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ATLANTA – At this point in the season, every win matters for the Atlanta Hawks. It doesn’t matter who has been in front of them in the month of March, but for the most part, they have been able to take care of business and try to give themselves a chance to make the playoffs.

This time, the schedule featured the Memphis Grizzlies, whom they defeated 146–107. The Grizzlies have suffered a lot of injuries and roster turnover during the season, and despite coming into the game with a 24–46 record, they are still competing.

For Hawks, the task was simple, and to take care of business as usual.

“As a group, we’ve been professional,” Nichelle Alexander-Walker said. “That’s what it’s all about, doing your job. It doesn’t matter who they put against you. We were very conscious of who we were playing against tonight.”

“At the end of the day, these are the 450 best players in the world and the Grizzlies are dealing with a lot of injuries,” Onyeka Okongwu said. “There’s a lot of guys in and out of the lineup, so those guys are getting opportunities. They’re all working hard, and you’ve got to respect that. We’ve still got to do what we do and take care of business at the end of the day.”

The Hawks struck first to start the game and they continued to punch until the clock struck zero. Whether it was Alexander-Walker’s 26 points, Zachary Rishachar’s team-high eight rebounds, or CJ McCollum’s nine assists, they did everything they could to get the win and the Hawks treated this game like any other.

“One thing I learned is that if you lose to a team like that, it’s bad. If you beat a team like that, it’s like, ‘You should do this,'” Alexander-Walker said. “You don’t really win in that situation. You have to kind of break out of the noise, and you have to be professional.

“It’s my job to play the game, it’s my job to work hard, and it’s my job to try to win and do what I need to do for the team. Everybody came out to do that tonight, and I think that’s been a consistent thing that’s shown over time.”

There has been a lot of talk lately about the maturity of this team, and it has shown over the past month or so. They’re sticking to the game plan and coming in with the same mentality every night.

“I think it’s a collective thing where guys are putting the team first,” Quin Snyder said. “That’s where we have to be focused, and when that happens, we’re crashing the offensive glass, we’re sharing the ball, getting into the lane, breaking into the paint. Focusing on defense, I think, is the most important thing. When you see everybody bought into that, it says a lot about the guys in our locker room.”

Things will not be easy for the Hawks in the next few games, as they will face the top two teams of the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics. They know the importance of those games, but as long as they keep doing what they’ve been doing throughout the month, they’ll give themselves a chance to win.

On Tuesday evening, the San Antonio Spurs continued their winning ways with a blowout win over the Sacramento Kings. The win gave the Spurs their 19th win in their last 21 tries and allowed them to keep pace with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference.

In this, the Spurs made an astonishing 41 assists, and also broke the franchise record of 25 threes.

After the game, point guard De’Aaron Fox, who was playing against his former team in the Kings, spoke about why San Antonio was able to enjoy so much success on Tuesday night.

X, formerly of Twitter, said, “We enjoy playing together,” he said, according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “We enjoy seeing each other succeed. It makes sharing the ball a lot easier.”

Indeed, the Spurs have shown a remarkable team chemistry this year, despite this being the first full season this group has been together.

Of course, the head of the snake is superstar Victor Wembanyama, who didn’t have to do all that much in Sacramento on Tuesday, but the Spurs’ front office deserves credit for building an elite supporting cast around the former number one overall pick, which includes Fox, last year’s Rookie of the Year Stephen Cassel and an assortment of solid three-and-D wings, not to mention this year’s rookie standout, Dylan Harper.

It’s extremely rare that teams make deep playoff runs on their first attempt in the postseason, but this Spurs team may be the exception to the rule, as Wembanyama estimates there will be many sleepless nights for whichever coaching staff is tasked with gameplanning against him in a postseason setting.

The Spurs next take the field against a potential playoff opponent in the Phoenix Suns on Thursday evening.

The Denver Nuggets lost a tough game against the Los Angeles Lakers in overtime, but it feels like some things should have been different at the end of regulation. Austin Reaves went to the free-throw line a few times with a few seconds remaining in the game, but the first time he went, Spencer Jones drew the foul.

The next day, the last-two-minute report said Reeves was not to get to the free-throw line.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, formerly of the

This would have changed a lot for the Nuggets and could have given them a chance to increase their lead. Instead, Reeves sank both free throws, and went to the line again after being fouled. That miss allowed him to get the ball back and shoot the floater, tying the game and sending it into overtime.

