Sports
NBA roundup: Rockets' Kevin Durant becomes 5th on all-time scoring list
Mar 21, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) reacts after making a three point basket against Miami Heat forward Simone Fontecchio (0)(not pictured) in the second half at Toyota Center. Durant scored 27 points in the game passing Michael Jordan for fifth all time in points in the NBA. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Amen Thompson tipped in a Kevin Durant missed jumper at the buzzer, and the Houston Rockets escaped with a wild 123-122 victory over the visiting Miami Heat on Saturday night.
Durant passed Michael Jordan’s career 32,292 points for fifth on the NBA’s scoring list with a corner 3-pointer at the 3:35 mark of the fourth quarter. The Heat (38-33) moved ahead on a goaltending call against Jabari Smith Jr. when he attempted to block Simone Fontecchio’s layup after the Rockets committed a turnover on an inbounds pass by Tari Eason.
Thompson finished with 24 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. He was one of three Rockets to record double-doubles along with Reed Sheppard (23 points, 14 assists) and Alperen Sengun (19 points, 12 rebounds). Durant finished with 27 points to lead the Rockets and has 32,294 for his career.
Bam Adebayo paired 32 points with a career-high-tying 21 rebounds to pace the Heat. Tyler Herro scored 25 points but missed all five of his fourth-quarter shots. Fontecchio had 21 points and five 3-pointers.
Lakers 105, Magic 104
Luke Kennard drilled a go-ahead 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds remaining to lift Los Angeles to a victory over host Orlando.
Trailing by two with 2.6 seconds left, Marcus Smart inbounded a pass to a wide-open Kennard, who clinched the team’s ninth straight win. Los Angeles was led by Luka Doncic’s 33 points and eight assists, while Austin Reaves had 26 points. LeBron James scored 12 and passed Robert Parish for most regular-season games played in NBA history with 1,612.
Orlando was paced by Paolo Banchero’s 16 points and Jalen Suggs’ 14. Wendell Carter Jr. and Jevon Carter added 13 apiece for the Magic, who lost their fourth straight.
Clippers 138, Mavericks 131 (OT)
Darius Garland scored 41 points with 11 assists and Kawhi Leonard added 34 points as visiting Los Angeles ended a four-game losing streak with an overtime victory over Dallas.
Derrick Jones Jr. scored 15 points, including two 3-pointers in overtime, as the Clippers shot 56.7% from the floor and went 21-of-42 from 3-point range to salvage the final game of a three-game road trip.
Naji Marshall scored 28 points and Cooper Flagg added 18 points with 10 rebounds and four blocked shots for the Mavericks, who lost their 11th consecutive home game.
Hornets 124, Grizzlies 101
LaMelo Ball’s 29 points led to another big offensive output for Charlotte in its victory against visiting Memphis.
Brandon Miller poured in 22 points for the Hornets, who have won five of their last six. Charlotte also received contributions from Miles Bridges with 13 points and Coby White, who paired 12 points and eight rebounds with seven assists in 19 minutes off the bench.
GG Jackson led Memphis with 19 points, while Javon Small provided 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds, Taylor Hendricks had 14 points and Walter Clayton Jr. notched 11 points. The Grizzlies have lost 10 of their last 11 games.
Thunder 132, Wizards 111
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points as Oklahoma City beat host Washington to stretch its winning streak to 11 and the Wizards’ skid to 15.
The Thunder’s Chet Holmgren added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Jared McCain scored 18 off the bench. Isaiah Hartenstein had nine points, a career-high-tying 20 rebounds and 10 assists, just missing out on his second career triple-double.
Bilal Coulibaly led six Washington players in double figures with 21 points while Bub Carrington added 19.
Cavaliers 111, Pelicans 106
Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points, James Harden went for 20 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, and Cleveland used a fourth-quarter rally to snap New Orleans’ seven-game home winning streak.
Cleveland came back from down as many as 15 points, going on runs of 16-2 and 10-0 in the final period to pull ahead. Sam Merrill scored 15 points and Evan Mobley went for 18 points and eight rebounds.
Zion Williamson shot 10-of-14 from the floor to lead New Orleans with 25 points. Saddiq Bey shot 4-of-8 from 3-point range on the way to 19 points, and Murray posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists.
Hawks 126, Warriors 110
Dyson Daniels matched his career high with 28 points to help Atlanta beat Golden State and extend its home-court winning streak to 10 games.
