehead. Regardless of their coaching structure having been set up as a hierarchy or not, whatever they did, it worked. Carlisle went on to be one of the top head coaches in the industry. He has been a head coach for nearly 20 years now, and is back with Indiana for his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/indiana-pacers-hire-rick-carlisle-as-next-head-coach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second stint as the team's head coach</a>.
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That Pacers roster had so much depth, and it was filled with many accomplished veteran players. Their lead guard was Mark Jackson. He ran the show and controlled the tempo. He was a modest 6-foot-1 with a stocky build, and not very quick or athletic, but he was a magician with his playmaking. He was incredibly creative with his passing, and had an uncanny ability to see the floor to find shooters on the perimeter or big men around the basket &mdash; he had &ldquo;eyes in the back of his head.&rdquo;
In the middle, they had the &ldquo;Dunking Dutchman,&rdquo; Rik Smits, a huge, 7-foot-4, skilled center who could really score. Alongside Smits were two &ldquo;blue-collar&rdquo; big men who split playing time: Dale Davis and Antonio Davis. It was during an era of basketball when the common theme was &ldquo;no layups.&rdquo; The Davis duo, no relation, was the epitome of power forwards during that time as they were &ldquo;bruisers.&rdquo; Both of them were extremely physical and tough and they did all of the &ldquo;dirty work&rdquo; (perhaps somewhat of a lost art, in my opinion).
On the wing, the Pacers started Mullin, an aging star. He was not quite the player he had been when he was a perennial All-Star earlier in his career, but the guy just knew how to play. And although he wasn&rsquo;t moving all that well anymore, he could still shoot the lights out.
That Pacers team was so good that they had an emerging star, Jalen Rose, coming off the bench. Jalen&rsquo;s role was to come into the game and aggressively look to score. He had the full green light and would score in bunches. He was a 1-on-1 nightmare for whoever had to match up against him. A 6-foot-8 lefty, he had handles like a point guard, a sweet mid-range game, was extremely crafty and had an overall knack to score the ball.
The Indiana bench also consisted of shooting big man Sam &ldquo;Big Smooth&rdquo; Perkins, the defensively-versatile forward Derrick McKey and speedy scoring point guard Travis Best. (Ironically, I ended up coaching Travis Best years later in Italy when I was a young assistant coach for the team Virtus Bologna, and Travis was finishing up his playing career.)
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As if that Pacers roster wasn&rsquo;t enough to keep any opposing coach up late at night, those were just the complementary players to their main weapon: Reggie Miller.
Quite possibly the cockiest player the NBA has ever seen, Miller developed a reputation for being the ultimate villain when playing on the road. I remember watching him during pregame warmups wearing a Superman T-shirt. We&rsquo;ve all seen the highlights of the show he put on at the Madison Square Garden in 1995, where he hit all of those threes at the end of the game to come from behind and beat the New York Knicks &mdash; doing so as he relentlessly trash-talked Spike Lee, who had been sitting courtside. Miller even wrapped his hands around his neck to give Spike &ldquo;the choke sign.&rdquo; Reggie fed off negativity. He talked trash constantly. He was arrogant and abrasive. The more hostile the environment, the more he turned up his play. Heckling from fans only added fuel to the fire. I joined a large contingent of non-Pacers fans throughout the NBA that despised him. But now, after all of these years, I have to admit: Reggie Miller was incredible.
At 6-foot-7, a thin physical build, and an extremely unorthodox shooting release, Miller is arguably the best shooter of all-time. Of course, we have Steph Curry now and Ray Allen before him, but Reggie is the one that set the stage for them, in my opinion.
While I was a player in high school, I was fortunate enough to be able to have some of the Bucks coaches work with me on my game. I remember in one instance, Terry Stotts (an assistant for Milwaukee at the time) put me through a shooting workout, and I suppose that I impressed him with my shooting ability. I remember Coach Stotts telling me, &ldquo;Okay, you&rsquo;ve proven that you are a high-level shooter, but now we need to make sure you are able to get your shot off.&rdquo; The lesson he was trying to teach me is exactly where Reggie thrived. The NBA has had many capable shooters that could make open shots at a high percentage, but there has not been anyone that could shoot at an elite level while also being able to create an open shot for himself without the ball quite like Reggie.
During Game 1 of the playoffs versus the Bucks, I was able to watch Miller operate while sitting only&nbsp; steps away. I watched his method closely.
As Jackson would initiate the offense off the dribble, Reggie would take his defender deep into the paint -- under or around the basket -- and he would initiate contact with his defenders, many times by grabbing their jersey. He would take a couple of moments to set up his defender; then, at the right moment, he would take off, a lot of times beginning with a shove to his defender&rsquo;s chest. He would sprint toward one of the hammering screens that were to be set by Smits or one of the Davis&rsquo;; if the screener&rsquo;s defender didn&rsquo;t show, Reggie would turn the corner off those screens like a runner in baseball rounding third base going to home plate. Jackson would deliver a pass right into Miller&rsquo;s numbers as he would do a quick one-two step into his jump shot -- a high release and a high-arcing trajectory. When Miller would release a deep three, the Pacers' arena would have sound effects of a bomb being dropped while the ball was in the air, and when the ball would go through the net, it would have the sound of an explosion. The images and sounds of Reggie Miller coming off screens to bury deep threes are tattooed in my head to this day.
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Unfortunately, those sights and sounds were seen and heard routinely in that series, as the Pacers would go on to sweep the Bucks. Although the outcome was not what we had hoped for, it was nonetheless a great introduction to playoff basketball for me. The emotions I experienced during that playoff series were intoxicating. I was completely hooked and I wanted more.&nbsp;
Well, I got it.
The following season, 1999-00, the Bucks would go on to finish No. 5 in the Eastern Conference. They faced the Pacers, again. An improved Bucks team forced a deciding Game 5 versus the Pacers in an exciting and competitive series. I was there for the action, of course. Unfortunately, Miller and his Pacers were still too much for the Bucks. After defeating Milwaukee that year, the Pacers went on to the NBA Finals to face Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers. They came up just short of an NBA title, as the Lakers defeated them in six games.
As for the Bucks, in retrospect, the two consecutive years of being defeated by the Pacers in the playoffs were just what they needed to prepare for what was to come&hellip;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-up-a-buck-the-2001-playoff-run" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read Part 4 of this series: "Growing Up a Buck: The 2001 Playoff Run." </a>
Also, check out Matt Babcock and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft</a>.

Matt Babcock provides an inside look at the rise and fall of the Milwaukee Bucks during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Growing up a Buck: 'It’s Reggie Miller Time'

