Sportsnet.ca http://sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/feed/ Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:34:19 EDT en-US hourly 1 Frank Gunn/CP Mitchell Robinson Knicks Raptors Raptors get tough lesson on why size is so valuable for winning teams full_width Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:05:07 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:22:05 EDT Michael Grange Trading OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa made the Knicks bigger — and the Raptors smaller. Getting out-muscled at every position, Toronto was taught a lesson on why the best teams in the NBA are big across the board.

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TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors welcomed back a couple of old friends on Wednesday. 

Are they ever missed. 

This is no comment on Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, whom the Raptors received in the Dec. 30 trade that saw OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa (along with Malachi Flynn, since traded to Detroit) head to the New York Knicks.

Both Quickley and Barrett have played well for the Raptors. 

But any team is going to miss Anunoby, an all-NBA defender who can credibly guard four positions, space the floor offensively with his shooting and be a problem as a super-sized off-ball cutter. That he does all of that at six-foot-seven and in the range of 230 pounds makes it all the better. Anunoby is big for his size, as they say. 

The Knicks certainly miss him: New York is 15-2 with Anunoby in the lineup and are waiting anxiously for him to recover from elbow surgery so they can get him back on the floor for the playoffs. 

The nice thing about Anunoby being out in his first game back in Toronto since the trade was that he could show how sincerely delighted he was to be by the video tribute the Raptors had for him the first quarter, an honour for the six-plus seasons he spent with Toronto after being drafted in 2017. 

But the Raptor miss Achiuwa too. At six-foot-eight he can guard three positions, if not four, and is athletic enough to play either centre or power forward on the other end. He was locked in when the Raptors put up their tribute for him at the start of the second quarter but was all smiles and hugs as he made his rounds before the game catching up with old friends. 

He made sure the grab a plate of pasta pre-game too. “The chef they got here is fire,” he said. 

Anyway, the thing about the Knicks, who have weathered a long stretch of injuries to key players — bruising forward Julius Randle has been out since January 29 with a shoulder injury and centre Mitchell Robinson played Wednesday night for the first time after a 50-game absence due to an ankle injury — is that they’re a huge basketball team. 

Adding Anunoby and Achiuwa only made them bigger. 

The Raptors? Well the version that took the floor against the Knicks was a tiny team, by NBA standards, but the trade for Quickley and Barrett made them smaller, just like the trade that sent six-foot-nine Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers did. 

Scanning the Raptors roster — even when fully healthy — and the list of players who have ‘good’ size runs out pretty quickly. Centre Jakob Poeltl, out indefinitely after surgery on his finger, probably classifies as average for his position, but that’s something. Scottie Barnes, out indefinitely after surgery on his hand, is a big wing who plays even bigger in every sense.

But after that? Barrett and Quickley (reconditioning after personal leaves) aren’t really physical players, and while Chris Boucher (knee injury) throws what weight he has around with fearless abandon, he still working with just 200 pounds stretched over his six-foot-nine frame. The Raptors’ injury issues got worse when Ochai Agbaji — who can at least play above the rim at six-foot-five — left the game in the first quarter after a scary fall on an alley-oop attempt. 

In contrast, the Knicks seem to be giant everywhere. Robinson was their starting centre at seven-foot and 280 pounds before he got hurt. His minutes were taken up by Isaiah Hartenstein who goes seven-foot-one, 270. When he was injured the Knicks still had Achiuwa — who started 17 consecutive games and at one point played more than 40 minutes in six straight starts. And even then the Knicks could look to six-foot-ten Jericho Sims if necessary. 

Even their players who don’t measure as big play well beyond their size. Jalen Brunson leverages his six-foot-two, 200 pounds so cleverly even Kyle Lowry would be proud. Josh Hart is just six-foot-five, but he’s powerfully built, athletic and one of the best rebounders of his size in the NBA. 

“I like a big team,” says Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. 

The benefits are apparent. The Knicks lead the NBA in offensive rebounding, as just one example. 

They certainly had their way against the undermanned Raptors Wednesday as New York had 15 offensive rebounds to 11 for Toronto, though it was 10-3 in the first half as the Knicks led by 21 after two quarters on their way to a 145-101 blowout win. It was the largest home loss in team history — breaking the mark the Raptors set earlier this month — and was the Raptors’ 12th-straight loss and 13th in their last 14 games as they fell to 23-50 on the season, giving them their first 50-loss season since 2011-12. The losing streak is the third longest in franchise history and longest since they lost 13 straight in the 2010-11 season. The team record is 17, which was recorded in the 1997-98. 

Fun times. 

Meanwhile the Knicks improved to 44-28, winning their third straight and seventh time in eight starts. The fourth-place Knicks work to solidify home-court advantage and keep an eye on chasing down third-place Cleveland or second-place Milwaukee in the East. 

And the Knicks’ overall team size is one of their advantages. The Raptors aren’t exactly playing great basketball right now — 37-year-old Garrett Temple had 15 points off the bench and led the team in hustle plays, and rookie Gradey Dick had a career-high 23 points while Kelly Olynyk had 13 points, seven rebounds and eight assists while trying to avoid getting overwhelmed at centre. 

But it’s exacerbated by giving up physical advantages at almost every position. 

“It was a little bit of effort,” said head coach Darko Rajakovic of the problems with his team’s performance. “But like when somebody’s like twice your size, there is not much that you can do especially like rebounding [when] Mitchell Robinson checked in on the court, he looked like a giant out there. But this is the moment that we’re in and we’ve got to find a way.”

But being big means more than just having an edge on the offensive glass, although it was hard to overlook moments Wednesday when the six-foot-five Temple had to battle for position with Robinson or the way Achiuwa was able to bounce his way to 19 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots off the bench for the Knicks. 

Being big is almost a state of mind. The Knicks play with a certain confidence and toughness, knowing that every position they likely have some kind of edge on their opponent. 

“We have a lot of bigs, it’s very different [than Toronto], I’d say that.” said Achiuwa. “A lot of times it’s just nice to have another big guy out there.” 

Or lots of them. Or being big at multiple positions. 

The Raptors’ rebuilding process is just starting. How long it lasts will depend on all kinds of variables: can Dick become a steady rotation player in his second season? If they keep their draft pick in June can they get lucky and hit on a quality player who can be part of an NBA rotation sooner rather than later. Is there a trade or free-agent signing that can provide unexpected dividends? 

But it’s worth keeping in mind as the off-season approaches and the Raptors’ future comes into sharp focus that most of the best teams in the NBA are big across the board, the Knicks foremost among them. 

The Raptors have gotten smaller all season.

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Basketball NBA NY TOR sn-article
NBA Featured Thu, 07 Sep 2023 17:32:33 EDT Fri, 15 Mar 2024 14:08:05 EDT Noah Love carousel_meta sn-collection (Michael Conroy/AP Photo) Edey Men’s March Madness Sweet 16 Preview: Purdue, Gonzaga pit star Canadians head-to-head 5747173 carousel Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:39:12 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:39:18 EDT Kai Gammage This year’s edition of the beloved NCAA Tourney is showcasing who the best teams in the sport have been and why they’re so highly rated. Yes, it’s been chalky, but every matchup from this point forward should be an absolute heavyweight duel. Here’s a look at the eight games on the horizon and a storyline to watch for in each one.

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This year’s edition of March Madness is showcasing who the best teams in the sport have been and why they’re so highly rated. Yes, it’s been chalky, but with all eight of the No. 1 and 2 seeds still alive and only one team lower than a six seed, every matchup from this point forward should be an absolute heavyweight duel.

Everyone wants to watch double-digit seed teams in the Elite 8 until it’s actually time to watch double-digit seed teams in the Elite 8.

Instead, with favourites coming out on top through the first two rounds, the footing should be more level in the Sweet 16, with two 1-4 and 2-3 matchups really setting the tone.

Here’s a deeper look at the eight games on the horizon and a storyline to watch for in each one.

East

(1) UConn vs. (5) San Diego State – Thursday, 7:39 p.m. ET

UConn Huskies
Record: 33-3
How they got here: Beat (16) Stetson 91-52 and (9) Northwestern 75-58
Key player: Tristen Newton

San Diego State Aztecs
Record: 26-10
How they got here: Beat (12) UAB and (13) Yale
Key player: Jaedon LeDee

What to watch for: Can San Diego State improve result in National Final rematch?

The reigning champion UConn Huskies have looked inevitable, entering the tournament as the top-overall seed and completely overpowering Stetson and Northwestern. They hold the nation’s second-best adjusted offence rating (126.4) and ninth-best adjusted defensive rating (93.5) according to KenPom.

Their experienced backcourt duo of Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer have led them to the best assist percentage in the college hoops (19.7) and big man Donovan Clingan has put a lid on the rim, almost finishing with a triple-double in the win over Northwestern after swatting eight shots.

The Aztecs have once again prided themselves on their defence. Though in this go-around, they’ll have a new and improved Jaedon LeDee running the show on offence, with the fifth-year forward making a massive jump to 21.5 points a game this year. He’ll need to fire on all cylinders if San Diego State wants to pull off the major upset in this Finals rematch.

(2) Iowa State vs. (3) Illinois – Thursday, March 28, 10:09 p.m. ET

Iowa State Cyclones
Record: 29-7
How they got here: Beat (15) South Dakota State and (7) Washington State
Key player: Tamin Lipsey

Illinois Fighting Illini
Record: 28-8
How they got here: Beat (14) Morehead State and (11) Duquesne 
Key player: Terrence Shannon Jr.

What to watch for: An unstoppable force against an immovable object

The matchup between Illinois and Iowa State is a tale as old as time, pitting the best offence in the country against the best defence.

According to KenPom, the Cyclones have the best adjusted defensive efficiency in the country at 87.5. In their Big 12 Tournament run, they held Kansas State to 57 points (15 below their average), Baylor to 62 points (18 below their average) and Houston to an absurd 41 points (33 below their average).

Tamin Lipsey has been stellar, finishing with the best defensive box plus/minus in the country at 6.5, the second-most defensive win shares with 3.2 and the third-best defensive rating at 88.4, all while standing at only 6-foot-1.

Meanwhile, Illinois has made its money on offence, finishing with the best adjusted offensive efficiency at 126.7 per KenPom. Terrence Shannon Jr. has led the way, averaging the third-most points in the country at 23.3 a game and has looked unstoppable in recent weeks, averaging 34.0 in the Big Ten Tournament and 28.0 in March Madness.

WEST

(2) Arizona vs. (6) Clemson – Thursday, March 28, 7:09 p.m. ET

Arizona Wildcats
Record: 27-8
How they got here: Beat (15) Long Beach State and (7) Dayton
Key player: Caleb Love

Clemson Tigers
Record: 23-11
How they got here: Beat (11) New Mexico and (3) Baylor 
Key player: PJ Hall

What to watch for: Can Clemson’s uncharacteristic defence keep it up?

The Wildcats are more than making up for last year’s first-round disappointment against 15-seed Princeton, making quick work of their two opponents in Salt Lake City. The injection of Caleb Love has given ‘Zona the score-first guard they’ve missed since losing Bennedict Mathurin.

Meanwhile, in their games against New Mexico and Baylor, Clemson showcased an uncharacteristic defensive aptitude, holding New Mexico 25 points below their average and Baylor 16 points below. That sort of performance certainly wasn’t their calling card in the regular season, as the Tigers gave up 70.6 points a game, the 130th-best mark in the country and possess the 178th-best defensive rating at 103.8. They’ll now face an Arizona team that plays more physically than their last two opponents, able to crash the glass at the second-highest rate in the country.

(1) North Carolina vs. (4) Alabama – Thursday, March 28, 9:39 p.m. ET

North Carolina Tar Heels
Record: 29-7
How they got here: Beat (16) Wagner and (9) Michigan State
Key Player: RJ Davis

Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 23-11
How they got here: Beat (13) Charleston and (12) Grand Canyon
Key Player: Mark Sears

What to watch for: How do the Crimson Tide shut down Bacot?

This matchup on paper should look like a duel between two of the most prolific scorers in the country, RJ Davis and Mark Sears, with the star guards averaging 21.3 and 21.5 points respectively. However, this game should really be decided by Armando Bacot, UNC’s star man in the middle.

The imposing 6-foot-10 big man has been ruthless so far, notching a 20-point, 15-rebound double-double against Wagner in the first round and then dominating Michigan State in the second round, scoring 18 and forcing the Spartans into foul trouble.

With the Crimson Tide usually opting to play small, it should be interesting to see who they throw at Bacot to stop him. They also got into foul trouble against Grand Canyon in the second round, finishing with 26 calls on the night. Expect the Tar Heels to try to force the issue once more.

SOUTH

(2) Marquette vs. (11) N.C. State – Friday, March 29, 7:09 p.m. ET

Marquette Golden Eagles
Record: 27-9
How they got here: Beat (15) Western Kentucky and (10) Colorado
Key Player: Tyler Kolek

N.C. State Wolfpack
Record: 24-14
How they got here: Beat (6) Texas Tech and (14) Oakland
Key Player: D.J. Burns

What to watch for: Is N.C. State the last hope for a Cinderella run?

In what’s been a chalky tournament, N.C. State has given the Cinderella-hopeful crowd something to cheer for.

After running the table in the ACC Tournament with five wins in five days, they crashed the dance, immediately dominated Texas Tech and then beat another Cinderella hopeful in Oakland.

Big man D.J. Burns has been unstoppable, averaging 16.6 points on 67.5 per cent true shooting over the last seven games. His pairing with DJ Horne, who’s serving up a steady helping of 40 per cent from deep on 6.5 attempts a game this season has given them a solid dynamic duo.

However, they’ll have to take on a Marquette team desperate to get back to the Elite 8 for the first time in 11 years and lead guard Tyler Kolek, whose table-setting ability and basketball IQ could carve up N.C. State’s 75th-ranked defence per KenPom.

(1) Houston vs. (4) Duke – Friday, March 29, 9:39 p.m. ET

Houston Cougars
Record: 32-4
How they got here: Beat (16) Longwood and (9) Texas A&M
Key Player: Jamal Shead

Duke Blue Devils
Record: 26-8
How they got here: Beat (13) Vermont and (12) James Madison
Key Player: Kyle Filipowski

What to watch for: How will Duke fare in their first real challenge?

It’s been a breezy tournament so far for the Blue Devils as they made quick work of Vermont and James Madison, beating them by 17 and 38 points respectively (hey, what’s up, hello). However, in Houston, they’re running into a buzzsaw.

The Cougars’ defence has been stellar all year, ranking second in adjusted efficiency per KenPom as their aggressive, blitzing style has forced the 12th-most turnovers (15.9) and the worst opposing field-goal percentage in college basketball (37.8 per cent).

Star guard Jamal Shead has been stellar on both ends, running the offence and scoring when it matters most, highlighted by a 21-point, 10-assist performance in the second-round overtime win against Texas A&M.

Should Duke want to advance to the Elite 8, freshman Jared McCain may have to rekindle the fire he had in the 30-point, eight 3-pointer performance against James Madison and big man Kyle Filipowski will have to attack a Houston team without the size to match up with him.

MIDWEST

(1) Purdue vs. (5) Gonzaga – Friday, March 29, 7:39 p.m. ET

Purdue Boilermakers
Record: 31-4
How they got here: Beat (16) Grambling State and (8) Utah State
Key Player: Zach Edey

Gonzaga Bulldogs
Record: 27-7
How they got here: Beat (12) McNeese State and (4) Kansas
Key Player: Ryan Nembhard

What to watch for: Star Canadians go head-to-head

This Sweet 16 matchup between powerhouses is a must-watch for fans of Canadian basketball as the two most renowned Northern hoopers in college ball go head-to-head.

Reigning Naismith Trophy winner Zach Edey has been the most dominant singular force in college basketball this season and is well on his way to a second-consecutive clean sweep of the individual awards after averaging a ridiculous 24.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks on 62.3 per cent from the field this season. Standing at an unparalleled 7-foot-4, the Toronto native should look down (literally) on anyone Gonzaga throws at him, whose tallest players are at least five inches shorter than him.

Ryan Nembhard, meanwhile, transferred to the West Coast program in the off-season, following in the footsteps of older brother Andrew. As the lead guard for the Bulldogs, the third-year guard has set the table for the seventh-best offence in the country and the eighth-most efficient three-point shooting team.

(2) Tennessee vs. (3) Creighton – Friday, March 29, 10:09 p.m. ET

Tennessee Volunteers
Record: 26-8
How they got here: Beat (15) Saint Peter’s and (7) Texas
Key Player: Dalton Knecht

Creighton Blue Jays
Record: 25-9
How they got here: Beat (14) Akron and (11) Oregon
Key Player: Baylor Scheierman

What to watch for: Will war of attrition weigh on Creighton?

Creighton played what might be the game of the tournament so far in the second round against the Oregon Ducks, eventually winning 86-73 in a double-overtime thriller. Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander played from whistle to whistle and big man Ryan Kalkbrenner sat for only one minute.

That trio has been stellar, averaging 53.4 points combined this season, but they’ll need that sort of conviction once again when they run into the third-best defence in the country in Tennessee.

The Volunteers come into this game with an 89.9 adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom and allow the third-best opposing field goal percentage in the country at 38.6 per cent.

However, they struggled offensively against Texas in the second round, shooting a paltry 3-for-25 from deep, their worst mark of the season, and Naismith Trophy finalist Dalton Knecht was a brutal 5-for-18 from the field. Don’t expect Creighton to let them get away with this sort of performance in the Sweet 16.

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Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball sn-article
(Ashley Landis/AP Photo) JuJu NCAA Women’s Sweet 16 Storylines: Hidalgo, Watkins, Booker showcase next generation 5747173 carousel Thu, 28 Mar 2024 22:13:54 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 23:35:17 EDT Hayley McGoldrick .Though WNBA-bound superstars have made up the headlines, some of the most impressive performances have come from the next generation, as JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo and Madison Booker all look to continue their March Madness takeover.

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One No. 7 seed and two No. 5 seeds were the only teams not seeded 1 through 4 to make the Sweet 16 in an ultra-competitive women’s field.

No. 7 Duke knocked off No. 2 Ohio State in the Round of 32 while No. 5 Colorado defeated No. 4 Kansas State and No. 5 Baylor eliminated No. 4 Virginia Tech. This means three Sweet 16 matchups are No. 2 vs No. 3 seeds.

Iowa-LSU, UConn-USC, Texas-Stanford and South Carolina-Notre Dame are all potential Elite Eight matchups, but top teams like Stanford and Iowa have already faced challenges in the first two rounds, and lower-seeded teams will be giving their all to keep their runs in the big dance alive.

Here are six storylines to watch for during the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women’s March Madness tournament.

The next generation leads the way

Players who will likely be headed to the WNBA after the tournament — the likes of Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso — have caught attention and headlines as they not only have led their teams to this point but are also looking to make final impressions before their college careers end.

But many teams, while having veteran leadership on and off the court, have been led by freshman players like Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, USC’s JuJu Watkins and Texas’ Madison Booker.

Notre Dame’s roster is depleted due to injuries, but the efforts of Hidalgo, Maddy Westbeld and Sonia Citron have not gone unnoticed as they’ve scored 71 per cent of Notre Dame’s points through two games. Hidalgo, the ACC tournament MVP, ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year is playing 38.5 minutes per game, notching 16.5 points, 7.5 assists and five steals on average per game in the tournament. Hidalgo has been able to handle everything thrown her way both offensively and defensively and will take on a defensively tough Oregon State team next.

Watkins led USC with 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists against Kansas, but it was the five points she added late in the third quarter that helped USC get their momentum back after Kansas cut the lead to one. Watkins hit a massive three-pointer and two free throws, and after assisting Kayla Padilla’s three-pointer, the lead was back to 10. Watkins is averaging 25.5 points and eight rebounds per game in the tournament, and thanks to her efforts, USC is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1994 – 11 years before Watkins was born.

During the regular season, Booker averaged 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game for the Longhorns. In the first round, the 6-foot-1 forward showed her playmaking abilities as she notched a season-high 14 assists. Then in the win over Alabama in the second round, Booker showed off her scoring abilities with 21 points on 56.3 per cent shooting and will look to continue that against Gonzaga.

We need to talk about South Carolina

For a team that dominated the regular season and the SEC tournament, No. 1 South Carolina does not get as much attention as they should after losing all five starters as well as some strong reserves from last season. They may have fallen in the Final Four last year, but they cut the nets as champions just two years ago in 2022.

Viewers were expecting South Carolina to dominate against Presbyterian, but it was a bit more of a shock when they defeated No. 8 North Carolina by a massive 47 points. Earlier in the season when the two met, the Gamecocks only won by seven.

MiLaysia Fulwiley tallied 20 points with four three-pointers, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocks, while Raven Johnson added 11 points with three more three-pointers. Kamilla Cardoso had 12 points and 10 rebounds in her return from a one-game suspension.

Add in clutch playmaker Te-Hina Paopao, who is averaging 13 points and 4.5 assists per game during the tournament — and a 47.6 3-point shooting percentage ranking first in the nation — and the Gamecocks have options all across the court that make it hard for defenders to read, which makes them so good.

Is UConn back?

Not that UConn ever went away, but 1993 was the last time the Huskies weren’t in the Sweet 16, and Geno Auriemma’s current squad wasn’t going to stop short of that, especially after last year missing the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005.

The Huskies have struggled with their fair share of major injuries over the years, most notably losing star guard Paige Bueckers twice, missing 19 games in 2021-22 and missing all of 2022-23, with 2023-24 her first healthy season since she was a freshman. But this year Azzi Fudd went down with a season-ending injury, as the junior guard suffered a torn ACL in November.

Bueckers has powered UConn, averaging 30 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game during March Madness on 56.8 per cent shooting; she’s a player who can change the trajectory of a game on any given night, but what makes the Huskies so dynamic is that they are not a one-dimensional team.

Canadian Aaliyah Edwards is not only a strong interior defender helping keep points in the paint to a minimum, but she has also started the tournament with a pair of double-doubles, averaging 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and two blocks a game.

KK Arnold had a 10-point game against Syracuse in the second round, hitting clutch shots when needed while also playing stifling defence. Meanwhile, Nika Muhl not only carried the defence for the Huskies but also notched five assists to break UConn’s all-time assist record, holding the record with 663. The Huskies managed to defeat that pesky Syracuse team, led by third-all-time NCAA women’s scorer Dyaisha Fair, and look to keep rolling against Duke.

Underdogs are the new top dogs

While many higher-seeded teams still made it to the Sweet 16, few games had a comfortable gap, and more often than not, top-seeded teams saw themselves leading by merely a basket or even trailing before finding fourth-quarter momentum to pull a win out.

Iowa struggled against West Virginia, Stanford had to take Iowa State to overtime, and USC saw a large lead slip to Kansas in the Round of 32.

For Duke, they managed to overcome a 16-point deficit and upset the No. 2 Buckeyes behind Reigan Richardson’s 28 points. The third-year guard is averaging 26.5 points and seven rebounds per game this tournament and backcourt partner Ashlon Jackson has added 13.5 points per game, helping Duke now match up with the No. 3 Huskies in this upcoming round.

Jada Walker’s 28 points lifted Baylor over No. 4 Virginia Tech, who appeared in the Final Four last year. Baylor makes the Sweet 16 for the first time under coach Nicki Collen, and is a team that has offensive balance with Sarah Andrews adding 14.5 points and four assists per game.

For a team like Indiana who now has to go up against South Carolina as 15.5-point underdogs, they have already exceeded expectations after losing in the Round of 32 last year. Guard Sara Scalia is averaging 19.5 points per game this tournament, while forward Mackenzie Holmes adds 21 points, six rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. Together, the Hoosiers should be ready to put their best on the court against the Gamecocks.

What stands between Clark vs. Reese Part II?

The brackets have aligned so that if Iowa and LSU both win their Sweet 16 games, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese could face off in college one last time in a 2023 national title game rematch.

But what is standing in their way on both sides? LSU struggled early against Middle Tennessee before a second-half defensive masterclass helped them cruise to a win, while Iowa had one of their worst offensive performances of the season as Clark scored half the team’s points in their 64-54 win over West Virginia.

Clark, Reese, Flau’jae Johnson, Hannah Stuelke and Aneesah Morrow will all be the big names in their respective match-ups, who are more than well-known at this point. Clark is averaging 29.5 points, eight rebounds and 6.5 assists in the tournament while Reese has 15 points, 15 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game – but what are their opponents in the Sweet 16 bringing to these matchups?

For LSU, they’re going to have to go up against a talented UCLA squad, led by Kiki Rice and Lauren Betts. Rice scored 13 of her 24 points in the third quarter against Creighton, while Betts added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Bruins.

As for Iowa, they’ll face off against Colorado, led by Quay Miller who notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Kansas State, while guard Maddie Nolan is averaging 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in the tournament.

