Steph Passes Dad, Warriors Fall to Timberwolves
The Golden State Warriors have been battling a tough schedule as of late, and were back on the road Friday night in Minnesota. Despite Steph Curry moving up on the scoring list, past his own father, the Warriors suffered their second straight loss, 103-102, to the Timberwolves. Andrew Wiggins scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half, including the go-ahead free throws with 12.8 seconds remaining. Karl-Anthony Towns added 23 points in the T'Wolves' sixth win in eight games, as they trail the Denver Nuggets by 2.5 games for the final playoff spot in the West. Klay Thompson led the scoring for Golden State with 30, but the defending Western Conference champs suffered their fourth loss in six games. Steph Curry scored 26, but struggled from the floor, shooting 10-for-27 overall, including 1-for-8 from three. The star shooter did record his 12,671st career point to pass his dad, Dell, on the all-time list. Although, he did miss a potential game-winning shot as time expired to seal the Warriors' loss. Now, Golden State moves on to battle the Spurs in San Antonio, but will rest Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala. The Spurs will be without Kawhi Leonard while he enters concussion protocol and LaMarcus Aldridge, who is out indefinitely with minor heart arrhythmia.
Duke Gets Past Rival, UNC, in ACC Tourney
The Duke Blue Devils are playing the way they are use to when it comes to the month of March, as they are just one win away from an ACC Tournament title. Jayson Tatum recorded 24 points and seven rebounds to lead the Blue Devils over No. 6 North Carolina, 93-83, in the semifinals on Friday. The 14th-ranked Blue Devils trailed by seven at the break, but went on to outscore the Tar Heels by 17 after halftime to advance. The star freshman, Tatum, has been dominant all tournament long, averaging 23 points in three games. Luke Kennard added 20 points, while Grayson Allen had 18 on Saturday, as Duke took two of three games against UNC on the season. It was the first ACC Tournament matchup between the schools since the 2011 championship game. Kennedy Meeks had 19 points and 12 rebounds for UNC, who blew a 13-point lead in the second half. Duke moves on to the title game on Saturday night to battle Notre Dame, who defeated Florida State on Friday night.
Arizona Takes Down UCLA in Pac-12 Semis
The Pac-12 Conference might lead the way with the amount of teams in the field of 68 for the NCAA Tournament, including three top-10 teams. All three schools were in action in the conference semifinals on Friday, including No. 7 Arizona, who took down No. 3 UCLA, 86-75, late Friday night. Lauri Markkanen led the way with 29 points, while Allonzo Trier added 20 in the win. The Wildcats as a team shot 50% from the field on the night, recording their second win in three tries against the Bruins this season. They also shot 10-of-20 from three-point range, while UCLA finished just 4-of-25 from beyond the arc. Isaac Hamilton led the third-ranked Bruins with 20 points, while T.J. Leaf chipped in 15 points before fouling out. Arizona now moves on to battle the fifth-ranked Oregon Ducks, who got past California in the semifinals.
The Golden State Warriors have been battling a tough schedule as of late, and were back on the road Friday night in Minnesota. Despite Steph Curry moving up on the scoring list, past his own father, the Warriors suffered their second straight loss, 103-102, to the Timberwolves. Andrew Wiggins scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half, including the go-ahead free throws with 12.8 seconds remaining. Karl-Anthony Towns added 23 points in the T'Wolves' sixth win in eight games, as they trail the Denver Nuggets by 2.5 games for the final playoff spot in the West. Klay Thompson led the scoring for Golden State with 30, but the defending Western Conference champs suffered their fourth loss in six games. Steph Curry scored 26, but struggled from the floor, shooting 10-for-27 overall, including 1-for-8 from three. The star shooter did record his 12,671st career point to pass his dad, Dell, on the all-time list. Although, he did miss a potential game-winning shot as time expired to seal the Warriors' loss. Now, Golden State moves on to battle the Spurs in San Antonio, but will rest Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala. The Spurs will be without Kawhi Leonard while he enters concussion protocol and LaMarcus Aldridge, who is out indefinitely with minor heart arrhythmia.
Duke Gets Past Rival, UNC, in ACC Tourney
The Duke Blue Devils are playing the way they are use to when it comes to the month of March, as they are just one win away from an ACC Tournament title. Jayson Tatum recorded 24 points and seven rebounds to lead the Blue Devils over No. 6 North Carolina, 93-83, in the semifinals on Friday. The 14th-ranked Blue Devils trailed by seven at the break, but went on to outscore the Tar Heels by 17 after halftime to advance. The star freshman, Tatum, has been dominant all tournament long, averaging 23 points in three games. Luke Kennard added 20 points, while Grayson Allen had 18 on Saturday, as Duke took two of three games against UNC on the season. It was the first ACC Tournament matchup between the schools since the 2011 championship game. Kennedy Meeks had 19 points and 12 rebounds for UNC, who blew a 13-point lead in the second half. Duke moves on to the title game on Saturday night to battle Notre Dame, who defeated Florida State on Friday night.
Arizona Takes Down UCLA in Pac-12 Semis
The Pac-12 Conference might lead the way with the amount of teams in the field of 68 for the NCAA Tournament, including three top-10 teams. All three schools were in action in the conference semifinals on Friday, including No. 7 Arizona, who took down No. 3 UCLA, 86-75, late Friday night. Lauri Markkanen led the way with 29 points, while Allonzo Trier added 20 in the win. The Wildcats as a team shot 50% from the field on the night, recording their second win in three tries against the Bruins this season. They also shot 10-of-20 from three-point range, while UCLA finished just 4-of-25 from beyond the arc. Isaac Hamilton led the third-ranked Bruins with 20 points, while T.J. Leaf chipped in 15 points before fouling out. Arizona now moves on to battle the fifth-ranked Oregon Ducks, who got past California in the semifinals.
