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The Indiana Pacers blew away the Milwaukee Bucks on a Tyrese Haliburton game-winner to push his team to the Playoffs' second round – a clash with the Cavaliers. A total of 17,274 fans were left dumbfounded when the Milwaukee Bucks looked poised to come up with a Game 6 at home as they led by as many as 20 points for the whole game. But Tyrese Haliburton put up one of the best games of his career, and he eventually led the Indiana Pacers to rally and win Game 5, 119-118 – and clinch the series at 4-1. All of that thrill, much to the delight of the home crowd Giannis Antetokounmpo brought his signature game on display, finishing with 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists – doing the heavy lifting with his co-star Damian Lillard out with an injury. All that effort, only for the Bucks to eventually lose its third straight first-round playoff series. The Pacers cruised for a huge game in OT, which proved to be the defining part of the game. In the end, Haliburton responded well to being called the no. 1 overrated player in the NBA, and he did it with a promising performance for the ages – including a game-winner over the hulking defender in Antetokounmpo. That was his hero moment, and the crowd loved his confidence in the way he showed his impressive play and climbed the stands in celebration. The Comeback Pacers After being down by as many as 20 points, the Pacers tried to slowly chip away from the Bucks’ lead and had plenty of chances to boost their attack. By the end of the third quarter, they have already tied it at 75 points. Milwaukee had plenty of chances to put the game away, but Giannis missed out his fadeaway jumper in the fourth that left the game deadlocked at 103. After a surge of threes from Gary Trent Jr. and Giannis putting up some key defensive stops left and right, the Bucks were suddenly up seven with 40 seconds left to play. Indiana fans were starting to feel nervous, and that was until Andrew Nembhard drilled a pull up three to cut the lead to four, and later came up with a steal that led to a layup for Haliburton, and-one. Another horrendous turnover by Trent Jr. opened up the chance for Indiana to complete its comeback, and it was in the hands of Haliburton right off the inbounds pass. The star guard shuffled left and right trying to shake off his defender in Antetokounmpo, who contested him well. However, Haliburton’s speed was enough to blow past the Greek Freak, and calmly sank the game-winner. The Bucks tried to heave a three from Trent Jr., but to no avail, and there was even a short scuffle on mid-court between the two teams. Now the Pacers have taken down one of its rivals in the playoffs once more. Overrated Haliburton Just a few days ago, Tyrese Haliburton was voted as the most overrated player in the NBA. He didn’t actually mind the criticism so far, and he responded perfectly – a clutch performance and a massive game-winner to send the Pacers to the second round. He posted 26 points, nine assists, five rebounds, three steals, and three blocks in the win for Indiana. "It didn't impact the way I played today at all," Haliburton said. "I must be doing something right if that's the case. I don't have a big speech or comment on it. All I care about is this locker room and winning games." With all of that smoke left behind, Haliburton will have a further chance to bring his game to the next level when the Pacers now take on the first-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in Round 2, who came off with a sweep over the eighth-seed Miami Heat.

