The Milwaukee Bucks were "grumpy" in Saturday's loss to the Denver Nuggets, but Michael Malone lauded his players for their work in frustrating Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co.

A battle between the top seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences ended in a big 129-106 win for the Nuggets in Denver.

It was the second night of a back-to-back for the Bucks, having scored 144 in beating the Utah Jazz on Friday.

Although Antetokounmpo insisted he did not want to make excuses for the defeat, he acknowledged "legs were heavy" and "shots were short".

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer added: "It was a night where we were grumpy. It happens.

"I've got to give credit to Denver. They played well, we weren't our best.

"You always want some things to be a little bit different, but it didn't happen. We'll take it and get ready for the next game."

Antetokounmpo still scored 31 points, but 24 came in the first half. His shooting went cold in the second half, as did Milwaukee's from three-point range, making three of 17 from deep across the third and fourth quarters.

Nuggets coach Malone felt his team – and two players in particular – deserved credit for that turnaround.

"You can't guard Giannis one-on-one, nobody can. He's a great player," Malone said.

"But I felt that Aaron Gordon did everything he could to stifle him – especially in that second half. Giannis was two-for-eight, seven points in the second half.

"Aaron took the challenge head on, but I felt the four guys around Aaron gave the necessary and appropriate help.

"Take Aaron out to start the fourth quarter, I felt Jeff Green picked up right where Aaron left off. Had some great possessions, you have to be into him [Giannis], you have to be physical, and when he drives and spins, you want to be there to clamp down on that drive.

"When we out-rebound our opponent, we win; when we value the ball, we usually win; it's a hell of a performance.

"The three-point line I was worried about most – they were nine-of-36, 25 per cent. So, I thought the defense overall was just outstanding."

In a highly anticipated clash between winners of the past four MVPs it was Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets comfortably handling Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks 129-106.

Played in Denver, the reigning back-to-back MVP winner put on a show for his home fans with 31 points (10-of-20 shooting), 11 assists and six rebounds. 

Jokic was supported in style by Jamal Murray, who chipped in 26 points (nine-of-19), nine assists and six rebounds, and kick-started the Nuggets with four triples in the first quarter.

Antetokounmpo, winner of the 2019 and 2020 MVP trophies, was far from the reason his side went down, posting a strong 31 points (13-of-22), nine rebounds, four assists and four steals. He led Milwaukee to a 66-63 half-time lead, before they put up just 40 points as a team in the second half.

After a mini-slump with four losses from of five games, the Nuggets have now rattled off three wins in a row, improving their home record to 31-6 in the process, which trails only the Memphis Grizzlies (32-5) for the league's best mark.

Despite the loss, Milwaukee (53-21) are still two games clear in the race for the league's best record, while the Nuggets are 3.5 games clear atop the West.

Hawks prevail despite Trae ejection

Atlanta Hawks franchise player Trae Young was ejected for throwing the ball at an official, but his side still came away with a 143-130 home win against the visiting Indiana Pacers.

Young was kicked out in the second quarter after the incident, but eight Hawks players ended up scoring double-figures to pick up the slack.

John Collins led the way with 21 points (nine-of-12 shooting), Dejounte Murray added 20 points (eight-of-20) and 12 assists, and Clint Capela snatched down 17 rebounds to go with his 17 points (five-of-five).

The win pulled the Hawks' record even at 37-37, now a game clear of the ninth-seeded Toronto Raptors (36-38) as they battle for play-in tournament positioning.

Pelicans muddy the waters in the West

The New Orleans Pelicans kept their season alive with a 131-110 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers, creating a logjam in the Western Conference's play-in placings.

Second-year Pelicans wing Trey Murphy was spectacular as he hit 10-of-12 three-pointers for an equal team-high 32 points. He was joined on 32 points by Brandon Ingram, and after Ingram's first career triple-double on Thursday, he followed it with a career-high 13 assists against the Clippers.

The win means the Pelicans are in a three-way tie for the seventh-best record in the West, joining the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers at 37-37 with eight games to play.