Which lower seed has a fighting chance?

Gonzaga, North Carolina State and Oregon State are all in the position of being a 3 or 4 seed, meaning they all have to play the 1 or 2 seed in their region. Each team has made it to the Sweet 16 for a reason, with talent on both sides of the ball, but which team has a chance to advance to the Elite Eight?

Canadian Yvonne Ejim had 17 points against Utah to extend her streak of games scoring in double figures to 39, while sisters Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong combined to hit seven three-pointers — an area the Bulldogs had struggled with during the season — to make the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015, but will now have to face No. 1 Texas.

Saniya Rivers may have put up 16 points for N.C. State in the first round against Chattanooga, but did one better with 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks against Tennessee. Rivers, Aziaha James and Zoe Brooks combined for 58 of the team’s 79 points and shot 61 per cent during the first half. Playing with that accuracy shooting would make it much tougher for Stanford to guard.

And as for Oregon State, who are now up against Notre Dame, they are led by Talia von Oelhoffen who scored 19 points and had eight assists against Nebraska. Pair that with Raegan Beers, who is averaging 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals this tournament, and the Beavers will be looking to make things difficult for the Fighting Irish.

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Basketball sn-article
Ryan Sun/AP Alabama March Madness Roundup: Alabama upsets No. 1 UNC, reach Elite Eight 5747173 carousel Thu, 28 Mar 2024 22:19:03 EDT Fri, 29 Mar 2024 01:10:35 EDT Associated Press Grant Nelson converted a go-ahead three-point play with 38 seconds remaining, and Alabama beat top-seeded North Carolina 89-87 on Thursday night to reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.

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LOS ANGELES — Grant Nelson converted a go-ahead three-point play with 38 seconds remaining, and Alabama beat top-seeded North Carolina 89-87 on Thursday night to reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.

Nelson finished with a season-high 24 points, 19 in the second half, and he blocked RJ Davis’ attempt at a tying layup after giving Alabama the lead. Rylan Griffen added 19 points, tying his career high with five 3-pointers, and Aaron Estrada also scored 19 for the fourth-seeded Crimson Tide (24-11).

The Tide face sixth-seeded Clemson on Saturday for a berth in the Final Four. The Tigers defeated second-seeded Arizona 77-72 in the first semifinal at Crypto.com Arena.

After Nelson blocked Davis’ shot with 25 seconds left, Davis furiously dribbled around before missing a layup and the Tar Heels got called for a shot-clock violation with 8 seconds left. They were forced to foul, sending Nelson to the line. He calmly made both for an 89-85 lead.

Armando Bacot scored inside with 1 second left, leaving North Carolina trailing 89-87. The Tar Heels fouled Nelson again with 0.9 seconds left. He missed both and time expired on the blueblood Tar Heels, who own six national championships.

Bacot finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds in his final game for UNC (29-8). Cormac Ryan had 17 points and made five 3-pointers and Davis had 16 points.

At times, UNC coach Hubert Davis looked like he was still playing for his alma mater, where he starred from 1988-92 under Hall of Famer Dean Smith. Davis dashed up and down the sideline in his white sneakers, gesturing and yelling and taking his glasses on and off as he lived each play through his team.

Alabama trailed 54-46 at halftime. Nelson and Sam Walters combined to score nine of Alabama’s first 13 points to take a 59-57 lead. The Tar Heels struggled early when big man Bacot picked up his third foul five minutes in, but they tied it at 59-all on a basket by Harrison Ingram.

Nelson, Estrada and Griffen teamed to score 21 of Alabama’s next 23 points that produced an 82-77 lead. Nelson ran off seven in a row, capped by a 3-pointer.

(6) CLEMSON 77, (2) ARIZONA 72

LOS ANGELES — Chase Hunter scored 18 points and converted a three-point play with 25.7 seconds remaining, and Clemson advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time in school history, beating Arizona 77-72 in a West Region semifinal on Thursday night.

PJ Hall added 17 points for the sixth-seeded Tigers (24-11), who advanced to face either top-seeded North Carolina or No. 4 seed Alabama.

Clemson last reached the final eight in 1980, when there were 48 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Brad Brownell was making his second appearance in the second weekend of March Madness in his 14 seasons with the Tigers.

“We’ve battled a lot of things. This is a great moment for Clemson basketball,” Brownell said.

Jaden Bradley scored 18 points, Oumar Ballo had 15 and Caleb Love 13 for second-seeded Arizona (27-9), which had a horrific shooting night, going 5 of 28 (17.9%) from 3-point range. Love missed all nine of his attempts beyond the arc as the Wildcats failed to reach the Elite Eight for the 12th time overall and first time since 2015.

Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd was ousted in the Sweet 16 for the second time in his three seasons.

After Bradley’s 3-pointer got Arizona within 72-70, Hunter put it out of reach when he drove for a layup while being fouled by Bradley. Hunter’s free throw made it a five-point game.

“I just wanted to make a play,” Hunter said. “At the end of the day, I wanted to get to the basket, wanted to get an and-one, wanted to make something happen, and that’s what I did.”

The Wildcats had the edge in the paint and in transition, but the Tigers were 29 of 59 from the field (49.2 per cent). Ian Schieffelin finished with 14 points and Hunter’s brother, Dillon, made a layup for the final margin, his only basket of the game.

Clemson led 39-31 at halftime. The Tigers were still up by eight two minutes into the second half before the Wildcats went on a quick 8-0 run. Love’s three-point play tied it at 43-all with 16:43 remaining.

Two minutes later, a driving layup by Love gave Arizona its only lead, 46-45. But the Wildcats’ edge lasted only 20 seconds as Jack Clark hit a 3-pointer to put Clemson back on top.

It was tied at 56-all midway through the second half before Clemson responded with a 9-2 run, including a layup by Hall and a 3-pointer by Schieffelin.

Clemson scored the first four points and jumped out to a 16-6 lead less than nine minutes in on RJ Godfrey’s turnaround jumper. The Tigers started 7 of 13 from the field while Arizona was 2 of 13.

Hall’s layup gave Clemson a 29-16 advantage — its largest lead of the game — with 6:43 remaining in the first half.

(1) UCONN 82, (5) SAN DIEGO STATE 52

BOSTON — The rematch turned into another mismatch for UConn.

Stephon Castle had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the top-seeded Huskies and the defending NCAA champions advanced to the Elite Eight with another double-digit victory, beating San Diego State 82-52 on Thursday night in a rematch of last year’s title game.

Cam Spencer scored 18 points and Tristen Newton added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Huskies (34-3), who will play the winner of the other East Region semifinal between No. 2 Iowa State and No. 3 Illinois for a spot in the Final Four in Glendale, Arizona.

A year after cruising to their fifth national championship — winning their six NCAA Tournament games by an average of almost 20 points — the Huskies followed up blowouts last weekend with their ninth straight double-digit March Madness victory.

They have won their games in this tournament by 39, 17 and 30 points.

“We suck at winning close games,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “You’ve got to go with the alternative.”

Backed by a virtual home crowd at TD Garden — Boston is about 90 miles from UConn’s Storrs, Connecticut, campus — the Huskies made it a double-digit lead early in the second half, 20 with about seven minutes left and 30 in the final minutes, after the teams sent in their benches. Hurley’s son Andrew even got into the game with 1:44 left, drawing a celebratory cheer.

“We tried to make it like Storrs North,” Castle said. “They showed up for us.”

Seven-footer Donovan Clingan, who played just 23 minutes after getting into foul trouble, had eight points and eight rebounds.

Jaedon LeDee scored 15 of his 18 points in the first half for fifth-seeded San Diego State, which followed up the only Final Four appearance in school history with another Sweet 16 run.

But for the second straight year, the Aztecs (26-11) ran into UConn, which is now three victories away from becoming the first team to repeat as NCAA champions since Florida in 2006 and ’07.

UConn took its first 10-point lead before the midpoint of the first half in which both teams went cold about 10 minutes in. After opening a 27-16 lead with 11 minutes left, UConn shot 6 for 28 to finish the half — and still took a nine-point lead into the break.

The Huskies went up by double digits for good in the opening minutes of the second half when Newton — thanks to an offensive rebound and assist from Clingan — hit a 3-pointer to make it 45-33. Up 17 with eight minutes left, UConn scored the next nine points to pull away.

(3) ILLINOIS 72, (2) IOWA STATE 69

BOSTON — Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 29 points and Illinois reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005, beating Iowa State 72-69 in an East Region semifinal on Thursday night.

Shannon had 20 points in the first half for the third-seeded Illini (29-8), who never trailed. He broke away for a dunk in the closing seconds and later hit two free throws to help Illinois finally put away the second-seeded Cyclones (29-8).

Illinois made an NCAA Tournament regional final for the fourth time in the past 40 years and will meet defending champion UConn on Saturday for a trip to the Final Four. The top-seeded Huskies defeated San Diego State 82-52 in the earlier East semifinal.

Curtis Jones scored 26 points and Keshon Gilbert had 14 for Iowa State, which came into March Madness having blown out Houston for the Big 12 Tournament title.

The Illini have made the past four NCAA Tournaments under seventh-year coach Brad Underwood, who had never taken them past the first weekend until this year. Coleman Hawkins added 12 points and was the only other Illinois player in double figures.

The Illini’s lead was down to 68-64 with under a minute to play before a turnover by Milan Momcilovic found its way to Shannon, who drove in for a two-handed dunk with 24 seconds left.

Jones was fouled on a 3-point attempt and dropped in all three free throws to make it 70-67, but Shannon calmly made two foul shots with 6 seconds left.

The Cyclones struggled offensively in the first half, trailing 36-26 at the break, but found their touch after halftime. A floater by Gilbert got Iowa State within 51-49 with 9:46 remaining.

Gilbert then got a steal — one of Iowa State’s 11 — and sprinted in for a potential tying layup, but it rolled off the rim.

Iowa State later misfired with another chance to tie it up, this time leading to a driving layup by Illinois’ Marcus Domask. He completed a three-point play to make it 56-51.

When Iowa State got it back within three a few possessions later, Domask came through again, knocking down a 3 to push the Illini’s lead back to 62-56.

Illinois entered the night with the top offensive efficiency rating in the tournament, but it was its defence that stood out at the outset.

The Illini’s game plan was to chase the Cyclones off the 3-point line and make them try contested shots inside the arc. It worked for most of the first half as Iowa State’s shooting percentage fell under 20% near the midway point. The Cyclones also had a more than five-minute scoring drought.

Iowa State came in boasting the tourney’s most efficient defense and started the game with a steal by Gilbert. But the Cyclones had few highlights beyond that in the opening 20 minutes.

Illinois took a quick 11-2 lead while Iowa State went scoreless for nearly four minutes.

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Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball sn-article
David Zalubowski/AP Porter Michael Porter Jr. says brother Jontay would never risk love for hoops by associating with gambling 5747173 carousel Thu, 28 Mar 2024 08:43:39 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:18:54 EDT Associated Press Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. said Wednesday night that he’s sure his younger brother would never do anything to jeopardize his budding NBA playing career.

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DENVER — Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. said Wednesday night that he’s sure his younger brother would never do anything to jeopardize his budding NBA playing career.

The league announced Monday it has opened an investigation into Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter amid gambling allegations. ESPN first reported the probe, which it said surrounded Porter’s performance in games Jan. 26 and March 20. In both games, Porter played briefly before leaving citing injury or illness. In both of those games, Porter did not come close to hitting the prop-wager lines for points, rebounds and 3-pointers that bettors could play.

Michael Porter Jr. took the podium following the Nuggets’ loss to the Suns Wednesday night and was asked about the probe involving his brother.

Michael Porter Jr. said he has no more details than the media does but he vouched for his brother, who at 24 is a year younger than him, saying “Jontay loves the game of basketball” and has been thrilled to play for Toronto this season.

“I’ve known my brother my whole life. I know what type of dude he is and I know he’s excited to play basketball and I highly doubt he would do anything to put that in jeopardy,” Michael Porter Jr. insisted.

Jontay Porter hasn’t publicly addressed the situation and he has missed the last couple of the Raptors’ games with the team citing personal reasons.

The younger Porter is averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 26 games, including five starts. The 6-foot-10 Porter also played in 11 games for Memphis in the 2020-21 season.

The NBA has had business relationships with gaming companies for years, and lists FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings as official gaming partners. The league also has relationships with at least 24 other gaming operators.

Last week, Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff revealed he received threats from gamblers last season and reported it to the NBA. Bickerstaff was asked the question after All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers indicated days earlier that he’s grown tired of regularly hearing criticism from people on social media about their prop bets.

Michael Porter Jr. offered a similar appraisal Wednesday night, saying he and others regularly hear how their on-court performance affects bettors.

“Yeah, especially the last few years you hear people in the crowd saying what they need you to score tonight or what they don’t want you to score,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “Every night you’re disappointing someone. You’re disappointing people if you score too much because they may have bet on the under, and you’re disappointing people if you didn’t score enough.

“So, it’s a part of the game now. I think that it’s obviously a dangerous habit. It’s a dangerous vice for people,” Michael Porter Jr. added. “You know, the love of money is the root of all evil. So, I think that even though it is a thing, we as players just have to accept that. We get paid a lot of money to play this game and I know these people, these fans, they want to make some money, as well. …

“It’s definitely something that has kind of taken over the sporting world — I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

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Basketball NBA DEN TOR sn-article
Frank Gunn/CP Kobi Simmons Raptors Raptors injuries open up opportunity for Kobi Simmons to bring his ‘dog mentality’ 5747173 carousel Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:15:31 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:34:46 EDT Lindsay Dunn As the list of injuries continues to grow for the Toronto Raptors, it has provided Kobi Simmons with an opportunity to get meaningful minutes and prove he can play at the NBA level.

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The Toronto Raptors season is like a song that never ends.

On the court, there have been franchise-record losses at home and a long list of injuries. Off it, we’ve seen a lawsuit against the team and a gambling investigation into one of its players. But beyond the unfortunate setbacks, there have been some positive storylines. A silver lining to the team’s injury woes has been the opportunities provided for players like guard Kobi Simmons.

On Monday, Simmons signed a 10-day contract with Raptors after spending time with Raptors 905 in the NBA G League, where he built up a reputation for his playmaking and leadership. He scored in double figures in 19-of-23 games and poured in 20-plus points in six of those games, including a career-high 36 on Mar. 11.

Then, he got the call — and opportunity — he’d been working so hard for.

“I was in my house actually reading and my agent called me,” Simmons told Sportsnet about the moment he found out about his contract.  “Then after that, the calls were rolling in.”

Simmons has been trying to work his way back to the NBA ever since he was waived by the Hornets in the summer of 2023. The Atlanta, Georgia native went undrafted in 2017 but signed with the Grizzlies shortly after and would go on to play 38 games in the league between Memphis, Cleveland and Charlotte.

When the 26-year-old stepped onto the court for the Raptors on Monday in the second quarter of the team’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets, it marked 351 days since he last played in an NBA game. He finished with seven points, two rebounds and two steals in 17 minutes.

“Man, it was so big for me. I think the last time I got meaningful minutes in an NBA game like that I was probably like 20 or 21. It was good being out there competing and giving everything I got,” Simmons said.

Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic recognizes the challenges a player faces by joining a team this late in the season, but liked what he saw from Simmons in his debut.

“Joining a team after 71 games isn’t easy,” Rajakovic said. “Overall, I thought he did well. I liked his initiative to pick up full court and to play some aggressive defence and I thought in half court he had some really good drives.”

On Wednesday night, Simmons was back on the court in Toronto’s 145-101 loss to the New York Knicks. He finished with two points and six assists in 24 minutes.

“I’m going to take full advantage of this contract, kind of just showing (the team) I belong,” Simmons added. “Play hard with energy, effort (and) good things will come out of that. Just every night stepping out and bringing that dog mentality and playing hard.”

The Raptors’ injury list continues to grow with Ochai Agbaji leaving Wednesday’s game after a hard fall on the court. It is not known how long he will be out, but that just opens up more potential opportunities for Simmons, who has impressed his new teammates.

“He fits in with us perfectly,” Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. said. “His game compliments our team, he is a combo point guard and can shoot the three.

“He is a great player, a seasoned player that has been around and playing the game for a long time so he can help us a lot. He has been doing tremendously so far, learning on the fly and being a pro.”

Toronto’s next game is on Sunday when they host the Philadelphia 76ers.

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Basketball NBA TOR sn-article
Raptors Nuggets Basketball No matter how this plays out, Jontay Porter allegations mean NBA has a problem 5747173 carousel Tue, 26 Mar 2024 17:17:16 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 09:49:28 EDT Michael Grange No matter how the gambling allegations play out, the NBA and Jontay Porter have a problem, writes Michael Grange.

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Editor’s Note: Gambling problems aren’t only about losing money. They occur on a continuum, and can affect a person’s whole life. To learn more about developing a healthy relationship to gambling, and to find resources for support, click here.

 

TORONTO — A quick story that was relayed to me recently: 

An NBA player of note goes out for dinner after a game with another well-known athlete from another sport, now retired.

The first topic of conversation?

The player’s dinner companion says that the player cost him $500,000.

Why? Because the retired athlete had bet that the player he was out for dinner with would score more than a certain number of points for the game that night but left the game early, one point short.

“Man, if I’d known, I would have checked back in,” the player says to laughs all around.

Another example: A veteran player who has been on and off the injured list over the course of a season has a friend who loves to place bets and texts him regularly to find out if he’s playing when he’s been listed as questionable.

The simple solution for the player is to ignore him, but if he happens to reply — one way or the other — and the friend benefits on a bet?

It might not look very good for anyone involved if it were ever red-flagged.

From strangers on the street wanting to know lineup information, to friends of players asking for inside information, to fans online complaining when a bet didn’t go their way, it’s hard for NBA players to withstand the whirlwind of legalized betting that swirls around them.

“All anyone talks to players about now,” said one player agent who didn’t want his name used, “is their stupid, f—ing bets.”

It is very much the environment professional sports exists in now, especially since sports betting has been legalized in most jurisdictions in North America.

The point was driven home on Monday night when ESPN reported that Toronto Raptors two-way big man Jontay Porter was being investigated by the NBA for two games in which he may have manipulated his performance to benefit bettors wagering that he would not hit certain statistical targets.

Porter, who missed the Raptors’ most recent game for personal reasons and was not at practice on Tuesday, allegedly pulled himself from games after just a few minutes, with his statistics falling well short of the betting lines. Meanwhile, DraftKings reported that there was a surge of interest in bettors’ under totals before each game and that bets on Porter’s performance were the most profitable on the platform each day.

Given Porter’s status — as a reserve centre on a non-playoff team who doesn’t even have a full-time NBA contract — the idea of him being at the centre of so much gambling activity would seem to raise a red flag or two or three.

It remains to be seen how widely this all spools out.

Is it all just some remarkable coincidence that significantly better traffic was generated by Porter on the same day he pulled himself from games — not just once, but twice?

Is Porter part of some kind of organized scheme in which he was paid up front by a third party to compromise his play and then that person or organization used that knowledge to lay bets in a large enough volume to make up for what Porter was (hypothetically) paid and still turn a significant enough profit? This, while keeping in mind that Porter will earn $415,000 this year and is on the cusp of an opportunity to make multiples of that if he can achieve his lifelong goal of cracking an NBA roster full-time.

In the above scenario, did Porter (allegedly) do it willingly? Or will we learn he was somehow coerced?

Or maybe it’s the simplest scenario of all: Porter saw an opportunity as a relatively low-impact player on a losing team playing games of limited consequence where he could no-show for a few games, and he and a small circle of “friends” would benefit. Perhaps — like news of a house party being spread on social media, and a riot following — word of a sure thing got out and spread like wildfire.

Is it all a misunderstanding? One man acting alone? Organized crime? Or a 24-year-old who saw an angle but didn’t think through all of the possible consequences and now may be facing the end of his basketball career.

The latter doesn’t seem entirely implausible. In a story by Adam Laskaris for the DailyHive.com that outlines the Raptors big man’s passion for stock tips, cryptocurrency trading and the odd bit of sports gambling talk, it seems that Porter has a passion for finding ways to turn a quick profit and an enthusiasm for sharing his information.

But we’ll see. Regardless, the NBA and Porter have a problem. If it turns out it was just Porter trying to pull a fast one, he’s proven how easily NBA results can be manipulated to benefit bettors, which should be a red flag. If it turns out that Porter was somehow the victim of coercion by shady underworld types, well, the league might have a bigger issue on its hands. And if it ends up Porter turns out to be a 20-something with an an itch to turn a quick buck, well, the league needs to tighten up its messaging against players gambling on NBA-adjacent events because it’s unlikely that Porter is the only player who might fit that profile.

But nothing the league can do will likely curb the volume of fan-player interactions on the subject of gambling. That will likely depend on the common sense and integrity of the players themselves.

On one level, risking your career and your reputation to bet on anything to do with the NBA, let alone quitting on your team so you or someone around you can turn a temporary profit, seems like the kind of thing most people would only have to be told about once.

As another agent said to me: “I honestly never run into this because it goes without saying. It’s like, know what a travel is, or double dribble. Players know you just don’t do it. And on top of that, they’re constantly reminded by the union not to do it. If a guy still does it, he’s got a gambling addiction, has serious money issues or is stupid to the point he can’t distinguish right from wrong.”

The Raptors had a team meeting on Tuesday to brush up on existing league policies and rules around gambling, but for veteran Bruce Brown, it was unnecessary. He says that apart from the ubiquitous social media noise from fans upset about bets, those around him know better than to pry him for information or drag him into temptation.

“All my people know not to hit me up about stuff like that,” Brown said. “Even if they do, like, I won’t answer. I won’t say anything. … Everybody knows I can’t do it. Everybody knows what the rules are. People around me know the rules. So, they know I’m not for any of that.”

But no one has ever been wrong in betting on the possibility of young men with money to burn and time on their hands being prone to bouts of poor judgment.

Sure, there are warnings about gambling on professional basketball (NBA players can gamble on other sports, as long as it’s with a legally recognized bookmaker in a jurisdiction where sports betting is allowed) posted in every NBA locker room, and, yes, the league and the players association have education programs to warn players of the risks posed by gambling, but people are people, NBA players included.

“The NBA’s the best job in the world, but it’s still a job, and just like any other job, no one wants to be at work a second longer than they have to,” said one agent. “So, they have those meetings after practices about this stuff and guys aren’t paying attention, they just want to get out of there as soon as possible.”

In that regard, perhaps the Porter situation will serve a greater benefit. The league and players certainly have a lot to gain by being so cozy with legalized sports betting — the teams and players share basketball-related income on a roughly 50-50 basis, after all.

But they have a lot to lose if fans and gamblers alike can’t trust that the product on the floor represents a fair and honest competition.

However the Porter story ends up breaking, the shock of it could serve a purpose.

As one of the agents I spoke with put it, “This [guy] will be a wake-up call for everyone.”

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Basketball NBA TOR sn-article
(Brandon Dill/AP Photo) Dray (1) Warriors’ Draymond Green ejected four minutes into game vs. Magic 5747173 carousel Wed, 27 Mar 2024 20:38:47 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:20:52 EDT Sportsnet Staff Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected from the team’s contest against the Orlando Magic, less than four minutes into the first quarter, on Wednesday.

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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected from the team’s contest against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, less than four minutes into the first quarter.

After teammate Andrew Wiggins was called for a foul at the 8:24 mark of the opening frame, Green was quick to speak up to the officials about his thoughts on the whistle. That was when he received his first technical foul.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr tried diffusing the situation by calling a timeout, though Green continued and the officials heard enough to warrant handing him a second technical – ending his night.

This marks the fourth time Green has been ejected this season and the 9th and 10th technical fouls he’s received.

Earlier this season the 34-year-old was suspended for five games due to his involvement in an altercation with Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

About a month later, in December, Green was ejected and subsequently suspended, this time for striking Jusuf Nurkic in the face. The league decided that this time he would be suspended indefinitely, referencing Green’s “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.” The ejection for hitting Nurkic in the face was the 18th of his career, the most among active NBA players.

Green did issue a public apology, citing that he had enlisted himself into counselling services during his suspension. He was reinstated on Jan. 3, making his return to the court after a 16-game absence.

The forward has walked a relatively straight and narrow path since the incident involving Nurkic but last week marked the return of some antics.

On Mar. 20 Green received a technical for an on-court scuffle with Desmond Bane of the Memphis Grizzlies, and less than 24 hours before his ejection against the Magic, he was not penalized after clotheslining Miami Heat guard Patty Mills.

The Warriors were already without Jonathan Kuminga, who missed this game due to knee tendinitis, and were then without both starting forwards for a majority of the night. Green has played in 46 games for Golden State this season, averaging 8.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and six assists.

