How often does a team go undefeated? How often does a team go back-to-back? With history secured and more history on the line tonight, it’s a beautiful day in the world of basketball.

Today’s Lineup

Weekend Wrap-Up

• One overtime period wasn’t enough for the Sixers and Spurs on Sunday night, and Philly ended up securing a wild 2OT W. Despite the recently-returned Joel Embiid missing another game, Tyrese Maxey dropped a career-high 52 points to outduel Wemby’s 33 and carry Philly to their 4th straight win.

• But Dallas and Houston only needed one overtime to combine for 283 points, with Kyrie Irving scoring 48 of them on just 25 shots. Dante Exum hit an ice-cold trey to send the game to OT (see below), and the Mavs pulled through in extra time to win 147-136 and strengthen their hold on the fifth seed out West.

• In case you’ve been living under a rock, Jalen Brunson has been lighting the NBA on fire this season—that blaze continued with New York’s 122-109 dub over Milwaukee. A 40-bomb from Brunson and 15+ point efforts from Donte DiVincenzo, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Bojan Bogdanovic led the Knicks to beat the Bucks on the road and pull within one game of a top-two seed… 👀

• You’re used to seeing SGA drop big buckets for OKC, but how about Aaron Wiggins? The savior of basketball himself! The former second-round pick poured in 26 points to lead the Thunder to a win over Charlotte, showing they can succeed without their volume scorer.

• LA trailed Cleveland by 26 points late on Sunday night, and it seemed a quiet loss was in store for the Clippers. That was, until Paul George put on a performance no one would forget. PG-13 scored 23 of his 39 points in the 4th quarter to lead an unreal Clippers comeback, including this WILD ankle-breaking game-winner over E-MOB. Sick stuff.

• During a rough season, wins like the Blazers’ Friday night dub go a long way toward preserving hope. Deandre Ayton and Scoot Henderson combined for 53 points and the Blazers downed the Wizards 108-102 in an epic tank battle.

• Nikola Jokic strengthened his case for a third MVP award with yet another dominant performance in Denver’s blowout 142-110 win over Atlanta on Saturday night. The Joker’s 19 PTS, 14 REB, and 12 AST gave him a triple-double and gave Denver a dub, priming the Mile High squad for their upcoming title defense.

💯 Pure Perfection

You come at the queens, you best not miss! Despite taking every team’s best shots all season long, the South Carolina women’s squad did the impossible and completed an undefeated season AND tournament run. Last night, Dawn Staley and Co. finished the job with an 87-75 dub over Iowa, becoming the first team since UConn in 2016 to totally run the table.

A major shoutout to Caitlin Clark for a helluva college career—one that changed the game and pushed the envelope for women’s sports everywhere. One NCAA all-time scoring title, two straight natty appearances, and an undeniable legacy: 🐐.

🤼‍♂️ Previewing the Title Fight

After 62 games worth of madness, only two teams remain. UConn and Purdue are set for a title game for the ages, and we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know:

If the Huskies win… they will become the first team since Florida in 2007-2008 to go back-to-back. Dan Hurley, Donovan Clingan and the country’s most well-oiled machine have rolled through the tourney, winning every game by double digits.

They’re the reigning champs and the top overall seed—can UConn finish the job with all the pressure on their shoulders?

If the Boilermakers win… it will complete another storybook redemption arc, eerily mirroring that of Virginia from 2018 to 2019. The Cavaliers brought it all the way back and won the 2019 championship after losing to a #16 seed in 2018.

With the nation’s best player and a star-studded supporting cast, Matt Painter’s squad has been one of the nation’s best for years. Now they have the chance to pay it off, so can Purdue finish off the ultimate reversal?

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! We hope you (1) had a great weekend and (2) that you can carry some of that positive momentum with you into the week ahead. And if you didn’t, view the next couple days as an opportunity to start anew. ☺️

Walker Carnathan