Coming back from a 3-1 deficit is one of the rare feats in NBA history that has often been seen as a tough challenge, and it cannot be denied that not all teams have managed to beat the odds, especially when your season is on the line and backs are against the wall. That is the case for the Los Angeles Lakers today, who have just lost Game 4 and are now one loss away from being eliminated. After being up 94-84 by the end of the third quarter, the Lakers tried to hold on to their lead for the whole fourth quarter. The surging Minnesota Timberwolves offense couldn’t be denied, and they would later take a 108-107 lead with 3:21 left to play after Naz Reid drilled a three coming off an assist from Julius Randle. The Lakers and the Wolves would then exchange buckets all the way to the finish, with Austin Reaves missing out on a three at the last second. Had it gone in, it would have been tied at the buzzer and would have given the Lakers a chance to fix their mistakes in overtime. Instead, the Lakers will return home down 1-3 and on the brink of elimination. The Anthony Edwards Explosion Anthony Edwards averaged 19.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in the regular season against the Lakers. In four games, he’s scored 22 points, 25 points, 29 points, and in this win – a whopping total of 43 points. While it is a surprise, it is the first time that he actually led the Wolves in scoring, and it came when it mattered most. Julius Randle scored 25 points, 7 assists, and 3 assists against his former team, while Jaden McDaniels proved that he is still a standout player after dropping 16 points and 11 rebounds – including a key three-point play late in the game which allowed Minnesota to stay on the lead heading into the final seconds of the game. The Lakers were led by Luka Doncic’s 38 points, and LeBron James finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. Rui Hachimura answered the call this time as he scored 23 points while Austin Reaves chipped in 17 points and 7 rebounds, but could not drill the game-tying three that could have sent the game to overtime. James and Doncic played 46 minutes each – the most by a duo in a game not heading to overtime. Not that it mattered at the end of the game as the Lakers went on to lose by three. The 3-1 Dilemma For the first time, there are now a total of five playoff series in the first round in which a team has a commanding 3-1 lead. It is worth noting that there have been six times in which a trailing team tried to pull off a comeback from a 3-1 deficit. Out of those tries, only three have been successful in beating the odds and win – advancing to the conference semifinals after that. In the case of the Lakers, this may well be an insurmountable scenario. Game 5 will be at their home, which should add to their advantage at least, but it would be hard to close out on the road against the Wolves in a potential Game 6. Should they win two straight, the momentum would be on their side and will likely be able to win in seven. Let’s not forget, the Lakers have LeBron James, who led the only team out of 33 squads to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals, which says a lot about their chances of pulling off the impossible.

The Golden State Warriors dropped their Game 2 clash with the Houston Rockets, and it turned out to be one of the most crucial losses as not did they only lose the game in a whopping 109-94 score, but they also lost Jimmy Butler when the game has barely started – now raising a possibility that they may be shorthanded heading into Game 3. Butler only played eight minutes in the Game 2 loss for the Warriors and did not return after he made an exit in the first quarter. This forced the rotation for Golden State coach Steve Kerr – opting to put Jonathan Kuminga for more minutes in Butler’s stead. The Warriors have gone 0-3 whenever the latter plays more than 20 minutes – and he played 26 minutes in the loss. It can be remembered that Butler dropped an efficient 25 points on 10-19 shooting in the Warriors Game 1 win, along with seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals – showing just why he has been important for the Warriors in their second-half turnaround. With his status now uncertain, it seems that the Warriors will have some tough challenges moving forward against this gritty Houston squad. Butler’s Untimely Injury Butler suffered a pelvis contusion after taking a hard fall when he was fouled by Rockets guard Amen Thompson late in the first quarter. It appeared that Thompson pulled down Butler in an attempt to grab a rebound, but further review showed that the Houston guard was inadvertently pushed coming off multiple players and was falling down when he also accidentally grabbed Butler’s legs on the way down. In the resulting play, Butler fell on his tailbone, to which he grabbed as soon as he got up. The Warriors forward walked to the other end of the court while obviously in pain, shooting one of his two free throws before he was later taken out of the game and immediately went to the locker room. Later in the game, it was revealed that Butler did indeed suffer an injury and would not return for the rest of the game. He is slated to have an MRI exam today. Butler finished with three points and two rebounds before he left the game. The Warriors also had another injury problem in Brandin Podziemski, who left the game in the first quarter with a stomach ailment. While it is not serious, Kerr already said before the game that the guard was struggling with a stomach problem because of the recent food he ate. Life Without Butler In the aftermath of Butler’s exit, the Warriors were outscored 28-18 in the first quarter, and the Rockets went on to plow through Golden State for the rest of the game. The Warriors stayed within striking distance but could not claim the lead with the lack of offense – mostly stemming from Butler. Stephen Curry struggled to score and finished with 20 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. The supporting cast for the Warriors also struggled as a result, with Moses Moody and Quinten Post scoring 12 points each. Kuminga, who took over Butler’s minutes in the rotation, finished with 11 points on 4-12 shooting. He did not play the final game of the season against the Los Angeles Clippers, nor did he log minutes in the Play-In win against the Memphis Grizzlies and in Game 1 against the Rockets. Without Butler, it seems that Kerr’s rotation will be forced to come up with an inclusion for Kuminga. Considering that the Warriors have not won in any game where he played more than 20 minutes, maybe the four-time champion coach will find a way to keep the Warriors in the series.

