NBA

• Hornets 110, Mavericks 104
  • The Mavericks are beyond a mess. Kyrie Irving has been good in a Dallas uniform, but the franchise’s risky trade for him hasn’t provided positive returns. Dallas needs to get hot fast if it wants to even make the play-in tournament, but I have doubts that will happen. The team seems miserable and lifeless, which will probably lead to the antithesis of a last minute push.
• Bulls 118, Lakers 108
  • It’s hard to trust this Bulls team, but Chicago is a virtual lock at this point to make the play-in. Zach LaVine has been excellent this month for the Bulls, averaging 30.2 points per game, and has been a huge catalyst for Chicago’s recent success.
  • LeBron James’ return for this game was a positive for Los Angeles, but this wasn’t a game the team should’ve lost. Regardless, the Lakers get the Bulls again on Wednesday, when James should be in even better condition.
• Cavaliers 108, Rockets 91
  • The losses continue to pile up for Houston — 57 of them now. On the bright side, Jalen Green didn’t have anything to do with this Rockets defeat, as the second-year shooting guard scored 30 points while dishing out four assists. Green’s growth and the degree of it is one of the biggest factors for Houston’s future.
• Grizzlies 123, Hawks 119
  • Memphis is so tough. The Grizzlies attacked the Hawks from a number of directions in this contest, from Ja Morant scoring to Desmond Bane shooting to Jaren Jackson Jr. protecting the rim. Luke Kennard has been sensational for the Grizzlies recently, as the wing has shot 31-51 from three-point range since March 15th, a seven game sample.
  • The Hawks need more from Dejounte Murray for the team break past hovering around .500. Murray scored 13 points on just 3-11 shooting in this game.
• Celtics 137, Spurs 93
  • The Spurs should be embarrassed. It’s okay for this San Antonio team to lose to the Celtics on the road, but to get obliterated by 44 without Jayson Tatum involved is a terrible result. We’ll see what the future holds, but Zach Collins has blossomed for the Spurs over the past six weeks or so. At 25, Collins has a decent chance of being a key piece for the Spurs in the coming years.
• Magic 119, Nets 106
  • Most of the pieces are in place for the Magic to find future success. The team just needs time. Orlando already has a talented frontcourt, but it was the guards that won this game. Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris, Cole Anthony, and Jalen Suggs all played well for the Magic, a franchise that has struggled with guard play more than perhaps any other team over the last decade plus.
  • The Nets have to be feeling good about their acquisition of Mikal Bridges in the Kevin Durant blockbuster. Bridges dropped 44 points yesterday, and has been a two-way force for Brooklyn since arriving in town.
• Raptors 114, Wizards 104
  • Toronto lacks a star (Pascal Siakam is really good), but it has a well-rounded starting five. The Raptors’ starting group showed out yesterday, combining for 101 points in this tilt. I have a feeling the Bucks, despite the Raptors’ 37-38 mark, are hoping not to see Toronto in the first round.
• Thunder 118, Trail Blazers 112
  • Another game, another strong performance from Jalen Williams. The rookie scored 23 points, grabbed five rebounds, and recorded four assists in this contest. Williams isn’t deserving of Rookie of the Year, as recency bias would suggest he is, but his play has raised Oklahoma City’s future ceiling. The Thunder are a better team when Isaiah Joe’s shot is on. Joe nailed five three-pointers last night.
  • With the Trail Blazers openly tanking and shutting down Damian Lillard, a great opportunity for Shaedon Sharpe to shine has been created. Sharpe capitalized in this game, scoring 29 points on 13 shots. Portland, with its aforementioned tanking, has a pretty good chance at securing the fifth best lottery odds.
• Timberwolves 99, Warriors 96
  • This was a nice, stolen win for the Timberwolves to decrease their odds of missing the play-in tournament. Having both Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert in the lineup didn’t lessen Naz Reid’s impact, as the big man tallied 23 points. Reid’s upcoming unrestricted free agency this summer should be fascinating.
  • The Warriors needed this game to strengthen their grip on the Western Conference’s six seed. That, of course, didn’t happen. Klay Thompson’s chucking tendencies certainly didn’t help Golden State, as the wing attempted 17 shots, but scored just 15 points.

NCAAB

• San Diego State 57, Creighton 56
  • I sensed this NCAA Tournament could be crazy due to the top seeds being much weaker than usual, along with a lack of significant upsets in mid-major conference tournaments, thus leading to stronger than usual lower seeds. Despite this, I never envisioned San Diego State and Florida Atlantic meeting in the Final Four. The Aztecs earned it, though. San Diego State plays excellent defense, and it was on full display in this contest. Heading into next Saturday, San Diego State needs to get Matt Bradley going, as the senior guard has shot just 5-25 over his past three games. Florida Atlantic’s run has been fun, but the Aztecs should prevail in the upcoming matchup.
  • Creighton lived up to its preseason billing this tournament, but the Bluejays picked a bad day to go 2-17 from three. Greg McDermott leaned heavily on his talented starting five all season — and rightfully so, but that may have hurt his team yesterday, as Creighton’s starters looked gassed late in this game. Perhaps the Bluejays’ reserves should’ve played more than just 16 combined minutes. To be fair though, all four reserves to enter this tilt for Creighton failed to score. This loss shouldn’t devastate the people of Omaha, as Creighton started just one senior, and should have plenty of firepower to compete in the Big East in 2024.
• Miami 88, Texas 81
  • I felt there was a chance Miami was sneaky good throughout the season, and the Hurricanes, over and over again this tournament, have proven to be more than good. Jordan Miller had an all-time efficient game yesterday, scoring 27 points on just seven shots. That wasn’t all, though. Miami’s starting guards are a problem, as the Isaiah Wong, Nigel Pack, and Wooga Poplar trio combined for 45 more points. Jordan Hawkins is dangerous, but the Hurricanes possess a better group of perimeter players than Connecticut does. This will come in handy for Jim Larranaga’s squad, as it’ll need every edge it can get against the talented Huskies. Miami winning next Saturday would be a bit surprising. Connecticut may very well be the nation’s best team.
  • Texas did a phenomenal job regrouping following Chris Beard’s firing earlier in the season, and the job Rodney Terry did should garner him consideration for the program’s full-time gig, despite his failed tenure at UTEP a few years ago. The Longhorns certainly missed Dylan Disu yesterday, but that probably wasn’t why the team lost. The Hurricanes were just better in this particular game. Tyrese Hunter shot 4-11 with three turnovers in this tilt for Texas, and didn’t perform quite as well as I thought he would this season following his transfer from Iowa State.