“After a prolonged diatribe, Green directed egregious profane language towards a game official,” crew chief Mitchell Irvin said post-game. “Green’s history did not affect the decision to eject the player.”

The Warriors went on to their second-best defensive quarter of the season, holding the Magic to 11 points on 3 for 22 shooting.

Stephen Curry was visibly upset when Green was ejected.

“But it was a beautiful team effort to respond the way we did,” Curry said. “We went and took it, and that’s a good sign for us.”

Trying to hold on to a play-in spot with 10 regular-season games remaining, the Warriors “don’t want to have self-inflicted wounds,” Curry said.

“We need him. He knows that. We all know that, so whatever it takes to keep him on the floor, for him to be available, that’s what’s got to happen, especially at this time of year,” Curry said. “I’ve talked to him plenty of times about it, even tonight, and I’ll continue to talk to him as a teammate and a friend.”

— With files from AP

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Basketball NBA GS sn-article
Matt Slocum/AP 76ers and Clippers Officials admit to missed call on final play of Clippers win over 76ers 5747173 carousel Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:46:29 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:58:08 EDT Associated Press Officials said they missed a foul call in the closing seconds of the Los Angeles Clippers’ 108-107 win over Philadelphia on Wednesday night, denying the 76ers a possible victory in their fight for better playoff positioning.

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PHILADELPHIA — Officials said they missed a foul call in the closing seconds of the Los Angeles Clippers‘ 108-107 win over Philadelphia on Wednesday night, denying the 76ers a possible victory in their fight for better playoff positioning.

Referee Kevin Scott said in a pool report sent to reporters by the NBA an hour after the game that the Clippers’ Paul George did make contact with Kelly Oubre Jr. — who had the ball and was driving — before time had expired on the final play of the contest.

“In real time the crew interpreted that play as the defender jumping vertically,” Scott said. “However, in post-game video review we did observe some slight drift to his left by the defender George, and a foul should have been ruled.”

The foul call would have sent Oubre to the line with a chance to win the game with 0.2 seconds remaining.

After the horn sounded, both Oubre and Sixers coach Nick Nurse swarmed onto the floor to challenge Scott and fellow officials JB DeRosa and Brandon Adair.

“I looked it on our computer screen a couple times (and) I thought there was certainly contact,” Nurse said. “Certainly as much as the last two or three that got called and-1s at the other end. And that’s all. I just thought it was enough contact to call. But that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Oubre felt there was a general imbalance of calls.

“There was absolute contact, but they were calling those calls for those guys,” he said. “They were getting and-1s and they were changing the game in that aspect. And then we get to our side and they didn’t see any contact.”

He also apologized for confronting the officials.

“In the heat of the moment in an intense basketball game of course and we’re not perfect. The refs are not perfect,” he said. “I want to apologize for losing my cool, because that’s something I work on each and every day and trying to represent God in the best way that I can. And that wasn’t it.”

The 76ers are currently in eighth place in the Eastern Conference and fighting for better playoff positioning but have struggled without last season’s MVP Joel Embiid.

Embiid, who has averaged 35.3 points and 11.5 rebounds this season, has not played since suffering a meniscus injury on Jan. 30 at Golden State that required surgery on Feb. 6. The Sixers are 10-17 since Embiid’s injury. The team is 13-26 overall this season without him and 26-8 with him.

Embiid has started on-court work, and Nurse said before Wednesday’s game that the team hopes to have him back before the postseason.

“I think there’s a very good likelihood that he will return before the playoffs,” Nurse said.

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Basketball NBA LAC PHI sn-article
Jontay Porter Jontay Porter probe puts spotlight on ‘wild, wild west’ of sports gambling 5747173 carousel Mon, 25 Mar 2024 22:45:38 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 18:19:35 EDT Michael Grange The current investigation into Raptors forward Jontay Porter is yet another sign that professional sports’ rush to profit from alliances with legalized gambling could threaten the integrity of its core product: a level playing field.

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Editor’s Note: Gambling problems aren’t only about losing money. They occur on a continuum, and can affect a person’s whole life. To learn more about developing a healthy relationship to gambling, and to find resources for support, click here.

 

TORONTO — Over the course of a dismal Toronto Raptors season spiralling to its inevitable conclusion, watching Jontay Porter regain some momentum in a young basketball career beset with injuries had emerged as a welcome and heart-warming story. 

The peak likely came two weeks ago when the 24-year-old big man took the floor in Denver where his older brother, Michael Porter Jr., stars for the Denver Nuggets. 

The two were inseparable growing up and played on the same team wherever possible: Jontay as the high-skill role player supporting his higher-profile brother. It was that basketball intelligence and firm understanding of how to support high-level talent that made him an appealing NBA prospect at the University of Missouri before he tore his ACL and MCL before his sophomore season, and then re-injured his knee again five months later. He went undrafted in 2019 and struggled with further issues early in his professional career. 

But after a long road back and thanks in part to his older brother talking him out of retiring, Porter was healthy and finally found some traction when the Raptors signed him to a two-way contract in December. With the Raptors’ injury situation, Porter was able to get steady minutes for the first time in the NBA, and showed on multiple occasions how his skill set was a nice fit with head coach Darko Rajakovic’s preference for floor spacing, cutting and ball movement. 

It all came together in Denver, with the Porter family on hand to see the two brothers reunited on the floor. Jontay scored 14 points and dished five assists in 22 minutes off the bench in a game where the undermanned Raptors pushed the defending champions Nuggets to the limit. 

Jerseys were exchanged at mid-court post-game, and warm hugs and smiles with family were all part of the scene in the arena hallways afterward as the Porter family got to see a moment that looked unlikely when Jontay’s career seemed over before it started. 

It was beautiful stuff. Porter comes across as a bright, modest, intelligent person who plays a smart, unselfish brand of basketball. Easy to root for, in other words. In a long season, it was great to see him and those who supported him on his journey so happy. 

If that was the peak, exactly where the bottom will be is hard to tell, but there’s a very real possibility that it’s coming fast and it’s not inconceivable that the end of Jontay Porter’s basketball career will be the result. 

The basics: The Raptors big man, who will earn $415,000 this season, is being investigated by the NBA for manipulating his on-court performance for bettors who could benefit financially from knowing he would do so. 

It’s exactly the kind of scenario that is all too easy to conjure up in an era when legalized sports betting is ubiquitous, and fans and players alike can place almost any manner of bets via an app on their phone. It is a not-so-small step for a player to participate in a plan that could benefit him or those in his orbit financially. 

Everyone loves a so-called sure thing. 

But the fact that it’s actually happened (allegedly) and involving a teammate, that’s another matter.

“I’m surprised, but at the end of the day, nothing has been proven yet,” said Raptors veteran Garrett Temple, who is also a vice-president of the NBPA Executive Committee. “It’s an investigation and he’s a member of our team, a member of our organization, but also a member of the 450 [union members]. So, my position is that we’re backing [him] and hope that it’s not what has been implied.”

As first reported by ESPN.com, just before the Raptors hosted the visiting Brooklyn Nets, Porter — who was officially listed out due to personal reasons — “is under investigation by the NBA following multiple instances of betting irregularities over the past several months.”

The ESPN report cited two instances where Porter left a game early and didn’t hit the thresholds required to surpass the betting line for his points, rebounds and assists totals in what is known as a “prop” bet. 

On Jan. 26 against the LA Clippers, Porter played just four minutes before leaving the game when he re-aggravated an eye injury he’d suffered four games earlier. The line for his totals were — per ESPN — set at 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. If you bet the over and Porter had a line of at least 6/5/2, you win. If you bet the under and he doesn’t reach those totals in each category, you win. There was also an over/under for Porter’s made 3-pointers, which was 0.5.

Having left the game early, Porter didn’t score against the Clippers and had just three rebounds, one assist and didn’t attempt a three. Those who bet the under would have won all their bets. 

According to ESPN, DraftKings Sportsbook — one of the NBA’s four gambling-related sponsors — reported that the under on Porter’s 3-pointers was the biggest money winner for bettors of any NBA player props from games that evening.

In last Wednesday’s game against the Sacramento Kings, Porter left the game after three minutes due to illness without scoring, and grabbing only two rebounds. His over/unders were set at 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. On Thursday, ESPN reports, DraftKings Sportsbook told its users that Porter’s prop bets were the No. 1 money maker from the night in the NBA.

Porter played 21 minutes Friday, scoring seven points, dishing out eight assists and grabbing two rebounds in Toronto’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder before missing Saturday’s and Monday’s games due to personal reasons. 

It could all be a coincidence. However, it’s somewhat unlikely that big money was bet on a fringe player’s prop bets in the same games when he left them after playing minimal minutes, giving him no opportunity to reach the lines set by the bookmakers. 

Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said he knew nothing about the situation until he was informed earlier Monday, but noticed nothing unusual about the games when Porter pulled himself out in the early going.

“From my perspective as a coach, I never doubt injuries, I never doubt the honesty of players,” said Rajakovic. “Obviously, I never had a situation like this before.”

Players are allowed to bet on sports, per NBA rules, but betting on NBA, G League or WNBA games is a violation of league policy and is punishable by suspensions, fines or termination. 

But if Porter knowingly altered his on-court performance so that he and or others could profit through gambling, it is a black eye for him, quite possibly the end of his career and another sign that professional sports’ rush to profit from alliances with legalized gambling could threaten the integrity of its core product: a level playing field.

“It’s definitely awkward … I like that term,” said Temple, acknowledging that along with some of the problems sports gambling may foster, its presence has generated a significant amount of new revenue that the league shares with players. “You watch a game, and you may see FanDuel or DraftKings as a big-time sponsor for a team, but obviously it’s illegal for us to [bet on] any type of professional basketball … we understand that.

“[But] sports betting has always been around, it just obviously is even more available,” he said. “But as players, you don’t really think about it. As a veteran, I don’t really think about it as much because [not betting on basketball] has always been a rule. It’s not as if a rule change happened. So, it is awkward but at the same time, like I say, we understand what we’re getting ourselves into.”

The idea of a player fixing his own prop bet seems like hanging fruit for someone trying to play an angle, it must be said.

Fixing the outcome of a game or the point differential in a game is a complicated thing involving, most likely, multiple actors or a player of significant enough standing to shape the outcome of a game to cooperate. 

But having a relatively minor player simply not try very hard or — as Porter is being investigated for — feigning an injury and leaving a game early so as to not hit his totals and affect a single prop bet? 

It seems almost too easy. 

Meanwhile, fandom has shifted from supporting teams and stars to — very often — fans being invested in their betting outcomes over everything.

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said last week that he’s all too aware of where some fans’ allegiances lie, telling The Athletic: “To half the world, I’m just helping them make money on DraftKings or whatever. I’m a prop.”

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he’s been threatened by gamblers telling reporters last week: “They got my telephone number and were sending me crazy messages about where I live and my kids and all that stuff. So, it is a dangerous game and a fine line that we’re walking, for sure.” 

As news broke about the reason Porter was absent for Monday’s game, his teammates said they didn’t know any details. “I know what you know,” said Raptors forward Jordan Nwora. 

But they acknowledge that the fervour around gambling and sports betting is hard to ignore. Turns out a lot of fans wish a player would cooperate and help them win their prop bet and are only too happy to tell players that, in person and online. 

“(It’s) non-stop. You get messages,” said Nwora. “You hear it on the sideline. You see guys talking about it all the time. I forget what the term is … Tyrese just said it that day … yeah, a prop, yeah. It is what it is. It comes with being in the NBA. People bet on silly things on a daily basis. … Just tune it out or just don’t look at your messages.”

Gambling on sports is hardly new and match-fixing and other improprieties date back to the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, where organized crime figures attempted to fix the outcome of the World Series. But legalized sports betting is a relatively recent development — it was legalized in Canada in 2021 and remains illegal in 12 U.S. states — and the ramifications of the change are still being felt, the case involving the Raptors’ Porter the most recent, but perhaps not the last. 

 “(Hearing from fans) has been a part of it for probably the past two or three years,” said Raptors wing Ochai Agbaji. “And fans, you know, slamming you for not hitting their bet, that’s an every-night thing for every single one of us in this locker room. 

“It’s all over the place. It’s the wild, wild west right now …”

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NBA Headlines Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:20:30 EST Tue, 19 Dec 2023 17:25:13 EST Josh Beneteau headlines_meta sn-collection John Bazemore/AP Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics NBA Roundup: Murray scores go-ahead jumper, Hawks beat Celtics in OT 5831758 headlines Thu, 28 Mar 2024 23:22:52 EDT Fri, 29 Mar 2024 01:56:11 EDT Associated Press Dejounte Murray scored a career-high 44 points, including a go-ahead jumper in the final second of overtime to power the Atlanta Hawks to a 123-122 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.

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ATLANTA — Dejounte Murray scored a career-high 44 points, including a go-ahead jumper in the final second of overtime to power the Atlanta Hawks to a 123-122 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.

Murray scored all of Atlanta’s 11 points in the extra period to give the Hawks their second win over Boston in four days.

Jaylen Brown sank a go-ahead jumper with 6 seconds remaining in overtime to give Boston a 122-121 lead. Murray answered with the jumper over Jrue Holiday.

Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 24 points and De’Andre Hunter had 21 points and 13 rebounds as Atlanta won its fourth straight game to match its longest streak of the season.

Jayson Tatum led Boston with 31 points and 13 rebounds. Kristaps Porzingis scored 20 points and Brown had 18.

PELICANS 107, BUCKS 100

NEW ORLEANS — Zion Williamson scored 28 points, CJ McCollum added 25 and New Orleans held off Milwaukee.

Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans, giving him his 32nd double-double of the season, but just his first in 11 games. Trey Murphy III had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Pelicans, who won despite going just 8 of 32 on 3-pointers and shooting just 39.6 per cent (36 of 91) overall.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 35 points and 14 rebounds for Milwaukee. Damian Lillard scored 20 points for the Bucks, as did Malik Beasley, who hit six threes.

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CP/Frank Gunn Knicks Raptors Knicks cruise past Raptors, most lopsided home loss in Toronto’s history 5831758 headlines Wed, 27 Mar 2024 22:14:08 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 22:23:26 EDT Canadian Press The New York Knicks earned a lopsided 145-101 victory over the undermanned Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.

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Miles McBride scored 29 points and had seven assists as the New York Knicks earned a lopsided 145-101 victory over the undermanned Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.

Jalen Brunson had 26 points and seven assists as New York (44-28) won its third straight. Former Raptors forward Precious Achiuwa had a double-double off the bench for 19 points and 13 boards as six Knicks reached double digits in scoring.

Rookie forward Gradey Dick scored a career-high 23 points as the Raptors (23-50) dropped their 12th game in a row. 

Centre Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops, B.C., had 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in a game where Toronto never held a lead.

The 44-point difference was Toronto’s worst home loss in franchise history, topping a 41-point differential in a 139-98 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on March 5.

The already depleted Raptors lost guard Ochai Agbaji to injury early in the game.

Agbaji was injured within the first six minutes of the game, trying to convert an alley-oop pass from Olynyk. The 23-year-old guard missed the dunk and fell hard on his tailbone, immediately putting his hand on his lower back and his writhed on the floor in obvious pain.

He had to be helped to the locker room and did not return to the game with a right hip contusion.

Agbaji’s injury adds to Toronto’s already lengthy list of inactive players. 

All-star forward Scottie Barnes (left hand fracture), centre Jakob Poeltl (left hand torn ligament), swingman RJ Barrett (personal reasons), point guard Immanuel Quickley (personal reasons), forward Chris Boucher (partial MCL tear), guard D.J. Carton (right ankle sprain) and Jontay Porter (personal reasons) were already out.

McBride dominated play in the first quarter, scoring 18 points and dishing out three assists in that period alone. The Knicks led by as many as 17 points, building a 45-33 lead to open up the game.

New York finished the second quarter on a 9-4 run, holding an 80-59 lead heading into intermission.

The Knicks didn’t let up when play resumed in the third. Brunson scored nine of his points in the quarter as New York outscored Toronto 31-21 in the period to take a 111-80 lead into the fourth.

A 15-0 Knicks run in the middle of the fourth sent most of the 19,133 fans at Scotiabank Arena to the exits early.

ANUNOBY & ACHIUWA — OG Anunoby and Achiuwa were honoured with video tributes in the first quarter. Toronto traded the pair Dec. 30 to the Knicks for Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., and Quickley. Only Achiuwa played Wednesday. Anunoby was recovering from elbow surgery and both Barrett and Quickley were inactive for personal reasons.

UP NEXT

The Raptors continue their homestand Sunday when they host the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Knicks travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs on Friday night.

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(Isaac Hale/AP Photo) Nembhard Michigan lawmaker claims that buses carrying March Madness teams are ‘illegal invaders’ 5831758 headlines Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:42:07 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:42:09 EDT Associated Press A right-wing Michigan state lawmaker who has been tied to former President Donald Trump and his election denials is being widely criticized after making claims that buses carrying college athletes to Detroit for March Madness were immigrant “invaders” being shuttled into the city illegally.

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FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (AP) — A right-wing Michigan state lawmaker who has been tied to former President Donald Trump and his election denials is being widely criticized after making claims that buses carrying college athletes to Detroit for March Madness were immigrant “invaders” being shuttled into the city illegally.

Michigan state House Rep. Matt Maddock made the claim Wednesday night in a social media post accompanied by photos of three buses near an Allegiant plane at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Maddock wrote that the buses “just loaded up with illegal invaders.”

“Anyone have any idea where they’re headed with their police escort?” Maddock wrote on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Four college basketball teams travelling to Detroit for the second weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament arrived by plane Wednesday evening, the Wayne County Airport Authority said in a statement. The “buses seen in a photograph circulating online were transporting the basketball teams and their respective staffs,” the statement added.

Maddock’s post drew swift criticism on social media, with multiple accounts noting that an earlier post on the Gonzaga men’s basketball team’s social media page had indicated their departure for Detroit, featuring an Allegiant plane.

“A sitting State Representative sees a group of buses at the airport and immediately yells ‘illegal invaders’ which is a pretty rude (and also, frankly, dangerous) way to greet the Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Team arriving for March Madness,” state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat, wrote on social media.

Maddock doubled down on his posts Thursday, adding that hundreds of thousands of “illegals are pouring into our country,” and into Michigan. In a text response to The Associated Press, Maddock declined to acknowledge that the buses were transporting basketball players.

“I haven’t heard a good answer yet,” Maddock wrote. “I took a tip and asked because this is happening in many places and it is well documented.”

Some Republicans who had initially echoed Maddock’s claims made in his original post, such as Michigan GOP chairman Pete Hoekstra, quickly backtracked.

A Republican representing parts of metro Detroit, Maddock has a history of being among the most far-right members in the Michigan Legislature. His wife, Meshawn Maddock, the former co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, is one of 15 Republicans charged for acting as fake electors for then-President Trump in 2020.

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Nate Billings/AP Rockets and Thunder NBA Roundup: Green scores 37, Rockets beat Thunder for 10th win in a row 5831758 headlines Wed, 27 Mar 2024 22:27:51 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 01:27:25 EDT Associated Press Rookie Brandon Miller made seven 3-pointers and finished with 31 points, and Charlotte beat Cleveland 118-111 on Wednesday night to avenge a 23-point loss earlier in the week.

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OKLAHOMA CITY — The Houston Rockets didn’t care that they beat an Oklahoma City squad that was missing its best player, All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Rockets celebrated loudly in the locker room after escaping with a win at one of the toughest venues in the league. Jalen Green scored 37 points and Houston won its 10th straight game, defeating the Thunder 132-126 in overtime on Wednesday night.

“It was lit, it was lit,” Green said. “Everybody was happy, celebrating, screaming. I mean, we fought for that one. We worked hard.”

Rockets coach Ime Udoka said it’s all about stacking victories.

“Ten in a row is 10 in a row, regardless if Shai is out or whatever the case may be,” Udoka said. “But it’s hard to do in the NBA. The guys are proud of that effort, and well deserved.”

Amen Thompson had 25 points and 15 rebounds and Dillon Brooks added 20 points for the Rockets.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who was out with a bruised right thigh, ranks third in the league with 30.4 points per game.

Josh Giddey matched a career-high with 31 points for the Thunder, one night after scoring a season-high 25 in a win at New Orleans. Jalen Williams added 23 points and 10 assists for Oklahoma City, which entered the night a half game behind the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets.

CLIPPERS 108, 76ERS 107

PHILADELPHIA — Kawhi Leonard completed two 3-point plays late in the game then made a block at the rim on the final possession to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a controversial 108-107 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

Kelly Oubre Jr. was stuffed at the rim by Leonard on a play that Sixers head coach Nick Nurse felt should have resulted in a foul on Paul George.

The officiating crew after the game said a foul should have been called on the last play that would have sent Oubre to the line with a chance to win the game.

Nurse stormed onto the court to dispute the non-call and had to be restrained by his assistants. Oubre also jumped into the mix, pointing at each official before being pulled away after the final horn.

“Well I think, listen, I think he took it in there pretty hard, right?” Nurse said. “I looked it on our computer screen a couple times. I thought there was certainly contact. Certainly as much as the last two or three that got called and-1’s at the other end. And that’s all. I just thought it was enough contact to call. But that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

The game officials agreed.

“On the last play on the floor, in real time the crew interpreted that play as the defender jumping vertically,” referee Kevin Scott said to a pool reporter. “However, in post-game video review we did observe some slight drift to his left by the defender George, and a foul should have been ruled.”

Leonard bounced back from a 1-for-8 shooting first half to score 17 points and grab 10 rebounds.

“We had to stay focused if we were going to stay in the game,” he said.

George had 22 points to lead Los Angeles while James Harden, in his return to Wells Fargo Center, had 16 points and 14 assists for the Clippers, who had lost six of nine.

“I liked our fight when we got down 15 points,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said. “It’s a tough game for a first game of a road trip. … I just liked us staying with it and attacking the paint and getting to the rim.”

Tyrese Maxey had 26 points for the 76ers while Oubre added 17 points.

NUGGETS 104, SUNS 97

DENVER — Kevin Durant had 30 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks and the Phoenix Suns won in Denver for the second time this month, beating the defending champion Nuggets 104-97 on Wednesday night.

The Suns, with the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA, moved a half-game ahead of Sacramento for the seventh spot in the Western Conference as they try to move up to sixth to avoid a play-in game. Dallas is No. 6, a half-game ahead of Phoenix.

The Western Conference-leading Nuggets struggled without starting point guard Jamal Murray, who missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle.

Nikola Jokic had 22 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists as he fought through lower back pain and left hip soreness.

The Nuggets, a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City and Minnesota, lost for just the third time in 18 games since the All-Star break, and two of those losses have come at home to the Suns, who prevailed 117-107 in overtime at Ball Arena on March 5.

Denver won six straight games at home after that, but Wednesday night were again victimized by terrific long-range shooting from the Suns, who made 16 of 33 shots from behind the arc. Denver was 10 of 40 on 3s.

Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon each added 18 points for Denver, but the Nuggets’ bench shot just 5 of 19.

Jusuf Nurkic was out for Phoenix with a sprained right ankle after the center was hurt in the third quarter of the Suns’ 104-102 loss at San Antonio on Monday night.

Bradley Beal left that game with a sprained right ring finger, but he started Wednesday night and sank a trio of 3-pointers in the first quarter, setting the tone for another sizzling shooting performance by the Suns, who sank 15 3-pointers at Ball Arena in their last visit.

BULLS 125, PACERS 99

CHICAGO — DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points and Nikola Vucevic added 22 with 12 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls past the Indiana Pacers 125-99 on Wednesday night to snap a three-game skid.

Coby White had 18 points to help Chicago take the season series from Indiana 3-1.

All five Chicago starters reached double digits in scoring, but this victory was about defense. The high-scoring Pacers were held under 100 points for the first time this season. Their previous low was 101 against Boston in a loss on Jan. 6.

“As a team, I thought we were very connected defensively,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “I really thought the way they helped each other was very important … with (Indiana) being such a hard team to guard offensively, the number of points they score.”

Andrew Nembhard scored 18 points for the Pacers, who concluded a five-game trip at 3-2 and remained in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers were held to 40% shooting, while the Bulls shot 50% in an often sloppy game.

Chicago limited Pascal Siakam to 14 points after the two-time All-Star had scored 25 or more in four straight games and 36 and 31 in his last two, respectively.

“I thought we didn’t have the sense of urgency early to get into the paint, as much as we usually do,” said Siakam, who often was double-teamed. “Obviously we weren’t making shots and I said we didn’t have no juice, no real energy, like kind of flat.”

Ayo Dosunmu scored 17 on 7-for-11 shooting, including 3 for 5 on 3-pointers. Andre Drummond added 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for Chicago, ninth in the East.

