NBA

• Pelicans 116, Pistons 110
  • Detroit just signed Bojan Bogdanovic to a contract extension, but he’s a good trade target for several contenders. The forward is averaging 21.2 points per game and shooting 42.2 percent from three point range this season.
• Hawks 113, Pacers 111
  • The Hawks have underachieved this year, but don’t blame De’Andre Hunter for that. The former No. 4 overall pick has upped his scoring output from last season, despite Atlanta adding Dejounte Murray to the mix.
  • The Pacers are probably going to struggle for the time being without Tyrese Haliburton, but it’ll be good for the development of Bennedict Mathurin if he’s unleashed. In this game, he was, as the rookie played 39 minutes and attempted 18 shots.
• Knicks 112, Wizards 108
  • Sure, he was hired in 2021 and Bradley Beal missed this game, but Wes Unseld Jr. should probably be on the hot seat in Washington. The Wizards are just 18-25, despite rostering three above average starters in Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kyle Kuzma. That’s simply not good enough, and the team lost this game despite Kuzma going for 40 points.
• Warriors 144, Spurs 113
  • San Antonio has pushed former second-round pick Tre Jones into a key role as the organization’s starting point guard, and he’s responded well, averaging 13.5 points and 6.4 assists per game. Jones may not be a starter on the next great Spurs team, but he’d surely have a place as a guy off the bench. The Spurs need to use these rebuilding years as a way to identify young and unheralded talent. Jones fits the bill.
• Thunder 124, Bulls 110
  • The Thunder are in an enviable position. Oklahoma City holds a war chest of future draft picks, and as evidenced by the club’s 20-23 record, has enough talent already to be competitive. Jalen Williams appears to have been a nice selection for the Thunder in last draft’s lottery, as the Santa Clara product is shooting over 50.0 percent from the field, which is rare for a rookie perimeter player.
• Timberwolves 121, Suns 116
  • Yes, Devin Booker and Chris Paul have missed games for Phoenix, but the team needs to start playing with some urgency, as it now sits 10th in the West.
• Nuggets 115, Clippers 103
  • This was a bad loss for the Clippers. Denver was without Nikola Jokic, yet Los Angeles couldn’t secure the victory, despite Kawhi Leonard playing 38 minutes. The Clippers desperately need more size, and should probably dangle some of their perimeter players in trade talks.
• Kings 139, Rockets 114
  • The Rockets’ young players receive a decent amount of hype, but it hasn’t translated to wins. Houston has the association’s worst record, and has lost nine in a row. Surely, bad habits are being developed by the team’s youngsters, so Stephen Silas needs to find a way to right the ship.

NCAAB

• Purdue 73, Nebraska 55
  • Purdue’s player development and talent evaluation may be second to none. Freshman Fletcher Loyer was the country’s 96th ranked prospect, but is already a key contributor for the Boilermakers, and is playing much better than most of the players ranked ahead of him. Also, Zach Edey has obviously made a jump from a year ago.
• Quinnipiac 58, Saint Peter’s 51
  • Saint Peter’s’ run to the Elite Eight last season was clearly a fluke, but a 7-10 start isn’t the greatest curtain call for last year’s anomaly.
• Butler 79, Villanova 71
  • Villanova is now 8-10, but it’d probably be more fair to discuss Butler. The Bulldogs, after finishing well below .500 a year ago, have taken a tangible step forward under Thad Matta. Chuck Harris has reigned it in a bit on offense, and is more efficient than ever, which has helped the team. There’s a chance that it’s only a matter of time until Butler becomes relevant again thanks to the leadership of Matta.
• VCU 63, Dayton 62
  • Perhaps I was wrong. A few days ago, I stated that Dayton was the only Atlantic 10 team that could compete at a national level, but last night, VCU disproved that notion. Now, either Dayton needs to be looked at differently, or VCU needs more respect. He struggled in this contest, but Adrian Baldwin is one of the conference’s better players.