Daniels was 12-for-17 from the field with seven rebounds, six assists and four steals to help the Hawks bounce back from their 11-game winning streak being snapped Friday vs. Houston. CJ McCollum scored 23 points, and Zaccharie Risacher and Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 17 each. Mouhamed Gueye, who started in place of leading scorer Jalen Johnson (left shoulder inflammation), recorded 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
The Warriors were led by De’Anthony Melton with 20 points, Nate Williams with 19 points and Pat Spencer with 18. They are 1-4 on their six-game road trip, which concludes on Monday at Dallas.
Spurs 134, Pacers 119
Rookie Dylan Harper poured in a career-high-tying 24 points in his first career start and Keldon Johnson also hit for 24 points as host San Antonio rolled to a win over hapless Indiana.
The Spurs remain on a torrid pace as they won their fifth straight game and for the 21st time in their past 23 contests. Victor Wembanyama finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists and five blocked shots in 26 minutes of court time.
Meanwhile, Indiana dropped its 16th consecutive outing. Andrew Nembhard led all scorers with 25 points while Jarace Walker tallied 21. Pascal Siakam scored 14 in his first game back after missing six contests with a sprained right knee.
76ers 126, Jazz 116
Quentin Grimes scored 25 points and VJ Edgecombe added 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead Philadelphia past Utah at Salt Lake City.
Trendon Watford added 20 points off the bench for the 76ers, who won for the fourth time in the last five games. Cameron Payne added 16 points and seven assists off the bench and Adem Bona also scored 16 points for Philadelphia, which played without star Joel Embiid (oblique) for the 12th straight contest.
Ace Bailey had 25 points and seven rebounds and Kennedy Chandler scored a career-best 19 points off the bench for the Jazz, who sewed up their third straight 50-loss campaign. Cody Williams and Elijah Harkless scored 15 points apiece and Bez Mbeng had a career-best 13 points for Utah, which has lost five of its last six.
Bucks 108, Suns 105
Ryan Rollins had 26 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as visiting Milwaukee handed Phoenix its fifth straight loss.
Kyle Kuzma scored 20 points before exiting in the third quarter with right Achilles tightness for Milwaukee. Gary Trent Jr. and Ousmane Dieng scored 11 points apiece for the Bucks, who ended a two-game skid.
Jalen Green led Phoenix with 24 points, while Collin Gillespie added 18 and Devin Booker had 14 points on 4-of-17 shooting.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Oklahoma LB Owen Heinecke sues NCAA for '26 eligibility
Dec 19, 2025; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Owen Heinecke (38) against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the CFP National Playoff First Round at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Monday as he seeks an additional season of eligibility.
Heinecke, who participated in last month’s NFL Scouting Combine after his waiver request and appeal were denied by the NCAA, is seeking an injunction before the NFL draft begins on April 23.
An emergency hearing for the case has been scheduled for April 16 in Oklahoma’s Cleveland County Court.
“We’re not giving up,” Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy said of Heinecke’s case earlier this month. “Owen is just a guy you want to fight for.”
Heinecke was ruled by the NCAA to be out of collegiate eligibility due to playing in three lacrosse games at Ohio State in 2021 before transferring to Oklahoma’s football program as a walk-on. He redshirted in 2022 before playing 39 games over the last three seasons.
He had just 11 total tackles from 2023-24 but broke out last season with 74 tackles (second on the team), 12 tackles for loss and three sacks, earning recognition on the All-SEC second team.
“OU fully supports Owen and his pursuit of a fair opportunity to continue playing the game he loves,” Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny said in a statement. “We’ll stand firmly beside him as he works to do just that.”
Heinecke joins a growing list of college football players suing the NCAA for extra eligibility this offseason to mixed results.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was granted a preliminary injunction to play in 2026 by a Mississippi state court last month, while Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar had his injunction denied. The NCAA has appealed Chambliss’ case.
Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris is also suing the NCAA in an attempt to be granted a seventh year of eligibility.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Louisville outlasts Alabama, advances to Sweet 16
Louisville Cardinals forward Elif Istanbulluoglu (11) gestures as the Cards get the ball on a turnover against Alabama during the 2026 NCAA Women’s March Madness Second Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Kentucky. March 23, 2026. Elif Istanbulluoglu and Tajianna Roberts had 18 points apiece and third-seeded Louisville survived sixth-seeded Alabama for a 69-68 win to advance to the Sweet 16 from Regional 3 in Louisville on Monday.
Trailing by four, Alabama’s Karly Weathers scored with 9.4 seconds left and Louisville’s Imari Berry made both free throws before Weathers hit another 3 to make it 69-68 with four seconds on the clock. But after Reyna Scott missed two fouls shots, Alabama didn’t have time to advance the ball for the potential game-winner.