The Nuggets lost the game with a Luka Doncic game-winner, and now they do not have a tiebreaker against the Lakers. This makes a lot of sense at the position, especially since everyone in the Western Conference is tight.

The Nuggets still have plenty of time to make up some ground, but they need to start piling up wins before other teams overtake them.

Plus, no matter where the Nuggets finish, they will be a tough matchup for anyone because of Nikola Jokic’s strength and his dominance.

PHOENIX – Jalen Green seems to have found his rhythm at an important time for the Phoenix Suns. After struggling a bit at the slashing guard, he made up for it in a big way on Friday in a 118-116 win against the New Orleans Pelicans.

He scored 25 points on 47% shooting from the field, along with five rebounds and two assists in the win. Although Green has hit game-winners for the Suns, his performances since the All-Star break have been lackluster by his standards.

One of the key questions is how his play will impact the attack as they try to establish momentum. Luckily, Green’s game is all about getting buckets, and he’ll stick to that philosophy.

When Green was asked about balancing the flow of the offense, he said, “I’m on board with it. I’m always looking to buy a bucket.” “Obviously, it’s been a struggle when you try to get one and it’s not falling off.

“I’m always about a bucket. Always about going out there and hunting my shots. What I want to do is get into the flow of aggression, and then once I get going, I can find my shot a little easier.”

Jalen Green tells me what he likes about the flow of the offense when he’s asked to create in isolation.

“I’m on board with it. I’m always about to buy a bucket. Obviously, it’s been a struggle when you try to get a bucket and it’s not falling over. I’m always about to have a bucket. Always about to go… pic.twitter.com/TAPijYVHVZ

– Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) 7 March 2026

Suns teammates watch Jalen Green ‘buy a bucket’ every time

One of Green’s biggest supporters has been Colin Gillespie. The two have developed a quality rapport throughout the season, and it is paying off.

He mentioned how Gillespie has given him pointers on leading the second unit. Meanwhile, the latter noted how well Green has attacked and made himself comfortable in offensive and defensive rhythms.

When Green is in his offensive bag, Gillespie understands what the outcome will be.

“That’s who he is – a scorer,” Gillespie said. “I think he’s going to continue to feel it, feel the game and where people are… We love to see him do that and get to his spots and put the ball to the basket and get a lot of pressure at the rim.”

I asked Colin Gillespie about Jalen Green and how he finds his rhythm within the offense when he’s creating in isolation.

Green had 25 points on 47% shooting.

“That’s just who he is – a scorer. I think he’ll continue to feel it out, get game experience, and where guys are at… We feel good… pic.twitter.com/wGHIfIcqMt

– Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) 7 March 2026

Green has remained confident since returning from his hamstring injury. But after a disappointing game just 24 hours earlier, they showed that this could be an ideal game.

A healthy mix of tough isolation buckets, playing above the rim, playmaking, and putting more pressure on the defense to get more open looks for his teammates.

LOS ANGELES – When the Los Angeles Lakers first acquired Luka Doncic last season, he immediately developed strong chemistry with Jaxson Hayes in the pick and roll. That chemistry has continued to develop this season, and head coach JJ Redick has even built some of the Lakers’ lineups around that pairing.

Ahead of the Lakers’ game against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, JJ Redick pointed out how some of the team’s most successful lineups have included Luka Doncic and Jaxson Hayes at the same time. That lineup was able to make a positive impact on the last game against the Denver Nuggets, even though it resulted in a loss.

“We’ve had a chance to run some lineups with Jackson and Luka and shoot around that recently, and they’ve been really positive lineups for us. It gives Luka an outlet, it gives Jackson room to run,” Redick said during his pregame press conference. “He did a really good job for us last night, Jackson staying behind the defence, forcing Luka [Nikola] Jok has to make a decision there and allow that leg.”

“And sometimes, Luka was able to score the basketball. We’re not going to be able to do that every game. Denver doesn’t switch on, what we call flips or backside screens. We try to switch to blow him up,” Redick said. “The perimeter guy’s first screen last night, we were able to get some separation, and then from there it’s a quick pitch and roll from Jackson. We got a lot of good things from him.”

According to Databaller, in the Lakers’ top five offensive five-man lineup, Doncic and Hayes are both on the court. Those lineups also include players like Rui Hachimura, Jake Laravia and even rarely used Dalton Knecht, all of whom have been consistent 3-point threats at times for the Lakers.