TIMBERWOLVES 106, PISTONS 91

MINNEAPOLIS — Naz Reid had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Jaden McDaniels added 20 points to help the Minnesota Timberwolves overcome a sluggish start Wednesday night to beat the NBA-worst Detroit Pistons 106-91.

Rudy Gobert had 11 points and 14 rebounds and Kyle Anderson scored 14 points off the bench to help offset a quiet nine points by All-Star Anthony Edwards for the Wolves (50-22), who moved into a second-place tie with Oklahoma City in the Western Conference after the Thunder lost in overtime to Houston.

Denver played later, taking a one-game edge into a home game against Phoenix.

“Why not the first seed? And regardless of whether we do or not, we know the real season starts in mid-April,” Gobert said.

The Wolves hit the 50-win mark for just the fifth time in their 35 seasons, matching the franchise’s third-highest total with 10 games to go. Minnesota’s all-time best record was 58-24 in 2003-04.

“It means a lot. I’ve been here four years now and ain’t got close to 50 wins,” McDaniels said. “It’s a little milestone, but we’ve still got to keep winning.”

Cade Cunningham scored 32 points for the Pistons (12-61), who lost their eighth straight. With nine games to go, they’ve got the fourth-most losses in the franchise’s 76-year history. The ignominious record (16-66) was set in 1979-80.

LAKERS 136, GRIZZLIES 124

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — LeBron James had a triple-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, Rui Hachimura scored 32 points as the Los Angeles Lakers built a big lead in the third quarter and beat the Memphis Grizzlies 136-124 on Wednesday night.

Coming off a 128-124 double-overtime victory in Milwaukee without James on Tuesday night, the Lakers won their fifth straight to pull within 2 1/2 games of idle Dallas for the sixth spot in the Western Conference, a spot that would avoid a play-in game.

Anthony Davis sat out against Memphis after having 34 points and 23 rebounds in a career-high 52 minutes against Milwaukee. He hyperextended his left knee late against the Bucks. James said Hachimura’s scoring — including 7 of 8 3-pointers — along with grabbing 10 rebounds was a key with Davis sitting out.

“Rui’s ability to shoot and spread the floor was big time for us,” James said. “He just stayed locked in all night.”

D’Angelo Russell added 23 points for Los Angeles, and Taurean Prince had 15.

Desmond Bane led Memphis with 26 points and a career-high 16 assists. Jake LaRavia scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, and Jaren Jackson added 17. The Grizzlies have lost six of seven.

Despite the extended game a night earlier, the Lakers seemed fine with their shooting legs in the first half, and led 69-61 at the break. Lakers coach Darvin Ham almost predicted the pace of the game, saying it was key for Los Angeles to get their legs in the first half after the Milwaukee win and let the second half play out.

“We started getting a groove into the game,” Ham said. “We knew coming off the (Bucks) game, this was not going to be a walk in the park.”

Los Angeles converted eight of its first 10 long-range shots in the third to stretch the advantage to 27. Memphis closed the third on a 21-4 run to pull to 102-92 entering the fourth.

The Lakers would maintain the double-digit lead through the bulk of the fourth.

SPURS 118, JAZZ 111

SALT LAKE CITY — Devin Vassell scored 31 points, Victor Wembanyama had 19 points and five blocks and the San Antonio Spurs ran past the Utah Jazz 118-111 on Wednesday night.

The Spurs, second in the league in assists behind Indiana, had a season-high 40 on 44 field goals. San Antonio also shot 51.8% from the field and were well above .500 from 3-point range until missing their final four attempts and finishing 16 of 33.

Jeremy Sochan, Julian Champagnie and Malaki Branham all scored 17 points for San Antonio.

Collin Sexton had 26 points and nine assists, while Lauri Markkanen scored 25 points for the Jazz, who lost their seventh in a row.

The Jazz led just once and trailed by double-digits most of the game.

HORNETS 118, CAVALIERS 111

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rookie Brandon Miller made seven 3-pointers and finished with 31 points, and Charlotte beat Cleveland 118-111 on Wednesday night to avenge a 23-point loss earlier in the week.

Miles Bridges and Tre Mann added 17 points and Grant Williams had 16 for the Hornets, who shot 58% from the field to snap a five-game losing streak. Vasa Micic had 11 points and 12 assists, and Nick Richards added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

But it was Miller who provided the boost — and the knockout blow with a 3 with 25 seconds left — for the Hornets.

Jarrett Allen scored 24 points and Sam Merrill added 17 for the Cavs, who have lost four of their last five games. Allen became the first Cleveland player in four games to top 20 points.

WARRIORS 101, MAGIC 93

ORLANDO, Fla. — Andrew Wiggins scored 23 points, Stephen Curry made the final two baskets of the game on an off-shooting night and Golden State overcame Draymond Green’s early ejection to beat Orlando.

Green, who missed 16 games after being suspended by the NBA in December, was ejected 3:36 in for disputing a foul call on Wiggins. It was Green’s fourth ejection of the season.

Curry made a driving hook shot with 1:09 to go to make it 98-93 and added a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left for the final points. He had 17 points — going 6 of 18 from the field — and 10 assists.

Cole Anthony led Orlando with 26 points and eight rebounds. Paolo Banchero had 15 points and eight rebounds. Anthony’s turnaround jumper brought the Magic within a point with 2:41 left.

The Warriors, holding the 10th spot in the Western Conference, won for the 20th time in 35 road games. They are 18-19 at home.

NETS 122, WIZARDS 119, OT

WASHINGTON — Cam Thomas scored 38 points, including a pair of jumpers in overtime, and Brooklyn held off Washington, snapping the Wizards’ modest three-game winning streak.

Jordan Poole scored a season-high 38 points for Washington, but he missed a 3-pointer that could have tied the game late in overtime. Dorian Finney-Smith had a chance to ice the game for Brooklyn with 4.3 seconds left, but he missed two free throws. The Wizards, however, were out of timeouts, and after securing the rebound, Washington’s Deni Avdija lost control of the ball when he tried to dribble quickly upcourt.

The game began moments after Wizards owner Ted Leonsis spoke at a news conference touting the new agreement keeping his NBA team and the NHL’s Capitals in the District of Columbia. A plan to move them to Virginia had fallen apart.

HAWKS 120, TRAIL BLAZERS 106

ATLANTA — Dejounte Murray had 30 points and seven assists and Atlanta won their third in a row and handed Portland its eighth straight loss.

The Hawks won their third straight game and maintained a hold on 10th place in the Eastern Conference. The Trail Blazers lost their eighth in a row.

Garrison Mathews scored a season-high 21 points off the bench for the Hawks, hitting five three-pointers. It was part of a 41-point effort from the Hawks bench.

Bogdon Bogdonovich had 16 points and five assists and Clint Capela had 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Hawks avenged a 106-102 loss in Portland on March 13.

KNICKS 145, RAPTORS 101

TORONTO — Miles McBride scored 29 points, Jalen Brunson had 26 and New York never trailed in a win over slumping Toronto,, New York’s biggest margin of victory this season.

Precious Achiuwa had 19 points and 13 rebounds against his former team as the Knicks won for the seventh time in eight games, set a season-high for points and swept the four-game season series with Toronto.

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson played for the first time since a left ankle injury in December that sidelined him for 50 games. The 7-footer had not played since he was injured in a Dec. 8 loss at Boston, later undergoing surgery.

Robinson came off the bench and scored eight points in 12 minutes.

Gradey Dick scored a career-high 23 points for Toronto and Gary Trent Jr. had 18 but the short-handed Raptors lost their 12th in a row and fell to 1-13 against Atlantic Division opponents.

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(Jim Mone/AP) CP135026272 Glen Taylor announces that Timberwolves are no longer for sale 5831758 headlines Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:39:41 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:47:23 EDT Associated Press The Minnesota Timberwolves will evidently remain in the control of owner Glen Taylor, after he announced Thursday that a deal where Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez would have acquired the controlling stake in the team has expired.

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MINNEAPOLIS — The ownership transfer of the Minnesota Timberwolves slammed to a halt when Glen Taylor declared on Thursday he won’t take the final step of his drawn-out $1.5 billion deal to hand Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez the majority stake because they didn’t meet all of the deadlines in the sale conditions.

Lore and Rodriguez, who agreed to the purchase nearly three years ago, strongly disputed Taylor’s stance. They said he simply had cold feet about letting go.

“We went through the process, and I spent a lot of time. We’ve got a really good team, we’ve got a lot of good things going for us, I enjoy it and I’m healthy enough to do this,” Taylor said in an interview with The Associated Press after the announcement. “I don’t need the money, so I think I’ll just keep running it and enjoy it. I like my coach. I like my staff. This way everybody gets to keep their jobs, and I’ll be happy.”

Lore, the e-commerce entrepreneur, and Rodriguez, the former Major League Baseball star, issued a joint statement expressing disappointment in Taylor and contending that they’ve upheld their end of the deal that was to also include the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. Lore and Rodriguez already own about a 40% stake.

“We have fulfilled our obligations, have all necessary funding and are fully committed to closing our purchase of the team as soon as the NBA completes its approval process,” the partners said. “Glen Taylor’s statement is an unfortunate case of seller’s remorse that is short-sighted and disruptive to the team and the fans during a historic winning season.”

The Timberwolves (50-22) beat Detroit on Wednesday to reach the 50-win mark for just the fifth time in the 35-year history of the franchise. They’re tied for second place in the Western Conference with Oklahoma City, a half-game behind Denver.

Taylor, who turns 83 on April 20, bought the Timberwolves for $88 million in 1994 to keep them in his native Minnesota after a deal the previous owners struck to move the team to New Orleans fell through. He’s a self-made billionaire who grew up on a farm and became a printing magnate after a job at a wedding invitations shop he got to put himself through college took off.

Before Lore and Rodriguez entered the picture, Taylor had flirted with selling multiple times only to pull the club off the market. After reaching the agreement, Taylor raved about the connection he made with them and how comfortable he felt handing over the reins to them. They bought about 20% of the franchise in 2021 and another portion around 20% in 2023.

The unique and deliberate transfer was orchestrated by both parties, giving Taylor the opportunity to not only ease his way out of a role he has treasured since rescuing the struggling franchise but to serve as a mentor to the incoming owners about the business of the league and the culture of the community.

Lore previously served as Walmart’s e-commerce chief and left that post shortly before the purchase agreement with Taylor. He is currently the CEO of Wonder, a food delivery startup in New York.

Rodriguez ranks fifth on baseball’s all-time home run list and has become an investor in a variety of businesses since his playing career. He’s also a trustee at the University of Miami.

Lore and Rodriguez unsuccessfully tried to purchase the New York Mets before Steve Cohen bought the MLB club in 2020. In an interview with the AP in 2022, Rodriguez said the NBA had welcomed him into the ownership world with open arms.

“It’s all about the fans in Minnesota. I think they deserve a winner,” Rodriguez said in that interview.

The partners exercised their option on Dec. 28 to buy another 40% and become controlling owners, and the agreement gave them a 90-day window to close the sale which expired on Wednesday. Taylor said he decided to void the contract for this third and final portion of the sale because Lore and Rodriguez missed certain deadlines related to the closing process.

“So we just said, ‘Let’s just leave it the way it is,’” Taylor said. “They’re limited partners, and that’s fine with me. They’ll make well on their investment, and we’ll just keep it the way it’s been.”

Forbes valued the Timberwolves at $2.5 billion in its latest projections for NBA clubs published at the beginning of the season.

Lore and Rodriguez regularly sit courtside at games, not far from Taylor’s usual seat next to his wife and the Wolves bench. What becomes of their relationship now remains to be seen. Taylor said he’s greeted Lore and Rodriguez in passing at recent games but spoken little with them about the sale of the club.

“He solicited me for investing into his new company, but we haven’t talked Timberwolves,” Taylor said.

Taylor said he’d work with them just as he does his other investors, as far as access and influence, but he acknowledged the likelihood of pushback from the pair through mediation or other means.

“I’m open to that because I think in any legal thing that’s the way you resolve things,” Taylor said. “If they choose to do that we certainly would honour that and talk to somebody about it, but I think we’re pretty firm in our position.”

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ochai agbaji Toronto Raptors’ Ochai Agbaji leaves game vs. New York Knicks with right hip contusion 5831758 headlines Wed, 27 Mar 2024 20:19:13 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 20:19:20 EDT Sportsnet Staff Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji left Wednesday’s game against the New York Knicks after suffering a right hip contusion.

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Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji left Wednesday’s game against the New York Knicks after suffering a right hip contusion.

Agbaji took a hard fall after colliding with Knicks’ Miles McBridge, landing on his side. Appearing to be in visible pain, he was helped off the court and to the locker room, not putting any weight on his right leg.

The Raptors announced he suffered a right hip contusion and will not return to the game.

The 23-year-old is averaging 5.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 20.5 minutes this season. The Raptors acquired him on the trade deadline alongside Kelly Olynyk from the Utah Jazz.

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NBA Top Videos Fri, 15 Mar 2024 13:53:18 EDT Sat, 16 Mar 2024 20:22:44 EDT Kellen Forrest carousel_meta sn-collection 17116789875924776 Hawks’ Murray caps career-night with game-winner in OT 5912534 carousel Thu, 28 Mar 2024 22:24:11 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 22:24:11 EDT Sportsnet Video Watch as Atlanta Hawks’ Dejounte Murray hits the game-winning bucket en route a career-high 44 points against the Celtics.

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Basketball NBA ATL BOS videohttps://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/1704050871/318cf082-1f55-4176-b31f-d10422a977a8/b33859de-c15e-41cd-8cdb-71b9790b6a89/160x90/match/image.jpgSportsnet Video bc-video
17115844285923680 Knicks’ Anunoby receives heartfelt video tribute in return to Toronto 5912534 carousel Wed, 27 Mar 2024 20:09:29 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 20:09:29 EDT Sportsnet Video Watch as the Toronto Raptors pay tribute to returning New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby as he gets a standing ovation from Scotiabank Arena where he was a part of the Raptors’ first championship banner.

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17116397465924027 Can NC State continue their Cinderella run against Marquette? 5912534 carousel Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:31:05 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:31:05 EDT Sportsnet Video March Madness handicapper Bruce Marshall joins Follow The Money to give his picks for 3 intriguing Sweet 16 tilts, including his pick of the night in the NC State vs. Marquette game.

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17115879065923719 Isaiah Joe throws down Thunderous dunk over Rockets’ Jeff Green 5912534 carousel Wed, 27 Mar 2024 21:06:26 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 21:06:26 EDT Sportsnet Video Watch as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe soars for a monstrous dunk in transition over Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green.

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17115543085923223 A few free agents that Raptors should target this off-season 5912534 carousel Wed, 27 Mar 2024 11:47:39 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:17:48 EDT Sportsnet Video Raptors Show with Will Lou discussion on a few names in this off-season’s FA market that would be good fits on this young Toronto Raptors team.

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17115558665923240 Where are we at on a Paul George extension? 76ers want to know 5912534 carousel Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:16:39 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:16:39 EDT Sportsnet Video NBA insider Marc Stein joins The Raptors Show with Will Lou to weigh in on why we haven’t yet seen an extension from the Clippers for Paul George, and whether there’s a chance he actually hits free agency, and why the Sixers would be all-in on him.

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17114775075922453 Raptors’ Rajakovic keeps focus on basketball amid Porter allegations 5912534 carousel Tue, 26 Mar 2024 14:27:38 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 14:27:38 EDT Sportsnet Video Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic provides an update on how the team is handling the NBA’s investigation of forward Jontay Porter and emphasizes his priority to keep the team’s focus on playing basketball.

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NBA Must Read Fri, 15 Mar 2024 14:28:07 EDT Sat, 16 Mar 2024 20:33:42 EDT Kellen Forrest three_cols_meta sn-collection RJ Barrett After so many triumphs, Barrett family now facing the ultimate loss 5912584 three_cols Fri, 15 Mar 2024 12:45:27 EDT Sun, 17 Mar 2024 15:16:40 EDT Michael Grange When it became public that Nathan Tyler Barrett, brother to Raptors’ RJ and son to Rowan and Kesha, had passed away, Michael Grange thought of what goes through your mind when the sky is falling.

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TORONTO — One of the cruelties of life is that it can deal its harshest, most devastating blows moments after blessing you with great fortune.

It’s why as parents, you never really, entirely, trust that everything will work out, that everything will be OK. Intellectually — if you are lucky, at least — you can convince yourself that it will; that all the love and effort and hope you pour into a child will somehow protect them, lift them, steel them.

But in our rawest moments, we know at a deeper level it’s not true. We know those we love the most can’t always be sheltered or saved or made well. Even when everything is seemingly unfolding perfectly, there is a part of you as a parent that is waiting and worrying and wondering: Will this be the day the sky falls and everything shatters?

From the moment your kid learns to cross the street, ride a bike, take the bus alone, basically go anywhere out of your sight — and that’s before entering into all the trials, tribulations and pitfalls that come with having a young adult in the world — a parent never stops worrying, never stops being vigilant. Even with every triumph and milestone, you brace yourself for what could happen, a worst fear realized. You don’t really rest until they’re home safe.

It’s the price, I guess, for the hugs and the cuddles and the crazy, hilarious questions out of nowhere and the explosions of pride you allow yourself to feel when something good happens, and when the helpless lumps of flesh that needed you to live eventually grow strong and stand tall and so often provide the reason for your living.

Even when life is at its sweetest, you can’t help but remain wary of what may come.

These are the thoughts that rushed into my mind when it became public that former Canadian basketball team star and men’s senior team general manager Rowan Barrett and his wife Kesha had lost their younger son, Nathan Tyler Barrett, to an undisclosed illness on Tuesday. That Toronto Raptors standout RJ Barrett had lost his brother.

“While our family is devastated by this great loss, we will continue to cherish the memories and time spent together,” the family announced in a statement. “Nathan was a God-fearing young man of strong character. He was thoughtful, kind, loving, compassionate, creative, admirable and driven. Though his time with us was brief, he will live forever in our hearts.”

Like his older brother, Nathan was a talented athlete, excelling in track and field, and basketball. Fast, strong and aggressive, his father used to call him “his little Westbrook,” after former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook, who competes with a pace and a passion almost unmatched in league history.

But after playing at prestigious Montverde Academy near Orlando, where RJ won a national championship, Nathan chose to study to become a pilot, as much a dream job for some as being a professional athlete.

So, imagine the joy in the Barrett household in the early weeks of 2024 about what was happening and what was to come.

RJ was traded to the Raptors by the New York Knicks on Dec. 30, and while playing in the NBA in your hometown can come with complications, for the Barrett family it was an unfettered pleasure.

The stands were always filled after games with friends and family and members of their church. Far from crumbling under the stress of playing at home, RJ was thriving, playing some of the best basketball of his career.

Meanwhile, Nathan was in Florida, pursuing a dream of his own, literally soaring.

And this summer the family was to be together again when the men’s senior national team travelled to Paris to compete in the Olympics for the first time since the elder Barrett was starring for Canada alongside Steve Nash, RJ’s godfather.

It had always been RJ’s dream to play for Canada at the Olympics — his father’s framed national team jersey hangs on the wall at home in Mississauga, Ont., and RJ passed it daily for years. When RJ helped the national team to a historic bronze medal at the FIBA World Cup of Basketball this past summer, securing an Olympic berth in the process, the natural order of things was unfolding: the son was surpassing the father.

Meanwhile, that Nathan was pursuing his own passion and walking his own path made everything that much better. Another parenting truth is no amount of success from one corner of your family can make you whole if there are struggles elsewhere.

But then every parent’s worst nightmare: A sudden illness required Nathan to be taken out of school and brought home, followed by weeks of uncertainty in hospital, the specifics of which have been kept private. And then, finally, the truth that changes a family forever in an instant. Nathan was gone.

It speaks to the discipline of an elite athlete that RJ had been able to go to work and do his job exceptionally well while his family was facing such torment. The Raptors wing missed one game for personal reasons back on Feb. 14, though he had been playing with a heavy heart in the weeks prior, after his brother had fallen ill. But RJ’s performance never flagged. The Barretts were buoyed by their faith and Nathan’s strength.

Early on the Raptors’ recent road trip, I asked RJ what drove him, even as it was clear that any goals the team might have had for the season were slipping out of reach as injuries mounted and the needs of the team’s rebuild took precedence.

His answer resonates even more now: “Well, one, you’re grateful and thankful to be here playing basketball, playing in the NBA,” RJ said. “For me, playing at home, so I’m always thankful for that. And any time you step on the court, you got to try to look at it as another challenge.”

Even as an impossible situation was looking dire, RJ played one of the best games in a Toronto uniform on Monday night as he logged a career-high tying nine assists and played 39 minutes at altitude in Denver — very nearly lifting the short-handed Raptors to an unlikely upset of the defending-champion Denver Nuggets.

The next day, he was on a flight back to Toronto, likely knowing that his younger brother’s final hours were approaching. He missed Wednesday’s game in Detroit, will be out for Friday night’s game against Orlando and who knows when he’ll have the strength play again.

And what do we do when our worst fears are confirmed, and a cannonball of grief rips your life wide open?

You gather with those you love and who love you back. You offer comfort and try to accept it in return. You don’t try to make sense of anything, because you can’t.

The Barretts are people of strong beliefs who raised their family in the warm embrace of their faith and their church. The hope is that can sustain them and support them.

You know they will find a way to keep their son’s memory alive and his spirit close.

And you hope they can find a way to go on. From the moment you are lucky enough to bring love into a world that can be both beautiful and cruel, the hope is that those close to you will be spared, knowing there is no guarantee of that.

In time, basketball will go on, and RJ Barrett’s teammates and the entire Raptors family will rally around him because that’s what teams do. This summer, the Olympics will come around and — presuming their grief has lifted enough — Rowan and Kesha Barrett will be in Paris, supporting RJ, fulfilling a decades-long dream together, but thinking of Nathan, always.

All of Canada will watch, hearts full, knowing that for one of Canada’s most prominent basketball families, no triumph will erase the pain.

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Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Why Thunder should be Canada’s team while Raptors rebuild 5912584 three_cols Fri, 22 Mar 2024 22:35:33 EDT Sat, 23 Mar 2024 12:12:52 EDT Michael Grange The Raptors have had a great run and hopefully will become relevant again in the not-so-distant future. But for now, the Thunder are the team Canadian fans should rally around.

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TORONTO — Behold Canada’s team.

No, not the Toronto Raptors. Not for now.

The other one. The one that plays about 1,800 km. south of Winkler, Man. Yup, that one. My argument for the Oklahoma City Thunder as Canada’s new team:

They are poised for a long run as championship contenders led by Canadian national team stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Hamilton and Lu Dort of Montreal.

As a bonus they also rely on Chet Holmgren, the talented beanpole rookie from Minnesota, which is basically Canada (and much closer to Winkler), and Jalen Williams, the do-everything second-year wing who played at Santa Clara, the alma mater of Canadian hoops icon Steve Nash.

Their head coach, Mark Daigneault, has a last name that would fit in perfectly if he found himself watching Junior C hockey in Franco-Ontario, or salmon fishing in New Brunswick, even if he has yet to lean into the proper French pronunciation. And he’s very nice.

The arguments against?

None, really.

The Raptors have had a great run and hopefully will become relevant again in the not-so-distant future. But for now, they can step aside for a minute while they figure out how or when they’re going to put an NBA team on the court again. It’s not likely this season — against the Western Conference-leading Thunder, the Raptors were missing their five leading scorers and their top reserve in the form of Scottie Barnes (hand), Jakob Poeltl (hand), RJ Barrett (personal reasons), Immanuel Quickley (personal reasons), Gary Trent Jr. (back) and Chris Boucher (knee). They were also without two-way player DJ Carton. No one’s return is considered imminent, which doesn’t bode well for the Raptors game against the Washington Wizards Saturday.

To their credit, Toronto competed through all four quarters against a Thunder team who were 15.5-point favourites before the game started. According to my colleague Blake Murphy, that’s the most an opponent has been favoured against the Raptors at home in franchise history.

The Thunder covered, even though they had to work into the fourth quarter to make sure as they left town with a 123-103 win — their fourth straight as they improved to 49-20 and maintained their slim hold on top spot in the West.

The Raptors were shorthanded but feisty. They led 35-28 after the first quarter and trailed by six with 9:15 to play before the Thunder put them way. It was a relatively ordinary night for the Canadians. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 23 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, three steals, and an uncharacteristic six turnovers. Dort had 10 points, three rebounds and two assists.

The bright spots for the Raptors — who lost for the ninth straight time and the 11th in their past 12 to fall to 23-47 on the season — were rookie Gradey Dick, who had 21 points and five rebounds, and little-used veteran Garrett Temple, who had eight points and was a team-best plus-10 in his 18 minutes. Canadian veteran Kelly Olynyk had 16 points, five rebounds, and six assists in the presence of his Olympic teammates, Gilgeous-Alexander and Dort.

