Sports
Bucks look to extend win streak against NBA-worst Wizards
Nov 26, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) drives to the basket against Miami Heat guard Pelle Larsson (9) during the third quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Two teams headed in opposite directions meet when the Milwaukee Bucks face the visiting Washington Wizards on Saturday.
After losing eight of their first 10 games, the Bucks have turned things around and bring a five-game winning streak into Saturday’s contest.
While Milwaukee was able to find solutions for its early-season doldrums, Washington is mired in a 13-game losing streak. The Wizards are three losses away from matching their franchise-record losing streak of 16.
Washington had no answers for Los Angeles star James Harden in a 121-96 loss to the Clippers on Wednesday. Harden scored 43 points in his team’s victory, including 23 in the first quarter.
“It’s still really, really early, but to run into this much adversity early stinks and stings,” Washington forward Corey Kispert said. “And it’s testing the culture that we put in. There’s still a lot of positivity within the room, and there’s still a lot of encouragement. While things are tough, they’re not toxic and not unbearable.”
Wizards guard Jordan Poole returned after missing two games with a hip injury and scored eight points on 1-of-7 shooting. The Wizards shot 24.2 percent (8 of 33) from 3-point range in the loss.
“In moments like this, you can get discouraged, especially in this league,” Washington guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “There are no easy games. You’ve got to pick yourself up. It’s really you against you out here. At the end of the day, it’s about you performing up to the level you know you can play at.”
Things are only going to get tougher for the Wizards, who are beginning a four-game stretch against Milwaukee, Cleveland, Dallas and Denver.
The Bucks posted a 106-103 road win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday despite playing without both Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee soreness) and Khris Middleton (ankle surgery). Damian Lillard led the way with 37 points and 12 assists.
Antetokounmpo is expected to return on Saturday, while Middleton could make his season debut against the Wizards after completing a full 5-on-5 practice earlier this week.
Middleton will join a much different team than the one that struggled to close out games in the first few weeks of the season.
Lillard has four double-doubles in his last five games for Milwaukee, which led by as many as 22 points in the third quarter against Miami.
“We’re beating good teams,” Lillard said after Tuesday’s game. “We’re winning at home. We’re winning on the road in a game like tonight without Giannis, the way we’re doing it is sustainable. And it’s showing that we’re doing what we wanted to be doing coming into the season, so it’s definitely positive.”
Veteran guard Pat Connaughton is also putting his slow start to the season behind him. He had 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench against the Heat in his first action since Nov. 16.
“He has one of the highest basketball IQs, if not the highest basketball IQ out there,” Bucks center Brook Lopez said. “He’s a great communicator, so he’s always great at getting everyone on the same page. He does so many intangible things that just make us better.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cincinnati cruises past Oklahoma State with 3-point barrage
Cincinnati Bearcats forward Baba Miller (18) makes a basket from the two point line in the first half of a NCAA men’s basketball game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and Oklahoma State Cowboys, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. Day Day Thomas heated up from long range, draining seven 3-pointers en route to a 26-point performance, Moustapha Thiam added 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and host Cincinnati rolled to a 91-68 home victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon.
The Bearcats (16-13, 8-8 Big 12), which entered No. 54 in the NET rankings, have won five of their last six. Jizzle James and Baba Miller each finished with 11 points for Cincinnati.
Oklahoma State (17-12, 5-11), playing its first game since losing big man Parsa Fallah to a torn ACL, was overwhelmed throughout. Vyctorius Miller led the team with 15 points, while Jaylen Curry and Kanye Clary both added 11 points. The Cowboys have lost six of their last seven games.
The Bearcats seized control early, going on an 11-2 run highlighted by 3-pointers from Thomas and Thiam to lead 12-4 less than four minutes into the game.
Those early minutes foreshadowed the rest of the game.
Cincinnati dominated from the start, leading 51-33 at halftime. The Bearcats shot 53.1% from the floor, made seven three-pointers and won the rebounding battle 20-15 in the first half. They finished with a two-handed dunk by Thiam. Miller was credited with an assist on the play as he found Thiam open underneath.
In the second half, the Bearcats pulled away. They went on an 11-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Thomas to lead 65-37 with just under 15 minutes remaining. Cincinnati continued to extend the lead, reaching as many as 32 points, with an 81-49 advantage after another 3 from Thomas at the 8:22 mark.
Cincinnati finished with 14 made 3s, dished out 24 assists, and had a 24-7 edge in second-chance points. The Bearcats also led for 39:24 of the 40 minutes and improved to 14-3 at home.