One reason Hayes is more effective among 3-point shooters is his better decision-making ability in short rolls. He has done a much better job of being able to read defenses faster and recognize corner 3-point shooters.

And when it comes to most assists per 36 minutes when they’re on the floor together, Doncic and Hayes are in the top 10 in the league with 3.5, according to NBA.com.

There’s no doubt that Doncic and Hayes are very happy with each other when they are on the court together. Hayes gives Doncic a legitimate threat that opposing defenses have to be aware of. Defenders will have to choose their poison between Hayes getting a free lob or Doncic getting single coverage on his step-back jumpers.

Heading into the final stretch of the regular season, it will be interesting to see how Redick continues to utilize the team’s different lineups.

ATLANTA – In 24 minutes of playing time, everyone was reminded of what Jonathan Kuminga can do when he gets the opportunity to play.

Athleticism. Driving on slopes. Selflessness.

Forget everything that happened in the last months after the Golden State Warriors made the trade. Kuminga always had the skills to make an impact in wins, but at some points he was not given much of a chance to do so. With the Hawks, he will be able to do that, and he showed it in his debut against the Washington Wizards.

His first shot came in transition, when he sidestepped his defender and drove into the lane for a layup. His next production was a dunk in transition. From there, he got into a rhythm and started knocking down three-pointers over defenders.

Jonathan Kuminga’s first bucket as Hawk! pic.twitter.com/xY2hhDBrJ2

– Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) 25 February 2026

Kuminga finished the game with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists. No Hawk debuted with 25+ points in less than 30 minutes.

“I got confidence from my teammates,” Kuminga told reporters after the game. “They told me not to worry about anything. Just go out there and be you. Everything will be OK. I had a lot of people in my ear telling me to go, be you, play basketball. The first two minutes I was just thinking about it, but after that, everything was good.”

Head coach Quin Snyder always talks about the fundamental things the Hawks need to do to win games. Pass the ball, defend and run. Kuminga surpassed all those standards in his debut.

Snyder said, “Things we talked about as a team were obviously a focal point. Playing with the pass, that’s what you’ve heard me say since October, and he really demonstrated it right away to the point where I told him it was OK to shoot, too. But he allowed himself to come into the game, how he connected with his teammates and let the game come to him. I think it shows a lot of maturity on his part and how he feels about the group.” Let’s do it.

His teammates were looking forward to playing with him for the last few days and he did not disappoint them. All four of his assists came in the first quarter, and there were a few chances when he could have taken an open shot, but instead, he sent the extra pass.

“Another guy that’s going to put pressure on the rim, put him in the paint,” Nickell Alexander-Walker said. “His willingness to pass and fit within the system. To have fun with everybody. He was always locked in and vocal throughout the game, so it was good for him to come out and do that.”

The noise that was around Kuminga easily shut down every rumor and every negative report about him in a single night. If there were a statue for smiling, Kuminga would lead the night in that category.

“For people who really know me, all my teeth are out. I’m smiling, I’m laughing all the time,” Kuminga said. “Since I’ve been here, just being with the guys, I’ve developed a bond with them. Good people, good team. We all want to win. Winning comes with joy, so as long as we’re all out there enjoying ourselves, it’ll help us win games.”

This was just the beginning, but it was a good start for Kuminga. For people to really move forward, they just need a change of scenery to become the best version of themselves. It seems like this is exactly what Kuminga needed, and he could be with a team that can help him get to where he wants to go in his career.

Kuminga isn’t going to score 27 points in 24 minutes every game. He won’t have 12 shot attempts. He knows this, but his entire focus is on winning.

“It doesn’t matter if I go out there and hit two shots. As long as it’s impacting us to win, that’s what really matters,” Kuminga said.

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks know they have a good opportunity in front of them with a long homestand. Not only that, but those games come against teams that haven’t played very well this season. The Brooklyn Nets were on their schedule today, and although some might have thought it would be an easy walk for the Hawks, it turned out to be a dogfight for three quarters.

The battle subsided in the first half of the fourth quarter, where the Nets went up by 11 points, and the Hawks had no answer to anything they did. Fortunately, a flip switch occurred, and the Hawks woke up with less than six minutes left in the game.

The Hawks finished the game on a 24–2 run, and after being down by 11 points at one point in the fourth, they walked away with a 115–104 victory over the Nets.