By this time next week, we&rsquo;ll be down to eight teams. We have 15 as we begin this week, with the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Washington Wizards on the precipice of elimination, and the Los Angeles Lakers lurking dangerously close to falling into that same sinkhole. Anthony Davis now has the most watched groin in L.A. since Dirk Diggler.
We are rid of the Miami Heat, and damn... that was fast. Wasn&rsquo;t it just last season that Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn were relevant, splashing threes like nobody&rsquo;s business and stunning the basketball world as they went all the way to the Finals in the Bubble?
Pat Riley has some thinking to do, and he may want to start by questioning whether it was worth it to ditch Kelly Olynyk for an ailing Victor Oladipo at the trade deadline. Rafael Stone looks pretty smart today, and when was the last time we could say that about the Houston Rockets general manager?
The Heat made 11 threes, got a triple-double from Jimmy Butler and a 20-point, 14-rebound performance from Bam Adebayo and still got trounced by the Milwaukee Bucks 120-103 on Saturday, so there is really not any blame to be cast in any one particular direction regarding the Heat. They simply did not have enough to compete with this version of the Bucks, who have unleashed Bryn Forbes on an unsuspecting public. Forbes knocked down 16 total threes between Games 2, 3 and 4; maybe we should have seen that coming after he shot 50% or better from deep in 10 of the Bucks&rsquo; final 14 regular season games.
Forbes may be this season&rsquo;s winner of the Playoff Breakout Award, which went last year to Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets. The Bucks now get to cool their heels while they await the finish of the Celtics-Nets series, which should happen Tuesday. Brooklyn dropped 141 points on Boston yesterday and all the postgame talk was about a tossed water bottle rather than Kevin Durant&rsquo;s 42 points, Kyrie Irving&rsquo;s 39 points and 11 rebounds and James Harden&rsquo;s 18 assists. That is a scary good offense when the the team's Big Three is all together, and Bucks-Nets has the makings of an instant classic.
In the West, it&rsquo;s all about L.A. right now -- from the Clippers&rsquo; proficiency in coming back from an 0-2 deficit against the Dallas Mavericks, to the Lakers&rsquo; uncertainty after Davis went down with a groin injury and Chris Paul (18 points, nine assists, no turnovers) led the Phoenix Suns to a series-evening victory Sunday that ensures at least two more games of Lakers drama.&nbsp;
LeBron James is not one to go down easily, and the Lakers are still equipped to win if Davis has to miss a game... if Andre Drummond, Marc Gasol and/or Montrezl Harrell are up to the task. What we are learning about the Lakers is that when Alex Caruso is your best guard, there is a roster flaw in which a bunch of very talented big men cannot do everything when an opponent has as formidable of a backcourt as the Suns do.
We will be rid of Russell Westbrook before the day is over -- unless the Wizards unveil SuperGafford tonight in the seemingly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/joel-embiid-offensive-showing-for-philadelphia-76ers-has-been-first-class-all-around" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fruitless battle to contain Joel Embiid</a>, who is averaging more than a point per minute and has taken 30 shots in the past two games, making 22 of them, including 6-of-8 from three-point distance.
The bracket gods gifted the Philadelphia 76ers a second-round matchup with the winner of the Hawks-Knicks series; that resumes Wednesday, as Julius Randle has morphed from Most Improved Player into milk carton material. At least &ldquo;Overrated&rdquo; has replaced that other chant we were hearing in Games 1 and 2 at Madison Square Garden, so thank to the folks in Atlanta for keeping it clean. It&rsquo;s on Tom Thibodeau now to find somebody to try to neutralize Atlanta&rsquo;s three-point and rebounding proficiency. Randle has shot only 27.4% in this series, and went a combined 9-for-34 in two games in The A.
Tonight also brings Ja Morant another chance to be the Ja that bowled everyone over in Game 1 of the Jazz-Grizzlies series; it is 2-1 Utah, as the Jazz have welcomed back Donovan Mitchell and put any hurt feelings from his Game 1 last-second precautionary benching behind them. The Jazz got 15 three-pointers from their starters Saturday in a game that was never all that close, and the Grizzlies are clearly overmatched.
If that one ends tonight, Utah will have plenty of time to rest while awaiting the winner of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nuggets-vs-trail-blazers-is-my-must-watch-first-round-series" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best series nobody is talking enough about</a>: Denver-Portland. Nikola Jokic had his second one-assist game of the playoffs Saturday, a phenomenon that occurred exactly zero times in the regular season. One week ago, if you had the Nuggets living or dying on the strength of how Austin Rivers played, you were on an island with that one; Norman Powell may end up being the biggest trade deadline acquisition of them all. When the surefire MVP is two losses from heading home having been rendered this ineffective, it says something about Terry Stotts&rsquo; coaching abilities at the very least.
We still have more than three weeks until the draft lottery, and the latest possible end date for the NBA Finals is July 22. So remind yourself that we are still just getting started. &nbsp;
Today is Memorial Day in the United States, and it's also the 36th anniversary of the Celtics dropping 148 points on the Lakers in Game 1 of the 1985 Finals. The pandemic has pushed everything back this year, people are out and about with the weather on the upswing, and it remains to be seen whether the NBA will keep us all riveted. The Lakers are in dire straits, the Knicks may no longer be inspiring hope in their followers and Giannis has shown everyone that whoever faces him in the second round is going to have to pay attention to a newer and more improved supporting cast, beginning with Forbes, a Popovich castoff now playing the role of latter-day George Hill.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s just hope we can get though this week without another day of having to pay more attention than necessary to some knucklehead who bought a ticket and could not behave. Right, Kyrie?

Chris Sheridan checks into the NBA playoffs, discusses who's looking strong and what teams are next in line to be eliminated.

Adios, Miami Heat: Who’s next to go in the NBA playoffs?

The night before their season finale, the Cavaliers ditched their masks and got together for a team dinner on a rooftop in Brooklyn &mdash; a symbolic high point.
The view was awesome, the ambience exquisite. Finally, something a little more familiar.
Barely anything else was normal over the previous five months.
&ldquo;Not making any excuses,&rdquo; said Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff, &ldquo;it was one of the most difficult seasons that I&rsquo;ve been a part of &mdash; for numerous reasons.&rdquo;
There were the mandated COVID-19 protocols. There were numerous injuries (star forward Kevin Love played just 25 games), drama (Kevin Porter Jr. was traded to Houston after a locker-room tantrum) and head-scratching decisions (center Andre Drummond went from starter to outcast).
And, of course, there was losing, so much losing.
One of the league's youngest teams, the Cavs dropped 16 of their last 18 games to finish 22-50 &mdash; tied for the fourth-worst record in the NBA to guarantee Cleveland another spot in the draft lottery and another year hoping for the kind of luck that brought the franchise success before.
The Cavs started the 2020-21 season with a goal of making the play-in tournament, but they fell far short and missed the playoffs for the third year in a row. They're 60-159 since LeBron James left Cleveland for the second time as a free agent.
Bickerstaff's job appears to be safe. He and his staff successfully developed young guards Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, brought along rookie Isaac Okoro, who showed offensive upside in the final two months, and Cleveland's coaches got the most out of having to use numerous unproven players with G League resumes.
General manager Koby Altman may have a tougher time convincing chairman Dan Gilbert and his ownership team that he deserves more time in this rebuild. Beyond the abysmal record, the Cavs don't seem to have a clear vision of what they want to be and there are questions about their culture.
Bickerstaff, who due to injury used 30 different starting lineups, believes the Cavs are moving in the right direction.
There's no denying they played hard for him, and although the results don't show it, there are signs of progress and growth.
&ldquo;I am hopeful that we can bring the group back together, because continuity is so important,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. "Obviously, the organization will do what it needs to do to make sure that we&rsquo;re always improving. But we all know the more continuity you have, the better the teams are.
"And the more common that bond is, the more they have those shared experiences, the better the team can be."
(Editor's Note: Listen to our Spencer Davies wrap up Cleveland's season on 92.3 The Fan below)
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LOVE STORY
The five-time All-Star's future is the club's biggest offseason issue &mdash; and its trickiest.
He's 32 with two years and $60 million guaranteed left on a four-year contract extension the Cavs probably regret giving him. Love struggled with a calf injury all season, and his on-court flare-up last month increased speculation he's checked out in Cleveland.
Trading him will be tough, unless the Cavs are willing to swallow some of his salary. It may be time for both sides to move on.
SEXTON'S SUMMER
He's mesmerizing and maddening &mdash; sometimes in the same possession.
The 22-year-old had a solid season, averaging a team-high 24.3 points per game. He's a bona fide scorer, but there are too many times when Sexton seems to be playing by himself. There are holes in his game as a playmaker and defender.
The Cavs love his energy, worth ethic and ability to put the ball in the basket. They can offer him a maximum contract extension this summer, but have to first decide if he's a cornerstone piece and a match with Garland or an asset to acquire other talent.
GARLAND'S GROWTH
In his second season, Garland showed he can be the playmaking guard the Cavs have lacked since Kyrie Irving forced his trade.
Garland's scoring average jumped five points (12.3 to 17.4), his assists increased (3.9 to 6.1) and he's shown some of the leadership traits the Cavs need.
Unfortunately, he also been a bit injury prone, missing 18 games with shoulder and ankle issues.
ROOKIE SUPRISE
Okoro's defense stood out from the start and he held his own while guarding some of the game's best offensive players.
But over the last month, he attacked the basket with more frequency and ferocity. He scored a season-high 32 in a loss to Phoenix on May 4.
DRAFT DREAMS
The Cavs covet a wing scorer, and Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham would seem to be a perfect fit as the presumed No. 1 pick.
Trouble is, Cleveland isn't assured the top selection. There's plenty of other talent &mdash; Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs, USC center Evan Mobley &mdash; which can help the Cavs get better. But Cunningham, who seems to have the most complete all-around game among the top prospects, could be a franchise changer.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Cavs started the 2020-21 season with a goal of making the play-in tournament, but they fell far short and missed the playoffs for the third year in a row.