It has been a long time since we’ve seen a different brand of Playoffs in Detroit, and many fans in Michigan would be surprised to see that their team is even in the postseason chase. But with the Detroit Pistons scoring a much-needed win over the New York Knicks in Game 2 of the First Round, it seems that there’s going to be a lot of hype for the team moving forward. Detroit has not been in the playoffs since 2019 – nor have they won a playoff game since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics in 2008. This series of unfortunate runs by the Pistons have gone on for years. All of that finally met an end after stealing a 100-94 win over the Knicks, and the homecourt advantage in the playoff series at that. For the first time since 2008, the Pistons have won a playoff game, ending a 15-game streak of consecutive losses in the postseason. Now the tide shifts to the Pistons, and while the odds may be stacked against them, one can say that Detroit has also found its groove and may well be on its way to getting a big run in the next two games in front of their home crowd. Beating New York Cade Cunningham stole the show in his duel with Jalen Brunson after he finished with 33 points and 12 rebounds, leading the way for the Pistons in coming up with a crucial win on the road and putting up one of its best games yet. Detroit led for most of the game, but a Knicks run – similar to that 21-0 run in the fourth quarter of Game 1 – tied the score at 94 before Detroit played its final baskets well and kept the Knicks from scoring again. Learning from their collapse in Game 1, the Pistons made the big plays at the right time and ensured that they were not going to give up the biggest chance that they’ve had to win a single game. So far, it has been the story for Detroit this season – beating the odds, overcoming struggles, and proving critics wrong about their chances at being a contender in the NBA. With the series tied at 1-1, the Pistons are looking good enough to make the most of their games at home in Game 3. Of course, they’ll have to be prepared for the Knicks’ response, especially when they held OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns to just 10 points apiece in their Game 2 win. Big Pieces Coming Up The Pistons had a promising and talented roster heading into this season, and Tobias Harris was one of the biggest signings who proved to be pivotal in their games. The former Sixers forward scored 15 points and 13 rebounds and was a great boost in Detroit’s win. Jalen Duren also played well in the paint and hounded the Knicks' offense as he finished with 12 points, 13 boards, and three blocks. However, the biggest boost that the team had for this Game 2 win was Dennis Schroder – who wasn’t even a Piston until February as he was traded from one team to another. The 2023 FIBA World Cup MVP scored 20 points off the bench and even drilled the game-clinching three with 55 seconds left to play in the game. At the right time, it seems that Detroit is clicking well. One can say that Michigan fans will have a lot to expect moving forward as they seek to deliver impressive performances and take control of the series now more than ever.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked rusty to begin the playoffs, especially when the MVP voting has just been finished. He finished with just 15 points on 4-13 shooting, along with five assists and three rebounds – and yet this is very worrying. In case you missed it, OKC won by a whopping total of 51 points as they took a 131-80 win and scored a 1-0 series lead over the Memphis Grizzlies. Let that sink in. The best team in the league won by 51 points – which is the largest playoff win in franchise history, largest Game 1 win in NBA history, fifth largest win in playoff history, and the sixth 50-point blowout in league history – lots of history in just one game. What’s worse is that SGA himself had a bad game – which is very rare for the league’s leading MVP candidate. Simply put, the Thunder decimated the Grizzlies right off the start, and they hounded them left and right to come up with one of the biggest wins in NBA history. So far, this was a far cry from last season’s Game 1 in the playoffs, where they had to shake off some rust before eking out a win against the Pelicans. This time, the Thunder played well and showed just how good they can be at this point. A Massive Start to the Playoffs OKC finished the game with a playoff-high 37 assists and shot a whopping 50.5% from the field. The Thunder had 22 forced turnovers on Memphis, along with 12 steals and eight blocks to stifle the Grizzlies – who had no answer for the surging avalanche that the Thunder came up with, especially in the second quarter. After finishing the first quarter 32-20, they increased the lead to 41-22 and forced a Memphis timeout. Another flurry of scoring came, this time putting OKC up 51-22 – and forced another Grizzlies timeout. By the time that the Jalen Williams went up for a slam coming off a lob from Aaron Wiggins, OKC was already up 63-28, and the onslaught did not stop