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Tyrese Haliburton’s four-point prayer was the kind of chaos we live for in March… speaking of, it’s bracket season, baby!

Our March Madness Bracket Challenge is making a return, so get ready to test your hoops knowledge—or just pick based on mascots, no judgment. Details and prizes coming soon! 👀

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Jerami Grant and Enjoyers John and Aiden! 🎉

Game Recaps

Tyrese Haliburton hits insane four-point play, Pacers outlast Bucks 115-114

Sometimes, you just have to save up all your good luck for one special play…

For 47 minutes and 56.8 seconds, it simply wasn’t Tyrese Haliburton’s (14 PTS, 10 AST) night. While he made some sleek passes, Indy’s star PG lacked his usual assertiveness and struggled to find his shot.

While Pascal SIakam (25 PTS, 12 REB) more than picked up the slack, it seemed like it wasn’t going to be enough. After Giannis Antetokounmpo (19 PTS, 17 REB) dropped a filthy no-look dime to Gary Trent Jr. (3 3PM), it seemed like the Bucks were headed for OT at worst.

But then, Hali happened.

With the Pacers’ backs against the wall, Haliburton finally seized the moment—rising up over Giannis to bury a ridiculous deep three AND draw the foul for a four-point play that sent the Gainbridge Fieldhouse into a frenzy. Is this the play of the year? 🔥

🏀 🏀 🏀

Jokic and SGA trade haymakers, Denver wins Round Two 140-127

Like heavyweight boxers trading massive blows in the late rounds of a title fight, Nikola Jokic (34 PTS, 18 REB, 8 AST) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (25 PTS, 7 AST) have been swapping world-class performances in what’s turning into an incredible MVP race.

SGA and the Thunder may have won the first of their back-to-back bouts on Sunday, but the Joker responded in kind on Monday, stuffing the stat sheet like few others can to help the Nuggets come out on top.

And he wasn’t lacking help either. Jamal Murray (34 PTS) was in his groove down the stretch and Peyton Watson (16 PTS) was a revelation off the bench as Denver took advantage of Jalen Williams’ (12 PTS) second-half absence to pull away late.

Elsewhere around the NBA…

• Down 18 in the second half is no big deal when you have Darius Garland (30 PTS). He scored 18 in the 4th quarter to lead the Cavs all the way back against the Nets 109-104.

• Ironically, in arguably the most inconsequential game on Monday, history was made. The Raptors set a rebounding record in their 119-104 win over the Wizards—their 73 boards were the most by a team in regulation since 1972!

• It was another great game in a long stretch of greatness in Golden State, as Gary Payton II (26 PTS) poured in a career high and Jimmy Butler (15 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST) dropped his first triple-double in the Bay as the Warriors kept rolling with a 130-120 win over Portland.

• Behind a big night off the bench from Noah Clowney (19 PTS) and stifling defense on Luka Doncic and the Lakers’ other guards down the stretch, the Brooklyn Nets pull off a huge upset over the Lakers 111-108.

• It must be scary playing a team with as many guys capable of going off as the Celtics. On Monday, it was Sam Hauser’s turn (33 PTS), whose seven third-quarter threes helped Boston escape Utah with a narrow 114-108 win.

• Josh Giddey (29 PTS, 10 REB) has been hooping in Chicago. Averaging 23, 11, and 8 since the All-Star break, he led the Bulls to a 121-103 blowout win over the Pacers on Monday. Could he be Chicago’s long-term answer at PG?

• Grizzlies rookie Cam Spencer (16 PTS) set a career high in a narrow win over the Suns and had time to talk some trash to Kevin Durant (35 PTS), as Memphis took home the dub 120-118 behind a nice night from Ja Morant (29 PTS, 12 AST).

• Point Zion (23 PTS, 10 REB, 12 AST) was in prime form yesterday, dropping his second career triple-double as the Pelicans upset the Clippers 127-120. If only they could have stayed healthy this year…

Hoops History Spotlight

Last week, we talked about LeBron’s dramatic return to Cleveland after forming the Heatles. But just three years later, another superstar reunion took center stage—this one featuring one of the most absurd records in NBA history.

For those who weren’t around for peak Dwight Howard, this dude was a different animal (and the same beast). Over a five year stretch in Orlando, Dwight made five All-NBA First Teams, won 3 DPOYs, and led the Magic to their second Finals appearance in franchise history. There was no debate: he was the league's #1 center, and it wasn’t particularly close.

So when he left the Magic in 2012 to team up with Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash in LA, expectations were through the roof. The West had its answer to the Heat’s Big Three. The stage was set for an epic rivalry.

…or so we thought.

Instead, the Dwightmare in LA unfolded quickly—Nash got hurt, chemistry was a mess, and the Lakers flamed out in the first round. But before it all went south, Superman got the last laugh in his first game back in Orlando, breaking a bonkers NBA record in the process.

You see, Dwight had a bit of a free-throw problem. And like teams had done to Shaq before him, the Magic fully embraced Hack-a-Dwight in crunch time. But they took it to the absolute extreme.

Over the final few minutes of the fourth, Orlando intentionally sent him to the line 10 times in a desperate attempt to stall out the Lakers. Add that to the 19 free throws he had already taken, and boom—39 trips to the charity stripe, tying his own NBA record.

The best part? He actually came through in the clutch. Despite his career-long struggles at the line, Dwight buried 16 of his final 20 to ice a 117-109 win for LA.

Three in the Key

Signing Off

Thanks for reading, y’all! As the weather warms up, try to get some time in outside. It might sound too simple, but it really is a cheat code for your mental.

Talk soon!

-Spencer Poole