Cavs end difficult season outside playoffs, decisions loom

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russell Westbrook got his first triple-double since passing Oscar Robertson and becoming the NBA’s career leader earlier in the week, lifting Washington past the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-105 on Friday night and helping the Wizards clinch a spot in the play-in tournament.
Westbrook had 21 points, 17 assists and 12 rebounds for his 183rd career triple-double and league-leading 37th this season. Westbrook joined Hall of Famers John Stockton and Isiah Thomas as the only players with at least 15 assists in seven consecutive games in NBA history. 
Davis Bertans scored 17 points, and Rui Hachimura and Robin Lopez each had 14 as seven Wizards reached double figures.
Washington was 17-32 on April 5, but has won 16 of 22 to reserve their fortunes.
“I’ve been in the league a long time and when you’re 15 games under .500 you’re thinking, ‘Where are we going on vacation?’” coach Scott Brooks said.
Westbrook chimed in with a different take on the Wizards' postseason possibilities: “I never doubted it, honestly.”
Washington clinched a spot in the NBA’s new play-in tournament for the playoffs involving the Nos. 7-10 seeds in each conference. On Friday night, the league announced that both Eastern Conference play-in games will be played next Tuesday with the No. 7 seed hosting No. 8 in Game 1 and the No. 9 seed hosting No. 10 in Game 2. The loser of the first game will host the winner of the second game on May 20. 
Washington, currently the No. 10 seed, improved to 33-38 after snapping a two-game losing streak and is within a half-game of Indiana and Charlotte, both at 33-37. Washington can still finish anywhere between seed Nos. 8 and 10. Boston has clinched the No. 7 seed. 
Collin Sexton had 26 points and Jarrett Allen had 18 points and 14 rebounds for Cleveland, which has lost seven straight on the road. Isaac Okoro had 17 points and Cedi Osman added 16. 
Washington took a 58-56 advantage into halftime in a back-and-forth affair that featured eight ties and 12 lead changes. The second half was all Wizards as they never trailed and led by as many as 19. 
“Russ was extremely aggressive in getting in the paint,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. 
Washington scored 56 points in the paint and attempted 37 free throws, compared to just 21 for Cleveland. Reserve big men Anthony Gill and Daniel Gafford each had 12 as Washington outscored Cleveland’s bench 58-16.
HONORING RUSS
In his first home game since becoming the triple-double leader, Westbrook was presented with a framed No. 182 Wizards jersey by owner Ted Leonsis. A video tribute to Westbrook played before the game in the arena that included remarks from Robertson and the three other players in the Top 5 for career triple-doubles (Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, LeBron James). NBA commissioner Adam Silver and others also spoke. 
WATER DAMAGE
After the game, Brooks joked that he is a bit worried about the Wizards facilities if they keep up their celebrating rituals with Westbrook.
“They threw a bunch of water on Russell again,” Brooks said about what has become a postgame staple. 
“I said, ‘Hey, we can’t keep drenching Russell every time he breaks his own record. We’re going to have mold issues in the locker room.’”
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Kevin Love (right calf strain management) missed his 46th game of the season. ... G Darius Garland returned after missing seven games with a sprained left ankle and scored three points in 12 minutes. ... Cleveland shot 57.1 % (12 of 21) in the first quarter and led 33-31. ... Osman was back in the starting lineup after missing three games with a sprained left ankle. ... Bickerstaff picked up a technical in the fourth.
Wizards: Bradley Beal missed his third straight game with a left hamstring strain. Beal, the NBA’s second-leading scorer averaging 31.4 points, did participate in some pregame warmups. Brooks said Beal is getting better every day, but did not know if he would be available Sunday. ... G Raul Neto was out with left hamstring tightness. ... Westbrook broke a tie with Gary Payton and is now the 39th-leading scorer in NBA history with 21,834 points. ... F Chandler Hutchinson started his first game of the season.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Wrap up their season at Brooklyn on Sunday.
Wizards: Host Charlotte on Sunday in a game that may have play-in seeding implications. 
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Wizards defeated the Cavaliers 120-105 on Friday night, clinching a spot in the play-in tournament.