The unlikely March Madness run from the Florida Atlantic Owls continued on Saturday as they defeated the Kansas State Wildcats 79-76 to punch their ticket to the first Final Four in school history.

It is not just the first Final Four the Owls have ever reached, as they had never won a game in the NCAA Tournament prior to this season, with their only previous appearance being a first-round exit in 2002.

After knocking out eight-seed Memphis, 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson and four-seed Tennessee, Florida Atlantic won the East region and cut down the nets by eliminating the third-seed Wildcats.

The Owls had to deal with another spectacular performance from Kansas State talisman Markquis Nowell as the five-foot-eight point guard put up 30 points (eight-of-21 shooting), 12 assists and five steals.

But while the Wildcats leaned on their star, Florida Atlantic spread it around, with four players scoring at least 13 points, led by Bryan Greenlee's 16 on four-of-seven shooting. Seven-foot-one Russian center Vladislav Goldin controlled the interior with 14 points (six-of-11), 13 rebounds and two blocks.

The win means Florida Atlantic will play the winner between Creighton and San Diego State for a spot in the National Championship game.

It was far smoother sailing on the other side of the bracket as the four-seed Connecticut Huskies pummelled the three-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs 82-54 in a statement-making effort.

UConn's top draft prospect Jordan Hawkins drained six triples for his 20 points and six rebounds, while do-it-all wing Andre Jackson Jr flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 10 assists, nine rebounds and eight points.

It is the first time in NCAA Tournament history a team seeded fourth or lower won four consecutive games by double digits.

With it, Connecticut earned their sixth Final Four trip in program history, and first since 2014. They will meet the winner between five-seed Miami and two-seed Texas for a spot in the final game of the season.

LeBron James is not yet ready to return from a right foot injury, but there are now signs that he is getting closer.

James has been upgraded from 'out' to 'doubtful' for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bulls, the Los Angeles Lakers announced Saturday.

The superstar has been sidelined since February 28 and has missed the Lakers' past 13 games, with Los Angeles going 8-5 during that span to reach .500 for the first time this season.

"Progressing as normal," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said Friday when asked about James’ rehabilitation process. "Just doing the work that needs to be done to get his foot all the way together."

While still unlikely that James suits up Sunday, there seems to be a chance that he could play Wednesday when the Lakers visit the Bulls in the opener of a five-game road trip.

The 38-year-old James, who has missed 27 games this season, is averaging 29.5 points per game and would rank among the league-leaders if he had enough games to qualify.

His return comes at a crucial point for the Lakers, who are currently tied for the seventh-best record in the Western Conference at 37-37 after their current three-game win streak. They still have the time to climb out of the play-in tournament spots, while they are also only one game ahead of the 11th-ranked Dallas Mavericks.

Dennis Schroder said the Los Angeles Lakers were grateful to Lonnie Walker IV for inspiring the win that finally took them to .500 for the season and vowed "we're still not finished".

Walker contributed 20 points off the bench in Friday's 116-111 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Lakers, who started the season 2-10, consequently reached the .500 mark after 74 games, representing the first time in over 400 days (January 25, 2022) they have been at that mark.

According to ESPN, it marks the latest a team has reached .500 for the first time in a season since the 2003-04 Miami Heat, who did so after 78 games. 

After the win, Schroder hailed Walker's impact, saying: "He's the guy who won us the game, it's that simple.

"Everybody thanked him for that tonight. This is his win."

Of reaching .500, he added: "Big accomplishment, but we're still not finished."

Those sentiments were echoed by Anthony Davis, who said now is the time to really push on.

"We got to .500, now it's time to get on the other side and have more wins than losses," said Davis, who had 37 points and 15 rebounds.

"So it starts Sunday. We got an opportunity to be a game above .500 against a good Bulls team."

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said: "Now it's time. Instead of constantly facing a deficit, we get to try to create a surplus, create a cushion between the wins and losses. 

"So, the guys are excited about that."

San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher hailed his "fearless" team as they defeated Alabama to book his first trip to the Elite Eight at the NCAA Tournament.

