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."
NBA: Jokic returns but Mavericks topple Nuggets
The Dallas Mavericks withstood blowing a big lead and a triple-double by Nikola Jokic in the reigning NBA MVP's return to the court to come through with a hard-earned 123-120 road win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
Dallas also overcame the absence of superstar Luka Doncic, out with a sprained wrist, to extend their winning streak to four games.
Naji Marshall provided the Mavs their biggest lift by recording a career-high 26 points off the bench on 11-of-15 shooting, while P.J. Washington made an impact as well with 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Jokic was back after missing three games due to a personal matter and racked up 33 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists while helping Denver take a late lead in a game it trailed by 24 points in the third quarter.
The Nuggets charged back to grab a 113-108 advantage with three minutes left, but Dallas put forth a late rally of its own to move back ahead.
Washington scored five straight points to pull the Mavericks even, and Quentin Grimes hit two free throws before Washington struck again with a layup that put Dallas up 117-113 with 49.7 seconds to go.
Denver closed the gap to a point on two occasions in the final minute, but couldn't regain the lead and was dealt a third loss in four games. Washington's two free throws with 3.8 seconds remaining gave Dallas a 123-120 edge before the Nuggets turned the ball over in the last stages.
Kyrie Irving scored 13 of his 19 points during a big second quarter that helped the Mavericks build a 73-53 half-time lead after outscoring the Nuggets by a 40-22 margin for the period.
Dallas led by 19 points just over four minutes into the second half before the Nuggets reversed momentum with an 18-2 run, capped by Jokic's short jumper with 3:29 left in the third quarter, to close within 83-80.
The Mavericks moved to 2-1 in the West's Group C bracket with Friday's win, while the Nuggets fell to 1-2 in group play.
Hobbled 76ers rally past Nets to end losing streak
Jared McCain scored 30 points and helped spark a second-half comeback that carried the injury-plagued Philadelphia 76ers to a much-needed 113-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Playing without ailing stars Joel Embiid and Paul George, Philadelphia still managed to stop a five-game losing streak and rally from a nine-point third-quarter deficit behind McCain and Tyrese Maxey. McCain had 14 fourth-quarter points and 21 in the second half, while Maxey tallied 16 of his 26 points after half-time in his second game back from a strained hamstring.
The duo went a combined 15 of 24 from the field over the final two quarters to lead the 76ers to just their third win in 15 games this season.
Embiid and George are both dealing with knee injuries and will also miss Sunday's game against George's former team, the Los Angeles Clippers.
Brooklyn lost for the sixth time in eight games despite a season-high 37 points from Cameron Johnson, who tied a career best with nine made 3-pointers in 13 attempts.
The Nets trailed 53-50 at half-time but hit four 3-pointers during a 14-0 run that gave them a 64–55 lead three minutes into the third quarter.
Philadelphia answered shortly afterward with an 18-4 spurt, with Maxey scoring seven points during the surge, to take a 77-72 advantage later in the period.
The Nets fought back and went back ahead when Johnson's 3-pointer gave them a 90-89 edge with 7:25 left, but the 76ers responded with a 16-4 run to take the lead for good. Maxey had nine points during the flurry, with McCain adding seven.
Both teams are now 1-2 in the NBA Cup's East Group A bracket.
Warriors become first team to reach NBA Cup knockout stage
Andrew Wiggins' season-high 30 points helped the Golden State Warriors clinch a spot in the NBA Cup's knockout round by holding on for a 112-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Owners of the Western Conference's best record at 12-3, the Warriors moved to 3-0 in the NBA Cup's West Group C bracket to become the first team of this year's in-season tournament to advance to the knockout stage.
Stephen Curry contributed 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to Golden State's fifth win in its last six games overall.
New Orleans lost for the fourth straight time and fell to 4-13 while continuing to deal with injuries to several key players. Trey Murphy paced the depleted Pelicans with a season-high 24 points, while Jeremiah Robinson-Earl posted 19 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.
Despite their short-handed roster, the Pelicans held a 63-62 lead at half-time behind Murphy's 15 points and trailed by just one point early in the fourth quarter before the Warriors began to assume control.
Golden State briefly pulled away via a 12-3 run, capped by back-to-back baskets by Trayce Jackson-Davis, to claim a 99-89 advantage with under 6 1/2 minutes left.
The Pelicans would not go away, however, as Murphy ended an 8-2 spurt with a 3-pointer that cut the Warriors' lead to 110-108 with 14 seconds remaining.
Murphy misfired on another 3-point try in the final seconds, however, before Golden State's Draymond Green sealed the outcome by hitting two of four late free throws.