Wizards beat Cavaliers 120-105, clinch East play-in spot

"Mind, Body, Game."
Those were the words written on a T-shirt that a high-school-aged Daniel Gafford wore all the time, and its message has permeated his mind ever since.&nbsp;
Gafford is a fast-rising, imposing, rim-running, shot-blocking, posterizing, 6-foot-10, 234-pound sophomore in the NBA who&rsquo;s just getting started, and chances are you&rsquo;ve already seen a handful of highlights featuring his high-altitude handiwork.
&ldquo;Dunking for me, it's therapeutic...I'll always want to try to tear down everything,&rdquo; Gafford told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview.
Gafford&rsquo;s momentum-shifting jams have been on display since he was in junior high. When the Arkansas native leveled up at El Dorado High School, he threw down with such force that he broke a rim at the facility. That intensity carried over to his college career with the Razorbacks, and now, we&rsquo;re seeing it in the Association in 4K.
&ldquo;Everybody's like, &lsquo;Oh, if you dunk too hard, you're gonna hurt yourself.&rsquo; I'm used to it because I've been doing it all my life... The harder I dunked, the better I felt, throughout life in general,&rdquo; Gafford said. &ldquo;Every time I was on the floor, I just wanted to do that. I always got the crowd into it. So that being said, my athletic ability has been crazy ever since high school, but I think it's at its best right now, and it's only getting better.&rdquo;
You can ask Kyle Kuzma about that. He&rsquo;ll have no choice but to agree.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Daniel Gafford dunks on Kyle Kuzma 😳 (via <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WashWizards</a>)<a href="https://t.co/mMm3TWRwE0">pic.twitter.com/mMm3TWRwE0</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1387558153269567490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2021</a></blockquote>
Gafford relays that this dunk was the best highlight of his career thus far. A close second was a cutting alley-oop dunk over a helpless Dorian Finney-Smith. Ironically, he also fed the Mavericks forward a leather sandwich recently, just over a year ago. In addition, as a rookie, he stuffed Serge Ibaka twice in the span of four minutes in a close game.
Miami&rsquo;s Elite Skills Training guru Tony Falce has worked with Gafford since he entered the NBA Draft in 2019. Gafford credits him for his improved work ethic and pushing him to his limits. Falce is close friends with Chris &ldquo;Birdman&rdquo; Andersen, a former 15-year NBA veteran who has shared his insight with Gafford and made himself available to answer any questions. Gafford contends that he wouldn&rsquo;t be where he is today without Falce&rsquo;s mentorship, and adds that he would refer Falce to any athlete.&nbsp;
From the moment they met during pre-draft training, Falce told Gafford that being athletic and in shape could lead to great success at the professional level.
&ldquo;Teams love shot-blockers and rim-runners,&rdquo; Falce told BasketballNews.com. &ldquo;One of the best things I told him that we could focus on is conditioning. Being in the best shape of his life, it&rsquo;s only gonna help him. He&rsquo;s going to all these workouts. Afterward, most teams, most programs will have a conditioning test, and if you can dominate the conditioning test, that&rsquo;s really gonna turn a lot of heads."
When asked about a time when Gafford really caught his attention, Falce mentioned a 400-meter run <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1120076782793887744" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on sand</a>. Gafford registered a time of 52.9 seconds, the fastest pre-draft mark in all of the years that Falce has used the particular exercise. Because of Gafford&rsquo;s physical dominance and attitude, Falce referred to him -- along with Ibaka -- as one of the best bigs he&rsquo;s ever had the chance of teaming with.
After two electrifying collegiate seasons in his home state, Gafford followed in the footsteps of previous Arkansas alum who made it to the NBA. He enjoys crossing paths with fellow Razorbacks in the league. He's played against his former teammates, Isaiah Joe and Mason Jones. He&rsquo;s still hoping that Patrick Beverley will shake his hand one of these days, though he chuckles at Pat&rsquo;s ultra-competitive nature and says that's likely why he hasn&rsquo;t. Bobby Portis, on the other hand, has dapped him up multiple times, and Gafford reveals that the Milwaukee Bucks forward was an inspiration and model for his game.&nbsp;
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Gafford and Portis both began their careers with the Chicago Bulls, and it didn&rsquo;t go quite as planned for either of them. With three-guard sets and the likes of Thaddeus Young, Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. ahead of him in the pecking order his rookie year, Gafford&rsquo;s minutes were spotty at best, as was his sub-15% usage rate.&nbsp;
While he saw a slight increase in usage and had more consistency in his floor time early this season under Billy Donovan, it sputtered into DNP-CDs and fewer than seven minutes per night in just nine games played from Feb. 12 to March 24.&nbsp;
One day after Chicago&rsquo;s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Gafford was outside with his dog with his phone on Do Not Disturb. Despite the NBA trade deadline looming, he didn&rsquo;t think he would be moved. The thought entered his mind, but he didn&rsquo;t want to cloud his judgment with a road trip coming up on the Bulls&rsquo; schedule. Gafford finished the walk with his dog and went back home, and that&rsquo;s when his cell rang.
&ldquo;So I get in the house. My agent calls me [and] the Bulls called me saying I was traded to Washington,&rdquo; Gafford recalls. &ldquo;I was like, &lsquo;Okay, wow.&rsquo; I didn't know what to think. I didn't know how to react or anything like that. I have a game room; I sat in my game room for about 45 minutes. I just played the game for the rest of the day and got ready to go to Washington.&rdquo;
Chicago sent Gafford (and teammate Chandler Hutchison) to the Wizards as a part of a three-team deal with the Boston Celtics. Gafford does insist that he fit in with the Bulls; he also says &ldquo;a lot kinda took place in that situation,&rdquo; and that D.C. would be a fresh start.
&ldquo;Once I got on the plane, it just clicked to me: this is a new opportunity, a new way to be able to jumpstart my career," Gafford said. &ldquo;Once I landed in Washington, it was boots to the ground. I had to come in and I had to let guys know, 'I'm ready for whatever you guys give me, whatever time you give me on the floor, whatever position you'd be able to put me [in]. Throw me in the fire and I'm gonna cool it off.' So my mentality was just [to] get ready for work. Come out and do the thing that I've always been doing and just be better at it.&rdquo;
Athletic feats are Gafford&rsquo;s specialty, and his hustle plays provide energy. The Wizards are surging in the second half of this season, and Gafford's contributions are part of that. He&rsquo;s always tried to be a defense-first, offense-second player. In his 20 games with the Wizards, it&rsquo;s been a lot of both, as Gafford is averaging 20.0 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per 36 minutes. Since his arrival, he has the <a href="https://go.nba.com/2mbu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest net rating on the team as a plus-7.8</a>.
We know about the plays that make the highlight reel, but it&rsquo;s his hunger and fight on the glass that makes him so valuable.
&ldquo;I just try to get in the best position to do my best when it comes to rebounding. There's a lot of guys that are 10 times my size in this league. It's kind of tough trying to push buildings, so I really just try to outsmart them with the energy I come out on the floor with,&rdquo; Gafford said. &ldquo;I try to leave it all on the floor and work as hard as I possibly can to be able to help the team win. But I try to play above the rim, I try to finish around the rim, I try to finish most of the things that are thrown my way.
"'Throw it to the moon and I'm gonna bring it back down.' That was just my thing. And it had kind of stuck because I was just getting every lob that was thrown. Other than that, just coming out and just being great in those areas.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
GAFFORD HUSTLE! 😤😤😤<a href="https://twitter.com/Dan_G33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dan_G33</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/russwest44?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@russwest44</a> <a href="https://t.co/QnuUTF1UX9">pic.twitter.com/QnuUTF1UX9</a>
&mdash; Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1381075044755980292?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Teaming with Russell Westbrook in the midst of arguably his best stretch since his MVP season assuredly helps his cause. According to NBA.com, Gafford has <a href="https://go.nba.com/1qow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received 106 passes from Westbrook and is 39-for-58 with those chances</a> (a tip of the cap to <a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/1384608771385798657?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic's Fred Katz</a>). He&rsquo;s also converted 16 of his attempts combined on passes from Bradley Beal and Ish Smith.
As an example of just how increased his role has been in Washington compared to Chicago, he only had 39 made field goals total on passes from the entire team. Since Gafford&rsquo;s arrival, even with a few missed games due to an ankle injury, the Wizards have a 16-9 record (including three 1-point losses in the last nine days), good for the second-most wins in the league from March 29 and on.
&ldquo;The team had chemistry and stuff before I got here. When I got here, it clicked automatically because you got two point guards who really know the game, and really know how to facilitate and playmake,&rdquo; Gafford said. &ldquo;[They] know how to get theirs and get their teammates involved as well. That's the main thing. I like that a lot about Russ and Brad. Russ has that leadership role. Brad has that leadership role. And playing with two guys like that, it's just a blessing in disguise because it's been able to show me the things that I can do when I take the opportunity.
&ldquo;Coming from an All-Star-caliber player with Zach LaVine -- he was a great player. He did everything that he had to do to really show me what it's like in his league to be a facilitator and scorer and everything like that. Being with two guys kind of like Zach LaVine, it's crazy. It changes your mindset for sure... Now you go from having one guy on your ass to having two guys getting on your ass (laughs). [I] really had to step my game up, step up my mentality to where I have to come out and be on the floor and be able to dominate the opposition -- especially as you're traded midseason. Your mentality has to change real quick because if it doesn't, it's gonna be real scary for you.&rdquo;
If you were to tell a teenage Gafford that he&rsquo;d be teammates with Westbrook, he wouldn&rsquo;t believe it. He understands the magnitude of the history the 32-year-old is making right now (and is thrilled to be a part of it), as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/russell-westbrook-sets-nba-record-with-182nd-career-tripledouble" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Westbrook surpassed Oscar Robertson for the most triple-doubles in NBA history</a> on Monday night in Atlanta with No. 182 of his career.
&ldquo;It's something that I would have never imagined that I would have been able to experience,&rdquo; Gafford said. &ldquo;Someone I'm always seeing on TV -- his high energy, his high level of competitiveness. You would never imagine a basketball player and just seeing that in person. And for me to be able to see that in person is a great experience for me because I'm learning. And I'm getting to experience a lot of things from a great player. That's one thing that I really take close to me for sure -- the fact that I'm able to play besides this guy.
&ldquo;I'm out there just trying to basically pick up the slack. I'm trying to do everything else. He's the leader, he's the playmaker, facilitator and all that. With me, I'm just out there being the cleanup guy.&rdquo;
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Then, there&rsquo;s the other multi-time All-Star in Washington&rsquo;s backcourt in Beal, who at 31.4 points per game is in a seesaw affair with Stephen Curry for the honor of being the top scorer in the league. (Curry is leading by 0.5 points as of Monday night, and Beal&rsquo;s hamstring injury will have caused him to miss at least two games). Gafford brings up a recent example of when the Toronto Raptors schemed a box-and-one -- a type of defense Gafford admits he&rsquo;d never seen until this season -- to slow Beal down. The scoring assassin had 28 points that night, and followed it up with a 50-burger the next game at Indiana. Gafford admires Beal&rsquo;s selfless approach as a human bucket-getter.
&ldquo;Just seeing a guy like that who can really put numbers on the board and be humble at the same time, it's just a big eye-opener because you got guys out here that are humble, or you got guys that are cocky. I like getting on the humble guy's team, because he knows what he can do, but he doesn't have to talk about it,&rdquo; Gafford said. &ldquo;He can back it up without talking. That's just my main thing about Brad. And just seeing the things he does night in and night out [with] all the things that they throw at him... being able to score the ball at the rate that he does, he's always prepared.&rdquo;
From an individual standpoint, Gafford is always striving to evolve as a player. For him, that starts as a defender. He&rsquo;s felt on numerous occasions when he&rsquo;s been isolated that he hasn&rsquo;t done a good enough job of staying in front of his man.
&ldquo;I'm good at blocking shots, [but] at the same time, I can be able to contain the ball up at the key if I put my mind [to it],&rdquo; Gafford said. &ldquo;So that's main thing that I really want to get better at -- guarding all positions. That would really just help me excel at my game&hellip; [I] got to be better moving my feet. I got to get better at not using my hands to try to defend somebody. It's a lot of things that I would say go into it. But at the same time, it's all a mental thing.&rdquo;
The Wizards have to win two more games to clinch a spot in the play-in tournament. A meaningful contest every night is something that Gafford is excited about, a battle of the best trying to make a push for an opportunity to play past the regular season. Unlike many who have pushed against it, Gafford genuinely loves the idea of the play-in tournament, and looks forward to having the opportunity should Washington get in.
&ldquo;I can't wait for it,&rdquo; Gafford said. &ldquo;I always wanted to experience a playoff building, but experiencing a feeling like this -- it's either win or go home, for sure. Reminds me of playing AAU all over again, like you're in the tournaments in that situation... and if you lose, you go home. That's what it feels like. This is bringing back memories and stuff about, like, all the AAU times that I've had with my AAU teams and things like that. I like it a lot.&rdquo;
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Whenever the team&rsquo;s season comes to an end, Gafford will be onto his third year in the pros. At the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign, his $1.8 million salary will be non-guaranteed until a trigger date of Jan. 17 of next year. If the Wizards decide he&rsquo;s shown enough and guarantee that money, the organization will have to decide on his $1.9 million team option by June 29, 2022.
&ldquo;If this were to happen to where I get a contract or they take on my contract here, I wouldn't hate it at all. Me just being in Washington and all the love that I've gotten here, and how I've been playing here -- I mean, I would for sure love to stay,&rdquo; Gafford said when asked about the potential long-term fit with the Wizards. "But if it never happens because of the business side, I understand it. But if it does, I would love it.&rdquo;
Gafford&rsquo;s fondest memory in the NBA thus far is when he had the chance to embrace future Hall-of-Famer Vince Carter. He was a rookie in Chicago, and Carter was on his farewell tour as a member of the Atlanta Hawks.
&ldquo;Vince, he was one of the best dunkers ever in my opinion, and just seeing him on the court for the first time, my eyes were wide open,&rdquo; Gafford said. &ldquo;My heart was racing; I just wanted to go shake his hand. He gave me the bro hug with a pat on the back and stuff, and the advice he gave me was, &lsquo;Keep working. That's how you get paid.&rsquo; And, that's true. You never can stop working.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Guys get in the league and some guys, I would say, they get in here and they stop working and are like, 'Oh, this is it.&rsquo; And boom, they're out of the league. To stay in this league, you always have to work. It doesn't matter if you're on a 10-day contract; it doesn't matter if you're on a regular contract, rookie contract or anything because you never know when your last day is up. [You] always got to keep working because you can always be put in a position where you have to be ready. In my opinion, having a great work ethic -- that's gonna keep you ready.&rdquo;
Since high school, Gafford has tried to stick to the three words on that T-shirt. He shares that he&rsquo;s strayed off that path before, realizing there were times when he was lazy and inconsistent with his mentality. Along this journey, he&rsquo;s met the right people who have made him understand the importance of mindset and work ethic, especially if he wants to play basketball for a living for many years.
&ldquo;When I finally decided to lock in and stuff, that's when I realized, 'Yeah, I can have a real long career in this league if I can just work out of my comfort zone,'&rdquo; Gafford said. &ldquo;Instead of just being a real athletic guy, jumping and catching lobs or things like that, I can expand my game way more if I put my mind to it. I always work on things that take me out of my comfort zone in the offseason -- stuff like ball-handling, shooting threes and things like that. But it's just up to me to have that level of confidence [and] with my level of competence and being better and better as the days go by.&nbsp;
"Just got to keep working.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies speaks with Daniel Gafford about his fit with the Wizards, being traded from Chicago, his career thus far and more.

