NBA

• Magic 126, Pacers 120
  • The future is bright in Orlando. Yes, the Magic is only 19-29, but Orlando has gotten contributions all over the place from young players. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are two phenomenal building blocks, as the duo combined for 36 points and 11 assists in this game.
  • Without Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana is slowly drifting into seller territory. The team is now 2.0 games below .500, and potential trade returns for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield have to be looking awfully appealing to Kevin Pritchard.
• 76ers 137, Nets 133
  • NBA scores have been a bit out of control this season. 270 combined points? In regulation? I’m not a fan of bringing one of a team’s four best players off the bench, like the 76ers are doing with Tyrese Maxey, but there’s no denying that it’s worked to this point.
• Wizards 108, Rockets 103
  • The Rui Hachimura trade may have been a starting point, but Washington needs to decide soon the direction in which it should pivot. At 22-26, the organization is in no man’s land, and rosters a declining Bradley Beal, and a mortal lock to be a free agent this summer in Kyle Kuzma. Due to some horrific drafting over the past decade, the Wizards’ best path forward may be a rebuild.
  • The losses continue to pile up, but Alperen Sengun has continued to look like a borderline gem for Houston. The young center recorded a triple-double in this game, and at least a decent case can be made that the 20-year-old is the Rockets’ best long-term piece.
• Timberwolves 111, Pelicans 102
  • Minnesota has needed some life for awhile now, and as of late, Anthony Edwards has provided quite a bit of oxygen. The wing, after scoring 37 points yesterday, is averaging 37.3 points over his past three contests. The West race is extremely tight, but a healthy Wolves team has the talent to be a factor down the stretch.
  • New Orleans was surely thrilled to get Brandon Ingram back for this game, but the team is fading fast. Losers of six in a row, the Pelicans may need to shorten their rotation. Willy Hernangomez minutes feel pointless.
• Hawks 137, Thunder 132
  • Things are coming together for the Hawks. Balance is always important, and Atlanta had it last night, as each starter scored at least 18 points. The Hawks are good enough to continue their winning ways, but will probably need to trim some fat from their rotation come April. Aaron Holiday, AJ Griffin, and Jalen Johnson are all candidates to get the axe.

NCAAB

• Xavier 82, Connecticut 79
  • The Big East runs through the Cintas Center. Well, for 2023, at least. Xavier is tough as nails, and trots out a better top-six than almost anyone. In this game, the underrated Colby Jones went for 20 points and four assists.
  • Connecticut wasted a brilliant, 28 point effort by Jordan Hawkins last night, but that speaks to the ability of Xavier more than anything. The Huskies have a maddening resume, going undefeated in non-conference play, but have sputtered to a 5-6 mark in league play.
• UNC Asheville 88, Presbyterian 80
  • UNC Asheville is one of the Big South’s best squads, and that’s thanks in part to Drew Pember. The senior scored 48 points in this affair.
• Houston 82, UCF 71
  • UCF is a solid team, but Houston has been shaky of late. The Cougars’ magic potion will always be their rebounding, and that was on display last night.
• Tennessee 70, Georgia 41
  • Tennessee’s defense is vicious. Georgia shot just 29.1 percent from the floor in this game, and the skilled Santiago Vescovi stole the ball five times. The Volunteers take on Texas Saturday in what should be a fascinating game. I like Tennessee to win.
• West Virginia 76, Texas Tech 61
  • This spread (West Virginia +3) seemed a bit high, so I eagerly took the Mountaineers. West Virginia is now just 2-6 in conference play, so it needs to start stacking wins. Bob Huggins dug deep into his bench in this game, and maybe that’s a formula the legendary coach will continue to utilize moving forward.
• Pittsburgh 81, Wake Forest 79
  • Save for a 9-1 Clemson team, the race in the top half of the ACC is razor tight, so this was a big victory for the Panthers. All 14 of Blake Hinson’s field goal attempts in this game came from deep, but he was efficient, draining eight of them. Pittsburgh is on its way to its first NCAA Tournament since the Jamie Dixon era, but it can’t let its foot off the gas.
• Maryland 73, Wisconsin 55
  • Wisconsin isn’t good. The Badgers are 12-7 and 4-5 in the Big Ten, but they’ve been underwhelming this season. Tyler Wahl hasn’t exactly taken a huge leap forward from a year ago. Jordan Davis, like his team, also isn’t any good.
• Northwestern 78, Nebraska 63
  • Good for the Wildcats. Northwestern was hit hard by the transfer portal this past offseason, but the Wildcats have been resilient on their path to a 14-5 start. Boo Buie and Chase Audige are a fun backcourt.