there. OKC led by as many as 56 points, just two points shy of the playoff record for the biggest margin of victory. Denver defeated New Orleans 121-63 in 2009, while the Lakers slammed the St. Louis Hawks 133-75 in 1956. OKC took control in the second quarter when they had a 20-0 run, before finishing the half with a 35-point lead. By the Numbers OKC finished with all five starters scoring in double figures, and it was Aaron Wiggins who led the Thunder in scoring with 21 points – coming off the bench. Jalen Williams was all over the place with 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Chet Holmgren had a standout night with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Isaiah Hartenstein stamped his best game of the postseason yet with 14 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, all while missing just one field goal attempt. Still, head coach Mark Daigneault believes that Memphis will make Game 2 a closer one than it was today, and is actively seeking to make the Thunder ready for that, which is why none of the OKC starters touched the court in the fourth quarter. “They played 36 hours ago and had an emotional game, had to turn around and play at noon today, which is a really tough turnaround,” Daigneault said. "So they’re going to be better Tuesday. So I thought we did a good job. But I don’t think we can expect that from them (again). You know they’re going to play a lot better than that.” Ja Morant finished as the leading scorer for the Grizzlies with 17 points, and so did Marvin Bagley III off the bench with a promising 8-8 shooting. Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., who were two of Memphis’ heavy hitters, finished with a combined total of 13 points. No other Memphis player had more than 10 points.

Despite the Portland Trail Blazers missing out on the playoffs for the fourth season in a row, it cannot be denied that there’s still a lot of positives to take away from their 2024-25 season. That includes the multi-year extension that head coach Chauncey Billups just signed with the team heading into the offseason, which has definitely piqued the interest of many analysts as to how it affects the Blazers’ future as a whole. While the Blazers did not release any terms surrounding the deal, it came before the final regular season game of the team, which was a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite finishing with a 35-46 record and being eliminated for the fourth straight season, they did perform better than expected, showing off that they can actually deliver some impressive wins when at full strength. For Billups, this is quite a promising note considering that he’s endured a lot of criticism in the previous seasons – especially in the years where the team still had its franchise star in Damian Lillard before the subsequent trade to the Milwaukee Bucks. Now he gets to lead the team with its budding talent starting to show its full potential in the years to come. A Significant Growth for Portland Despite another losing season, the Blazers enjoyed a promising pace in their last 40 games, a stretch in which Portland ranked with the league’s third-best defensive rating. As the second-youngest team in the league, it is a promising feat to see them make a huge rally in late January to early February – enjoying a winning stretch with victories in 10 of their 11 games. That has been a forging process for Portland – establishing a new identity for the team after moving on from its franchise player. For Billups, this is a huge success, and that is one of the biggest reasons why the team clearly wanted to extend and see him succeed with the team moving forward. “I’m just so happy, with what we’ve done and where I think we can go,” Billups said. “So much promise here. I’m pumped about it.” Billups is yet to have a winning season with the Blazers, but for a player who has spent competitive runs for most of his career, it is expected that he will eventually find success as Portland comes up with a promising campaign in the next few years with its developing talent. Why Billups Deserved the Extension Let’s be clear, being able to harness young talents in Scott Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija is not an easy feat. Signing Billups for more years to come means further development for the team on a consistent basis. However, one can say that the leadership is indeed impressed with the latter’s progress with the team so far. “The core of Chauncey’s leadership is his ability to build a collaborative culture and growth mindset for our young team,” Blazers chair Jody Allen said in a statement. “We’re very happy to extend his contract as head coach, and excited to see his continued work developing our players and transforming this team into one capable of long-term success.” While Portland is yet to reach its peak as one of the youngest teams in the league, it cannot be denied that Billups will be really a great coach for the team. Who knows, maybe the next season will be the big break that the team is waiting for after years of struggle and rebuild.