“We stepped up our aggression in the last six minutes,” Dyson Daniels said. “We had no choice, we were down 11, we had to change something. Everybody changed it. We were more physical on the ball; we were able to create turnovers, get stops and get out and run. We’ve got to be better at the beginning of the game if we want to beat good teams and give ourselves a chance this year.”

Daniels had three steals in the fourth, one of which came from defending the inbounds and catching the ball in the air.

“He kind of threw it down,” Daniels said. “I knew he already had the ball for three or four seconds, so it was coming soon, and I timed the jump.”

It was clear that defense was key in helping the Hawks come back late, and it started with the guards and flowed throughout the team.

“Collectively, we did a good job of stopping them,” Jalen Johnson said. “Nickel [Alexander-Walker] And Dyson set the tone with that and others followed suit. Dyson got some steals and that changed the momentum.”

“Defense wins games,” Jock Landell said. “I think we did a good job in the fourth quarter. C.J. turned it on and made some big shots. [Jalen] Did a good job of figuring out where he wanted the ball and got to his spot. This was a ripe game to end.

As important as defense was, the Hawks had to come back and score on the other end. It was Johnson who led the way in that category, as he scored 14 points in the fourth and sealed the game with some key buckets at the end. CJ McCollum, who moved into the starting lineup, also hit a big three-pointer at the end of the game to give the Hawks the lead.

From there the Hawks never looked back and were able to pick up a win to continue their homestand.

The Denver Nuggets needed a response after a tough loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.

He presented one emphatically. On Friday night, the Nuggets destroyed the Portland Trail Blazers 157-103.

Nikola Jokic led the way and produced his best performance since returning from injury. He finished the night with 32 points on 10 of 15 shooting. He was also 3-of-4 from three-point range.

“We played really well. Everybody stepped up, everybody played with a lot of energy,” Jokic said. “The defense was playing at a high level. We were making shots. We had a good start, in fact, it was a perfect game for us.”

Nuggets bounce back with huge win over Trail Blazers

The Nuggets’ 157 points are the most points scored by any team this season. From a franchise perspective, this is the seventh-highest score in franchise history. The 54-point margin of victory is also the second largest in franchise history.

“We were creating open looks. The ball was going in, that’s when you feel confident,” Jokic added. “We were there playing for each other.”

The entire Nuggets roster had a stellar performance, with seven players finishing the night in double figures. Jamal Murray was lethal from deep, scoring 6 of 12 on three-point attempts. He would finish the night with 25 points, six rebounds and six assists. Julian Strother, who was placed in the starting lineup, continued his hot streak with 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Whenever Strother was on the court, the Nuggets were an amazing +48.

The Nuggets will conclude their short road trip by visiting the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.

Claudio Echeverri arrived at the Etihad in January 2025, a year after Manchester City agreed a deal with River Plate.

The attacking midfielder has struggled for regular minutes under Pep Guardiola, being limited to 64 minutes in three matches for the Citizens.

Last summer, Manchester City let him join Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long loan deal, with the aim of helping the Argentine settle in Europe.

Two months ago, Sports Witness Covered claims from Spain Guardiola wanted him to join Verona the previous summer. However, the 20-year-old chose the Bundesliga team, and it clearly didn’t work out for him.

Echeverri is making progress in Verona

Echeverri played 270 minutes in 11 matches for Bayer Leverkusen and was unhappy with his situation in Germany. Manchester City cut his loan stay short and then sent him on loan to Verona in January.

The Argentina U23 international has featured in four matches for the La Liga team, including a 2-1 win over Barcelona on Monday. He came off the bench for the last 17 minutes against Hansi Flick’s team.

After yesterday’s win, the Manchester City man spoke to DAZN in Spain Sports stadium Has released his comments.

The Manchester City man has clear goals

The South American is happy to leave the difficult German spell behind and knows what he wants from a loan transfer to Verona.

“I was really looking forward to it [playing in matches like this]. It was a difficult few months in Germany, a very difficult time for me.” He said.

“I’m happy to be here today, trying to get back to the form that led to my transfer to City.”

Verona’s win over Barcelona moved them up to 12th, five points clear of the relegation zone. The Manchester City-owned player says Barcelona suffered defeat to secure a big win over “the best team in the world”.

“We had to suffer some points, but the team played very well, ran a lot and that’s why we won.” Echeverri explained.