Dutcher is one of six coaches set for an Elite Eight debut this year, the most in a single season since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

None of the other five reached this stage in as spectacular fashion as Dutcher, however, as SDSU upset the number one overall seed 71-64 on Friday.

And Dutcher had a sporting great on his mind as he inspired his players in their unlikely win.

"I just tell the guys: nothing is going to be easy, so just keep playing our brand of basketball, keep doing your best, stay competitive," the coach said.

"And I'm using Muhammad Ali quotes because we're Louisville.

"We talked about confidence, and the key to confidence is being fearless, and I thought we were fearless tonight."

Dutcher does not want this to be the end of SDSU's run, though, adding: "When we recruit, we say our goal is to win a national championship, so we can't act surprised when we have an opportunity to advance to the Final Four.

"It's not just words we use to get them to come here. It's words we believe in."

Despite the disappointment of defeat, Alabama coach Nate Oats attempted to focus on the positives of the past year.

"I'll say it's one of the most memorable seasons ever," he said. "It's not easy to win the regular season, the SEC tournament in the same year and make a Sweet 16 run.

"It's a great group that really loves each other.They're going to be close for life, most of them.

"I love the group, they love each other, and it's just really disappointing that it's ending early.

"But I think it's one of the most memorable seasons in Alabama history, and they can walk out of here with their heads up."

Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd slammed his side's performance as "awful" and "dogs***" and says they deserved to be booed during their 117-109 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

Despite having star duo Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic available, the Mavericks were brushed aside by the under-manned Hornets who are already out of playoff contention.

The defeat significantly hurts the Mavs' own playoff aspirations, slipping outside the play-in tournament spots to 11th in the Western Conference with a 36-38 record after three straight losses.

The home crowd at American Airlines Center made their feelings known, booing the team during a third-quarter timeout when they trailed by 18 points.

"We probably should have been booed in the first quarter," Kidd told reporters. "The effort in the play. They have a right, they paid to see a better show, it wasn’t there until the second half.

"It was awful, dogs***. Understanding the talk before the game with what we're playing for, playoffs or championship, to come out in that first quarter and give up 37, the interest level wasn't high. It was just disappointing."

The Mavs are 7-12 since Irving was traded in from the Brooklyn Nets in February to make them a championship contender. Dallas are 3-7 when Irving and Luka Doncic have played together.

Doncic scored a game-high 34 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Irving added 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, but the Mavs were undone after their poor first-half showing.

Irving downplayed the significance of the fans booing the side, despite losing six of their past eight games.

"So what? Just the way I feel about it," Irving said. "I've been in New York City, so I know what that's like. You obviously want to play well, but it's only five people on the court that can play for the Dallas Mavericks.

"If the fans want to change places, then hey, be my guest. Got years of work ahead to be great enough to be on this level. But our focus isn't necessarily on the boos.

"It should be on our performance and just being there for each other."

The Golden State Warriors stormed home to rally back from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to down the Philadelphia 76ers 120-112 despite Joel Embiid's 46 points on Friday.

Jordan Poole was clutch with 33 points off the bench including six three-pointers, while Stephen Curry added 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field with eight rebounds at the Chase Center.

Poole made a pivotal three-pointer for a 115-110 lead with 1:18 remaining in the last as the Warriors improved to 39-36 to sit sixth in the Western Conference.

The 76ers had led by 11 points with 11:32 remaining in the fourth quarter after Shake Milton laid off for Paul Reed's alley oop layup, but the Warriors launched their comeback with Poole and Curry at the heart of it.

Poole scored 19 of his 33 points in the fourth period, while Curry stepped up with eight points in the final four minutes.

Klay Thompson added six triples in his 21 points, while Draymond Green had 10 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in a busy display.

MVP candidate Embiid was huge with 46 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field with nine rebounds and eight assists.

Tobias Harris added 23 points for the 76ers, with Tyrese Maxey contributing 21. James Harden was absent with Achilles soreness.

Embiid scored 13 straight points for the 76ers in the fourth quarter after checking back in with 8:26 left.