Daniel Gafford, Wizards surging since trade: 'When I got here, it clicked automatically'

Bradley Beal had 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and overtime Thursday night, and Russell Westbrook had his 34th triple-double of the season in the Washington Wizards' 131-129 win over Toronto that all but eliminated the Raptors from the NBA's play-in tournament.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
He was double-teamed and face-guarded all night, but Beal came through with 28 points, five rebounds, and five assists in our OT win! 🐼<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WizRaptors?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WizRaptors</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/RealDealBeal23?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RealDealBeal23</a> <a href="https://t.co/DqNq7YiPb0">pic.twitter.com/DqNq7YiPb0</a>
&mdash; Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1390501956205092866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Pascal Siakam matched his career high with 44 points for the Raptors, who lost for the fifth time in six games and fell four games behind the Wizards for the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference with five left to play. Siakam missed a long 3-pointer at the end of overtime.
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Pascal Siakam registered 65+ FPTS for the 2nd time in his last 3 games yesterday. 44 PTS | 11 REB | 7 AST | 66.7 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/2PszDnB2eF">pic.twitter.com/2PszDnB2eF</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1390652640460034053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Westbrook had 13 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists before fouling out with 15.3 seconds left in overtime. The triple-double was the 180th of his career, leaving him one behind Oscar Robertson. It was the sixth triple-double in seven games for Westbrook, who came up one assist short in the other game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
2 TRIPLE-DOUBLES FROM THE RECORD! 🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/russwest44?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@russwest44</a> (13 PTS, 17 REB, 17 AST) tallies his 180th career triple-double in the <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WashWizards</a> win.. his next one ties Oscar Robertson for the most ever. <a href="https://t.co/BbP6YMPKze">pic.twitter.com/BbP6YMPKze</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1390655166953689090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Raul Neto scored a career-high 25 points, and Robin Lopez had six of his season-high 24 points and two big blocks in overtime for the Wizards, who had lost their previous nine games against the Raptors.
Westbrook did not seal his triple-double until a driving layup with 2:22 left in the fourth quarter that left the Wizards one point behind.
Beal scored eight of the next 10 points for Washington, but Fred VanVleet's 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left sent the game into overtime.
A putback by Khem Birch followed by Siakam's 15-foot jumper gave the Raptors a 71-58 lead, the largest of the game, early in the second half.
The Wizards tied it 82-82 with 1:49 left in the third quarter on on a four-point play by Garrison Mathews, but then went more than three minutes without scoring.
Neto and Davis Bertans hit 3-pointers to move Washington ahead 97-96 with 5:45 left, and it was tied at 101 when Lopez made two free throws with 4:05 remaining.
TIP-INS
Wizards: F Chandler Hutchison, who left Wednesday night's game early with a bruised left knee, was not cleared to play until just before tip-off. He scored seven points in three minutes in the first quarter.
Raptors: Gary Trent Jr. scored 25 points, playing for the first time after missing six games with a left leg contusion. ... F Chris Boucher missed a seventh game with a knee injury. ... F OG Anunoby missed a third game with a strained left calf. ... G Kyle Lowry sat out his third game of the last four, the exception being Sunday night&rsquo;s win over the Lakers in which he had 37 points and 11 assists.
UP NEXT
Wizards: At Indiana on Saturday night.
Raptors: Host Memphis in Tampa on Saturday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

With the loss, Toronto fell four games behind the Wizards for the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference with five left to play.

In pivotal game, Wizards edge Raptors in OT despite Siakam's career high-tying 44

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jrue Holiday scored 29 points and the Milwaukee Bucks withstood a triple-double from Russell Westbrook and edged the Washington Wizards 135-134 on Wednesday night.
Westbrook had 29 points, 17 assists and 12 rebounds for his 179th career triple-double, but the Wizards still lost for just the fourth time in their last 17 games. He’s just two shy of Oscar Robertson, whose 181 career triple-doubles are the highest recorded total in NBA history.
Westbrook has a league-leading 33 triple-doubles this season, including five in his last six games. The only time Westbrook missed out on a triple-double during this six-game stretch came Saturday when he had 42 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a 125-124 loss to Dallas.
Bradley Beal scored 42 points and hit a 3-pointer that cut Milwaukee's lead to 135-134 with 5.3 seconds left. Westbrook got a steal in the final second, but Garrison Mathews' desperation shot from over 50 feet away didn't connect.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 23 for the Bucks before fouling out with 1:54 left. Donte DiVincenzo scored 19, Pat Connaughton had 16 and Bryn Forbes added 14 as the Bucks won their fourth straight.
Forbes hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer to put the Bucks ahead for good with 2:23 remaining.
Khris Middleton didn’t play due to a sore left knee as the Bucks played one night after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-49f097ce75e97c212a3b3fffd6fa62fa">beating the Brooklyn Nets 124-118. </a> The Wizards were missing Rui Hachimura due to an illness unrelated to COVID-19.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Anthony Gill, who didn't play at all in either of the Wizards' first two games with the Bucks, filled in for Hachimura and made his third start of the season. ... Washington's 43 free-throw attempts were the most by a Bucks opponent this season. ... The Wizards posted the highest first-half point total by any Bucks opponent all season. ... Chandler Hutchinson left with a bruised left knee after playing three minutes.
Bucks: P.J. Tucker replaced Middleton in the lineup and made his first start since the Bucks acquired him from Houston on March 19. Tucker went scoreless in 20 minutes before leaving with a sore jaw. Tucker had started all 32 games in which he had appeared for the Rockets. 
UP NEXT
Wizards: Face the Toronto Raptors on Thursday in Tampa, Florida, as they try to avoid getting swept in the regular-season series. The Wizards fell to the Raptors <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-toronto-norman-powell-russell-westbrook-chris-boucher-8d697c85dfd475c7261903bf38a59b5b">137-115 in Washington </a> on Feb. 10 <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-toronto-russell-westbrook-pascal-siakam-washington-wizards-eb3ee45ca1edf9cdba38e836131a105b">and 103-101 </a> in Tampa on April 5.
Bucks: Host the Houston Rockets on Friday as they try to gain revenge after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-houston-milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-kevin-porter-166023d1c6e10f1a46bae77f4940eb1b">falling 143-136 in Houston </a> on April 29.
___
Follow Steve Megargee at https://twitter.com/stevemegargee
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Jrue Holiday scored 29 points and the Milwaukee Bucks edged the Washington Wizards 135-134 on Wednesday night.

Bucks edge Wizards 135-134 to earn fourth-straight victory

Damian Lillard is well aware of the Portland Trail Blazers' recent struggles. On Sunday, he noted the difference between his team and some of the superstar-laden squads around the league.
"We're not the Brooklyn Nets," he said.&nbsp; "They have superstar power. You know the ability of that team. One day they can get hot and run you out of the gym. We're not that team. But we've been in a ditch and we're figuring out a way to get out of it."
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/highkin/status/1386460438439755783" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sean Highkin/Bleacher Report</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Lillard has not been afraid to be blunt about the Blazers in the past. But while his comments might be brutally honest, they show he is focusing on working through the team's on-court issues. Portland has lost its last five games and is just 3-10 in the month of April.

