NBA

• Bucks 141, Pacers 131
  • The Bucks, thanks in part to the return of Khris Middleton, have gotten a bit healthier lately, and that’s resulted in three consecutive wins. The Celtics remain the East’s best team, but the Bucks, along with a healthy Nets squad, can make a case for being the conference’s second biggest threat.
  • The Pacers, without Tyrese Haliburton, don’t have enough guys to compete with a team like Milwaukee. Aaron Nesmith doesn’t cut it as a starter, especially at power forward, and Indiana’s bench is too thin at the moment. Oshae Brissett is overextended as a rotation player.
• Timberwolves 111, Grizzlies 100
  • I wonder if Rudy Gobert is happy in Minnesota. At 26-25, the Timberwolves’ season hasn’t gone quite as expected, and Gobert’s numbers are down. The defensive-minded center attempted just three shots in this contest. The growth of Anthony Edwards and the health of Karl-Anthony Towns will determine this team’s ceiling.
  • Memphis has hit a bump in the road, losing five in a row. Thankfully for the Grizzlies, this doesn’t matter too much — at least not yet, as the team still holds a 3.0 game lead on third place Sacramento.
• Thunder 112, Cavaliers 100
  • Cleveland’s lack of talent on the wing seems to feel more alarming by the game. Having Dean Wade back has been nice, but Caris LeVert shot 1-12 in this game, and Isaac Okoro and Lamar Stevens offer little on the offensive end. Evan Mobley scored 23 points in this game, and his surge of late is a good sign for the Cavaliers.
• Heat 110, Magic 105
  • Miami got off to a sluggish start to the season, but at 28-22, the Heat has been playing well of late. Miami is still probably a trade away, but with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, the Heat has passed the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference’s pecking order.
  • Two things about the Magic, particularly from this game, stick out to me. Paolo Banchero continues to get to the free throw line at an unprecedented level for a rookie. The Duke product attempted 13 free throws in this game. Additionally, the Jalen Suggs situation is confusing. Orlando has a bounty of young players thriving, but the team’s 2021 No. 5 overall pick seems lost, as Suggs played 17 minutes last night, scoring only three points.
• Warriors 129, Raptors 117
  • Since his return on January 20th, Jonathan Kuminga has given Golden State a solid level of contribution. The second-year forward has averaged 24.5 minutes per game, and is shooting 62.2 percent from the floor. Perhaps most important is that Steve Kerr appears to have more trust in Kuminga now than he ever has.

NCAAB

• Siena 70, Iona 53
  • Something weird is going on with Iona. The Gaels were supposed to be, by far, the class of the MAAC, but at the moment, sit in fourth place in the league. Nelly Junior Joseph has been the team’s only positive constant of late.
• Saint Louis 74, Davidson 70
  • Saint Louis is starting to roll. The Billikens have won six straight games, and are the best team in the Atlantic 10 in my mind. I’m a big fan of Yuri Collins’ game. The junior point guard is averaging 10.6 assists per game, the most in college basketball since at least 2002.
• New Mexico 81, Air Force 73
  • New Mexico has a big three of Jamal Mashburn Jr., Jaelen House, and Morris Udeze unmatched by almost anyone in the country, let alone at the mid-major level. The Aztecs don’t play like a mid-major team, though, and will be a tough out come tournament time. The efficient Mashburn Jr. posted 24 points yesterday.

MLB

• Mets sign 2B Jeff McNeil to four-year, $50M contract extension
  • The average annual value of this deal looks low, but that’s due in part to McNeil still having two years of arbitration remaining. Still, this is a nice bargain for New York, as the second baseman hit .326 with 5.7 bWAR in 2022. McNeil’s game should age well, too, since the 30-year-old doesn’t rely on power to make him an effective hitter.
    Grade: A-