Mavericks slip out of play-in spots

The Dallas Mavericks suffered their third straight loss as their playoff hopes took another hit with a disappointing 117-109 loss to the short-handed Charlotte Hornets.

Luka Doncic scored a game-high 34 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Kyrie Irving added 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, but the Mavs were undone after a slow first half, with Hornets forward P.J. Washington managing a team-high 28 points.

The loss leaves the Mavs outside the play-in tournament spots in 11th in the Western Conference with a 36-38 record.

Lakers up to .500 for first time this season

The Los Angeles Lakers squared their ledger at .500 and moved up to eighth in the West with a 116-111 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder securing three consecutive wins.

Anthony Davis had 37 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, while Lonnie Walker impressed in his return with 20 points and Denis Schroder added 13 of his 21 points in the second half.

The Lakers improved to 37-37 with the win, getting to .500 for the first time this season, with LeBron James' return form injury reportedly not far away. LA are 8-5 during James' latest absence.

Top overall seed Alabama were ousted from the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 after an upset 71-64 loss to San Diego State on Friday.

The Crimson Tide were well below their best in a sloppy performance with 14 turnovers, shooting three-of-27 from beyond the arc.

SDSU's Darrion Trammell scored 21 points as San Diego progressed to the Elite Eight for the first time.

Trammell led the way offensively for the Aztecs, while Nathan Mensah had eight rebounds and five blocks, while Lamont Butler had three steals, four rebounds and four assists.

For Alabama, top-five NBA Draft prospect  Brandon Miller scored nine points with 11 rebounds but committed six turnovers and shot three-of-19 from the field, including one-of-10 from three-point range.

Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears scored 16 points with 10 rebounds but shot none-of-five from beyond the arc.

"Everybody is really disappointed in the loss," Alabama coach Nate Oats said. "It ended too soon."

Midwest regional top seed Houston were also eliminated in the Sweet 16 on Friday after losing 89-75 to Miami.

Hurricanes guard Nijel Pack led the way with 26 points including seven-of-10 three-pointers as Miami made 11 of their first 22 attempts from beyond the arc.

Miami will take on Midwest second seed Texas in the Elite Eight after the Longhorns won ___ over the Xavier Musketeers, with Tyrese Hunter scoring a team-high __ points with __-of-__ three-pointers.

South regional six seed Creighton defeated Princeton 86-75 to set up a Elite Eight meeting with SDSU, after Ryan Kalkbrenner and Baylor Scheierman scored 22 and 21 points respectively.

Luka Doncic has been fined $35,000 after making "an inappropriate and unprofessional gesture" towards an official.

With just 1.7 seconds to go of the 127-125 defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, the Dallas Mavericks star rubbed his fingers together at a referee, appearing to reference money.

One piece of fortune for Doncic was that he was not given a technical foul for the gesture, with the Slovenian just one shy of the 16 required for a one-game suspension.

However, the NBA confirmed on Friday that Doncic will be fined for the incident.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wrote on Twitter after the game that they will protest what he called the "worst officiating non-call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA".

Dallas' objections are based on a referee call that led to Warriors center Kevon Looney scoring an uncontested dunk to make it 90-87 from a Jordan Poole inbound pass with 1:54 left in the third quarter following a Mavericks timeout.

The Mavericks believed they had possession of the ball, and so were not in position for the inbound, with Cuban claiming that was due to a miscommunication by the referees.

Markquis Nowell said the back-and-forth clash between the Kansas State Wildcats and the Michigan State Spartans in Thursday's Sweet 16 round at the NCAA Tournament was "like a Rocky fight."

Nowell starred as the Wildcats won 98-93 in overtime, recording 19 assists to break the tournament record for a single game.

The five-foot-eight guard has 64 points, 42 assists and 11 steals in his three outings so far, with the last division one college basketball or NBA player to reach all of those numbers over any three-game span being Allen Iverson in 2005.

"It was like a 'Rocky' fight," Nowell said about the game, which saw 16 lead changes and neither team ever holding a double-figure lead.