The Blazers have lost their last five games and are 3-10 in April.

Lillard: 'We've been in a ditch, and we're figuring out a way to get out of it'

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Russell Westbrook had another triple-double in his return to Oklahoma City, and the Washington Wizards beat the Thunder 129-109 on Friday night for their seventh straight win.
Westbrook finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists — his fourth straight triple-double and his 14th in 16 games.
It was just the kind of night he routinely had during his 11 seasons with the Thunder. He was league MVP in 2017 and was a two-time scoring champion and perennial All-Star in Oklahoma City before the team traded him two seasons ago.
It was a strange night for him though. When he visited as a Houston Rocket last season, the Oklahoma City crowd cheered him loudly before and after the game. The Thunder aren't allowing fans this season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That was definitely different,” Westbrook said. “That was different, especially for me. Coming here, being so silent ... I’m pretty sure it’s probably different for those guys too.” 
Westbrook still found a way to interact — he <a href="https://twitter.com/CliffBruntAP/status/1385786402122604550">gave his shoes to a Thunder employee after the game</a>.
Bradley Beal added 33 points for the Wizards. He entered the night just behind Golden State's Stephen Curry for the league scoring lead. 
Beal said his chemistry with Westbrook has improved throughout the season.
“It’s been fantastic since day one," Beal said. "We’ve both accepted each other. We both respect each other’s game. And I feel like he just makes us a better team. He continues to uplift his teammates and he challenges himself.”
Westbrook now has 174 triple-doubles in his career and is closing in on Oscar Robertson’s career record of 181. He has 28 triple-doubles this season.
Darius Bazley and Theo Maledon each scored 20 points and Isaiah Roby and Lu Dort each added 18 for Oklahoma City, which lost its 13th straight — one short of the Thunder record.
Washington led 70-68 at halftime behind Westbrook's 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds. He made 8 of 12 shots before the break.
The Wizards opened the second half on a 10-2 run. Westbrook collected his 10th assist on a pass to Beal for a 3-pointer that put the Wizards up 85-71. 
Oklahoma City rallied late in the third quarter and trailed 96-90. But Davis Bertans made a 3-pointer and Dort was called for a technical. Bertans made the free throw to give the Wizards a 10-point lead at the end of the quarter. 
Bazley made a 3-pointer to cut Washington's lead to eight before Washington pulled away. Westbrook clinched his triple-double on a rebound in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.
The Wizards want to stay consistent down the stretch.
“We’ve got to keep our head down and keep focused," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "We haven’t done anything yet. All we’ve done is won the games — seven in a row. It’s a great feat, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do. We’re not where we want to be. We want to get involved (in the playoff race) and stay involved, and who knows? We might be able to keep moving up.”
TIP-INS
Wizards: Forward Rui Hachimura sat out with knee soreness and forward Deni Avdija was out with a fractured right ankle.. ... Forward Chandler Hutchison hit a 3-pointer as time expired in the first quarter to give the Wizards a 36-35 lead. ... Bertans was called for a technical foul in the second quarter. 
Thunder: Moses Brown was issued a technical foul in the second quarter. ... Made 16 of 18 free throws in the first half and 21 of 25 overall. 
RUSS BEING RUSS
Westbrook earned a delay of game and a technical.
He kicked the ball to get the delay of game.
“No, I wasn't frustrated," he said. "I just kicked the ball. Delay of game. Why would I be frustrated when we're up 12 points? No. I wasn't frustrated. Just doing Russell things.”
He got the technical for jawing with the Thunder bench.
“As for the thing at the end, there were two minutes left, it was a 20-point game. It’s just competitive stuff," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "That’s all that was.”
QUOTABLE
Brooks on Dort: “Dort is good. Dort is another young, developing player that is going to be probably one of the better two-way players in the league. They got themselves a good one.”
STAT LINES
Westbrook is averaging 21.9 points, 13.9 rebounds and 11.9 assists in 13 games in April.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.
Thunder: Visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
___
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/CliffBruntAP">https://twitter.com/CliffBruntAP</a>.
___
More AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/NBA">https://apnews.com/hub/NBA</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a>.

Russell Westbrook had another triple-double in his return to OKC, and the Wizards beat the Thunder 129-109 on Friday night.