In what would have been a promising campaign for the Golden State Warriors after acquiring Jimmy Butler, it seems that Stephen Curry and the rest of the gang are headed for a series of survival matches in the Play-In Tournament after finishing as the seventh seed in the Western Conference on the final game of the season. Essentially, the Warriors went 22-7 with Butler, and Game 82 felt like Game 7 for many teams, including Golden State. However, they failed to salvage what was a great second-half run and now join seven other teams in the league in a bid to capture the final four spots of the NBA Playoffs, which begins this April 20th. The Warriors finished with a 48-34 record this season, tied with the Memphis Grizzlies with the same record but holding a win advantage in the regular season. Golden State will be battling them for the seventh seed in the Western Conference and a chance to play the Houston Rockets in the first round. A loss would put them for a second chance to play against the winning team between the ninth and 10th seed, and a win will see them play the Oklahoma City Thunder as the eighth seed. Losing to the Clippers Butler had 30 points and nine assists, while Stephen Curry had 36 points and six assists – but he finished with eight turnovers as well as was -16 in the game. No other player came close to scoring more than 20 points – as Brandin Podziemski had 19 points, while Draymond Green finished with 14 points. James Harden pulled off one of his biggest games in the season, where he dropped 39 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard showed why the Clippers are a better team with him – finishing with 33 points, seven assists, and six rebounds in a game that felt like had bigger stakes than a playoff game. A few games ago, former Warrior Harrison Barnes drilled a game-winning three at Chase Center to beat Golden State at the buzzer, 114-111. While the Spurs have nothing to play for, the Warriors lost out on a key stretch that proved to be a needed win for the team. That has come back to haunt them well with this loss as they would have easily been the sixth seed had they won that game. Instead, they are now going to square off with the Memphis Grizzlies in the hopes of coming up with a playoff spot – and a chance to earn redemption in the postseason. The Chase for the Playoff Spots The Warriors finished as the seventh seed. They will battle the Grizzlies at home in the hopes of securing a date with the Rockets in the first round. If it all ends up as a loss for Golden State, then they would get a second chance – either against the Sacramento Kings or the Dallas Mavericks. It has been a wild week of hoops in the NBA – especially in the Western Conference. A few weeks ago, we would have seen the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers in the Play-In Tournament as well had they not won in their respective games to secure the higher seeds in the West. The Eastern Conference, on the other hand, will feature the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and the Miami Heat in their own Play-In Tournament. The Play-In begins today, while the first round of the NBA Playoffs will follow suit.

Oklahoma City made the most of its final stretch of games – winning its final four games, including three on the road without its main cast playing at all. After a blazing 115-100 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in the final game of the season, the Thunder ended up winning a total of 68 games, which is one of the best records up to date in NBA history. OKC has capped off an amazing season with a lot of feats from start to finish. That 68-14 record is the fifth most wins in NBA history, and has set the highest point differential of +1,055. On top of that, the Thunder have set the highest gap between a first seed and the second seed – by a whopping total of 16 games. Let’s not forget the fact that the Thunder have also brought in the most double-digit wins in NBA history at 53, and would still be the first seed if you even counted their single-digit wins as losses. On top of that, OKC went 30-1 against the Eastern Conference – the best interconference record in league history. Now, it’s all-in on the postseason, and the playoffs are definitely coming in hot now more than ever. OKC’s Dream Run After being knocked out of the West Semis last season, OKC returned on a mission this season and made sure that they are going to keep the same pace going in their games – now increasing their win total by 11 more games after finishing with 57 last season. However, it cannot be denied that the expectations are even higher than ever with the way they have improved so far. This season has been nothing short of spectacular as they have set one big feat after another. OKC is the deepest team in the league, and that is hard to argue with considering that they are undefeated when the starters don’t play. So far, the Thunder have shown their worth all season – notching its second 60-win season and now seeking its first NBA Finals berth since 2012. The season hasn’t been easy at all as OKC’s main cast has missed a lot of games for most of the campaign – Chet Holmgren was out for most of the run after he suffered an injury back in November, Isaiah Hartenstein was integrated late into the season, and the starters were never fully healthy until the final stretch. Still, this dream run for OKC is yet to be seen as due. OKC is the seventh team to win at least 68 games. The 2016 Warriors (73 wins) lost in the NBA Finals, while the 1996 Bulls (72 wins), 1997 Bulls (69 wins), 1972 Lakers (69 wins), and the 1967 Sixers (68 wins) all have won their respective NBA championships. Only the 1973 Celtics (68 wins) did not reach the NBA Finals in that group. A Hope for Bigger Strides OKC has made some significant changes in the offseason – but zero adjustments in the midseason where a lot of massive trades have taken place. The Thunder have added a monster in the paint in Hartenstein, whose rebounding presence changes the game for OKC’s postseason hopes. Alex Caruso, on the other hand, was traded for Josh Giddey in hopes of putting up a three-and-D player on the rotation and expand the Thunder’s options with the postseason in their hands. OKC is set to wait for its opponent in the first round of the playoffs while the Play-In Tournament ensues. This can be any of the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, or the Dallas Mavericks.