Nowell's 19 assists were complimented by 20 of his own points, joining Chris Paul and James Harden as the only players from either division one college basketball or the NBA in the last 10 years to put up a game of at least 20 points, 15 assists and five steals.

And he attributed his success to his team-mates, with the Wildcats setting up an Elite 8 clash with the Florida Atlantic Owls on Saturday.

"We're at our best when we're sharing the ball, passing the ball around the perimeter and different guys is getting into double figures in the scoring category," Nowell said. "I wouldn't have 19 assists if they didn't make any shots."

He produced a stunning alley-oop pass to Keyontae Johnson late in the game, and Johnson heaped praise on Nowell, especially after sustaining an ankle injury during the second half that still did not slow him down.

"He's our starting point guard," he said. "His IQ, his feel for the game, he brings everybody confidence, and when he came back... everybody saw how he was trying to fight through his injury, and we just wanted to fight back for him."

Coco Gauff loves the inner "dog" in Jimmy Butler's basketball game and hopes the Miami Heat star saw plenty to admire about her own tenacity as she made a positive start at the Miami Open.

Winning 6-4 6-3 against Canadian Rebecca Marino got Gauff off the mark at this fortnight's WTA 1000 tournament, with the 19-year-old American very much at home in Florida.

Butler was watching at courtside, and the 33-year-old was so close Gauff could hardly ignore his presence.

"I mean, he was right next to my towels. I had no choice but to see him," Gauff said.

Gauff is a fan of the Heat, so to be watched by six-time NBA All-Star Butler was flattering for the teenager.

She is a high achiever herself, reaching the French Open final last year and setting up camp in the WTA top 10 rankings, so there was mutual respect, and the pair met up after Thursday's match.

"It was really cool because I love watching the Heat, they're my team. He has just that mentality, that dog in him, something that I really admire a lot," Gauff said. "I always do that when I'm on the court, but I was, like, I hope he sees that in me."

Gauff also spoke about having met players from the Buffalo Bills, the NFL franchise owned by world number three Jessica Pegula's parents.

"They might have been here for Jess, but I'm glad they stayed to watch my match," Gauff said.

Pegula beat Katherine Sebov in the match directly after Gauff's clash on the Stadium court.

Gauff said it was a "privilege" to be watched by fellow sports stars.

"I think it means more than maybe an actor or singer watching me, because it's like, as an athlete, finding the time to appreciate other sports is really hard," she said. "For them to want to do that, especially for a sport like tennis, which generally most of them don't understand, is really cool."

Gauff next faces Anastasia Potapova, the Russian player who beat Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk at the last-64 stage.

That match was notable largely for Kostyuk's refusal to shake hands afterwards with Potapova, a player who earlier this month was warned by the WTA for wearing a Spartak Moscow jersey at Indian Wells.

Russian and Belarusian players are competing under a neutral flag on the WTA Tour this season, amid the continuing invasion of Ukraine.

Tom Brady hopes investing in the Las Vegas Aces will help the WNBA "continue to do to grow" and "empower future generations of athletes."

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady has acquired an ownership interest in the world champion Aces.

The legendary former quarterback, who retired in February, jumped at the chance to be part of the organisation.

He said: "I am very excited to be part of the Las Vegas Aces organisation. My love for women's sports began at a young age when I would tag along to all my older sisters' games.

"They were by far the best athletes in our house! We celebrated their accomplishments together as a family, and they remain a great inspiration to me.

"I have always been a huge fan of women's sports, and I admire the work that the Aces' players, staff, and the WNBA continue to do to grow the sport and empower future generations of athletes.

"To be able to contribute in any way to that mission as a member of the Aces organisation is an incredible honour."

Aces owner Mark Davis said: "Since I purchased the Aces, our goal has been to win on and off the court. Tom Brady is a win not only for the Aces, and the WNBA, but for women's professional sports as a whole."

Kawhi Leonard played a lead role as the Los Angeles Clippers won without the injured Paul George and urged teammates to "dial in even deeper" over the remainder of the regular season.