Istanbulluoglu got the second of two free throws to go down with 2:52 to play and Louisville (29-7) corralled Essence Cody’s missed layup a minute later to send Mackenly Randolph to the line. She made a pair to extend the lead to 65-61, then Roberts’ steal of a Cody pass led to a Louisville timeout.
Scott’s clutch running floater from the left elbow to beat the shot clock and add to Alabama’s deficit with one minute to go gave Louisville breathing room.
Weathers had 11 of her 13 points in the fourth quarter. She canned a pair of 3s to put the Crimson Tide (24-11) in front 59-57 as part of an 11-4 run earlier in the quarter. Istanbulluoglu answered with a 3 off of an offensive rebound and Louisville snuck back in front by one as the clock ticked under the 5-minute mark.
Alabama’s Diana Collins made 4 of 5 from 3-point range and the Crimson Tide shot 46.2% (12 of 26) from 3 but only 45.6% overall (26 of 57).
Ace Austin led Alabama with 17 points. She hit her fifth 3 to keep Alabama in striking distance, 52-49, with 1:22 left in the third.
Istanbulluoglu, who also had 11 rebounds, drilled a long 3 and Roberts hit another on the next possession midway through the third quarter to put Louisville up 50-46. It was Louisville’s largest lead of the game at that point since 13-6 in the first.
Louisville survived woeful 7-of-26 shooting from long range with 14 offensive rebounds and 24 points in the pant. Alabama was outrebounded 41-24.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Arizona, Michigan vault to NCAA Tournament title favorites
Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) celebrates after defeating the Utah State Aggies during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images A No. 1 seed has been eliminated while a No. 11 seed reached the Sweet 16, but the overall dearth of upsets through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament has left sportsbooks sweating.
“It was a chalky opening weekend in the NCAA Tournament with favorites winning 22 straight games from Thursday to Saturday,” BetMGM senior trader Michael Ranftle said. “The sportsbook will be looking for a few upsets in the Sweet 16.”
No. 1 overall seed Duke survived a first-round upset bid from Siena and remains the strongest favorite to reach the Final Four at -110. Part of that is due to the fact that the Blue Devils will face the third-highest remaining seed in No. 5 St. John’s on Friday.
However, Duke has slipped to the third-shortest odds to win the national title, moving from the -300 pre-tournament favorite to -425 on Monday. The Blue Devils are now behind Michigan (+300) and Arizona (+325) at BetMGM.
The Wolverines have been dominant in blowing through No. 9 Howard and No. 9 St. Louis in the Midwest region by an average of 22 points. Michigan will face No. 4 Alabama in the Sweet 16 on Friday. Arizona blew out Long Island to open its West region action before handling a much tougher test against No. 9 Utah State on Sunday night. The Wildcats will also face a fourth seed in Arkansas on Thursday.
DraftKings is currently offering Arizona as the slight title favorite at +330 ahead of Michigan at +340 and Duke at +370. The Wildcats have also been backed by the most total national champion bets (10.7%) and money (18.1%) at BetMGM.
A notable good result for sportsbooks was the elimination of Miami (Ohio), which had been BetMGM’s biggest liability. In general, upsets leave books exposed.
“On the futures book, St. John’s and Arkansas are the biggest remaining liabilities to cut down the nets, while all the 1-seeds are positive outcomes,” Ranftle said.
The book reported that it has received a $100,000 wager on Purdue to reach the Final Four that would pay $600,000. The No. 2 seed in the West, the Boilermakers will play No. 11 Texas on Thursday before a potential Elite Eight showdown against Arizona or Arkansas. Purdue has also moved from +1400 before the tournament to win the national title to +1200 by Monday.
The upset of the reigning national champion Gators left No. 2 Houston as the top remaining seed in the South. If the Cougars can get by No. 3 Illinois on Thursday they would face the winner of No. 4 Indiana against No. 9 Iowa — the second-highest remaining seed.
Houston’s title odds have shortened from +900 to +700 since the tournament began. BetMGM has taken a $50,000 bet at +900 on Houston to win the title that would pay $450,000. That has contributed to the Cougars being backed by 9.3% of all money wagered on the national champion.
Houston has moved from +1200 to +700 at DraftKings since the tournament began. Iowa has seen the biggest movement, shifting from +30000 to +12000 to win the title, while Texas has moved from +40000 to +30000.
–Field Level Media
Oklahoma LB Owen Heinecke sues NCAA for '26 eligibility
Louisville outlasts Alabama, advances to Sweet 16