But that’s all the Raptors can offer right now: A few shimmery objects in the mud of a lost season.

So as Toronto nurses their wounds and hopes their tour through the rebuilding process will be mercifully short and fruitful, Canadian basketball fans would be wise to shift their gaze to the Midwest for some inspiration as the playoffs approach, not only this year but in the years to come.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who might win the MVP award this season, is just 25. Dort, their defensive stopper who has turned himself into a 41 per cent three-point shooter this season, is 24. Williams is 22 and Holmgren is 21.

You may have heard that over the course of their rebuilding effort, the Thunder accumulated some draft capital. Yeah, you heard right. Between their own picks and the picks they’ve added via trade, OKC will have at least nine first-round picks and 21 second-round picks over the next seven drafts. Depending on how the protections work out on other draft picks they have rights to, those numbers could balloon to a total of 37 picks.

The point is, not only do the Thunder have an incredible base of young talent, but they have the resources to add to that base through the draft or — as most expect — through some targeted trades.

The rebuilding Raptors should take note: That’s how it’s done.

But perhaps the best reason for Canadian hoops fans to get on the OKC bandwagon — at least until the Raptors get theirs in working order — is that they seem like a team worthy of support.

Consider Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s young, wealthy, and gifted, not always a formula for being the most relatable guy. Except that’s exactly how he comes across, in between dropping 30-point games multiple times a week, week after week, like some kind of bucket-getting metronome.

“Yeah, he’s incredibly consistent in his day-to-day. He’s incredibly consistent in the ups and downs of a game and of a season, which your ability to emotionally regulate is critical in an NBA game even … and he does a great job of staying steady, staying present,” Daigneault says. “And I think it’s had a contagious effect on the team for sure. And so he’s done all that, he also hasn’t lost his way in terms of being a part of the team. He’s one of the guys too. So he’s not just this like, great player that operates on his own level. You know, he’s very plugged into the team, and therefore he has a ton of influence as well.”

The why isn’t complicated, from Gilgeous-Alexander’s point of view. Treat people how you would like them to treat you.

“I just always, like, just going through my life, through friendships, through relationships, it’s always easier to trust someone when they’re humble and you know they have your best interest [in mind],” he says. “That’s what I try to do. I try not to act like I’m above or below anybody. And I try to generally have the guy’s best interest and in turn they trust me, and I trust them in our relationship on and off the court.”

And then there’s Dort. While Gilgeous-Alexander has been stamped for stardom since his rookie season, the burly Montrealer had to make his way into the league the hard way after going undrafted after one season at Arizona State.

Though Dort had been a prolific scorer before turning pro, the Thunder saw him as someone who could help them as a perimeter stopper if he could develop his shooting.

Dort bought in and quickly became part of the Thunder’s fabric.

“We have a lot of leaders and they all do it within their personality,” says Daigneault. “[Dort] is not a speech guy by any stretch, you know, in fact, if we made him do that, he’d be mortified. But he leads by how he competes. And he’s always done that.”

“I’ve always said even before this season when we’ve had some success, that he helps us stick our chest out,” Daigneault continues. “We’ve had a young team, but we’ve always had this, like, fearless spirit to us and it starts with him. [Dort] has just leaned into every single competitive experience. He’s not afraid of any situation. He’s not afraid of any matchup and that has a contagious effect. I think, you know, as we’ve built this thing, a lot of our poise has come from Shai, a lot of our physicality and toughness has come from Lu.”

Dort shrugs his massive shoulder as if to say, what other choice would I make?

“It’s just the way that I got in the league,” he says. “I was an undrafted guy. I had to find one thing that I could do to stay on the court and prove to people that I deserved to be in this league and that was defence. Since then I’ve learned that I gotta learn a role to be able to get minutes and that worked for me my first year. I felt like I always had to adjust over the next couple of seasons but every time I just gotta adjust and see what kind of team we have and what I can do to help the team win.”

It’s been working. And if a Canadian basketball fan had one more reason to shift allegiances, for the short-term at least, consider how Dort says that his success with the national team this past summer and the experience of bringing home bronze from the FIBA World Cup influenced him heading into this season with the Thunder — especially as the playoffs approach.

“I kind of [said] before this season that the feeling of going into a game that is win or go home, that’s the feeling I had with Team Canada this past summer where you don’t know what’s going to happen and you got to win this game to move forward,” says Dort. ”That’s kind of the approach I had coming into this season. And [with] the playoffs coming in now, it’s going to be crazy. We still got to finish the season, run to the finish line first. But I’m really excited.”

Canadian basketball fans should be too.

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Frank Gunn/CANADIAN PRESS kelly olynyk ‘It’s special’: Raptors, Olynyk benefit from peace of mind with extension done 5912584 three_cols Tue, 05 Mar 2024 12:33:28 EST Tue, 05 Mar 2024 19:32:03 EST Michael Grange From the Raptors’ point of view, the versatile seven-footer is an excellent fit for the way Rajakovic wants to play offensively. From Olynyk’s point of view, it’s an opportunity to keep playing where he’s always wanted to play anyway. 

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TORONTO — Paris for the summer, and Toronto for the foreseeable future. 

That’s what Kelly Olynyk was hoping for as he entered into negotiations for a contract extension with the Toronto Raptors. It was on the table almost as soon as the Toronto-born big man was acquired at the NBA trade deadline and was made official Monday evening. 

The deal is for the most he was eligible on an extension — a two-year term with a five per cent raise on his current salary. It works out to $26.2 million and will keep the 11-year veteran under contract through the end of the 2025-26 season, when he’ll be 35. 

From the Raptors’ point of view, the versatile seven-footer is an excellent fit for the way head coach Darko Rajakovic wants to play offensively, with an emphasis on ball movement, player movement and spacing behind the three-point line, all of which are strengths of Olynyk’s. Heading into Toronto’s game against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, Olynyk is averaging 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 20.4 minutes per game while shooting 54.2 per cent from the field, including 39.8 per cent from three. 

From Olynyk’s point of view, it’s an opportunity to keep playing where he’s always wanted to play anyway. 

“For me, they traded for me, they wanted me here,” said Olynyk, when asked if he thought about waiting until free agency opened on July 1 to see if there was a longer or more lucrative deal available. “… I’ve wanted to be here since I was four years old, so it’s special, and to create that trust and that bond, hopefully be here for the rest of my career.”

The timing of the contract also means that Olynyk can have peace of mind this summer as he leads the Canadian men’s team to the Olympics for the first time since 2000. 

The men’s team is schedule to open training camp in late June and has an exhibition game in Las Vegas against Team USA on July 10. Since free agency doesn’t open until July 1, not having a deal in place could have held Olynyk back — something he didn’t want to deal with after working so long to help Canada get back to the Summer Games.

“I mean, that was definitely a big part of it as well, getting this out of the way,” said Olynyk, whose mother, Arlene, was one of the original Raptors scorekeepers from 1994 to 2004 and whose father, Ken, was the head coach at University of Toronto from 1989 to 2002, as well as a head coach with the Canadian junior national team.

“To not have that on your plate and your mind, just be able to play free and easy, and then obviously in the summer just be able to work out, train and be present right at the start with no complications is a big factor, and that’s also played a huge part in decision.”

The deal works well for the Raptors also. Signing Olynyk means that he’s now on their balance sheet this summer for just under $13 million. Otherwise, there would have been a cap hold of $18.2 million on the books. As a result, it is easier for them to carve some meaningful space under the salary cap if they want to sign a free agent or trade for a player under contract. 

The deal also means that between Olynyk and Jakob Poeltl, the Raptors have two capable big men under contract for the next two seasons, allowing them to focus in other areas as they rebuild around All-Star forward Scottie Barnes.

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Basketball NBA TOR sn-article
Sportsnet Plus Home Page Feature features_banner_story Wed, 11 Oct 2023 12:04:02 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 08:52:25 EDT Billy Duke sn-features Christopher Katsarov/CP Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter Ontario’s gaming commission monitoring Jontay Porter investigation feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:45:56 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:57:44 EDT Canadian Press The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario says it’s closely monitoring an investigation of Toronto Raptors backup centre Jontay Porter.

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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario says it’s closely monitoring an investigation of Toronto Raptors backup centre Jontay Porter.

The NBA confirmed Monday that it’s investigating Porter after irregularities in bets surrounding his performances in two recent Raptors games.

Ontario is currently the only province where registered private vendors can offer online sports betting.

AGCO is responsible for regulating betting in the province including safeguarding against odds manipulation, match-fixing and other sports betting integrity issues. 

A spokesman says AGCO is currently engaged with all relevant parties on the Porter investigation, including registered gaming operators, independent integrity monitors and the Ontario Provincial Police.

Since the Criminal Code of Canada prohibits cheating while playing a game or betting with intent to defraud someone, provincial police will determine if any criminal investigation is warranted.

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Basketball NBA TOR sn-article
charlie-baker NCAA president Charlie Baker wants to ban prop betting in college sports feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 11:31:49 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 17:06:02 EDT Associated Press NCAA President Charlie Baker on Wednesday urged lawmakers in states with legal wagering on sporting events to ban betting on individual player performances.

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Editor’s Note: Gambling problems aren’t only about losing money. They occur on a continuum, and can affect a person’s whole life. To learn more about developing a healthy relationship to gambling, and to find resources for support, click here.

 

In the midst of March Madness, the NCAA is pushing for states with legal wagering on sporting events to ban prop bets on college athletes.

“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes getting harassed,” Baker said Wednesday in statement posted on social media. “The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college prop bets.”

Prop bets — short for proposition bets — allow gamblers to wager on statistics a player will accumulate during a game rather than the final score.

Baker’s statement came two days after the NBA confirmed it opened an investigation into unusual betting patterns surrounding props involving Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter. The Raptors said Porter would miss his third consecutive game Wednesday for personal reasons.

As Sportsnet’s Michael Grange has reported, the Raptors big man, who will earn $415,000 this season, is being investigated by the NBA for manipulating his on-court performance for bettors who could benefit financially from knowing he would do so.

An ESPN report cited two instances where Porter left a game early and didn’t hit the thresholds required to surpass the betting line for his points, rebounds and assists totals in what is known as a “prop” bet.

In both instances, according to ESPN, DraftKings Sportsbook — one of the NBA’s four gambling-related sponsors — reported to the league that Porter’s prop bets were the most profitable of any prop bets placed on those specific dates.

Some NBA players and coaches have been outspoken recently about prop bets and how gamblers react when numbers fail to hit. Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said his social media is filled with complaints and Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff revealed he received threats from gamblers last season and reported it to the NBA.

Earlier this month, U.S. Integrity, a company used by many professional sports leagues and college conferences to monitor betting activity, flagged a Temple regular-season men’s basketball game for wagering irregularities.

The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are a huge draw for gamblers. The American Gaming Association estimates $2.7 billion will be bet this year on March Madness through legal sportsbooks.

Several states including Colorado, Arizona, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Oregon have rules prohibiting prop betting on college athletes that predate the NCAA’s recent push. Others such as Illinois, Connecticut and Iowa do not allow college athlete prop bets involving in-state teams.

Kansas, Michigan, Louisiana and Wyoming allow bettors to place prop bets on college athletes regardless of where they play.

The NCAA already has made some progress this year toward eliminating prop bets on college athletes. Gambling regulators in Ohio, Vermont and Maryland have removed prop betting on college athletes online and in sportsbooks. Baker and his staff are reaching out to regulators in other states to encourage similar bans.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission said last month in granting the NCAA’s request that prop bets last year on NCAA athletes with sports gaming operators in the state brought in approximately $104.6 million, which accounted for 1.35% of the total amount wagered. Prop bets on college athletes accounted for about 2.2% of wagers.

Chris Cylke, senior vice president for government relations for the American Gaming Association, said banning legal wagering on college player propositions would drive more bettors to illegal and offshore sportsbooks.

“While it is unclear how this advances our shared goal of reducing athlete harassment, we do know that driving customers to illegal channels will ultimately hinder the ability to monitor for and detect potential suspicious betting behavior,” Cylke said in a statement provided to The Associated Press.

The number of states that now allow some form of sports betting has grown to 38, plus the District of Columbia. Thirty states and the nation’s capital allow online wagering.

Companies that monitor sports betting for irregularities have warned college sports administrators that prop betting on unpaid athletes elevates the potential risk for a scandal because players can more easily influence their own performance than the overall outcome of a game.

The NCAA conducted a survey after last year’s basketball tournaments that found 58% of 18- to 22-year-olds are gambling.

Baker has said the proliferation of legal sports gambling has increased stress on college athletes.

“All that chatter about who’s playing, who’s not playing. Who’s sore, who’s not sore. What’s going on with the team you’re playing? What do you think your chances are? Which is just classic chatter, where — in a world where people are betting — takes on a whole new consequence,” Baker said in January before his address to membership at the NCAA convention.

The NCAA has partnered with a data science company called Signify, which also works with the NBA Players Association and WNBA, to identify online threats made to athletes during championship events that are linked to wagering.

“Basically tracks ugly, nasty stuff that’s being directed at people who are participating in their tournaments and we’d use it the same way,” Baker said in January. “And it can shut it down or basically block it. And in some cases even track back to where it came from.”

In October, the NCAA announced it would be advocating for state legislators to update laws to crack down on harassment of athletes, coaches and game officials and bolster integrity protections.

In West Virginia, NCAA officials worked with lawmakers to pass a bill that would allow betting regulators to ban people from wagering in the state online or at sportsbooks who have been found to have harassed players, coaches, or officials online or in person. The bill is awaiting a signature from Gov. Jim Justice.

San Diego State men’s basketball coach Brian Dutcher said he is concerned about how all the negative feedback impacts athletes’ mental health.

“People complaining about how they’re playing, missing shots, and they just get beat up constantly,” said Dutcher, whose team is playing in Boston in the Sweet 16 this week.

Illinois guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn said he encourages his teammates to ignore the criticism.

“I never really am on social media but in person someone would be like, ‘I’m going to bet the under on you.’ In that moment you can’t say anything,” Gibbs-Lawhorn said. “So I’m just like, ‘OK, good job.’ Like, I don’t know what you want me to say.”

With files from Sportsnet’s Michael Grange.

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Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball sn-article
(Matt Slocum/AP) Embiid 76ers’ Nurse says ‘good likelihood’ Embiid will be back before playoffs feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 21:27:06 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 21:27:08 EDT Associated Press Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday that there is a “good likelihood” that reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid will be back on the court before the postseason.

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PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday that there is a “good likelihood” that reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid will be back on the court before the postseason.

“I think there’s a very good likelihood that he will return before the playoffs,” Nurse said before the Sixers took on the Los Angeles Clippers.

Embiid, who has averaged 35.3 points and 11.5 rebounds this season, has missed 27 games after suffering a meniscus injury on Jan. 30 at Golden State that required surgery on Feb. 6. The Sixers were 10-16 in the games since Embiid’s injury heading into Wednesday.

The club had confirmed two weeks ago that Embiid started on-court work, but has been cryptic about the extent of work he has been doing.

“He’s on the court, as you guys know, but we still don’t have a timeline,” Nurse said, noting that he has had FaceTime calls with his star center but not seen him in person because of Philadelphia’s four-game West Coast trip. “I would imagine that he’s getting better each day. He’s trying to get strong, confident, in shape and ramped up.”

When asked what on-court activities Embiid was doing and if it involved scrimmages against the Sixers’ G-League team, Nurse said only that Embiid was “on the court” and “we’ll let you know when we get there” with a possible return date.

Philadelphia has nine games remaining in the regular season after Wednesday. The 76ers are currently in eighth place in the Eastern Conference race.

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Basketball NBA PHI sn-article
Jeff Chiu/AP Jonathan Kuminga Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga sidelined vs. Magic, tendinitis in left knee feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 18:54:55 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 18:54:57 EDT Associated Press Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga will miss Wednesday night’s game against the Orlando Magic due to tendinitis in his left knee.

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga will miss Wednesday night’s game against the Orlando Magic due to tendinitis in his left knee.

The 6-foot-7 Kuminga will miss just his second game of the season.

“Hopefully giving him tonight and tomorrow off will get him back for Friday’s game (at Charlotte),” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

Kuminga had 21 points and seven rebounds while playing 32 minutes in Tuesday night’s 113-92 win at Miami, the second game of a five-game trip for the Warriors. He averages 16.3 points and 4.8 rebounds.

Kuminga had played in 67 straight games since missing the Warriors’ fourth game of the season on Oct. 30.

Kerr said rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis, who had been listed as questionable with a sore right knee, will play against Orlando.

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NBA GS sn-article
(Matthew Putney/AP Photo) Caitlin2 Clark’s Mark: Iowa’s Caitlin Clark inspiring younger generation of players feed_column Tue, 26 Mar 2024 18:53:57 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 18:53:59 EDT Associated Press The Iowa star’s deep range has expanded the scope of possibilities for up-and-coming women’s basketball players, much the way NBA star Stephen Curry changed the men’s game more than a decade ago.

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CHANDLER, Ariz. — Caitlin Clark makes pulling up from the midcourt logo look easy, routinely hitting shots most players would consider a heave.

The Iowa star’s deep range has expanded the scope of possibilities for up-and-coming women’s basketball players, much the way NBA star Stephen Curry changed the men’s game more than a decade ago.

“Guys will say the game is not as fun to watch, but Caitlin Clark is fun to watch,” said Shay Ijiwoye, one of Arizona’s top high school players and a Stanford commit. “I think she’s inspiring a lot of young kids my age, older, younger, that you can have that confidence and do it just as well as any guy could.”

Clark’s ability to shoot 3-pointers from midcourt logos at arenas across the country has changed the sport and the perception of it.

The 6-foot senior from West Des Moines became Division I’s all-time leading scorer this season — a 3-pointer clinched it — a first-team All-American and has filled up the record book during one of the best careers in women’s college basketball history.

Clark’s reach has gone beyond the basketball court in the form of endorsement deals and fan interest, with everyone wanting a part of the transcendent player.

Young female players want some of her game, too.

Clark’s shooting from well beyond the college 3-point line — the NBA line, for that matter — has been unlike anything seen in the women’s game before. Combined with her confidence, court vision and awareness, work ethic and team-first mentality, Clark has set a standard that’s hard for young players to miss.

“She’s part of the dialogue when players are talking about a logo 3 or a great pass she made in transition and uncanny ability to answer the bell in the biggest moments,” said Sue Phillips, coach of powerhouse Archbishop Mitty High School in California and USA Basketball.

“I think that really speaks to that innate ability as well as the time she’s put in. And this just doesn’t happen by accident. It’s clear she’s worked on her craft.”

Nearly every player in Division I basketball was the best on their team in high school. At the college level, the players are bigger and more athletic, so scoring doesn’t come quite as easy.

Clark has the scoring part down, but with the all-around game to go with it. She’s a superb passer with a high basketball IQ, the type of player who seems to see things before they happen. Clark also isn’t afraid to mix it up on defence, sets screens and is an excellent rebounder — all things coaches can point to for younger players.

“It’s a good model to show all the other girls coming up like, hey, you don’t have to just shoot 30 times a game,” said Tony Darden, Ijiwoye’s coach since second grade who runs Darden Sports Skills Academy. “You have to learn to do other things because when you get to that next level, everybody else is going to be able to score just as good as you. How are you going to stand out? She’s (Clark) taken it to a different level.”

Off the basketball court as well.

As Clark has become the face of women’s basketball, her face is everywhere. She has lucrative NIL deals with Nike, Gatorade, Buick and was featured in a State Farm commercial with Jimmy Butler and Reggie Miller.

Clark’s endorsement deals, along with those of several other prominent women’s players, are like golden carrots for up-and-coming players, incentives for what’s attainable with hard work and the right image.

“It’s just so cool to see on your TV every day and knowing that a women’s basketball player is doing that,” Ijiwoye said. “It’s motivating for me knowing that it could be me one day if I keep working at it and stay on my Ps and Qs.”

Now, about those logo 3s.

When Curry started pulling up and routinely making shots from the midcourt logo, scores of players across the country extended their ranges with the Golden State Warriors star.

Clark’s deep shooting has opened a new realm for women’s players, taking what players like Sabrina Ionescu did at Oregon and pushing it farther out.

But with it comes an adjustment period.

Just because Clark can shoot from the logo doesn’t mean everyone can. She’s spent years working on her shooting form and strength to hit shots that were considered heaves not all that long ago.

It’s not easy, even with practice, which is why Darden has his players start at the basket and work their way out to promote good shooting form.

“Kids seeing it don’t see her work beforehand,” Darden said. “So for us as coaches, we have to definitely emphasize you’ve got to start inside, work your way out. That’s the gap between being a good shooter and a great shooter.”

Clark is no doubt a great shooter, maybe the best in the sport’s history. But she’s also got the entire package, pushing interest in all levels of the sport.

“I don’t know if we have data to back that up, but I can tell you we do have more kids willing to work on their skill set to build on that,” Phillips said. “I do see that there’s more motivation, based on what they’re seeing on social media and TV, that there’s a lot more opportunities to see games being played. It’s great.”

So is Clark, which is why so many young women want to be like her.

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Basketball sn-article
(Michael Conroy/AP) CP170029796 Shaquille O’Neal gives Zach Edey new nickname after impressive March Madness stats full_width Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:54:43 EDT Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:54:50 EDT Sportsnet Staff The Purdue big man became the first player to have three straight games with at least 20 points and three blocks in March Madness since Shaquille O’Neal in 1991 and 1992.

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Zach Edey has come as advertised in the early stages of the men’s March Madness tournament and one of the greatest all time has taken notice.

Shaquille O’Neal posted on his Instagram page that he is changing Edey’s name to “Zachille O’Neal.”

The new nickname comes after Edey became the first player since O’Neal in 1991 and ’92 to have more than 20 points and three blocks in three straight tournament games.

Edey had 23 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three blocks against Utah State Sunday to help Purdue reach the Sweet 16.

He is also the first player since Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to put up 50 points and 35 rebounds while shooting 65 per cent through the first two games of the tournament. Edey had 30 points and 21 rebounds in the opener against Grambling State.

After Sunday’s win, Purdue head coach Matt Painter made sure not to mince words when coming to the defence of his seven-foot-four star who he believes hasn’t earned enough respect.

“Yeah, they just shouldn’t cover basketball,” Painter said with a laugh when asked what he thinks of detractors of Edey’s game. “I think all coaches should take a test so they understand refereeing, and I think all referees should take a test so they understand coaching, and I think all journalists should have to take a basketball quiz or test.”

Edey and the Boilermakers will have another opportunity to dispel the doubters, and prove Painter right, when they face No. 5 Gonzaga and fellow Canadian Ryan Nembhard on Friday in Sweet 16 action in Detroit. The game will be a rematch from November in the Maui Invitational when Purdue won 73-63.

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Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball sn-article
CP/Frank Gunn Mitchell Robinson Knicks’ Robinson returns after 50-game absence due to left ankle injury feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 20:28:10 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 20:57:07 EDT Canadian Press New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson returned to the court Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors.

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TORONTO — New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson returned to the court Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors, his first action since a left ankle injury in December sidelined him for 50 games.

Robinson checked in with 5:08 remaining in the first quarter, replacing Isaiah Hartenstein.

The 7-footer had not played since he was injured in a Dec. 8 loss at Boston and needed surgery. Despite his lengthy absence, Robinson still leads the NBA with an average of 5.3 offensive rebounds per game.

Robinson had been listed as questionable on New York’s injury report but Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said before the game that the center would play as long as he felt fine after warming up.

“We’re glad to have him back,” Thibodeau said.

The Knicks entered fourth in the Eastern Conference standings and had won six of seven.

Robinson, in his sixth season, came in averaging 6.2 points and a career-high 10.3 rebounds in 21 games.

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Basketball NBA NY TOR sn-article
Justin Tang/CP former-carleton-ravens-coach-dave-smart former-carleton-ravens-coach-dave-smart Pacific hires Dave Smart as new men’s basketball coach feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:32:31 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:58:58 EDT Canadian Press Pacific has hired former Canadian college basketball coach Dave Smart as its new men’s basketball coach.

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Dave Smart, a 10-time U Sports coach of the year, is getting a head coaching gig in the United States.

The longtime leader of the Carleton University men’s basketball program has been hired by the University of the Pacific Tigers as head coach of the men’s NCAA Division I team.

“I could not be more excited than I am now to have coach Smart join our Tigers family and lead our men’s basketball program,” Pacific director of athletics Adam Tschuor said in a statement.

“He is one of the most respected basketball minds in the world and someone who will not only show his energy and enthusiasm on the sidelines but in the community as well.”

