SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors entered Friday night at Chase Center desperately searching for a victory after back-to-back close losses to tanking teams.

They left the arena still looking for one. Unlike Utah and Chicago, teams trying to lose who just so happened to luck into unexpected wins, the visiting and contending Minnesota Timberwolves ...Read more

The look on the face of Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball coach Bill Self said it all.

For most of the second half of Friday night’s semifinal game against Houston at T-Mobile Center, the Hall of Fame coach covered his mouth with his knuckles, his silver wedding band glinting under the lights.

His eyes were fiery, his face a sunburnt shade ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Florida State gave Duke a scare in the ACC Tournament.

Clemson did not.

The No. 1 Blue Devils will play for a second straight ACC championship Saturday after downing the Tigers, 73-61, in the semifinals at the Spectrum Center

A night after coming within an FSU buzzer-beater of losing, the Devils had much of the heavy ...Read more

NEW YORK — Braylon Mullins led the UConn men’s basketball team to its second Big East Tournament championship game in three years with 21 points during a 67-51 semifinal win over No. 11 seed Georgetown on Friday night.

The win set up the inevitable rubber match with reigning dual-champion St. John’s on Saturday night as the Huskies’ ...Read more

CHICAGO — For Michigan State, that one will leave a dent. Because Donovan Dent and UCLA aren’t yet leaving.

In a war waged at the point as much as in the paint, No. 3 seed Michigan State fell victim to a 23-point, 12-assist game from UCLA point guard Dent in an 88-84 loss Friday in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. Michigan State drew ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The first Big 12 Tournament semifinal delivered the madness.

Arizona outlasted Iowa State, 82-80, on Jaden Bradley’s buzzer-beating 15-footer. The Big 12 Player of the Year hit the game-winner from the right side — while also falling to his right.

The horn sounded as the ball approached the hoop and marked the second ...Read more

The Indiana Pacers might be tanking, but there’s no question they get up for the Knicks.

The Pacers, who own the NBA’s worst record in a season Tyrese Haliburton is sitting with a ruptured Achilles, entered Friday’s meeting with the Knicks at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse having lost 11 in a row, nine of which came via double-digit margins ...Read more

CHICAGO — Michigan’s Dusty May earned the Big Ten Coach of the Year award in media voting for the Wolverines’ dominant season.

Illinois’ Brad Underwood is recognized by Illini Nation as an excellent recruiter who rebuilt the program, though his coaching remains suspect by a faction of fans who want to see better results come tournament ...Read more

NEW YORK — St. John’s is one win away from its second consecutive Big East Tournament championship.

Led by an overpowering frontcourt, top-seeded St. John’s outlasted Seton Hall, 78-68, in Friday night’s hard-fought semifinal at Madison Square Garden.

It didn’t come easily, as the scrappy Pirates turned a 19-point second-half deficit...Read more

NEW YORK — Knicks star Jalen Brunson could be wearing colors that aren’t red, white and blue when the Olympics come stateside to Los Angeles in 2028.

Brunson, who represented the USA in the 2023 FIBA World Cup in the Philippines, said if Team USA doesn’t want him to represent the country in three summers time, he could put in a bid to ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After 12 games, a few dozen slips and one injury over three days, the Big 12 Conference Tournament employees were scrambling late Thursday — err, early Friday — for their busiest hours yet.

Overnight.

The conference removed the glitz and glamour of its all-LED glass floor in favor of the traditional hardwood court ...Read more

CHICAGO — Illinois’ Big Ten Tournament run began and ended Friday at the United Center.

Fifth-seeded Wisconsin topped the fourth-seeded Illini, 91-88 in overtime, behind a combined 69 points from guards John Blackwell and Nick Boyd to advance to Saturday’s semifinal against top-seeded Michigan.

Illinois, which had received a triple bye ...Read more

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The third time was not the charm for Kentucky.

Much like both games in the regular-season series, Florida got off to a good start and controlled the Cats throughout, ultimately scoring a 71-63 victory over UK in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals at Bridgestone Arena.

Kentucky, which was the 9 seed in Nashville and got wins ...Read more

CHICAGO — It’s often said that it’s hard to beat the same team three times in one season, let alone a rival.

The Wolverines can attest to that.

After sweeping the home-and-home series, top-seeded Michigan had to grind out a 71-67 win to send No. 8 seed Ohio State packing in Friday’s Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal at United Center.

...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Pitt athletic director Allen Greene announced Friday afternoon that he would be retaining men’s basketball coach Jeff Capel for a ninth season.

With a 98-88 loss to NC State in the second round of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday, Capel’s latest season at the helm ended with a 13-20 record, the fifth 20-loss season in program ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Pitt tried hard and “fought to the end” again Wednesday in the ACC tournament, so let’s give the Panthers credit for that at least.

Their efforts weren’t quite enough, though, and so they lost to NC State and their season ended with 20 losses and even more questions facing the program. The first is the elephant in the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — He didn’t miss it this time.

Luka Doncic recorded his first 50-point game of the season Thursday, hitting two late free throws as the crowd at Crypto.com Arena showered him with “MVP” chants in the fourth quarter. Doncic checked out with 1:41 remaining to a standing ovation with 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Midway through the second half in Charlotte, with his team down by double-digits and continuing to fade deeper into a deficit, that’s what UNC coach Hubert Davis kept yelling at his team from the sidelines. He needed them to fight. To punch back. To claw, if they had to.

But in the second ...Read more