HOUSTON — We all know the 76ers no longer have any intention of producing a competitive product this season.

Someone forgot to tell that to the makeshift version of the Sixers.

They came close to picking up their second consecutive not so tank-friendly victory on Monday. However, the Houston Rockets squeaked out a 144-137 overtime victory at...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves’ winning streak ended at eight games Monday night at Target Center with a 132-130 overtime loss to depleted Indiana.

The same team that hadn’t lost since Feb. 28 finally succumbed to the Pacers and forward Obi Toppin, who made seven 3-pointers, including the winner with 3.5 seconds left.

Toppin scored 34 ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The NCAA tournament bracket is set and the games are set to begin Tuesday with the First Four.

Here’s a rundown of the players to watch, potential Cinderella teams and what to know about the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

South Region

— No. 1 AUBURN: The Tigers, under 11th-year coach Bruce Pearl, are the top-...Read more

NEW ORLEANS — The Detroit Pistons ended their two-game losing streak in a 127-81 win over the New Orleans Pelicans Monday night at Smoothie King Center.

After a disappointing outing against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with a team-high 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting and eight assists. Zion Williamson ...Read more

NEW YORK — Erik Spoelstra knew the New York Knicks would be just fine. Jalen Brunson available or not, a Tom Thibodeau-coached team is going to play hard.

A Thibodeau team is going to compete hard on the defensive end and find ways to win with its All-Star guard and captain on the shelf possibly until April.

“It’s not their first rodeo,�...Read more

Philadelphia — March Madness has become March Sadness.

Fourteen teams from the SEC.

Zero teams from the Big 5*.

Two teams from Mississippi.

Heck, two teams from Pittsburgh.

Zero teams from Philly.

None of these facts came as a surprise when CBS revealed them on its trademark Selection Sunday broadcast. For the third straight year, local ...Read more

HOUSTON — The expected Paul George news became official on Monday.

The Philadelphia 76ers forward was ruled out for the remainder of the season on the day he received injections in the left adductor muscle in his groin and his left knee. The procedure will sideline the nine-time All-Star for at least six weeks.

George has sat out the last ...Read more

DAYTON, Ohio — If North Carolina thought getting an invitation to Dayton was tough, getting there has proven just as difficult.

The Tar Heels missed their scheduled media availability to open the NCAA Tournament on Monday night after issues with their NCAA-provided charter flight. Originally scheduled to land in Dayton around 4 p.m. ET, the ...Read more

CHICAGO — Michigan State’s Tom Izzo was the last Big Ten coach to win a men’s national championship, beating Florida nearly 25 years ago in Indianapolis.

Time flies, and Izzo’s Spartans are once again the Big Ten’s best hope at ending the conference’s title drought, starting as a No. 2 seed against No. 15 Bryant in the South Region....Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A look at the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional — which includes the No. 3 seed Kentucky Wildcats:

Meet UK’s first foe

Kentucky (22-11, 10-8 SEC regular season) will open NCAA Tournament play against Sun Belt Conference Tournament champion Troy (23-10, 13-5 regular season) in Milwaukee at 7:10 p.m....Read more

EAST LANSING, Mich. — It’s not really fair or logical, but it’s the price you pay to play in March. It’s the power and the pain of Madness.

Everything you’ve done to this point — all the ebbs and flubs — gets overlooked. Tournament time offers reprieves but no replays, and a team’s season can flip in one game or one second. Tom ...Read more

NEW YORK — Rick Pitino doesn’t look at his return to college basketball’s biggest stage as a redemption story.

He said as much Saturday after leading St. John’s to its first Big East Tournament championship in 25 years, then reiterated that stance Monday during an appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.”

“I really don’t ...Read more

CHICAGO — Courtney Vandersloot never really left Chicago.

When she exited in 2022, the change was a necessity. The last two years with the New York Liberty lifted Vandersloot to a new level of competition. But part of her was always stuck on the Sky, the team that drafted her in 2011, where she met her wife, won her first title and grew into ...Read more

DENVER — For a man of so many hats, one of Roger Kinney’s favorites still has a place of honor in his basement, 35 years later.

It’s still in good shape, too — a wide-brimmed, light brown Stetson, a classy number with feathers and a bow. This particular piece of headwear was given to each of the teams that visited Denver for the 1990 ...Read more

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The clock ran out, and Bez Mbeng sat on the floor at Pizzitola Sports Center, cradling the Ivy League Madness trophy.

“Just reminiscing,” Mbeng said. “Everything we’ve been through this year. We’ve been through a lot, but we stuck together. That’s all I was thinking about, sticking to the prize and we got it ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The last time the Timberwolves played the Utah Jazz on Feb. 28, Anthony Edwards was watching somewhere away from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, serving a one-game suspension for picking up 16 technical fouls during the season.

The Wolves lost that night in the final seconds, and after that game, Jaden McDaniels said it was ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets took care of business on Sunday, with complete disregard for NBA Draft lottery odds, defeating the Atlanta Hawks 122-114 at Barclays Center on the second night of a back-to-back set.

Brooklyn snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 23-45 with 14 regular-season games left. It retains the fifth-best draft...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Clippers are trending in the right direction, and on top of it, they are becoming whole with leading scorer Norman Powell back and with James Harden sustaining his high level of play.

They've won six of their last seven games, with the Clippers' 123-88 blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday at the Intuit Dome ...Read more