The 58-year-old Smart left Carleton last year to join the NCAA’s Texas Tech as an assistant coach.

The Red Raiders went 23-11 this season and earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament, but fell to No. 11 NC State in the first round last Thursday.

Meanwhile, Pacific went 6-26 and lost all 16 conference games under recently fired head coach Leonard Perry.

“I am thrilled with the opportunity to lead the Tigers into a new era,” Smart said. “Adam and president (Christopher) Callahan have an ambitious and exciting vision for the program, and I thank them for entrusting me with the task of bringing that vision to life.”

Smart is widely regarded as the most successful basketball coach in Canadian university history.

During his 18 seasons at Carleton, he led the Ravens to 11 OUA championships — the most by any coach in conference history — 13 U Sports Final 8 national championship titles and an impressive 591-48 record against U Sports competition.

Along with his collegiate experience, Smart has served as an assistant coach for Canada’s senior men’s national team and a head coach of the U-18 national team.

Smart was an assistant on the senior team that finished third at the FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City in 2015. He helped Canada to an 8-2 record, including a one-point victory over Mexico in the bronze-medal game.

Smart has been named the recipient of the Pat O’Brien Award as Ravens’ coach of the year on six occasions. He was inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.

He was also a coaching consultant for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, focusing on defensive mindsets and player attitude, and the general manager of the Ottawa Blackjacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

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U Sports NCAA Men's Basketball sn-article
Jacquelyn Martin/AP Ted-Leonsis Capitals, Wizards arena plan in Virginia now dead feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:08:42 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 18:45:02 EDT Associated Press The NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals are staying in the District of Columbia. Owner Ted Leonsis and Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the development at a news conference at Capital One Arena on Wednesday.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals are staying in the District of Columbia for the long term after ownership and the city reached an agreement on a $515 million arena project.

Mayor Muriel Bowser and owner Ted Leonsis signed a letter of intent on Wednesday for the deal, which keeps the teams in the District through 2050. They announced the development at a joint news conference at Capital One Arena minutes later.

“It’s a great day, and I’m really relieved,” Leonsis said.

The project is set to include 200,000 square feet (18,580 square meters) of expansion of the arena complex into the nearby Gallery Place space, the creation of an entertainment district in the city’s surrounding Chinatown neighbourhood and safety and transportation upgrades.

“We are the current home and the future home of the Washington Capitals and the Washington Wizards,” Bowser said. “As Ted likes to say, we’re going to be together for a long time.”

In a statement, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said residents “could not have been louder or clearer in expressing their desire for the teams to stay.”

“This outcome will have significant positive impacts on economic development, public safety, and overall District energy and spirit generated by the millions of people who attend games, shows, and concerts at Capital One Arena,” Schwalb said.

The Council of the District of Columbia will take up the deal next week and is expected to pass it, Chairman Phil Mendelson said at the news conference.

The agreement between Monumental Sports & Entertainment and the city came as Alexandria officials said talks for a new arena that would have moved the teams to Virginia had ended. Leonsis acknowledged Virginia had land as an advantage D.C. didn’t.

“You’re in this arms race to build bigger and better and higher quality and we’ve been running out of space,” Leonsis said, referencing the new entertainment community the agreement envisions. “We now have 200,000 square feet that we can expand to. It’s not 12 acres, but it’s enough.”

Alexandria said earlier Wednesday that the Potomac Yard proposal “will not move forward,” a blow to Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who announced months ago with fanfare the outlines of a proposal negotiated with the teams’ parent company to bring them across the Potomac River.

In a statement, the governor expressed disappointment and frustration over the demise of a plan he said would have created $12 billion in economic investment, laying blame with the Democratic-controlled state Legislature.

“This should have been our deal and our opportunity,” Youngkin said, adding: “But no, personal and political agendas drove away a deal with no upfront general fund money and no tax increases, that created tens of thousands of new jobs and billions in revenue for Virginia.”

Alexandria, which first announced the news, said in a statement posted to its website that it was disappointed in the outcome.

“We negotiated a framework for this opportunity in good faith and participated in the process in Richmond in a way that preserved our integrity,” the statement said. “We trusted this process and are disappointed in what occurred between the Governor and General Assembly.”

In December, Youngkin and Leonsis announced at a public event that they had reached an understanding on the outlines of a plan to move the teams to a proposed new development district in Alexandria, with not only a new arena but also a practice facility and corporate headquarters for Monumental, plus a separate performing arts venue.

The proposal called for the General Assembly to set up an authority that would issue bonds to finance the majority of the project, backed partly by the city and state governments and repaid through a mix of projected tax revenues recaptured from the development.

Youngkin and other supporters said the development would generate tens of thousands of jobs, along with new tax revenues beyond what would have been needed to cover the financing.

But the plan faced opposition from labor unions, Alexandria residents concerned about traffic and D.C. officials who feared the loss of the teams would devastate downtown Washington.

Youngkin and other backers also failed to win over powerful Democratic Sen. L. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth, who chairs the Senate’s budget-writing committee. She used that position to block the legislation, citing a range of concerns but foremost the financing structure of the deal: The use of moral obligation bonds put taxpayers and the state’s finances at risk, Lucas said.

Lucas celebrated the proposal’s demise Wednesday. On social media, she posted a cartoon of herself swatting away a basketball with the word “REJECTED” superimposed. She wrote, “As Monumental announces today they are staying in Washington DC we are celebrating in Virginia that we avoided the Monumental Disaster!”

Leonsis had shifted his tone on social media in recent days, pointing to large crowds in Capital One Arena this month for everything from the Capitals and Wizards to ACC Tournament basketball and a Zach Bryan concert. He posted Wednesday that Monumental expected over 400,000 fans to pass through turnstiles in March.

Leonsis was notably not on the ice Sunday for a ceremony honouring longtime Capitals winger T.J. Oshie for reaching the milestone of 1,000 NHL games. He was booed by some fans when his message to Oshie came up on arena video screens.

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Hockey NBA NHL WAS WAS sn-article
Chris Young/CP Quickley Barrett Raptors’ Barrett, Quickley both make appearances at practice feed_column Tue, 26 Mar 2024 13:32:37 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 13:32:44 EDT Sportsnet Staff The Raptors saw some positive developments on Tuesday when RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley both participated in practice, after missing time for personal reasons.

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The Raptors saw some positive developments on Tuesday when RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley both participated in practice, after missing time for personal reasons.

When asked about the chances the pair could be available for Wednesday’s game against the Knicks, head coach Darko Rajakovic said, “It’s a possibility, but we’ll see how realistic,” according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange.

Barrett has been away from the team since March 11 because of the death of his younger brother.

Quickley last played in a loss to the Magic on March 17, contributing 12 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in 31 minutes of time. He has been away due to unspecified personal reasons.

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Basketball NBA TOR sn-article
(Matthew Putney/AP Photo) Caitlin Caitlin Clark, Iowa set record for most-viewed first-round game in women’s NCAA tourney feed_column Tue, 26 Mar 2024 18:04:29 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 18:04:31 EDT Associated Press Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes can claim another record — the most-viewed first-round game in women’s NCAA Tournament history.

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BRISTOL, Conn. — Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes can claim another record — the most-viewed first-round game in women’s NCAA Tournament history.

The Hawkeyes’ 91-65 win over Holy Cross on Saturday averaged 3.23 million viewers on ABC, according to Nielsen. The viewership surpassed the 2.50 million who watched last year’s Elite Eight game between Iowa and Louisville, making this the most-viewed women’s tournament game ever — excluding Final Four contests and title games.

It was the third Iowa game this season where the viewer average was over 3 million. The seven Iowa games on network television — ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox — have averaged 2.27 million. Iowa’s regional semifinal game against Colorado on Saturday will be on ABC.

According to ESPN, 1.5 billion total minutes were viewed on television and streaming platforms during the first round. That is the most on record in women’s tournament history and a 70% increase over last year.

Connecticut’s game against Jackson State, which preceded the Iowa contest, averaged 1.1 million on ABC, the third-most viewed first-round game on record.

Defending champion LSU’s win over Rice on Friday averaged 762,400 on ESPN, making it the most-watched weekday first-round game on record.

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Basketball sn-article
(Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo) Calipari Kentucky’s Calipari will return as coach despite early exit from March Madness feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:30:36 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:30:38 EDT Associated Press Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart confirmed on social media that John Calipari will return as men’s basketball coach despite calls for his firing following the Wildcats’ third consecutive early exit from the NCAA Tournament

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart confirmed on social media that John Calipari will return as men’s basketball coach despite calls for his firing following the Wildcats’ third consecutive early exit from the NCAA Tournament.

Barnhart posted Tuesday night on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he and the Hall of Fame coach have talked about the direction of the men’s program. He posted: “I can confirm that he will return for his 16th season as our head coach.”

Kentucky was seeded third in March Madness, but fell 80-76 to No. 14 seed Oakland in the first round on Thursday. This latest loss in Pittsburgh came a year after the Wildcats were ousted in the second round, and two years after they were upset as a No. 2 seed by 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s in their NCAA opener.

Kentucky’s quick exit drew immediate calls for Calipari’s firing on sports talk shows and social media, with many criticizing his reliance on so-called “one and done” freshmen and Kentucky’s defensive weaknesses. Calipari’s dismissal would’ve triggered a $33 million buyout under terms of a lifetime contract signed in 2019.

The coach, for his part, sounded like someone intending to return during his season-ending radio show Monday night as he reiterated his love for players and the state. He also hinted at retaining his roster combination of talented freshmen and experienced players through the NCAA transfer portal — albeit with more beef.

“We’ve just got to get the right transfer,” he said. “We’ve got to keep coaching these young kids. We’ve probably got to use the summer a little bit different because of where this has all gone. We’ve got to get more physicality, more time in the weight room. … But on top of that, we’ve got to first of all see who’s going to be here from this roster. And who won’t be here.”

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Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball sn-article
(Young Kwak/AP Photo) Utes Utah coach says team experienced racism during NCAA Tournament feed_column Tue, 26 Mar 2024 20:13:54 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 20:13:56 EDT Associated Press Members of the Utah women’s basketball team were subjected to racism near their hotel in Idaho last week when a pickup truck with a Confederate flag drove near them and the driver began using offensive language, including the N-word, authorities said Tuesday.

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SPOKANE, Wash. — Members of the Utah women’s basketball team were subjected to racism near their hotel in Idaho last week when a pickup truck with a Confederate flag drove near them and the driver began using offensive language, including the N-word, authorities said Tuesday. The team was left shaken and wound up moving to a different hotel the next day.

Utah coach Lynne Roberts said her team experienced a series of hate crimes after arriving at its first NCAA Tournament hotel in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She revealed what happened after Utah lost to Gonzaga in the second round of the tournament Monday night and authorities confirmed some of the details the following day.

Roberts said the incidents happened last Thursday night after the team arrived and they were disturbing to the travelling party to the point where there were concerns about safety. Utah and other teams played their games in Spokane, but the Utes were staying about 30 miles away in Coeur d’Alene before they were relocated to a different hotel Friday.

“We had several instances of some kind of racial hate crimes toward our program and (it was) incredibly upsetting for all of us,” Roberts said. “In our world, in athletics and in university settings, it’s shocking. There’s so much diversity on a college campus and so you’re just not exposed to that very often.”

Tony Stewart, an official with the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, said at a news conference the Utes were walking from the hotel to a restaurant when the truck drove up and the driver began using racist language. After the team left the restaurant, the same driver returned “reinforced by others,” Stewart said, and they revved their engines and again yelled at the players.

“We all just were in shock, and we looked at each other like, did we just hear that? … Everybody was in shock — our cheerleaders, our students that were in that area that heard it clearly were just frozen,” Utah deputy athletic director Charmelle Green, who is Black, told KSL.com.

Utah said it filed a police report the night of the incidents. Coeur d’Alene police chief Lee White said Tuesday about 100 people were around the area that night, but investigators need to interview those affected. He said there are two state charges that could be enforced — malicious harassment and disorderly conduct — if someone is arrested. White also said he was working with the FBI.

“Until we get all the facts and the investigation is complete, what charges might actually be brought against the perpetrators is yet to be determined,” White said.

Utah, South Dakota State and UC Irvine were staying at hotels in Idaho, even with Gonzaga as the host school, because of a lack of hotel space in the Spokane area. Several years ago, the city was announced as a host for the first and second rounds of the men’s NCAA Tournament and there was also a large youth volleyball tournament in the area during the weekend.

That left limited hotel space and Gonzaga received a waiver from the NCAA to allow teams to be housed in Idaho.

South Dakota State stayed in Post Falls, just west of Coeur d’Alene and on the Idaho-Washington state line. UC Irvine stayed in Coeur d’Alene but was not involved in the incident with Utah. Even so, the team requested to move “for the well-being and safety of our student-athletes and the entire travel party,” Mike Uhlenkamp, assistant vice chancellor for communications and media relations, said in an email.

The women’s tournament differs from the men’s in that the 16 campus sites for first- and second-round games are not locked in until Selection Sunday, five days before those games begin. The campus sites allow host teams — the 16 highest seeds — to enjoy a homecourt advantage and, often, large crowds. Men’s sites are at neutral venues and chosen years in advance.

NCAA Vice President for Women’s Basketball Lynn Holzman told the AP that the selection committee was slated to review the championship format after the 2025 tournament. She has been pushing for some time to move the review up to this year.

“That review would include the first four, first and second rounds and also an evaluation of the two-site regional format,” Holzman said. “We want to look at the preliminary rounds of the championship and with the growth we’ve had the last few years I think we should move up that review to start in 2024.”

The NCAA issued a statement earlier in the day thanking the leadership at Gonzaga and Utah as well as law enforcement.

“We are devastated about the Utah team’s experience while travelling to compete on what should have been a weekend competing on the brightest stage and creating some of the fondest memories of their lives,” the statement said.

Utah athletic director Mark Harlan criticized the decision to put the Utes so far away from the game site.

“As we continue to heal, we remain very disappointed in the decision to assign our team to hotels such a great distance from the competition site, in another state,” he said in a statement co-signed by Green and Roberts issued Tuesday. “We will work with NCAA leadership to make it clear that being so far removed from the site was unacceptable and a contributing factor to the impact of this incident.”

“Racism is real and it happens, and it’s awful. So for our players, whether they are white, Black, green, whatever, no one knew how to handle it and it was really upsetting,” Roberts said. “For our players and staff to not feel safe in an NCAA Tournament environment, it’s messed up.”

Roberts said the NCAA and Gonzaga worked to move the team after the first night. Gonzaga issued a statement saying the school was ”frustrated and deeply saddened” by the incident.

Far-right extremists have maintained a presence in the region for years. In 2018, at least nine hate groups operated in the region of Spokane and northern Idaho, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued a statement that read, in part, “There is no place for racism, hate, or bigotry in the great State of Idaho. We condemn bullies who seek to harass and silence others.”

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Basketball sn-article
Trae Young Hawks’ Young enters next step in rehab from finger surgery with no timetable for return feed_column Tue, 26 Mar 2024 17:21:46 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 17:21:48 EDT Associated Press All-Star guard Trae Young will enter the next step in his rehabilitation from finger surgery, the Atlanta Hawks said Tuesday, but it’s still not known when he can rejoin the lineup.

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ATLANTA (AP) — All-Star guard Trae Young will enter the next step in his rehabilitation from finger surgery, the Atlanta Hawks said Tuesday, but it’s still not known when he can rejoin the lineup.

Young had a one-month follow-up examination to his Feb. 27 operation to repair a torn ligament in his left pinkie finger.

The team said he is making progress in his recovery and will begin small finger motion exercises this week. But there was no timetable for his return to the Hawks (32-39), who hold the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference with about three weeks to go in the regular season.

Young was averaging 26.4 points and 10.8 assists per game when he was injured in a Feb. 23 loss to Toronto. The Hawks are 8-7 since he went down, including a 120-118 victory Monday over NBA-leading Boston in which they rallied from a 30-point deficit.

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Basketball NBA sn-article
(Jessica Hill/AP Photo) Paige (2) Women’s March Madness Roundup: UConn, Gonzaga advance feed_column Mon, 25 Mar 2024 16:32:43 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 01:07:20 EDT Associated Press Maddy Westbeld scored 20 points and Hannah Hidalgo added 19 to help No. 2 seed Notre Dame beat seventh-seeded Mississippi 71-56 on Monday in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

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STORRS, Conn. — Paige Bueckers tied her season high with 32 points, freshman Ashlynn Shade added 19 and No. 3 seed UConn held off Syracuse 72-64 on Monday night to earn a 30th straight trip to the Sweet 16.

It was Bueckers’ fifth straight game with at least 25 points, and seventh in her last eight games.

Dyaisha Fair scored 18 of her 20 points in the second half as Syracuse came back from a 12-point first half deficit to pull within two with just under two minutes left. But the Orange missed four 3-point attempts down the stretch and UConn scored seven of the game’s final eight points.

Aaliyah Edwards of Kingston, Ont. finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds for UConn.

Sophie Burrows scored a career-high 18 points and Georgia Wooley had 13 of her 18 in the first half for the Orange.

UConn led by 11 points at halftime and Shade’s 3-pointer from the right corner, her fourth of the night, gave the Huskies a 53-44 heading into the fourth quarter.

But after UConn pushed that lead to 10 points, Husky point guard Nika Muhl, who had been guarding Fair, picked up three fouls in 30 seconds and fouled out of the game.

Coach Geno Auriemma had to be restrained by his assistants after she was called for her last, an offensive foul as she was bringing the ball up the court, with UConn up 63-55 and 5:17 left in the game.

After Shade extended the lead back to 10 with a jumper, Fair and Burrows hit back-to-back 3-pointers and an elbow jumper from Alyssa Latham made it 65-63 with 1:53 left.

But freshman KK Arnold made a clutch 3-pointer from the left wing with 28 seconds left, pushing the lead back to six and Syracuse missed four contested 3-pointers down the stretch.

(4) GONZAGA 77, (5) UTAH 66

SPOKANE, Wash. — Kayleigh Truong scored 21 points, Yvonne Ejim added 17 points and 13 rebounds, and fourth-seeded Gonzaga advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in nearly a decade beating No. 5 seed Utah 77-66 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday night.

The Zags used a barrage of 3-point shooting in the second and third quarters to overcome an early deficit and advanced to their first regional semifinal since 2015. Gonzaga (32-3) won its 36th consecutive game at home and will face top-seeded Texas in the Portland 4 Regional semifinal on Friday in Portland, Oregon.

Gonzaga received contributions from throughout the lineup. Truong and twin sister Kaylynne were on the mark from the perimeter as the Bulldogs hit 12 3-pointers in the first three quarters and led by as many as 21.

Kaylynne Truong added 14 points and Elisa Hollingsworth added 13. The Bulldogs finished 12 of 22 from beyond the 3-point line and took a victory lap through the crammed Kennel Club student section following the victory.

(2) NOTRE DAME 71, (7) MISSISSIPPI 56

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Maddy Westbeld scored 20 points and Hannah Hidalgo added 19 to help No. 2 seed Notre Dame beat seventh-seeded Mississippi 71-56 on Monday in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Sonia Citron added 17 for the Fighting Iriih (28-6), who advanced to the Sweet 16 where they will play No. 3 seed Oregon State in the Albany Regional.

Kennedy Todd-Williams and Madison Scott led Ole Miss with 15 points each.

Notre Dame hit Ole Miss with an intense attack from the opening tip, establishing an up-tempo tone on offence and a relentless but controlled defense early.

The Fighting Irish bolted to a 21-9 lead after one quarter, harassing Ole Miss into 4-of-17 shooting in the first quarter while connecting on 6-of-12 shots.

Notre Dame expanded its lead to 19 points at 33-14 on a 3 by Westbeld from the top of the key with 5:10 left. The Fighting Irish led by 17 points, 43-26, at halftime. Ole Miss committed 13 turnovers and only hit 38% of its shots (11-of-29).

Notre Dame connected on 59% of its field-goal attempts (16-of-27) and turned the ball over only six times.

(3) NORTH CAROLINA STATE 79, (6) TENNESSEE 72

RALEIGH, NC — Aziaha James scored 22 points and No. 3 seed North Carolina State blew nearly all of a 20-point lead before holding off No. 6 seed Tennessee 79-72 in Monday’s second round of the NCAA Tournament, sending the Wolfpack back to the Sweet 16.

Saniya Rivers added 20 points for the Wolfpack (29-6), who dominated the second quarter to build that huge margin before the Lady Vols (20-13) started creeping their way back.

Tennessee got as close as two points in the fourth, but N.C. State did just enough to protect its lead. That sent the Wolfpack on to a date with No. 2 seed Stanford in the Portland 4 Region.

James came up big in the critical moment amid the Lady Vols’ surge. First, the 5-foot-9 junior scored on a floater over the outstretched arms of 6-6 big Tamari Key. Then, after Baldwin blocked a shot from Rickea Jackson from behind, James curled around the left wing to catch and feed from Saniya Rivers and stick a huge 3-pointer for a 70-63 lead at the 2:48 mark.

Tennessee didn’t get it back to a one-possession game again.

(4) INDIANA 75, (5) OKLAHOMA 68

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Mackenzie Holmes scored 29 points, including six in a row, to give fourth-seeded Indiana a late lead Monday night as the Hoosiers rallied past fifth-seeded Oklahoma 75-68 in the second round of March Madness.

Sydney Parrish added 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Hoosiers (26-6), who advanced to their second Sweet 16 in three years and now face undefeated South Carolina in Albany, New York.

Indiana’s players celebrated by racing into the student section and up the steps at Assembly Hall as music blared and fans pumped their hands in the air,

Big 12 Player of the Year Skylar Vann led the Sooners (23-10) with 20 points and eight rebounds. Aubrey Joens had 16 points for Oklahoma, which walked off the floor dejectedly after a fourth consecutive second-round loss in the NCAA Tournament.

The more than 12,000 fans in Assembly Hall roared loudly in the final minutes — and after the final buzzer — as the Hoosiers seized control to avoid a repeat of last March’s shocking second-round loss to Miami.

But for much of the night, it looked like the Hoosiers might be staring at the sequel.

Again, they ran into a lower-seeded team that appeared athletic and more physical. Again, they struggled to get open shots or to stay in front of the Sooners on defense.

This time, though, they fought back and surged ahead thanks largely to Holmes, Indiana’s career scoring leader and a two-time All-American, despite the offense having a sub-par night. The nation’s top field goal and 3-point shooting team. Indiana was just 38.8% from the field and 18.8 percent from beyond the arc in a back-and-forth game that wasn’t settled in the waning minutes.

The Hoosiers finally tied the score on Holmes’ layup to open the fourth. She inadvertently hit Vann with an elbow in the nose on the play. From that point, the teams were within one possession of each other until Holmes scored six straight, including a layup with 1:18 left to give the Hoosiers a 66-64 lead.

An Oklahoma turnover on the ensuing possession led to a 10-footer from Yarden Garzon, Holmes came up with a steal and the Hoosiers closed it out at the free-throw line.

(1) IOWA 64, (8) WEST VIRGINIA 54

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Caitlin Clark scored 32 points and No. 1 seed Iowa survived one of its worst offensive performances of the season to beat No. 8 seed West Virginia 64-54 on Monday night in a women’s NCAA Tournament second-round game.

The Hawkeyes (31-4) advanced to play No. 5 seed Colorado in Saturday’s Albany 2 Regional semifinal.

Sydney Affolter’s three-point play with 2:03 to play, the Hawkeyes’ lone field goal of the fourth quarter, gave Iowa a 55-52 lead. Clark and Hannah Stuelke closed the game with nine free throws to clinch the win.

As time ran out on the final home game of her career, Clark, who became the NCAA’s Division I all-time scoring leader this season, circled the court, making a heart-shaped symbol with her hands as the sellout crowd cheered.

Iowa came into the game leading the nation in scoring at 92.8 points per game, but the Hawkeyes were held to their lowest single-game point total this season. Iowa shot just 36.4% from the field.

Affolter had 13 points, while Stuelke added 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Iowa seemed to have control of the game after an 8-0 run over the final 1:25 of the third quarter gave the Hawkeyes a 48-38 lead. But West Virginia opened the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run to tie the game with 5:18 to play, setting up the final minutes.

It was clear from the start that this was going to be a game of defence. Iowa led just 26-24 at halftime, with both teams going through scoring droughts.

The Hawkeyes led 26-19 before going the last 4:50 of the half without a point, shooting 27.3 percent in the second quarter. West Virginia went almost five minutes late in the first quarter and early in the second quarter without a point, and didn’t score for the final 2:11 of the half. The two teams combined for just nine field goals in the second quarter.

JJ Quinerly led West Virginia (25-8) with 15 points. Kyah Watson had 13 points and Jayla Hemingway had 10 points.