Westbrook's triple-double lifts Wizards to 7th-straight win

One month from now, we will all be enjoying the NBA play-in tournament, a precursor to the postseason.
But until then, we are enduring what is known in the Association as &ldquo;dog day&rdquo; games, in which there is no telling exactly what will be compelling.&nbsp;
So tonight, we aim to change that by making every team interesting. Every single NBA team has something interesting going on, from the very best to the very worst. So let&rsquo;s have a look at all 30 of them, starting with the East before tackling the West.
Consider this a reset/refresher column as we all prepare for the final 24 days of the regular season.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
PHILADELPHIA 76ers (39-19): A home loss to Phoenix last night kept them from picking up a game on the Brooklyn Nets, who remain a half-game behind the Sixers. Ben Simmons (illness) was not available to defend Stephen Curry on Monday or Chris Paul on Wednesday, and those missed games won't help his Defensive Player of the Year candidacy. The team has a measuring stick game against the Milwaukee Bucks tonight.
BROOKLYN NETS (39-20): It has now been more than two weeks since they put together back-to-back wins, which is understandable because their big three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden have not been together on the court since the dead of winter. Mike James of CSKA Moscow was released from his contract and will be joining them next.&nbsp;
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MILWAUKEE BUCKS (35-22): They and the 76ers have lost back-to-back games, but one of those skids will end tonight after they play each other in Milwaukee. This is their second game of the season vs. Philly, and the teams end their season series on Saturday afternoon. If the Bucks win both home contests, they will be only one game back of Philly in the loss column. But that seems to be asking a lot of a Milwaukee team that has allowed 128 points in each of its last two games.
NEW YORK KNICKS (33-27): They are the hottest team in the NBA right now with an eight-game winning streak, which means it is time to resume the conversation of Tom Thibodeau as the leading candidate for Coach of the Year. The Knicks have the NBA&rsquo;s stingiest defense (allowing 104.7 points per game) and have the likely Most Improved Player, Julius Randle, who has scored 32 or more points in five of the last six games. The seven-year playoff drought is ending. They have not won a second-round series in 21 years.
ATLANTA HAWKS (32-27): Nate McMillan is 18-7 since taking over for Lloyd Pierce, Clint Capela has shot no worse than 65.8% in the past 12 games and is leading the league in rebounds per game (14.7), and Bogdan Bogdanovic is averaging 21.6 points per game this month while shooting 49.1% on threes. There's a big stretch upcoming: Miami, Milwaukee and two vs. Philadelphia among Atlanta's next five games.&nbsp;
BOSTON CELTICS (31-27): Eight wins in nine games seemed to straighten them out before they lost Wednesday night to Chicago, but entering the playoffs with a head of steam is a tried-and-true formula for success. Last night&rsquo;s loss was excusable given the absences of Marcus Smart, Evan Fournier, Kemba Walker and Robert Williams. The Celtics have two games left vs. Charlotte and two vs. Miami. Fourth place is within reach.
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MIAMI HEAT (31-28): Let&rsquo;s not forget that nobody saw them coming last season, so doubt them at your own risk. We go into Thursday night&rsquo;s games with one game separating the No. 4 to No. 7 teams in the loss column, and let&rsquo;s not forget that these guys were 11-17 a little more than two months ago. The Heat's schedule is easy until four of their final five are against Boston (twice), Philadelphia and Milwaukee.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS (28-29): The Hornets franchise has not won a playoff series since 2001-02, but is currently the eighth seed in the East. Terry Rozier is not being discussed in the Most Improved Player debate, but he is averaging a career-high 20.7 points and his field goal percentage is up four-and-a-half points to 46.8%. The best news for Charlotte? LaMelo Ball is expected to return very soon.
INDIANA PACERS (27-31): They are looking like a play-in game team, and they are 0-1 against their likely (as of now) No. 10 opponent, Washington, although they have two games remaining against the Wizards. Caris LeVert is getting up a lot of shots, but not making them at a particularly good clip. Except for his field goal percentage, Malcolm Brogdon is having a solid April production-wise, most notably with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.0.&nbsp;
WASHINGTON WIZARDS (25-33): At least we can always count on Russell Westbrook filling up the stat sheet, and Bradley Beal, when healthy, showing why everyone always wants to trade for him. They are going to have to hold off Chicago and Toronto for the No. 10 spot, and the Raptors have suddenly strung together four-straight wins. The Wizards have won six in a row and eight of nine, so keep that &ldquo;head-of-steam&rdquo; thing in mind.
TORONTO RAPTORS (25-34): They have an absolutely brutal schedule the rest of the way, playing the Clippers (twice), Nuggets, Jazz, Lakers, Knicks, Nets, Grizzlies and Mavericks. The Raptors have played every single one of their games on the road, having temporarily relocated to Tampa from the still-on-lockdown province of Ontario, so making the top 10 will be especially difficult. Their end-of-winter stretch of 15 losses in 17 games was a killer.
CHICAGO BULLS (24-34): Billy Donovan is tasked with assimilating several newly-acquired rotation players into the lineup on the fly, and the Bulls are 5-10 since the trade deadline. The No. 10 spot is the goal, and Washington is only one game ahead of them in the loss column. But 13 of their final 14 are against East teams with better records. They will not play any more West teams.&nbsp;
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (21-37): Out of the rotation with a fluctuating role, Cedi Osman has scored in single digits in nine of his last 10 games and has missed 27 of his last 30 three-point shots over that span. That, to use a nice word, is peculiar. In addition to the first season of his contract, will make roughly $31 more million by the time his contract expires, unless whoever he plays for in 2023-24 declines the $6.7 million option in the final season.
ORLANDO MAGIC (18-40): They are 3-11 since the fire-sale/trade deadline, and there is not a lot to be positive about when looking ahead to next year (aside from the hope that Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac recover successfully from their injuries). At least the players can ditch their winter clothes for a while. The Magic have only one cold-weather city road game ahead, and that's May 11 in Milwaukee.
DETROIT PISTONS (18-41): Troy Weaver got rid of all the dead money, which is Step 1 in a rebuild. Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey and Killian Hayes are the main building blocks, and the Pistons will have a very good lottery pick. Weaver has his work cut out for him.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
UTAH JAZZ (44-15): &nbsp;Nobody makes this argument, but a guy who studies this stuff believes Joe Ingles is a better Sixth Man of the Year candidate than Jordan Clarkson. He cites Ingles' superior three-point numbers (49.4% to 35.0%), double the assists (4.4 to 2.2) and better overall field goal percentage (52.5% to 42.4). On a broader note, the Jazz are ahead in the West by one-and-a-half games over Phoenix, with one game against the Suns remaining. Phoenix is 2-0 against Utah and owns the tiebreaker.
PHOENIX SUNS (42-16): They are 31-7 since Feb. 5, and nobody in the league can touch that type of stretch over that long of a period. (The Jazz have lost 10 games over that span). So why exactly are we not talking about Monty Williams for Coach of the Year? Nobody on this team is in the MVP conversation because none of them are doing the type of night-in, night-out spectacular things that Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Steph Curry do, but doubt the Suns at your own risk. They could have the No. 1 seed.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (42-19): They are 16-3 in their last 19 games, and are 25-10 against Western Conference teams &ndash; tops in the West in terms of winning percentage. They are 11-1 in the second half of back-to-back games, winning again last night with Amir Coffey in the starting five, as Ty Lue used his 22nd different starting lineup. The Clippers would lose the tiebreaker with the Jazz and win the tiebreaker with the Suns; still, they are almost locked into the No. 3 seed. They have litmus-test games left vs. the Suns, Lakers and Nuggets.
DENVER NUGGETS (38-20): With Steph Curry having a bad shooting game last night, perhaps the &ldquo;Steph-for-MVP&rdquo; bandwagon lost a wheel. Nikola Jokic is two-tenths of an assist away from averaging a triple-double this month, as the Nuggets have gone 9-2. Denver still must play road games against the Clippers, Jazz, Lakers and Blazers, but for now seem locked into a No. 4 seed with a likely first-round matchup against a Lakers team that is getting Anthony Davis back on Thursday and LeBron James soon after.&nbsp;
LOS ANGELES LAKERS (35-23): Their regular-season record means absolutely nothing, because there have been a total of zero games in which Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Andre Drummond have been on the court together. The Lakers have alternated wins and losses in their past 12 games, and they&rsquo;ll probably be at full strength for their final 10 or so games to figure each other out prior to the playoffs. One would imagine that Drummond, Davis and Montrezl Harrell can combine to contain Jokic in the first round.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (32-26): They'll want to hold off the Mavericks for sixth to avoid the play-in tournament &ndash; unless they would prefer a first-round matchup with Phoenix instead of the Clippers. The Blazers have the tiebreaker over the Mavs from winning the season series 2-1, and the schedule-makers have given them three of their next four games against the Memphis Grizzlies. The two components that they did not have a year ago -- when Jusuf Nurkic was hurt -- are a rebounding machine at backup center (Enes Kanter) and a stud perimeter defender (Robert Covington).
DALLAS MAVERICKS (31-26): They are only .500 (14-14) at home and .500 (17-17) against Western Conference teams. Kristaps Porzingis has only 15 double-doubles after having 21 in his rookie season under Derek Fisher, when Phil Jackson was running the New York Knicks franchise. Assuming they are a play-in team, Luka Doncic will still make it a must-watch No. 7 - No. 8 game, even for casual fans. The Mavs have already clinched the season series against Memphis.
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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (29-28): If only they played in the East... The Grizzlies are 17-8 against teams from the opposite conference, 12-20 against the West. There are enough cupcakes left on their schedule to keep them safe, so it is probably a matter of whether they finish No. 8, 9 or 10. Oh, and welcome back, Jaren Jackson Jr. Eight of their players are averaging double figures in points, and Desmond Bane is 0.5 points per game away from making it nine. Jonas Valanciunas has missed a double-double in two straight games after doing it in 16-straight, and missing the last two contests with a concussion.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (29-30): Steph Curry&rsquo;s streak of 30-point games ended last night at 11, but one would imagine that he will have another good game sometime soon. His MVP odds were 100-1 last Sunday and are 17-1 today. Whether the Warriors end up in the No. 7 - No. 8 game or the No. 9 - No. 10 game in the play-in tournament, we will not want to miss it. The Warriors' final regular-season game is against Memphis, and it could be a tiebreaker game. The Grizzlies are 1-1 vs. GSW.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (28-29): Gregg Popovich will eventually get a haircut... we think. But in all seriousness, Pop has done quite well with a team that will likely undergo a roster overhaul in the offseason, and presumably, he and San Antonio CEO R.C. Buford will address a position other than point guard. They have lost 8 of 12 and 13 of 19, but eight of their final 15 games are against East teams. They will not play a West team at home until a home back-to-back vs. Phoenix to end the regular season.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (25-33): If not for their current four-game losing streak, they would have caught the Spurs by now.&nbsp; The Pelicans have a must-win game Saturday against San Antonio because it would clinch the season series, but four games in the loss column is a lot of ground to cover over the remainder of the season. The schedule is packed with road games, and there are only two easy opponents: Orlando on Thursday and Minnesota on May 1.
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SACRAMENTO KINGS (24-35): They have lost 10 of 12, so it would take a miracle for them to climb to No. 10. Buddy Hield is only a shade above 40% from the field, which is not what you want from your shooting guard who just signed a huge extension. A massive offseason overhaul seems likely, as the playoff-free streak probably reaches 15 years in late May.&nbsp;
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (20-39): When you have nothing to do, Google &ldquo;McLovin&rdquo; and &ldquo;Aleksej Pokusevski&rdquo; and see if that looks like a match. Jeff Sherman of LV Sportsbook says the Thunder have a power rating worse than the tanking Sixers from back when Sam Hinkie was running the team, but they certainly will be entertaining on draft night when general manager Sam Presti (presumably) starts packaging multiple future first-round picks for better first-round picks and/or players.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (16-44): They have a new ownership group coming in that will keep the team in its current location, which means expansion is coming to Seattle and a second city (Las Vegas? Kansas City? Louisville?). Those expansion teams will help the current owners mitigate the financial losses they have sustained the past two seasons during the pandemic.&nbsp;
HOUSTON ROCKETS (15-44): They are a pleasure to watch when the only alternative is the Home Shopping Network. The Victor Oladipo thing really did not work out, and they are now stuck with John Wall for the next two seasons. It'll be a long rebuild for the Rockets.

Chris Sheridan checks in with every team in the league as we prepare for the final stretch of the regular season.