After the prior game’s disappointing loss to OKC and Luka Doncic’s unwarranted ejection, the latter responded with a majestic performance to steer the Los Angeles Lakers atop one of its new rivals as they took a 112-97 over the Dallas Mavericks and its new star, Anthony Davis. For the first time since the trade deadline in February, the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers have met with their new rosters featuring Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis – who were traded for one another (along with other assets) in one of the shocking trade moves that have really buzzed the entire sports world. It showed a glimpse of who actually won the said deal. The Lakers battled all night as Dallas kept at their heels. However, Los Angeles used a massive run in the fourth quarter to keep the Mavs at bay and come up with a big lead all the way to 1:34 to play in the game – at which point the Lakers elected to sit its starters, including Doncic as they braced for the win with their bench. Los Angeles now continues to stand third in the Western Conference and is likely to lock up that spot by the end of the season. A Dramatic Homecoming for Doncic Luka Doncic had an emotional return to Dallas for the first time since February. He missed a chunk of the early half of the season, only to return in the game in Los Angeles instead. Dallas laid white shirts all over the American Airlines Center that said “Hvala za vse”, which is “Thank You” in Slovenian. Dallas also played a tribute video dedicated to Doncic’s five-and-a-half-year run with the Mavericks, leaving the former Texas star in tears as he watched it before the pre-game introductions. But business is business, and Doncic went to work as he dropped 45 points – matching his season high and now being able to score it twice this season for both of his teams. Luka also tallied eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals along with seven threes to lead the way for the Lakers. Anthony Davis, who was the trade piece that brought Doncic to Los Angeles, finished with a dismal night and had a poor game overall with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Dallas fans were cheering for Luka for most of the game whenever the star guard was on the floor, while shouting “Fire Nico” whenever he’s off the floor – calling out the Dallas GM who was responsible for sending Doncic to the Lakers. Game Takeaways With the win, the Los Angeles Lakers are guaranteed at least the top six overall in the Western Conference and could likely finish with the third seed at best. The team came into the showdown off their third game in four days – where they split a pair of games in Oklahoma City. Dallas, on the other hand, is now guaranteed to finish with a losing season not even a full year after reaching the NBA Finals. However, the Mavericks are locked for the Play-In Tournament and could finish anywhere from the seventh to 10th seed. Naji Marshall led the scoring for the Mavericks with 23 points, eight assists, and four rebounds, while PJ Washington added 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists. The Lakers, on the other hand, saw LeBron James come up with a promising scoring burst and finished with 27 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Rui Hachimura scored 15 points in his return, while Austin Reaves, who was on fire in the game before, only had 11 points and four rebounds and assists apiece.