Both teams return to action on Tuesday. Cincinnati hosts No. 19 BYU, while Oklahoma State travels to UCF.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bobby Durkin has career night as Minnesota tops UCLA
Feb 24, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Bobby Durkin (3) dribbles against Michigan Wolverines guard Elliot Cadeau (3) in the second half at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Bobby Durkin scored a season-high 23 points with seven made 3-pointers and Langston Reynolds added 21 points with six assists as Minnesota claimed another victim at home with a 78-73 victory over UCLA at Minneapolis.
Cade Tyson also scored 21 points for the Golden Gophers (14-15, 7-11 Big Ten), who shot 62.3% from the floor and 52.2% from 3-point range. Durkin, who reached 1,000 points for his college career in the first half, went 7 of 11 from long range.
Minnesota improved to 12-4 at home this season with victories in its own building over a trio of ranked teams in Indiana, Iowa and Michigan State.
Tyler Bilodeau scored 32 points with eight rebounds and Eric Dailey Jr. added 18 points for the Bruins (19-10, 11-7), who failed to build off huge victories over No. 10 Illinois and rival Southern California over the past week.
Skyy Clark scored 17 points, while Donovan Dent had 15 assists but just three points, as UCLA now prepares for a key home game upcoming against No. 12 Nebraska.
With the game tied 61-61 with 7:59 remaining, Cade scored four points in a 6-0 run for Minnesota to give the Gophers a 67-61 lead with 6:15 left. The Bruins got within 76-73 on a three-point play from Bilodeau with 1:50 remaining.
The Bruins then missed four consecutive 3-pointers over the final 1:08, including two by Bilodeau, as the Gophers held on for the victory.
In a first half of swings, Minnesota led by as many as nine points early before UCLA went on a 17-3 run to lead by as many as seven points before taking a 41-40 lead into the break. Bilodeau had 16 points in the first half, while Dent had nine assists for UCLA.
Durkin scored 15 points in the first half for Minnesota and reached 1,000 points on one of his five 3-pointers before halftime. UCLA’s Clark reached 1,000 career points on a basket in the second half.
–Field Level Media
Sports
On his bobblehead day, Nick Martinelli lifts Northwestern over Oregon
Feb 28, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Angelo Ciaravino (44) blocks the shot of Oregon Ducks forward Kwame Evans Jr. (10) during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Nick Martinelli produced the game-winning runner with one second remaining as part of his game-high 22 points to lift Northwestern to a 63-62 Big Ten win over Oregon on Saturday afternoon in Evanston, Ill.
On a day Northwestern handed out bobbleheads bearing his likeness, Martinelli added 11 rebounds, a career-high seven assists and career-high-tying three steals to lead the Wildcats (13-16, 5-13) to their third win in a row. Jayden Reid added 11 points.
Nate Bittle paced Oregon (11-18, 4-14) with 19 points and nine rebounds. Kwame Evans Jr. piled up 15 points and 15 rebounds while Takai Simpkins posted 11 points.
The Ducks led 36-29 at halftime and by 12 two minutes into the second half before Northwestern scored 17 of the ensuing 19 points to leap to a 48-45 lead with 12 minutes left.
Over the final seven minutes, the teams swapped the lead six times in their battle to move into 14th place in the Big Ten.
Oregon regained the front on a 3-point play by Bittle at the 4:37 mark, but the Wildcats tied it at 59 on Martinelli’s second-chance layup with 4:10 to play.
After empty possessions by both teams, Northwestern went up on Jayden Reid’s turnaround jumper with 2:24 remaining. The Ducks regained the lead when Wei Lin hit a 3-pointer with 50 seconds to play.
Martinelli missed a go-ahead jumper with 18 seconds left, but Northwestern’s Tre Singleton grabbed the rebound and the Wildcats called a timeout to set up a play. Martinelli got hemmed in 12 feet from the hoop, but he spun free for a left-handed runner that hung on the back of the rim for a few beats before falling through.
Oregon launched a 40-footer at the buzzer that did not fall.
Neither team could create separation early on. Northwestern built a 24-18 advantage on two Martinelli free throws with 8:04 to play until halftime, but the Ducks owned the rest of the half. They used a 10-2 run, capped by Bittle’s 3-point play, to take a 28-26 edge.
Bittle’s 12 points led all scorers before halftime while Martinelli paced the Wildcats with eight.
–Field Level Media
