NBA

• Bucks 123, Wizards 113
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo went for 55 points this game. I can’t remember the last time we had an MVP race this compelling, as three players have made incredibly strong cases to this point. If I had a ballot, my top-three right now would be:
    1. Nikola Jokic
    2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
    3. Luka Doncic
• Thunder 150, Celtics 117
  • This was an odd result, especially with the Thunder missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. With that said, Oklahoma City plays extremely hard and is capable of yucking things up by playing small. The Thunder’s starting center last night, Kenrich Williams, stands just 6’6″.
  • The Celtics got off to a roaring start, but are suddenly just 5-5 in their past 10 games. Boston needs more out of Marcus Smart, who despite his stellar defense, is shooting just 27.8 percent from the floor over two January losses.
• Kings 117, Jazz 115
  • The Jazz raced off to a shockingly strong start, but have really come back to Earth of late, losing five in a row. Don’t blame Lauri Markkanen, though, as the forward went for 28 efficient points in this contest. If Utah continues to tumble, I’d bet Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson will be made available in trade talks.

NCAAB

• Marquette 96, St. John’s 85
  • St. John’s started 11-1, but it appears that was a bit of a fluke, as the Red Storm has dropped four consecutive games. Mike Anderson brought Posh Alexander off the bench for the first time this season last night, and it was probably the right move, as Alexander has mysteriously declined in a big way since last season.
• Tennessee 87, Mississippi State 53
  • Tennessee is a beast defensively. The Vols lack an elite scorer, as Santiago Vescovi leads the team in scoring at 12.8 points per game, but the team’s stop unit should allow it to travel far come March.
• Ball State 90, Toledo 83
  • Ball State has taken a nice leap in 2023, jumping from being a bad team to a slightly above average one at 10-4. Getting Jarron Coleman back certainly has helped, as the wing started his career in Muncie, then transferred to Missouri for a year, and is now back playing for the Cardinals.
• Kentucky 74, LSU 71
  • Kentucky has had trouble getting its rotation down this season, so it was interesting to see John Calipari play just seven guys last night. In fact, the Wildcats’ bench amassed just 23 minutes. LSU has some size up front with KJ Williams and Derek Fountain, so it was impressive that Oscar Tshiebwe and Jacob Toppin combined for 40 points and 19 rebounds in this contest.
• Creighton 83, Seton Hall 61
  • Creighton is a completely different ball club with Ryan Kalkbrenner in the lineup. The junior center recorded 17 points, eight rebounds, and six blocks yesterday, teaming with the rest of the Bluejays’ starters en route to a blowout.
• Kansas State 116, Texas 103
  • The Longhorns’ defense is a bit vulnerable, but this Kansas State offense explosion was super impressive.
  • Texas probably needs Chris Beard back to truly contend for a national championship in 2023.