NBA Basketball 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 13, 2026, 10:47 PM ET
NBAPower Rankings & Performance
The Lakers' starting lineup scored a franchise-record 137 points espn.com in their 130-121 win over the Timberwolves, fueled by Luka Doncic's 51-point explosion, marking the most points by a starting five in a regulation game since 1971. However, star forward LeBron James remained sidelined espn.com for the third consecutive game due to left foot arthritis and a right hip contusion, raising questions about his availability for the stretch run. Meanwhile, the Spurs missed a key contributor espn.com when star center Victor Wembanyama sat out a 136-131 loss to the Nuggets due to right ankle soreness, impacting their playoff positioning.
Eastern Conference Contenders
The Knicks stand at 42-25 espn.com, holding third place in the Eastern Conference, but face significant hurdles to reach the playoffs. Their front office must address five critical issues: improving defensive intensity espn.com, developing a secondary playmaker espn.com, and finding consistent perimeter defense espn.com. Failure to resolve these could derail their playoff push.
Draft Buzz & Rising Stars
Fantasy managers are debating whether to target Tristan da Silva espn.com and Benedict Mathurin espn.com, who are moving up in rankings, while Cameron Johnson espn.com remains a potential sleeper. Draft insiders are also hotly contested between Darryn Peterson espn.com and AJ Dybantsa espn.com for the top pick, with Boozer's case espn.com gaining traction despite his injury history. The surge in aluminum prices espn.com also propelled China Hongqiao's Zhang Bo to a $48 billion fortune, highlighting the financial impact of commodity trends on international sports figures.
League Issues & Departures
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown was ejected espn.com in a second-quarter technical foul incident against the Spurs, later taking to social media to criticize the league's "foul baiting" trend, stating, "I just don't think it's basketball." Similarly, former NBA champion Quinn Cook lost international jobs espn.com due to global political issues, underscoring the challenges American players face in overseas leagues.