(2) UCLA 67, (7) CREIGHTON 63

LOS ANGELES — Kiki Rice scored 24 points, Lauren Betts had 20 points and 10 rebounds and second-seeded UCLA rallied in the second half for a 67-63 victory over seventh-seeded Creighton in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Monday night.

The Bruins (27-6), who trailed by 10 points early in the third quarter, will face third-seeded LSU in an Albany 2 Regional semifinal Saturday afternoon. Top-seeded Iowa and fifth-seeded Colorado are in the other semi.

Lauren Jensen scored 20 points and Morgan Maly added 18 for the Bluejays (26-6).

Creighton led 44-34 early in the second half before UCLA fought back. The Bruins got back into the game with a 20-7 run that included 11 points by Rice.

The game was tied at 56-all after three quarters before the Bruins scored seven straight to start the fourth as part of a 9-2 run.

UCLA struggled with Creighton’s off ball screens and transition game during the first half, as the Bluejays were able to get many easy baskets. Creighton was 13 of 22 from the field in the first half but only 9 of 28 in the third and fourth quarters.

Creighton led 20-19 at the end of the first quarter and then dominated the second quarter. The Bluejays scored the first eight points in the period and were 10 of 16 from the field as it went into halftime with a 42-34 lead. Emma Ronsiek led Creighton with 11 of her 14 points coming in the quarter.

(1) USC 73, (8) KANSAS 55

LOS ANGELES — JuJu Watkins had 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists and top-seeded Southern California led all the way in defeating Kansas 73-55 on Monday night to reach the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

McKenzie Forbes hit a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Trojans (28-5), who will face fifth-seeded Baylor (26-7) in the Portland Region 3 in Oregon on Saturday.

USC last went this deep when it reached the Elite Eight in 1994, 10 years after the school won the second of its back-to-back national championships.

Freshman S’Mya Nichols scored 22 points to lead the Jayhawks (20-13). Taiyanna Jackson had 10 points and 18 rebounds. Kansas fell to 0-6 all-time when facing a No. 1 seed in the tournament.

After Kansas got within one in the third, the Trojans took over with a 17-2 run that spanned the end of the third and start of the fourth. Watkins had nine points and Kayla Padilla hit a 3-pointer in the spurt that extended USC’s lead to 64-48.

USC’s Clarice Akunwafo, who at 6-foot-6 equaled Jackson’s height, disrupted the Kansas center by blocking shots and even did a little scoring down the stretch.

The Jayhawks outscored USC 22-20 in the third, scoring nine in a row to close to 47-46. Watkins closed the quarter by hitting a 3-pointer and making a pair of free throws before picking up her third foul. Forbes stole the ball and Akunwafo got fouled, making 1 of 2 to keep the Trojans ahead 53-46.

Kansas rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to force overtime against Michigan in the first round but was completely taken out of it in the fourth by the Trojans.

Watkins scored the Trojans’ first seven points with the crowd chanting “USC! USC!” They ran off 12 straight points over the end of the first and start of the second quarter, capped by Watkins’ 3-pointer that extended USC’s lead to 24-9.

The Trojans forced 12 Kansas turnovers that led to 16 points for them in the first half, which ended with USC ahead 33-24. The Jayhawks made just one 3-pointer in the half. They started the game shooting 3 of 14 from the floor.

Among the USC supporters were Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller, former NBA player John Wall, former USC quarterback Matt Leinert and football coach Lincoln Riley.

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Basketball sn-article
Andy Manis/AP Zach Edey and Matt Painter Purdue coach Matt Painter calls criticism of Canadian Zach Edey’s game ‘moronic’ feed_column Sun, 24 Mar 2024 19:55:49 EDT Mon, 25 Mar 2024 00:22:38 EDT Zulfi Sheikh After Canadian Zach Edey and the No. 1 seed Purdue Boilermakers booked their spot into the NCAA March Madness Sweet 16, with a win over No. 8 Utah State, head coach Matt Painter made sure not to mince words when coming to the defence of his star player.

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After Canadian Zach Edey and the No. 1 seed Purdue Boilermakers booked their spot in the NCAA March Madness Sweet 16 with a blowout win over No. 8 Utah State on Sunday, head coach Matt Painter made sure not to mince words when coming to the defence of his seven-foot-four star.

“Yeah, they just shouldn’t cover basketball,” Painter said with a laugh when asked post-game what he thinks of detractors of Edey’s game. “I think all coaches should take a test so they understand refereeing, and I think all referees should take a test so they understand coaching, and I think all journalists should have to take a basketball quiz or test.”

Through two tournament games, the 21-year-old has racked up 54 points and 35 rebounds while his team has won the contests by 28 and 39 points, respectively. The Toronto native put up 23 points and 14 rebounds against Utah State — numbers that likely would have been higher had he not been taken out about eight minutes into the second half of the one-sided game. Two nights earlier, he tallied the first 30-point, 20-rebound March Madness game since 1995, in Purdue’s first-round win against Grambling State.

“If they say something so moronic as that, they should have to have a probationary status where they can’t tweet for like three months,” Painter continued in his response to the notion that Edey is only effective due to his seven-foot-four frame.

Edey’s strong start also earned him a spot amongst elite company. He is the first player since Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to put up 50 points and 35 rebounds while shooting 65 per cent through the first two games.

Painter has coached Edey through all four of the Canadian’s college seasons and knows firsthand how much of an impact the senior can have on a squad, as the pair has led the Boilermakers to a 105-28 record during their partnership. Experiencing Edey’s growth up close is likely part of why the head coach was so adamant in his defence.

“Three years ago he was a good player for us, he caused problems, he did things, but it wasn’t where he is now,” Painter said. “He’s just continued to get better. Like we go into games and like our staff always looks at me and says, what do we need to do? I said, ‘Well, Zach needs to get 20 rebounds,’ and everybody always laughs at that. But you’re not asking somebody to do something he can’t do. He can do that.

“He’s great, he’s easy to coach, he’s obviously got some great physical skills, but he’s pretty intelligent.”

Edey and the Boilermakers will have another opportunity to dispel the doubters, and prove Painter right, when they face No. 5 Gonzaga and fellow Canadian Ryan Nembhard on Friday in Sweet 16 action in Detroit. The game will be a rematch from Nov. in the Maui Invitational where Purdue won.

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Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball sn-article
(Jessica Hill/AP Photo) Paige UConn’s Geno Auriemma calls Paige Bueckers ‘the best player in America’ feed_column Mon, 25 Mar 2024 23:18:53 EDT Mon, 25 Mar 2024 23:20:18 EDT Kai Gammage Following UConn’s 72-64 win over Syracuse in the second round of the women’s March Madness tournament, Auriemma made a bold assertion, stating without a shadow of a doubt that his superstar guard is the best player in America.

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You can have Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins and Cameron Brink, UConn’s Geno Auriemma is rolling with Paige Bueckers seven days a week and twice on Sundays.

Following UConn’s 72-64 win over Syracuse in the second round of the women’s March Madness tournament, Auriemma made a bold assertion, stating without a shadow of a doubt that his superstar guard is the best player in the country.

“We have the best player in America,” Auriemma said in the post-game press conference. “In this world of analytics, the numbers say that she is. And the whole stat sheet says that she is. And everybody that watched knows it.”

Bueckers was outstanding in the second-round win, dismantling Syracuse to the tune of 32 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, four steals and a block. She was also unbelievable in their first-round win over Jackson State, finishing with a final stat line of 28 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block.

Her performance in the tourney is one that was sorely missed after she tore her ACL ahead of the 2022-23 season, causing her to miss the entirety of the year.

The Huskies would be eliminated in the Sweet 16 that season in a 73-61 loss to Ohio State, their worst finish since the 2005 tournament.

“We’re fortunate and we get to go back to where it ended for us last year,” Auriemma added. “I think we’re a different team, different mindset, and we’re hoping for a different outcome.”

That may just be the case in this go-around with former Wooden Award winner Paige Bueckers and star Canadian forward Aaliyah Edwards leading the team.

Auriemma, arguably the most successful coach in college basketball history, will be looking to make the most of the rest of his time with Bueckers. Though he’s already got 11 National Titles to his name, he’ll have a chance at two more while the star guard plays in Storrs, as she opted to return to UConn for a fifth year, pulling her name out of the WNBA Draft.

Edwards, however, will not return as she will be taking her talents to the league.

UConn was in line for a rematch with the No. 2-seeded Ohio State in the Sweet 16, however, the Buckeyes ended up dropping their second-round matchup to Duke in an upset 75-63 loss.

The Huskies’ match against the Blue Devils is slated for Saturday.

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Basketball sn-article
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Villegas) Sabonis Sabonis’s milestone night helps Kings beat 76ers feed_column Tue, 26 Mar 2024 00:51:24 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 00:51:26 EDT Associated Press Domantas Sabonis had his NBA-leading 25th triple-double of the season on a milestone night, leading the Sacramento Kings to a 108-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Domantas Sabonis had his NBA-leading 25th triple-double of the season on a milestone night, leading the Sacramento Kings to a 108-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

Sabonis had 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to become the fifth player in NBA history with at least 25 triple-doubles in a season, joining Nikola Jokic, Russell Westbrook, Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson.

Sabonis also posted his 54th consecutive double-double, breaking a tie with Kevin Love for the longest streak since the 1976-77 merger between the NBA and ABA. Sabonis is nowhere close to the all-time record of 227 straight double-doubles held by Chamberlain, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Keegan Murray and De’Aaron Fox each scored 23 points for the Kings, who snapped a 10-game skid against the Sixers to move into a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference with Dallas. Sacramento hosts the Mavericks on Tuesday night as the teams fight to remain in the top six and avoid the play-in tournament.

Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points to lead the Sixers, who wrapped up a 2-2 West Coast swing. Philadelphia dropped into eighth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind idle Miami.

Maxey scored Philadelphia’s first 16 points and was a one-man show offensively in the first quarter with 21 of the 25 points (84%) for the 76ers.

No player in at least the past 28 seasons had scored a higher share of his team’s points in the first quarter with at least 20 points scored. Maxey topped the previous high of 82.8% by Michael Jordan for Washington against Charlotte on Dec. 29, 2001.

But Maxey didn’t get nearly enough help, and the Sixers trailed 60-48 at halftime.

Sacramento maintained a comfortable lead throughout the second half, with the biggest excitement coming in the third quarter when Sabonis reached his milestone. A tribute video was played for him following the first stoppage after he reached the mark.

Philadelphia played without Kelly Oubre, sidelined by a sore left shoulder sustained in a fall on Sunday against the Clippers.

UP NEXT

76ers: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.

Kings: Host the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

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Basketball NBA SAC sn-article
(John Bazemore/AP Photo) Hawks Hawks rally from 30 points down to stun NBA-leading Celtics feed_column Mon, 25 Mar 2024 22:37:04 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 00:16:04 EDT Associated Press De’Andre Hunter scored 24 points, including a clinching 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds remaining, and the patched-together Atlanta Hawks rallied from a 30-point deficit Monday night for a stunning 120-118 victory over the NBA-leading Boston Celtics.

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ATLANTA — De’Andre Hunter could’ve held the ball and forced the Celtics to foul.

Instead, he let it fly.

Considering what the Atlanta Hawks had done, rallying from a 30-point deficit against NBA-leading Boston, it was only appropriate the shot hit nothing but net.

Hunter scored 24 points, including a clinching 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds remaining, and the patched-together Hawks pulled off one of the most improbable wins in franchise history with a 120-118 stunner over the Celtics on Monday night.

The Celtics had won 20 of 22 and brought a nine-game winning streak into State Farm Arena — a run that certainly appeared in no jeopardy when Al Horford’s 3-pointer put Boston up 68-38 with just under 4 1/2 minutes left in the first half.

But the Hawks, clinging to the final play-in spot in the East and one of the league’s most disappointing teams, launched a comeback out of nowhere with All-Star guard Trae Young and three other key players sidelined by injuries.

It was the biggest comeback win for Atlanta since at least the 1997-98 season, when the NBA began keeping detailed play-by-play.

Dejounte Murray put the Hawks ahead to stay at 117-116 on a reverse layup with a minute left. Jaylen Brown missed a desperation 3 with the shot clock expiring, and Hunter sealed things at the other end with a huge assist from Clint Capela.

After Murray missed a jumper, Capela grabbed the offensive rebound and spotted Hunter all alone at the top of the key. Even though the shot clock was off and Hunter could’ve forced the Celtics to foul, he let go an open look from 26 feet.

Hunter had run through the scenario before he got the ball.

“If he passes it to me, I’m shooting,” Hunter told himself. “He got the rebound, he passed it to me, so I shot it.”

Hawks coach Quin Snyder had no problem with the seemingly ill-advised decision.

“He didn’t hesitate,” Snyder said. “He shot the ball with confidence, and I had confidence in him.”

It was a shocking loss for the Celtics in a season filled with wins, to a team that came into the night trailing them by 25 1/2 games in the Eastern Conference standings..

“We let our foot off the gas in the second half, and they got in a great rhythm,” said Jayson Tatum, who led the Celtics with 37 points. “It’s a tough pill to swallow.”

Atlanta’s comeback began with a 9-0 run to end the first half, which cut the deficit to 74-56 as the teams headed to the locker room.

The momentum carried over to the third quarter, which began with Atlanta ripping off 19 of the next 23 points to slice the margin to 78-75.

After the Celtics flirted several times with pulling away again, the Hawks finally claimed their first lead of the night when little-used Wesley Matthews knocked down a 3 to make it 97-96 with 9:42 remaining.

Bogdan Bogdanovic had 22 points and Murray chipped in with 19, but it was several players who are normally buried deep on the bench who really carried the Hawks.

Vit Krejci had 16 points, including a 3-pointer that left him shrugging his shoulders toward his teammates as if he couldn’t really believe what was happening. Bruno Fernando scored 13 and Matthews knocked down a pair of crucial 3s.

“It felt like everything we were doing was going (right) for us,” Krejci said. “It was a really good moment. We’ve got to find a way to feel that way the whole game.”

With plenty of fans in green cheering them on in Atlanta, the Celtics doubled up the home team in the first quarter by racing to a 44-22 lead.

Boston made 16 of 24 shots in the opening period, including 5 of 7 beyond the 3-point arc, in addition to going 7 of 7 at the foul line.

Tatum finished the half with 23 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a blocked shot. But he was stymied a bit in the second half by Krejci, who began to pick up the Boston star from one end of the court to the other.

Brown added 24 points for the Celtics.

UP NEXT

Celtics: With a strange quirk of scheduling, Boston will get an extended stay in Atlanta before the same teams meet again on Thursday.

Hawks: Atlanta has another home game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, sandwiched between its two contests against the Celtics.

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Basketball NBA ATL BOS sn-article
Brandon Dill/AP Houston forward J’Wan Roberts All top seeds reach Sweet 16 in chalky men’s March Madness full_width Mon, 25 Mar 2024 08:47:13 EDT Mon, 25 Mar 2024 11:57:43 EDT Associated Press March Madness arrived with visions of chaos. Based on last year’s bracket, there was little reason to doubt it. The only surprise so far has been the lack of pandemonium.

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March Madness arrived with visions of chaos. Based on last year’s bracket, there was little reason to doubt it.

The only surprise so far has been the lack of pandemonium. 

The top two seeds from each region are headed to the Sweet 16 for just the fifth time. One double-digit seed will join them. Most of the Cinderellas that put the madness in March busted out of the bracket long before midnight.

The bluebloods and big boys — many of them, anyway — are going to the regionals and they all want more.

“I didn’t come back to make the Sweet 16,” Purdue big man Zach Edey said after the Boilermakers’ 106-67 victory over Utah State. “I came back to make a run, a deep run. Nobody is satisfied with where we are now.”

Last year’s Final Four was unlike any other, a bracket-busting foursome with no teams seeded better than No. 4 for the first time since the bracket expanded in 1979.

Reigning national champion UConn has looked good in its bid to repeat this year, but there wasn’t a dominant team during the regular season, opening the door for what was expected to be a wild NCAA Tournament.

It didn’t happen. 

The upsets that punctuate March have been limited — 13-seed Yale and 12-seeds James Madison and Grand Canyon and 14th-seeded Oakland are all headed home. The only true buzzer-beater was a tying 3-pointer by Texas A&M’s Andersson Garcia to force overtime against Houston. The average margin of victory the first two rounds was 15.8 points, second-highest since 1985.

Purdue erased some of the disappointment of last year’s first-round flameout with a pair of lopsided wins, setting up a Sweet 16 matchup with a Gonzaga team back in the underdog role. Fellow No. 1 seeds North Carolina, UConn and Houston also are through. 

The Cougars were the only ones tested, needing overtime to beat Texas A&M 100-95. No other game involving a No. 1 seed was closer than 16 points.

No. 2 seeds Arizona, Tennessee, Marquette and Iowa State also advanced, marking the fifth time — first since 2019 — that all eight top-two seeds reached the Sweet 16 since the start of seeding in 1979. 

Also in are No. 3 seeds Illinois and Creighton, along with fourth-seeded Duke and Alabama. The average seed for the Sweet 16 is a chalky 3.3, right behind the 3.1 in 2019 and 2009.

Double-digit seeds

Oakland’s Jack Gohlke took the first big star turn of the NCAA Tournament, pouring in 10 3-pointers — second-most ever — in the 14th-seeded Golden Grizzlies’ upset win over No. 3 seed Kentucky. Gohlke hit six more 3s against N.C. State, but the Wolfpack outlasted Oakland in overtime to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015.

That leaves No. 11 seed N.C. State, which had to win the ACC tournament just to get into the bracket, as the only double-digit seed left after San Diego State blew out No. 13 Yale in the final game of the second round.

“I think that’s what March is about,” N.C. State big man DJ Burns said. “Some teams got here by winning their conference just like us and that doesn’t mean they’re a bad team.”

Powerhouse ACC

The ACC had what was considered a down year with just five teams making the NCAA Tournament.

Virginia bowed out in the First Four, but top-seeded North Carolina, Duke, Clemson and N.C. State are all through to the Sweet 16, giving the ACC a sparkling 8-1 record through the first two rounds.

The ACC is the sixth league to get four teams through to the Sweet 16 since the NCAA Tournament expanded in 1985. The Big East was the last to do it, in 2003.

Big East beast

Big East coaches, players and fans were frustrated with the bracket reveal when just three teams made it into the bracket.

The league is rolling so far with three teams getting through to the Sweet 16 and a 6-0 record.

UConn is looking good in its bid to become the first repeat champion since Florida in 2006-07, winning its first two games by an average of 28 points.

Marquette ended its early-exit woes, reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016. Creighton is also into the regional round after coming within seconds of reaching the Final Four a year ago.

“You’ve see how other leagues that got the bids that our league deserved has underperformed,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “Obviously the mistake was made. It sucks.”

Big ratings

The limited buzzer beaters and lack of Cinderella runs haven’t squashed interest in this year’s NCAA Tournament. 

The NCAA said the first round on Thursday averaged a record 8.5 million viewers across CBS and the Turner channels and Friday’s games drew 8.6 million, second-most ever. Interest climbed even more for Saturday’s second-round games, averaging 10.8 million viewers, another record.

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Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball sn-article
(Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo) SGA Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander building irrefutable case for MVP full_width Fri, 22 Mar 2024 09:30:17 EDT Fri, 22 Mar 2024 16:34:12 EDT Michael Grange Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has followed up his breakout season from a year ago when he became the first Canadian other than Nash to earn first-team all-NBA honours with a break-in year, as in, SGA has broken into the conversation for MVP.

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TORONTO — The MVP award is basketball’s most hallowed individual prize.

It takes a team to win a championship, but in a sport where one player can affect the outcome of a game more than in any other — the exception being hockey goalies, arguably — having the best player, or close to it, is the prerequisite for winning a championship.

Over and over again, the NBA champion is led by a player who either has won the MVP award, will one day win one or in the case of, say, Kawhi Leonard, would likely have won one had injuries not interfered.

The exceptions are few and far between. The award will be given out for the 59th time this spring, and over all those years, only Steve Nash retired without having at least made an NBA Final, a shortcoming attributable to ill-timed injuries and plain old bad luck.

All of this is a preamble to make clear the sacred ground that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is treading on this year. The Hamilton, Ont., product has followed up his breakout season from a year ago when he became the first Canadian other than Nash to earn first-team all-NBA honours with a break-in year, as in, SGA has broken into the conversation for MVP.

Tim Bontemps of ESPN conducts a poll of 100 likely award voters three times each year (I have been both a participant in the informal ‘straw poll’ and the league’s end-of-season awards voting) to gauge the temperature of the MVP race. The most recent edition came out in mid-February, and the Oklahoma City Thunder star was second in the voting behind two-time MVP winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

But the gap is surprisingly small, given Jokic’s pedigree and the momentum he earned with his romp through the NBA playoffs last season. Jokic was named on 100 ballots, Gilgeous-Alexander on 99, though the Serbian centre led the Canadian point guard in first-place votes, 69-24. Only Giannis Antetokounmpo (two) of the Bucks and the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (four) earned more than one first-place vote.

It’s heady stuff for a 25-year-old in his sixth season, but he’s getting used to the thin air.

“For sure (winning MVP) would be up there (as a personal goal),” Gilgeous-Alexander told me in early February, when I asked him how he’s navigating the buzz in the midst of a breakthrough season for the Thunder as a group. “I think for every basketball player, it is. Obviously, I’m not naive, I can hear (the talk), but right now I channel it out and I try to focus on the day in, day out. It’s what got me to this point. I’d be stupid to focus on anything else.”

That’s the thing with Gilgeous-Alexander, who takes the Western Conference-leading Thunder into Scotiabank Arena Friday night for his one visit to his (Hamilton-adjacent) hometown: for all his athletic gifts and extraordinary skill, it’s his ability to narrow down his field of vision to what really matters that is most impressive to those who know him.

“He’s the most consistent professional with his habits — working out in the morning,  taking care of his body, eating properly … it’s very special,” said Canadian men’s national team head coach Jordi Fernandez, who saw SGA at his best this summer when he led Canada to a bronze medal at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. “It’s not easy to do at his age, being that young and that mature. There’s no surprise why he’s so good. And he’s right, I’ve experienced it. He’s a super pro, a great teammate and a good leader.”

What Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic — his primary rival to make history this season — have in common is that their basketball brilliance doesn’t seem to overwhelm their personality as a whole, or those around them. They’re different players with different interests — Gilgeous-Alexander is as fashion-forward as they come in the NBA, spending parts of his off-season at Fashion Week in Manhattan, while Jokic prefers quiet time with his horses in Serbia — but neither of them gets too swept up by the bright lights or the attention, if at all.

Is SGA really as chill as he seems? Turns out, yes.

“On and off the court, that’s who he is. It’s pretty special to see,” said Raptors forward Kelly Olynyk, who will be joining Gilgeous-Alexander on the Canadian Olympic team this coming summer. “You would never know he’s in the MVP [conversation] when you’re hanging out with him and just having lunch or in the locker room. You don’t feel that kind of ‘I’m better than you’ attitude or persona or aura. He just lets his game speak. Great guy, great team guy. He’s a pleasure to be around.”

But only so many players ever have a chance to stand apart and win an MVP award, and with less than a month left, Gilgeous-Alexander is as close as anyone can get.

The numbers support this case: he’s averaging 30.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists while shooting 54.4 per cent from the field and 37.6 per cent from three while leading the NBA with 2.1 steals a game. His stats actually compare favourably to Jokic’s box score line: 26 points, 12.3 rebounds and nine assists while shooting 58.2 per cent from the floor and 35.4 per cent from three.

Typically, Jokic dominates any advanced statistics argument, but Gilgeous-Alexander holds his own there too, as he’s just a hair behind Jokic in Win Shares per 48 minutes and leading the NBA in Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM) on dunkandthrees.com, another catch-all measurement that tends to correlate well with the MVP vote.

If consistency is your bag, how about this one: Friday night will be Gilgeous-Alexander’s 69th game and he’s scored at least 30 points in 50 of them, breaking a Thunder team record for 30-point games in a season held by none other than Kevin Durant, and giving him a chance to pass Michael Jordan’s mark of 59 30-point games, set in 1987-88, the highest such mark in 50 years.

And team performance? The baby-faced Thunder have been at or near the top of the crazily competitive Western Conference all season and at their current pace will surpass last season’s win total (40) by 18. The year before that, OKC won just 24 games.

How? SGA, that’s how.

“He’s just so dynamic,” said Olynyk. “The thing about Shai is that even two years ago, three years ago, when I first started playing with him on the national team, everything is so effortless and so easy. He’s so smooth, you can’t speed him up and he just gets things done; he makes plays in big moments. He’s always alive, you can’t rest or break, ever, when you’re guarding him. It’s tough.”