Walter Clayton Jr.’s final defensive play will definitely live in his dreams for years to come. The Florida Gators survived and came up with a huge defensive stop in the dying seconds of the championship as they forced a mishap for the Houston Cougars, with the latter failing to get a shot off as the buzzer sounded, signaling the Gators’ return to the top of the NCAA world in a 65-63 win. Gators head coach Todd Golden now becomes the second head coach in the history of the school to win a championship – with the first two being won by Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan back in 2006 and 2007. It is also the third national championship for the University of Florida and is the first time they have reached the final since 2007. The Cougars initially looked like they were going to come up with an impressive win from start to finish, but the Gators were able to capitalize on their mistakes – forcing back to back turnovers in the closing moments of the game to regain the lead and then holding on for the final possession. Confetti of blue and orange rained down the Alamodome as Gator fans celebrated in delight at another championship for the first time in 18 years. The Final Moments After leading at 8-6 in the first quarter, the Florida Gators trailed the whole game and never had another lead of their own. It wasn't until 64-63 coming off a free throw by Alijah Martin with 46.5 seconds to play that they had a lead in the game – and the timing couldn’t be more impeccable for the team. The Gators came back from a 12-point deficit and looked to close the gap in the final minute of the game. From that point, Florida never trailed again, and Houston would go on to turn the ball over in the next possession. The Gators quickly attacked and came up with a Denzel Aberdeen free throw to extend the lead to 65-63 with 19.7 seconds left in the game. That’s when Houston opted to call time out and draw up a play for the tie or for the win. The Cougars opted to go for the win, with Milos Uzan getting a good look before passing up the shot and giving it to LJ Cryer. The latter would then pass it right away like a hot potato, this time landing in the hands of Emanuel Sharp at the top of the key. Except, Sharp had nowhere to go after he didn’t throw up the shot with a Clayton Jr. closing on him. He could not touch the ball as it would then result in a traveling violation. And that led to a scramble before Alex Condon successfully dived for the ball and earned possession before the buzzer sounded – signaling a massive victory for the Gators and completing their comeback. By the Numbers No player scored more than 20 points in the game, with LJ Cryer being the closest at 19 points and six rebounds for Houston – and no other player in the Cougars’ squad reached double digits in that loss. On the other hand, Florida’s Will Richard led the scoring charge at 18 points and seven boards, while Condon tallied 12 points and seven rebounds of his own. Perhaps Clayton Jr. stole the spotlight for this win by the Gators. He finished with an all-around game of 11 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, but it was his huge defensive play that sealed the deal for the Gators in their victory.

After a standout performance in their recent win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Luka Doncic continued to lead the Los Angeles Lakers, this time scoring 30 points for the second game in a row as he led them to beat the West 1st seed Oklahoma City Thunder by a whopping 27 points, 126-99, which hints at a promising pace at this point in the season. LeBron James scored 19 points and seven assists, while Austin Reaves dropped 20 points, and six Laker players finished with double-digit scoring as the Lakers came off with a huge victory. Every player in the squad even had a bucket, save for Christian Koloko. This is how dominant the Lakers have been in their win against the Thunder, who have now suffered their second back-to-back loss in the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points, nine assists, three rebounds, and a steal and a block apiece on an efficient 12/23 shooting. However, no other Thunder player has managed to score more than 20 points, while SGA himself extended his streak of scoring at least 20 points to 71 games in a row. OKC has now dropped to 64-14, just a few days after being on the chase for 70 wins in the last week. Lakers Dominance The Los Angeles Lakers controlled the whole game from start to finish, and they even drilled 15 threes on 22 attempts in the first half alone. By the end of the game, Los Angeles has tallied 22 threes for 55% shooting from the field – another OKC opponent that has come up with a rare magnet ball shooting. Doncic got to his spots and made easy work of the Thunder, coming up with impressive baskets and looking like his former Dallas self for most of the game. The Lakers also hounded the Thunder on the boards, outmuscling them on the glass with a 43-34 advantage – so much for OKC’s lineup featuring the twin towers of Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren. With the win, the Lakers pull close to three games within the second seed. They now have a one-game lead over the Denver Nuggets for the third seed, and 1.5 games ahead of the Golden State Warriors – whom the Lakers lost to two nights ago. So far, this counts as a much-needed win considering how all the final games of the season would play a huge role in LA’s playoff positioning heading into the postseason action. A Wake Up Call for OKC Oklahoma City has lost its second game in a row, and the performance from the team in this game was really alarming to begin with. The bench looked dull for most of the game and didn’t really show up at all – considering that OKC’s bench is one of the deep rotations in the league. On top of that, the defensive rotations weren’t really quite on point as it was for most of the season, which says a lot about the difference that cost them this game. In the span of two games, OKC has lost to the second seed and the eventual third seed of the Western Conference, which has analysts buzzing about the late struggles of the Thunder now more than ever. It did look similar to OKC’s struggles against the Dallas Mavericks in the West Semis last year, and they should be alarmed. It is also worth noting that SGA did not attempt a single free throw for the first time since 2021, which says a lot about the claims that he’s been getting generational calls and being a free throw merchant. Considering how there’s just a few games left to play for the Thunder, one can say that they need to find out a way to get rid of their struggles now more than ever.