Bracket already busted, Enjoyers? Don’t worry, us too.
On the bright side, our hoops coverage will never let you down!
Today’s Lineup
🔒 Lock and Key
Minnesota clamps up for a rare road win in Boston.
💪 Go-Go Garland
Darius scores 36 as LA beats Dallas in OT!
🚨 Marching Forward
Breaking down a wild tournament weekend!
🎉 Happy birthday Kyrie Irving, Moses Malone, and Quinn Cook! 🎉
Game Recaps
Short-handed Wolves beat Boston 102-92 behind stingy defense, Hyland’s 23
No Ant? No problem for Minnesota.
On Sunday, the Wolves gutted out a road win in Boston without their superstar in tow, led by Bones Hyland’s 23 PTS off the bench along with 17+ from Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu (that trade looks better and better!) But Minnesota’s defense was the real star of the show, with Rudy Gobert racking up 4 BLK and the team as a whole holding the Celtics to just 35.8% from the field. It was also the Wolves’ first win at TD Garden since 2005!
Minnesota needs every win it can get in a jam-packed Western conference— they’re currently in a dead heat with Houston and Denver for the West’s 4-6 seeds. Though all three teams are in a good position to avoid the Play-In (sitting four games above the 7th place Suns) the homestretch of the season will go a long way toward hashing out playoff opponents and homefield advantage. With Ant potentially sidelined for another week, winning in his absence is pivotal.
🏀 🏀 🏀
Garland nets 36, Clippers beat Mavs 138-131 in OT
Darius Garland has found a home in SoCal.
On Saturday, the longtime Cavaliers guard notched arguably his best game since being dealt to the Clippers at the deadline, torching the Mavericks for 41 PTS on 15/24 shooting while adding 11 AST. Kawhi Leonard also contributed 34, including a layup to tie the game at 122 in the final minute. It was Clips from then on, with LA shooting 67% from the field and cashing four threes (including this silly one from Kawhi.)
As LA fights for Play-In seeding, it seems they’ve succeeded in getting significantly younger while maintaining a competitive roster. Letting go of James Harden and Ivica Zubac was a tough pill to swallow for LA fans, but performances like Garland’s against Dallas are reason for optimism.
🏀 🏀 🏀
Elsewhere around the NBA:
Shai scores 40 like flowers bloom in the springtime— all season long! The MVP favorite dropped the big Four-O in Washington to lead OKC to a 132-111 win, their 11th victory in a row. Isaiah Hartenstein also had an unconventional near triple-double with 20 REB, 10 AST, and 9 PTS. And as if there wasn’t enough good news for the reigning champs, Jalen Williams is set to return against the Sixers on Monday following a five-week absence.
Ryan Rollins may not end up taking home the Most Improved Player award, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve it. The breakout Bucks guard recorded another gem in Milwaukee’s 108-105 win over Phoenix, notching 26 PTS and 10 REB to outduel Jalen Green’s 24.
Peyton Watson is back in action for Denver, and the Nugs celebrated with a comfortable 128-112 victory over Portland. Nikola Jokic notched his 35th triple-double of the season (22 PTS, 14 REB, 14 AST) while Jamal Murray added 22 and Cam Johnson went 5/7 from three. Watson, meanwhile, dropped 14 PTS in 20 minutes after returning from a hamstring injury that had kept him out since early February.
SGA wasn’t the only one with a big game against the Wizards over the weekend— the Knicks also had one of their most efficient shooting nights of the season with Washington in town, connecting on 59% of their field goals and 53% of their threes en route to a 145-113 win. KAT did his thing with 26 PTS and 16 REB, while Mohamed Diawara added 12 off the bench.
Kevin Durant, who many regard as the greatest scorer ever, is racking up the stats to back it up. On Friday, KD passed Michael Jordan for 5th on the all-time scoring list with 25 PTS in Houston’s 117-95 win over Atlanta. As the man himself said, “Four more to go.”
🧠 Daily Trivia 🧠
Where did Ryan Rollins play in college?
Marching Forward
The first two rounds of the men’s NCAA tournament are officially in the books! Let’s run through five of the biggest storylines from a wild opening weekend.
🎉 Cinderella Story: High Point was the lone team seeded 12 or above to earn a win in this year’s tourney, and they did so in spectacular fashion. In a Round of 64 matchup with 5-seed Wisconsin, the Panthers secured the win behind a vintage March performance from sharpshooter Chase Johnston (which included a logo three and his first two-pointer of the season) before falling to Arkansas 94-88 in the Round of 32 thanks to 36 PTS from projected lottery pick Darius Acuff Jr. 11-seed Texas, led by first-year head coach Sean Miller, is the lone double-digit seed still alive after an upset of Gonzaga.
😮 Favorites Survive… and some Advance: No 1-seed had ever trailed a 16-seed by double-digits at halftime… until Thursday, when Siena gave #1 overall Duke the scare of a lifetime. The Saints, whose starters played nearly the entire game, led the Blue Devils by 11 at the break before being shut down after halftime. Duke also used a 26-6 second half run to get past TCU in the second round. But on Sunday, the first titan of the tourney went down, with Iowa’s Alvaro Folgueiras knocking down a late three to send reigning champion Florida packing.
👀 Game of Inches: Only in sports can a year’s worth of effort come down to a single full-court heave. But that’s what happened for 5-seed Vanderbilt, who came agonizingly close to a stunning last-second victory over 4-seed Nebraska. After the Cornhuskers took the lead on a layup with two seconds to go, the Commodores’ Tyler Tanner, who led all scorers with 27 PTS on the day, fired from ultra-long range with his eye on immortality. But the prayer rattled out, and Nebraska lives to dance another day.
🤩 HOF Faceoff: Two legendary coaches? One potential #1 overall pick? Sign us up! St. John’s vs. Kansas had all the makings of a great tournament matchup, and it lived up to the hype, with Rick Pitino’s Johnnies advancing behind a buzzer-beating layup from star guard Dylan Darling. Darryn Peterson scored 21 PTS but shot just 5/15 from the field, while the Jayhawks as a whole were the more efficient team but turned the ball over 16 times.
🤞 Back in Action?: After falling behind early, Iowa State hit its stride and raced by Kentucky despite the absence of All-American Joshua Jefferson. The Cyclones’ do-it-all forward sprained his ankle in the opening round but reportedly hopes to return for the Sweet Sixteen, a welcome sign for a squad with realistic Final Four aspirations.
Three in the Key
🧐 Expansion Time?
Who would you protect in a potential draft?
🤝 Like Father, Like Son
Hoops runs deep in these families!
🤷 Maybe Next Year
Another March without a perfect bracket!
What We’re Enjoying
The MVP race is one thing, but the best player in the world debate? That’s where the real hoops analysis shines. Our guys over at Numbers on the Board tackled that question in their most recent episode, breaking down major contenders and making their picks. Give it a watch!
Signing Off
And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, try to do something that takes you out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s trying a new activity or introducing yourself to a new friend, it could lead to something great! See you soon.
Walker Carnathan