The Clippers scored a 127-105 home win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, two nights after George suffered a knee injury in a 101-100 loss to the same opposition.

Leonard played the lead role as the two-time NBA Finals MVP scored a game-high 32 points on 13-of-15 shooting from the field, adding six assists and six rebounds, while Russell Westbrook added 24 points.

Asked how the Clippers would cope without eight-time All-Star George, Leonard said: "Like we did tonight. Eric Gordon stepped in and started in his position, and it provided more minutes for Bones [Hyland] and Terance [Mann] and they came in and did a great job, provided a positive energy. Nobody's head was down.

"We wish PG a speedy recovery. It's next man up and that's how we've got to play.

"We've got to keep sharing the ball, and dial in even deeper."

He said the Clippers must collectively be "more focused because we're missing a superstar".

George is set to miss the rest of the regular season but crucially he has avoided serious ligament damage, so it should not be a long-term lay-off.

Leonard might be the franchise player, but he wants everyone to be making big contributions in George's absence as the Clippers look to nail down their postseason spot. For now, they sit fifth in the Western Conference with a 39-35 record.

"Missing a guy like that, the ball's going to be in my hands more," Leonard said in his post-game press conference.

"But everybody else as well. One man can't win these basketball games. We'll have to come in with a group effort and everybody focus up, buy in, and try to do what we can do without him."

As for how Westbrook is faring, almost five weeks on from his arrival from the Utah Jazz, Leonard was complimentary, saying it was positive "just having a Hall of Fame point guard on the floor".

"He brings energy to the team, brings pace, plays both ends of the floor," Leonard said. "He's been doing a good job."

Gonzaga Bulldogs center Drew Timme was a man amongst boys as he carried his side to a comeback 79-76 victory over the two-seed UCLA Bruins in Thursday's Sweet 16 action at the NCAA Tournament.

Timme, a senior, was named a consensus First-Team All-American this year after back-to-back Second-Team selections in his sophomore and junior seasons.

While his career at Gonzaga has been littered with individual honours, the six-foot-10 fringe NBA prospect looked destined to end his run as a Bulldog without capturing their elusive first National Championship as they trailed 46-33 at half-time.

But Timme would not let three-seed Gonzaga go down quietly, putting together a monstrous 36 points on 16-of-24 shooting while adding 13 rebounds, four assists and two blocks to turn their deficit into a 72-62 lead with 2:30 remaining.

UCLA's Jaime Jaquez Jr made things interesting with a quick eight-point burst on his way to a team-high 29 (12-of-25 shooting), 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals, setting up Amari Bailey for a three-pointer to put the Bruins back in front 76-75 with 13 seconds on the clock.

With the game on the line, Julian Strawther drained the clutch three to give Gonzaga the lead and the win, booking their fifth Elite 8 trip from the past eight editions of the tournament.

Gonzaga will face the four-seed Connecticut Huskies next after they wiped the floor with the eight-seed Arkansas Razorbacks 88-65.

It was another strong performance from UConn's top NBA prospect Jordan Hawkins, as the lanky six-foot-five wing dropped a game-high 24 points on six-of-13 shooting with three assists, marking the third tournament game in a row he has drained at least three three-pointers.

The nine-seed Florida Atlantic Owls are through to their first Elite 8 in school history after upsetting the four-seed Tennessee Volunteers 62-55.

The Owls came into the tournament at 31-3, and while there were questions about their strength of schedule, they have continued to prove they are one of college basketball's best teams this year, holding Tennessee to just 33 per cent shooting.

Florida Atlantic will play Kansas State in the next stage after the Wildcats survived a thrilling 98-93 overtime battle against Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans.

Five-foot-eight Wildcats point guard Markquis Nowell played the game of his life, ending up with 20 points (seven-of-18 shooting), 19 assists, five steals and just two turnovers in his 43 minutes. 

He joins Chris Paul and James Harden as the only players from either division one college basketball or the NBA in the past decade to put up a game of at least 20 points, 15 assists and five steals.