Gilgeous-Alexander makes it tough on defenders and this season should make it tough for those trying to determine the NBA’s MVP award.

But when you factor in the individual brilliance, the Thunder’s emergence as a contender and Gilgeous-Alexander’s mind-blowing consistency, it’s not that hard to imagine.

Twenty years after Nash became the first and only Canadian to win the MVP award, in 2004-05, Gilgeous-Alexander will have this writer’s vote to be the second.

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Basketball NBA OKC sn-article
sharp Houston Cougars star Emanuel Sharp has Canadian ties feed_column Sun, 24 Mar 2024 23:57:33 EDT Mon, 25 Mar 2024 00:34:26 EDT Sportsnet Staff Emanuel Sharp may not have a Canadian passport, but the Houston Cougars’ impressive sophomore guard certainly has some connections to this country.

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Emanuel Sharp may not have a Canadian passport, but the Houston Cougars’ impressive sophomore guard certainly has some connections to this country.

Sharp, who led top-seeded Houston with a career-high 30 points in a 100-95 overtime win over Texas A&M on Sunday, is one of 43 players listed on Canada Basketball’s list of Canadians in this year’s March Madness — because he would be eligible to play for the country in international play.

Sharp’s mother is Justine Ellison Sharp, who was inducted into the University of Toronto Varsity Blues hall of fame in 2009. The Hamilton native — who played for 41-year Varsity Blues coach Michele Belanger — was national university women’s athlete of the year in her senior 1995-96 season for the basketball team and led U of T to a pair of national silver medals.

After her university career, Justine went on to play pro hoops for 10 years in Israel, where she met her future husband and Emanuel’s dad, Derrick Sharp, who also had a long career playing basketball in that country. Derrick Sharp was a member of the 2005 Maccabi Tel Aviv team that stunned the Raptors in Toronto in a pre-season game.

“I grew up around professional basketball,” Emanuel Sharp told PaperCity Mag last year. “That’s really all I know. Coming from that background, I learned to enjoy the game that much more. Because as a kid you want to be like your parents.”

Emanuel was born in Tel Aviv in 2004 — and played for Israel’s under-16 team. The family eventually moved to Florida, and Emanuel Sharp lists Tampa as his hometown.

The six-foot-three Sharp more than doubled his scoring average in his second season, averaging 12.3 points. He started his NCAA career on a top-seeded team last year after fracturing his fibula and dislocating his ankle in his final year of high school.

Houston will next play fourth-seeded Duke in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Dallas.

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Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball sn-article
(Michael Conroy/AP) Marquette March Madness Roundup: Kolek leads Marquette to Sweet 16 with win over Colorado feed_column Sun, 24 Mar 2024 15:05:16 EDT Mon, 25 Mar 2024 00:38:10 EDT Associated Press Tyler Kolek had 21 points and 11 assists, and David Joplin made two free throws with 7.4 seconds left to help Marquette finally put away Colorado 81-77 on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Tyler Kolek had 21 points and 11 assists, and David Joplin made two free throws with 7.4 seconds left to help Marquette finally put away Colorado 81-77 on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

In their third season under coach Shaka Smart, the second-seeded Golden Eagles (27-9) reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013 by outlasting the 10th-seeded Buffaloes (26-11) and their dynamic offense.

Kam Jones scored 18 points and Joplin finished with 14 for Marquette, which shot 61.8% from the field but still couldn’t shake Colorado until the closing seconds. Chase Ross made a tiebreaking 3-pointer off a pass from Kolek with 2:53 left and finished with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

KJ Simpson scored 20 points and Tristan da Silva had 17 for Colorado, which trailed by 11 at halftime but rallied to take a 55-54 lead just over five minutes into the second half. Kolek put the Golden Eagles back on top with a short jumper and Marquette never trailed again, but Colorado tied it twice, the last time on a 3-pointer by da Silva with 4:02 remaining.

The Buffs trailed 79-77 and had to foul three times before putting Joplin on the line for a 1-and-1. He knocked down both and set up a South Region semifinal meeting with No. 11 seed North Carolina State in Dallas on Friday.

(1) PURDUE 106, (8) UTAH STATE 67

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Toronto’s Zach Edey had 23 points and 14 rebounds, and No. 1 seed Purdue cruised into the Sweet 16 by pounding eighth-seeded Utah State 106-67 with an impressive offensive performance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

Trey Kaufman-Renn added 18 points and eight boards for Purdue (31-7), which broke the school’s single-season record for victories. Fletcher Loyer had 15 points, and Braden Smith had all six of his assists in the second half when the Boilermakers shot 65.2% from the field before pulling the starters.

Purdue also set a school record for most points in a March Madness game. Next up is fifth-seeded Gonzaga in the Midwest Region semifinals in Detroit.

Great Osodor, the Mountain West Player of the Year, had 14 points and six rebounds for Utah State. The Aggies (28-7) were outrebounded 49-26, and they headed home still in search of the program’s first regional semifinal since 1970.

The biggest reason this time was Edey, who had another dominant showing in Indianapolis, just 60 miles southeast of campus.

(4) ALABAMA 72, (12) GRAND CANYON 61

SPOKANE, Wash. — Mark Sears carried Alabama long enough for the Crimson Tide to get an unexpected contribution and reach the Sweet 16.

Who is Mouhamed Dioubate?

“He won us the game the last five minutes,” Sears said.

Sears had 26 points and 12 rebounds, Dioubate scored all nine of his points in the final 5 1/2 minutes, and fourth-seeded Alabama used a late surge to beat No. 12 seed Grand Canyon 72-61 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night.

Sears carried the Crimson Tide (23-11) for the better part of 35 minutes before getting some unexpected help from Dioubate. The 6-foot-7 freshman scored more than nine points only twice all season but made the most of his chance to contribute in the final minutes of a physical game with Alabama in foul trouble and without starter Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who suffered a head injury in the first half.

“I was just playing hard and I got lost in the game, honestly. I wasn’t thinking about scoring. I just let the game come to me,” Dioubate said. “Coach put me in with a few minutes left in the game because Jarin (Stevenson) fouled out and I just tried to play as hard as I can and let my defense contribute to offense, and that’s what I did.”

Alabama advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 10th time overall and third time in the last four seasons under coach Nate Oats. The Crimson Tide will play in a regional semifinal in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1990-91; last year, Alabama was a No. 1 seed and fell to eventual national runner-up San Diego State.

This time, it’ll be the Tide trying to take down top-seeded North Carolina on Thursday in a West Region semifinal in Los Angeles.

“We had multiple guys in there putting their nose in and making tough plays,” Oats said. “Sears wasn’t going to lose. He wasn’t letting us lose tonight.”

Sears made 8 of 18 shots and cheekily waved goodbye in the final seconds to the Grand Canyon “Havocs” fans who filled Spokane Arena. Dioubate also grabbed five rebounds — all on the offensive end — in his 12 minutes and played solid defense on Grand Canyon star Tyon Grant-Foster.

Grant-Foster scored 29 points, one off his career high, but didn’t score in the final 4 minutes. The Lopes shot 32%, including a brutal 3 of 17 to begin the game. Grand Canyon (31-4) also couldn’t find anything from beyond the 3-point arc, going 2 of 20. Coach Bryce Drew’s squad came in averaging seven 3s per game.

(4) DUKE 93, (12) JMU 55

NEW YORK — Jared McCain scored 22 of his 30 points in the first half and set a Duke record for an NCAA Tournament game with eight 3-pointers as the Blue Devils ended 12th-seeded James Madison’s dream season with a 93-55 second-round victory Sunday.

The fourth-seeded Blue Devils (26-8) are headed to the Sweet 16 to face the winner of Houston-Texas A&M in the South Region semifinals Friday in Dallas.

McCain and Duke emphatically ended the nation’s longest active winning streak at 14 games, taking a 22-point lead into halftime and never letting the advantage slip below 20 in the second half. The rugged defense JMU used to beat Wisconsin in the first round didn’t seem to bother the Blue Devils at all.

The Dukes (32-4) finished with a program record for victories. Terrence Edwards Jr. led JMU with 13 points. Attention for the Sun Belt champions now turns to fourth-year coach Mark Byington, who has been speculated to be a candidate to fill the vacancy at West Virginia.

McCain made his eighth 3 with 11:59 left in the second half, holding the follow-through and making the score 66-39.

The charismatic freshman from California broke a school record set by Quinn Cook in a stunning first-round loss to Mercer in 2014.

It was all smiles for the Blue Devils in this one. They finished 14-for-28 from 3-point range.

Two days after Duke beat Vermont with a quiet offensive performance from 7-footer Kyle Filipowski (three points and one shot attempt), the second-team All-American had 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting against JMU.

Tyrese Proctor added 18 points and four 3-pointers.

Duke was knocked out of the tournament in the second round by Tennessee last season, coach Jon Scheyer’s first as Mike Krzyzewski’s replacement. Scheyer has been part of seven Sweet 16 teams as a player and an assistant. Now he’s got his first as a head coach.

(6) CLEMSON 72, (3) BAYLOR 64

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Chase Hunter had 20 points and six assists, and No. 6 seed Clemson held off third-seeded Baylor for a 72-64 victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

The Tigers advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second time in coach Brad Brownell’s 14 seasons. They also made it in 2018, when they lost to Kansas in the third round.

Joseph Girard III scored 13 points for the Tigers (23-11), and Ian Schieffelin and PJ Hall each had 11.

Next up for Clemson is No. 2 seed in Arizona in the West Region semifinals in Los Angeles. The Wildcats advanced with a 78-68 victory over Dayton on Saturday.

RayJ Dennis led Baylor with 27 points, including 21 in the second half. Ja’Kobe Walter added 20 points, but the Bears (24-11) lost in the second round of the NCAA tourney for the third straight year.

Baylor went 16 for 26 at the foul line, compared to 20 for 24 for Clemson.

(1) UCONN 75, (9) NORTHWESTERN 58

NEW YORK — Donovan Clingan, Tristen Newton, and top overall seed UConn overwhelmed an undermanned Northwestern team 75-58 on Sunday night to sail into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Newton had 20 points and 10 assists, and Clingan finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks as the Huskies (33-3) led wire-to-wire and became the first defending national champions to reach the regional semifinals since Duke in 2016.

Connecticut built a 30-point cushion and matched a program record for wins set by the 2013-14 national championship squad. It will play Thursday night in the East Region semifinals against No. 5 seed San Diego State or 13th-seeded Yale in Boston, about an 85-mile drive from UConn’s campus.

The Huskies beat a fifth-seeded San Diego State squad 76-59 in last year’s national championship game. They lost Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson Jr. to the NBA from that talented team, but this balanced and focused group has looked even more dominant as it attempts to become the first program to repeat as NCAA champion since Florida in 2007.

Yale, the Huskies’ in-state neighbor located about 60 miles south, won the most recent matchup between the schools, 45-44 at Storrs in December 2014 — against a UConn team coming off a national title the previous season.

Sound familiar?

Undersized and overmatched, Boo Buie and the ninth-seeded Wildcats (22-12) were buried under a dizzying display of dunks, blocks, alley-oops and layups.

They made a late push that prompted Huskies coach Dan Hurley to call a timeout with 5:26 remaining, but Northwestern never got the margin under 16.

(1) HOUSTON 100, (9) TEXAS A&M 95 (OT)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Emanuel Sharp started overtime with a 3-pointer that put top-seeded Houston ahead to stay as the Cougars advanced to the Sweet 16 back in Texas by topping ninth-seeded Texas A&M 100-95 on Sunday night.

The Aggies forced overtime with a furious rally, outscoring Houston 17-5 in the final two minutes of regulation. Andersson Garcia beat the buzzer with his ninth 3-pointer of the season, and then was mobbed by his teammates.

Sharp fouled out after his 3, finishing with 30 points. His teammates outscored Texas A&M 7-1 to start the extra session and close it out.

The win by Houston (32-4) means all eight teams seeded 1 and 2 advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time since the NCAA tourney started seeding in 1979. The top eight seeds also advanced in 2019, 2009, 1995 and 1989.

The Cougars will play Duke, a 93-55 winner over James Madison, on Friday in Dallas in the South Region semifinals. This will be Houston’s fifth straight Sweet 16 and 16th all-time.

Texas A&M (21-15) was trying to make the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018 in its second straight NCAA Tournament under coach Buzz Williams. The Aggies had been 6-1 in March only to revert to the team that struggled offensively much of the season.

Jamal Shead had 21 points and had 10 assists for Houston. He was one of four Cougars who fouled out.

(5) SAN DIEGO STATE 85, (13) YALE 57

SPOKANE, Wash. — Jaedon LeDee had 26 points and nine rebounds, Darrion Trammell added 18 points and fifth-seeded San Diego State used a fast start to overwhelm 13th-seeded Yale and rolled to an 85-57 win in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night.

The Aztecs scored the first 10 points of the game, led by 24 at halftime and removed any chance of another potential March Madness, bracket-busting upset.

San Diego State (26-10) earned a rematch with No. 1 seed and defending national champion UConn on Thursday in Boston in the Sweet 16. The Huskies beat the Aztecs 76-59 last April in Houston, denying San Diego State a chance at its first title.

The Aztecs will be playing in the Sweet 16 in consecutive years for the first time in school history.

LeDee was again the star for the Aztecs after he scored 32 points in the first-round win over UAB. He made 9 of 12 shots, including a pair of 3s, and in two tournament games is 20-for-30 shooting.

But some of the outside shooting that was absent in the tourney opener returned and San Diego State hit a season-high 13 3-pointers. Trammell had just four points and took four shots against UAB, but hit four 3s against Yale.

Bez Mbeng led Yale with 12 points and Matt Knowling added 11. But even with borrowing the University of Idaho band for a second time, there was no magical late comeback after the Bulldogs (23-10) rallied from down 10 in the final 7 1/2 minutes to top No. 4 seed Auburn in the opener.

For the second straight year, San Diego State didn’t allow a No. 13 seed seeking a landmark second-round upset the chance to breathe. The Aztecs suffocated Furman last year after the Paladins upset Virginia in the first round.

They did the same to Yale.

John Poulakidas, the star of Yale’s upset win over Auburn, wasn’t able to match the same level of shot-making he displayed on the way to 28 points in the first round. Poulakidas missed all five shots in the first half and was scoreless at the break. He finally scored early in the second half but finished with only nine points.

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Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball sn-article
Michael Conroy/AP Edey Canada’s Edey, Purdue roll into Sweet 16 with runaway win over Utah State feed_column Sun, 24 Mar 2024 17:24:49 EDT Mon, 25 Mar 2024 00:22:17 EDT Associated Press For Zach Edey and Purdue, it was just another step toward a goal. A dominant performance, but just another step regardless. They want more.

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NDIANAPOLIS — For Zach Edey and Purdue, it was just another step toward a goal. A dominant performance, but just another step regardless.

They want more.

“There’s no satisfaction,” Edey said. “I didn’t come back to make the Sweet 16. I came back to make a run, a deep run.”

So far, so good.

Edey had 23 points and 14 rebounds, and the top-seeded Boilermakers advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament by pounding eighth-seeded Utah State 106-67 on Sunday.

Trey Kaufman-Renn added 18 points and eight boards for Purdue (31-7), which broke the school’s single-season record for victories. Fletcher Loyer had 15 points, and Braden Smith had all six of his assists in the second half when the Boilermakers shot 65.2% from the field before pulling the starters.

Purdue also set a school record for most points in a March Madness game. Edey, meanwhile, became the first player since Lew Alcindor in 1968 with at least 50 points, 35 rebounds and a field goal percentage of 65.0 through two rounds of the NCAA tourney.

Next up is fifth-seeded Gonzaga in the Midwest Region semifinals in Detroit.

“Nobody is satisfied with where we are now,” Edey said.

Great Osodor, the Mountain West Player of the Year, had 14 points and six rebounds for Utah State. The Aggies (28-7) were outrebounded 49-26, and they headed home still in search of the program’s first regional semifinal since 1970.

The biggest reason was Edey, who turned in another impressive showing in Indianapolis, just 60 miles southeast of campus.

Just two days after he produced the first 30-point, 20-rebound NCAA Tournament game since 1995, Edey was 8 of 11 from the field and 7 of 8 at the free-throw line. The 7-foot-4, 300-pound center also had three blocks, three assists and two steals in 26 1/2 minutes.

He became the first player with three consecutive NCAA tourney games with at least 20 points and three blocks since Shaquille O’Neal for LSU in the 1991 and 1992 tournaments, according to OptaSTATS.

“Zach Edey, he’s special,” Utah State coach Danny Sprinkle said. “There haven’t been many players like that in college basketball history. That’s why I think they can just take it to another level. We told our guys, yeah, Zach Edey is obviously a national player of the year, but they’ve got other really good players and that can’t go unnoticed.”

Another win would put Purdue in its first Elite Eight since 2019, when it lost in overtime to eventual national champion Virginia — one year after the Cavaliers became the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed, UMBC.

With Edey in the middle, the Boilermakers are hoping to follow in that same path that the Cavs did when they won it all. If Loyer and Smith play like they did against the Aggies, they are going to be one tough out this time around.

“We’re a really deep team,” Edey said. “When I went out, we were good. When Braden went out, we were good. We’ve got a lot of guys who can and sustain a high level of play.”

Utah State threw everything it had at Edey. It sent multiple players at him, tried to get physical and attempted to frustrate him. Nothing worked.

The Toronto native drew eight fouls, seven in the first half and four in the opening minutes to send two Utah State starters to the bench.

Edey easily controlled the middle, scoring the first four points in a decisive 16-0 spurt that ended with Purdue holding a 39-24 lead. Then the 3-point shooters got going, spurring a 20-6 run to open the second half that extended a 49-33 halftime margin to 69-39.

“Today was just our day,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “After we kind of get settled into the game, we were able to establish Zach at the rim. That was just too much for them and then we balanced some things out.”

ON THE RECORD

Sprinkle was the Mountain West Coach of the Year after taking a team with three returnees — none of whom scored a point in 2022-23 — to the regular-season conference title. One of the players he brought with him from Montana State, point guard Darius Brown II, had four assists to break a tie with Kris Clark for the Aggies’ single-season record. Brown finished with 228.

“To me, everything feels kind of like a storybook ending,” said Brown, who played in two straight NCAA tourneys with two different teams.

UP NEXT

The Purdue-Gonzaga game is a rematch from November in the Maui Invitational. Purdue won that game 73-63.

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Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball sn-article
(Michael Conroy/AP Photo) Kelly Canada men’s basketball draws Australia in Group A at Paris Olympics feed_column Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:07:07 EDT Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:55:17 EDT Oren Weisfeld The Canadian men’s basketball team is finally going back to the Olympics, and will be in Group A alongside Australia.

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The Canadian men’s basketball team is finally going back to the Olympics. 

After winning bronze at the 2023 FIBA World Cup last summer, Team Canada secured its spot in the 2024 Paris Games, marking the team’s 10th Olympic appearance and first since 2000. It was there at the Sydney Games that captain Steve Nash led the Canadians to a 5-2 record that included upset victories over hosts Australia, Spain and Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, Canada lost to France in the crossover quarterfinal matchup and finished seventh in the tournament, a disappointing result given the team’s impressive start and overall record. 

It proved that Olympic competition is cutthroat and that what happens in the group stage isn’t necessarily indicative of what might happen in the elimination rounds — a lesson that the impressive group of athletes representing Canada in 2024 can learn from as the team attempts to win its first Olympic basketball medal since 1936.

At the 2024 Paris Games, No. 7 ranked Canada will be in Group A with No. 5 ranked Australia and the winners of the last-chance Olympic Qualifying Tournaments being held in Spain and Greece from July 2-7. Once Canada’s final two opponents have been decided, the Olympics will begin with a Group Stage round-robin where each team will face off against each other before the top two teams in each Group (as well as the two best third-place teams) move onto the quarterfinals.

Here is a breakdown of Canada’s potential opponents in Group A of the 2023 Olympic Games: 

AUSTRALIA

FIBA World Ranking: 5

Tokyo 2020 result: Bronze medal (lost to USA in the semifinal, beat Slovenia for bronze. It was Australia’s first and only Olympic medal)

The Road to Paris 2024: Australia automatically qualified for the Olympics after finishing 10th at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, finishing ahead of 22nd place New Zealand for the lone Oceania spot at the Games. 

The Head Coach: Brian Goorjian

The Starting 5: Josh Giddey, Patty Mills, Josh Green, Nick Kay, Duop Reith 

The X Factor: Josh Giddey ran hot and cold at last summer’s World Cup, averaging 19.6 points and six assists while struggling from beyond the arc, knocking down just 16.7 per cent of his threes. The team asked Giddey to create a lot of its offense and he wasn’t up to the task against better teams like Germany and Slovenia. 

Unlike in the NBA, where Giddey plays alongside Gilgeous-Alexander, the Australians give him the ball and allow Giddey to run the show and set up his teammates. Unfortunately, not enough of them are elite scorers and he is often left picking up the pieces. 

The Scouting Report: Australia is one of the deepest teams in the tournament, with the potential to trot out a starting five full of NBA players in addition to the talent they develop in their domestic league, the NBL. Between Giddey, Mills, Green, Dyson Daniels, Dante Exum, Mathese Thybulle, Joe Ingles and maybe even (but probably not) Ben Simmons, the Boomers have a lot of talent but lack elite scorers and depth at the big man position.

However, longtime Boomer Aron Baynes — who was out of the 2023 World Cup with a mysterious injury — is thriving with the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL and could be back with the national team in time for the Olympics.

GREECE OQT

The Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Piraeus, Greece will see No. 11 ranked Slovenia, No. 21 ranked New Zealand and No. 30 ranked Croatia face off in Group A versus No. 40 ranked Egypt, No. 14 ranked Greece, and No. 19 ranked Dominican Republic in Group B. After each group plays each other in a round-robin, the two best teams in each group will advance to the semifinals for the knockout stages. Only the winner will advance to the Olympics. 

Slovenia is the team to beat in this tournament, with NBA MVP candidate Luka Doncic always there to represent his country in international competitions. However, Doncic and Co will have their work cut out for them against a Greek team that has been playing together for years – and could include two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo should he choose to suit up in his home country this summer. Plus, the Dominican Republic could have Karl-Anthony Towns for the second consecutive summer after he had an impressive showing at the 2023 World Cup. 

If Slovenia does advance like they will be favoured to, the team will seek revenge against a Canadian team that knocked them out of the 2023 World Cup, when both Doncic and his primary defender, Dillon Brooks, were ejected in the quarterfinal matchup. Despite Canada being the better team that night, the Slovenians have been one of the top teams in the world since Doncic erupted onto the scene, winning gold at the 2017 EuroBasket and finishing fourth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after losing a nailbiter to France in the semifinal. 

With Doncic and Antetokounmpo both playing the best basketball of their careers in the NBA this season, Brooks and Canada will have their work cut out for them no matter which team advances from the qualifier in Greece. 

SPAIN OQT

Valencia, Spain is where the other last-chance OQT will be held, with the host Spaniards the favourites to advance past No. 28 ranked Lebanon and No. 34 ranked Angola in Group A and face off against one of No. 20 Finland, No. 15 Poland or No. 57 Bahamas in Group B. 

While the No. 2 ranked Spain is the favourite to win, don’t discount Lauri Markkanen’s Finland or Buddy Hield, Eric Gordon, and Deandre Ayton’s Bahamas in a win-or-go-home style tournament. Any of those teams could conceivably advance to the Olympics and give Canada a run for their money in the group stage.

Still, it’s the host nation’s group to lose. And similar to Slovenia, Spain will be looking for revenge against a Canadian team that overcame two double-digit deficits to knock them out of the 2023 World Cup. There is also the coaching factor, with Canada’s head coach Jordi Fernandez having worked on Spain’s bench with head coach Sergio Scariolo, an assistant coach on the Toronto Raptors during the championship season. 

Despite seeing Ricky Rubio and the Gasol brothers age out of the program, Spain is still among the gold standards in men’s basketball having won gold at the 2019 FIBA World Cup and the 2022 EuroBasket, and bronze at the 2016 Olympics before placing sixth in Tokyo 2020. With a team of up-and-comers including Santi Aldama, Usman Garuba, Juan Nunez and the Hernangomez brothers, Spain is not a team to be reckoned with. 

Overall, however, Canada should feel fortunate that they ended up in a group that doesn’t include either Serbia or Team USA — two of the medal favourites at the Olympics. While there was never a chance that Canada and the USA would end up in the same group, seeing Serbia land in Group C alongside Team USA was a lucky break for the Canadians, who will want to avoid both teams in the quarterfinal crossover if they want to avoid repeating what happened in 2000.

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Basketball Olympics NBA sn-article