All 30 NBA teams have interesting situations as season hits home stretch

Dapper Labs, the company behind NBA Top Shot and the new Flow blockchain, today announced that it has closed $305 million in new funding led by Coatue. 
The company received support from NBA legend Michael Jordan as well as current players and funds including Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Khris Middleton, Domantas Sabonis, Nikola Vucevic, Andre Iguodala, Kyle Lowry, Spencer Dinwiddie, Andre Drummond, Alex Caruso, Michael Carter-Williams, Josh Hart, Udonis Haslem, JaVale McGee, Thad Young, and Richard Seymour&rsquo;s 93 Ventures, as well as entertainment and music heavyweights including Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary's Sound Ventures, Will Smith and Keisuke Honda's Dreamers VC, Shawn Mendes and Andrew Gertler's AG Ventures, Shay Mitchell, and 2 Chainz. Other strategics participating include a16z, The Chernin Group, USV, Version One, and Venrock.
Additional investors in the round include: MLB players like Tim Beckham and Nolan Arenado; NFL players: Ken Crawley, Thomas Davis, Stefon Diggs, Dee Ford, Malcom Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Jordan Matthew, Devin McCourty, Jason McCourty, DK Metcalf, Tyrod Taylor, and Trent Williams; team ownership including Vivek Ranadive (Kings), and notable sports investors Bolt Ventures. This round of financing brings the total capital raised by the company to $357M.&nbsp;
The funds will be used to scale the Dapper Labs team to continue building out the NBA Top Shot vision, expanding the platform to other sports, gaming and entertainment experiences, and helping a new generation of creators develop engaging experiences using blockchain technology including NFTs. Dapper Labs will open its platform to other creators, brands and developers.&nbsp;
Dapper Labs&rsquo; NBA Top Shot is one of the world&rsquo;s fastest-growing marketplaces, with nearly $500 million in sales, more than 800,000 registered accounts, more than 338,000 customers with at least one NFT, and over 3 million transactions, less than five months into its open beta.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;NBA Top Shot is successful because it taps into basketball fandom &ndash; it&rsquo;s a new and more exciting way for people to connect with their favorite teams and players,&rdquo; said Roham Gharegozlou, CEO of Dapper Labs. &ldquo;We want to bring the same magic to other sports leagues as well as help other entertainment studios and independent creators find their own approaches in exploring open platforms. NFTs unlock a new model for monetization that benefits the fans much more than advertising or sponsorships.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;NBA Top Shot is one of the best demonstrations we&rsquo;ve seen of how quickly new technology can change the landscape for media and sports fans,&rdquo; said Kevin Durant, Co-Founder of Thirty Five Ventures. "We're excited to follow the progress with everything happening on Flow blockchain and use our platform with the Boardroom to connect with fans in a new way."
The success of NBA Top Shot also provides a proof point that Flow, the blockchain built to handle mainstream consumer applications at scale, can support mass adoption, which is something that separates it from its blockchain predecessors. In addition to supporting scalability, payment solutions on Flow provide a much needed ease of use for credit cards as well as cryptocurrency, and can keep customers safe from the fraud or theft common in cryptocurrency systems. Flow enables NFT marketplaces and other decentralized applications that need to scale to handle mainstream demand without extremely high transaction costs (&ldquo;gas fees&rdquo;) or environmental concerns.&nbsp;
&ldquo;NFTs are the first time anyone can create unique digital items that can live forever and be portable across different products anywhere the customer wants &ndash;&ndash; simple but game-changing,&rdquo; said Dieter Shirely, CTO of Dapper Labs and the author of the first non fungible token standard on which CryptoKitties was based. &ldquo;NFTs let people have real ownership in games and digital worlds for the first time. On a blockchain like Flow, NFTs can rewire the internet for the better.&rdquo;
Joining the NBA, other cultural leaders currently building experiences on Flow include Warner Music Group, Ubisoft, Warner Media, and the UFC, as well as thousands of third party developers, artists, and other creators. Products already live on Flow mainnet include Viv3, an art marketplace where visual artist Ben Mauro instantly sold out of $2 million in collectible cards; Blocto, a leading non-custodial wallet solution; and MotoGP, which held its first sold out drop last week.&nbsp;

Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant and many other athletes are investing in Dapper Labs, which is the company behind NBA Top Shot.

Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, others invest $305M in NBA Top Shot company

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; Russell Westbrook had 35 points, a season-high 21 assists and 14 rebounds for his NBA-leading 16th triple-double, helping the Washington Wizards to a 132-124 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. It was the first 35-point, 20-assist triple-double in NBA history.
Westbrook also claimed the franchise career triple-double record in just his 38th game with the Wizards, this one coming while teammate and NBA leading scorer Bradley Beal sat out with a bruised hip. Darrell Walker had 15 triple-doubles in 283 games for Washington between 1987-1991.
&ldquo;He does things that I&rsquo;ve never seen,&rdquo; Wizards coach Scott Brooks said of Westbrook, whom he also previously coached in Oklahoma City. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a winner, man. He fights. He&rsquo;s not perfect, and a lot of times the geniuses want to look at the things that he doesn&rsquo;t do well. But sometimes they forget about the other things that he does well.&rdquo;
Rui Hachimura scored 26 points and Chandler Hutchison had 18 in his debut with the Wizards, who won their second straight after losing eight of nine.
&ldquo;Russ had quite a (few) assists to me, so I've definitely got to get him some dinner or something,&rdquo; Hutchison said of Westbrook.
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Domantas Sabonis had 35 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who lost for the second time in six games.
Indiana entered in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, two games ahead of Chicago for the 10th and final play-in spot. The Pacers are now four games ahead of the Wizards, who began the day in 13th.
Malcolm Brogdon added 26 points for Indiana, which was outrebounded 55-37.
&ldquo;Not good enough,&rdquo; Brogdon said of the team performance. &ldquo;They played harder. They made more shots and got more stops.&rdquo;
Neither team led by more than six points until late in the final quarter.
Down six in the fourth, Westbrook and the Wizards outscored the Pacers 22-8 over the last 5:47, a stretch that began with a 13-0 run.
Westbrook's feed inside to Hachimura gave Washington the lead for good with 4:37 to play. He followed that with two spot-up 3s over Myles Turner, the latter from the right wing giving Washington its largest advantage to that point, 128-120, with 44.8 seconds to play.
&ldquo;He shot it well from the arc today, and obviously everywhere, and passed it well,&rdquo; Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren said of Westbrook. &ldquo;It was one of those games tonight that didn&rsquo;t go our way in a number of ways.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pacers: Finished with a 5-5 record in 10 March road games. ... F Doug McDermott (right ankle) was ruled out pregame. ... F Justin Holiday picked up a flagrant foul with 8:39 to play in the third quarter on Jerome Robinson's 3-point attempt.
Wizards: Brooks said it's possible Beal could return for Tuesday's game. &ldquo;We'll give him another day of rest and then know more tomorrow,&rdquo; Brooks said of Beal. ... Robinson made his fourth start, in Beal's place.
SETTING THE RECORD
Westbrook hit the Wizards franchise mark on another notable stretch when he grabbed Brogdon&rsquo;s missed 3-pointer for his 10th rebound inside the final five seconds of the third quarter. Then he pushed up the floor and found Raul Neto for a buzzer-beating 3 that gave the Wizards a 95-92 lead and Westbrook his 18th assist.
&ldquo;I don't deserve the credit, honestly,&rdquo; Westbrook said of the feat. &ldquo;I always give credit to the man above for blessing me with the ability to play, and along those lines, I have so many great coaches and teammates that make my job easy and help me out. Assists don't happen. I can't make the shots.&rdquo;
HAZARDS OF A TRADE
Washington C Daniel Gafford, who was acquired with Hutchison from Chicago in a trade last Thursday, departed Monday's game early in the fourth quarter after he appeared to injure his right leg.
He required assistance from medical personnel to leave the court after scoring 11 points and grabbing six rebounds in 15 minutes.
&ldquo;I mean it didn&rsquo;t look good,&rdquo; Brooks said of the 22-year-old Gafford, who also had a promising team debut on Saturday. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m really hoping for the best. What he brings, we haven&rsquo;t had it in five years, the lob threat.&rdquo;

Russell Westbrook had 35 points, 21 assists, and 14 rebounds in Washington's 132-124 win over the Pacers on Monday night.

Westbrook records first 35-point, 20-assist triple-double in NBA history

The Washington Wizards are trading Troy Brown Jr. and Mo Wagner to Chicago for Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchinson.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1375121942185906183" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;It's a two-for-two deal between Washington and Chicago, as the Bulls make their second trade of the day. Brown Jr., Hutchinson and Wagner were all 2018 first round draft picks, while Daniel Gafford went in the second round of the 2019 draft. The Bulls acquired Nikola Vucevic from the Magic earlier today.

Chicago makes another trade after acquiring Nikola Vucevic earlier today.

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