Sports
Starting 5, March 13: West standings continue their wild ways – NBA.com
After Tuesday’s games, the Thunder, Nuggets and Wolves are all tied with 45 wins at the top of the West. Here's what to know. 
“He reminds me of a young DWade and a young Kobe. He’s going to score, he’s going to get his every time.”
– Shaquille O’Neal on Anthony Edwards
THE LINEUP 🏀
📊 West race tightens again
🍀 Celtics increase East lead
🔙 Roundup: OG returns in NY W
🆚 West Play-In showdowns
📈 Here come the champs
📺 An ESPN doubleheader opens with a Finals rematch in Miami (7:30 ET, ESPN) before heading to Sacramento for No. 7 Kings vs. No. 9 Lakers (10 ET, ESPN) in one of two head-to-head battles between the four teams currently in the West Play-In.
📲 The other will be in Dallas as the No. 10 Warriors visit the No. 8 Mavs (8:30 ET, NBA App) … Plus, the Pelicans go for their fifth straight win when they host the Cavs (8 ET, NBA App) in a clash of top five teams in each conference.
1. WEST’S TOP 3 SEPARATED BY JUST A HALF-GAME
Anthony Edwards scores 37 points to fuel the Timberwolves' biggest comeback since 2012.
Edwards, Wolves rally past Clippers: The Wolves trailed by 22 (57-35) with 5:13 left in the first half. They outscored the Clippers 83-43 the rest of the way – including a 20-2 run late in the second quarter – to come away with a 118-100 win. Recap
Pacers cool down Thunder: Myles Turner had 24 points and four blocks, while Tyrese Haliburton (12 ast) and Pascal Siakam (11 reb) each posted 18-point double-doubles, to lead the Pacers past Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast) and the Thunder 121-111, snapping OKC’s three-game win streak. Recap
2. CELTICS INCREASE LEAD IN EAST
Tatum, Boston Roll: After the Jazz cut a 17-point lead down to two with 36 seconds left in the third quarter, the Celtics went on a 20-0 run to pull away as they won 123-107. Recap
Kings snap losing streak to Bucks: The Kings got a combined 76 points from De’Aaron Fox (29 pts, 7 ast, 1 thunderous dunk), Malik Monk (25 pts, 5 ast off the bench) and Domantas Sabonis (22 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast, 1 poster) in a commanding 129-94 win over the Bucks. Recap
3. ROUNDUP: ANUNOBY RETURNS IN KNICKS WIN, PHILLY DROPS TO PLAY-IN
Josh Hart had 20 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in his 4th triple-double of the season to get the Knicks past the 76ers, 106-79.
Knicks drop 76ers: Josh Hart (20 pts, 19 reb, 10 ast) posted his fourth triple-double of the season, while Jalen Brunson (20 pts, 9 ast) and a returning OG Anunoby (14 pts) helped the Knicks beat the Sixers 106-79 to split their two games over the past three days at MSG. Recap
Rockets win 3rd straight: Leading by nine with under three minutes left, the Rockets held off a late Spurs run to secure a 103-101 win behind a combined 37 points from Fred VanVleet (21 pts, 7 ast) and Jalen Green (16 pts, 7 reb). Victor Wembanyama posted his 35th double-double (13 pts, 10 reb, 6 ast, 2 blk) in the loss. Recap
Grizzlies never trail: Trey Jemison (24 pts, 11-13 FG) and GG Jackson (19 pts) led the Grizzlies to a 109-97 win over the Wizards. Memphis’ bench outscored the Wizards’ bench 50-20. Recap
4. WEST PLAY-IN SHOWDOWNS
If the postseason started today, the SoFi Play-In Tournament would feature teams led by the following stars: De’Aaron Fox, Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Steph Curry in the West; Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, DeMar DeRozan and Trae Young in the East.
Six of those teams will be in action tonight – including all four in the West in two head-to-head matchups – giving us a taste of what we could see come April 16-19.
Entering tonight’s matchups, the four teams in the West Play-In field are separated by just three games, which adds more meaning to these head-to-head matchups as they will impact positioning in the standings as well as potential tiebreakers.
7. Sacramento (37-27)
8. Dallas (37-28)
9. Los Angeles Lakers (36-30)
10. Golden State (34-30)
Of course, the goal for all four of these teams over the final month of the regular season is to climb out of the Play-In field and secure one of the six guaranteed playoff spots in the West.
The two biggest targets: The No. 5 Pelicans (2.0 games up on No. 7) and the No. 6 Suns (0.5 games up on No. 7)
Play-In Seeding: Even if these four teams are unable to get out of the Play-In, there is important seeding on the line within the tournament.
5. HERE COME THE CHAMPS
The best team in the NBA since the All-Star break? The 9-1 Nuggets.
The defending champs are reminding the rest of the league that the road to the title still runs through Denver.
After hovering in the top four in the West for much of the season, this post All-Star push has Denver tied with Oklahoma City for the best record in the West (45-20). The Thunder own the head-to-head tiebreaker (3-1 season series) to hold the No. 1 spot.
Tonight, the Nuggets are in Miami for a second Finals rematch with the Heat (7:30 ET, ESPN). During this 9-1 run, the Nuggets beat the Heat 103-97 in Denver on Feb. 29 to end the Heat’s five-game win streak, and also became the only team to win its season series (2-0) with league-leading Boston.
Hitting their stride: Since All-Star, the champs have been better on both sides of the ball.
Michael Malone: “I think we’re leading the NBA in clutch defense to this date and what’s great about our team is that we’ve been in so many big games over the years now that they never get rattled.
The most telling stat that shows Denver has made its switch to playoff/title defense mode – minutes played by its stars.
Both Jokic and Murray are averaging nearly three more minutes per game (36.5 for Jokic, 34.2 for Murray) in the 10 games since All-Star compared to the 55 that preceded it.
With more Jokic and Murray, and an elevated sense of urgency with the playoffs on the horizon, the Nuggets look as dangerous as ever.
Denver and Phoenix overcome big deficits to maintain their playoff position while Luka Doncic racks up another triple-double.
The Lakers' big man had a night for the ages to close the weekend, as the Playoff standings got another big makeover on Sunday.
Anthony Edwards scored 44 points (and made a mark on defense, too) while Denver swept its season series with Boston.
Last night saw four teams rally from 15+ points down to win, while the Warriors gave the Bucks their first loss since All-Star.
Denver and Phoenix overcome big deficits to maintain their playoff position while Luka Doncic racks up another triple-double.
The Lakers' big man had a night for the ages to close the weekend, as the Playoff standings got another big makeover on Sunday.
Anthony Edwards scored 44 points (and made a mark on defense, too) while Denver swept its season series with Boston.
Last night saw four teams rally from 15+ points down to win, while the Warriors gave the Bucks their first loss since All-Star.
The winners of 4 upcoming qualifying tournaments will round out the 12-team field at the upcoming Paris Games.
Klay Thompson is a historic figure for one of the greatest teams ever assembled. That era is over as Dallas seeks 1 of its own.
The FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments will decide the final four teams to compete in the men's basketball tournament in Paris.
Learn more about France's road to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Tatum's supermax extension surpasses that of teammate Jaylen Brown, who had signed a $304 million extension last season.
The 9-time All-Star reportedly joins forces with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, positioning Philadelphia as a serious contender in the East.