NBA: Jokic returns but Mavericks top Nuggets
The Dallas Mavericks withstood blowing a big lead and a triple-double by Nikola Jokić in the reigning NBA MVP's return to the court to come through with a hard-earned 123-120 road win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
Dallas also overcame the absence of superstar Luka Dončić, out with a sprained wrist, to extend its winning streak to four games. Naji Marshall provided the Mavs their biggest lift by recording a career-high 26 points off the bench on 11-of-15 shooting, while P.J. Washington made an impact as well with 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Jokic was back after missing three games due to a personal matter and racked up 33 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists while helping Denver take a late lead in a game it trailed by 24 points in the third quarter.
The Nuggets charged back to grab a 113-108 advantage with three minutes left, but Dallas put forth a late rally of its own to move back ahead.
Washington scored five straight points to pull the Mavericks even, and Quentin Grimes hit two free throws before Washington struck again with a layup that put Dallas up 117-113 with 49.7 seconds to go.
Denver closed the gap to a point on two occasions in the final minute, but couldn't regain the lead and was dealt a third loss in four games. Washington's two free throws with 3.8 seconds remaining gave Dallas a 123-120 edge before the Nuggets turned the ball over in the last stages.
Kyrie Irving scored 13 of his 19 points during a big second quarter that helped the Mavericks build a 73-53 half-time lead after outscoring the Nuggets by a 40-22 margin for the period.
Dallas led by 19 points just over four minutes into the second half before the Nuggets reversed momentum with an 18-2 run, capped by Jokic's short jumper with 3:29 left in the third quarter, to close within 83-80.
The Mavericks moved to 2-1 in the West's Group C bracket with Friday's win, while the Nuggets fell to 1-2 in group play.
Hobbled 76ers rally past Nets to end losing streak
Jared McCain scored 30 points and helped spark a second-half comeback that carried the injury-plagued Philadelphia 76ers to a needed 113-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Playing without ailing stars Joel Embiid and Paul George, Philadelphia still managed to stop a five-game losing streak and rally from a nine-point third-quarter deficit behind McCain and Tyrese Maxey. McCain had 14 fourth-quarter points and 21 in the second half, while Maxey tallied 16 of his 26 points after half-time in his second game back from a strained hamstring.
The duo went a combined 15 of 24 from the field over the final two quarters to lead the 76ers to just their third win in 15 games this season.
Embiid and George are both dealing with knee injuries and will also miss Sunday's game against George's former team, the Los Angeles Clippers.
Brooklyn lost for the sixth time in eight games despite a season-high 37 points from Cameron Johnson, who tied a career best with nine made 3-pointers in 13 attempts.
The Nets trailed 53-50 at half-time but hit four 3-pointers during a 14-0 run that gave them a 64–55 lead three minutes into the third quarter.
Philadelphia answered shortly afterward with an 18-4 spurt, with Maxey scoring seven points during the surge, to take a 77-72 advantage later in the period.
The Nets fought back and went back ahead when Johnson's 3-pointer gave them a 90-89 edge with 7:25 left, but the 76ers responded with a 16-4 run to take the lead for good. Maxey had nine points during the flurry, with McCain adding seven.
Both teams are now 1-2 in the NBA Cup's East Group A bracket.
Warriors become first team to reach NBA Cup knockout stage
Andrew Wiggins' season-high 30 points helped the Golden State Warriors clinch a spot in the NBA Cup's knockout round by holding on for a 112-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Owners of the Western Conference's best record at 12-3, the Warriors moved to 3-0 in the NBA Cup's West Group C bracket to become the first team of this year's in-season tournament to advance to the knockout stage.
Stephen Curry contributed 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to Golden State's fifth win in its last six games overall.
New Orleans lost for the fourth straight time and fell to 4-13 while continuing to deal with injuries to several key players. Trey Murphy paced the depleted Pelicans with a season-high 24 points, while Jeremiah Robinson-Earl posted 19 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.
Despite their short-handed roster, the Pelicans held a 63-62 lead at half-time behind Murphy's 15 points and trailed by just one point early in the fourth quarter before the Warriors began to assume control.
Golden State briefly pulled away via a 12-3 run, capped by back-to-back baskets by Trayce Jackson-Davis, to claim a 99-89 advantage with under 6 1/2 minutes left.
The Pelicans would not go away, however, as Murphy ended an 8-2 spurt with a 3-pointer that cut the Warriors' lead to 110-108 with 14 seconds remaining.
Murphy misfired on another 3-point try in the final seconds, however, before Golden State's Draymond Green sealed the outcome by hitting two of four late free throws.
Redick laments 'small things' as Lakers' unbeaten home run ended by Magic
JJ Redick accepts the "small things" cost the Los Angeles Lakers as their unbeaten home run was ended by the Orlando Magic on Thursday.
Franz Wagner scored a 3-pointer inside the final two-and-a-half seconds to earn the Magic a 119-118 win at the Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers had been on course for an eighth home win in a row when taking a 118-114 lead with 27 seconds of the contest to go.
Anthony Davis missed two free throws after the Magic had cut the deficit to two points, which Wagner took advantage of in a dramatic finale.
Reflecting on the defeat for his side, which leaves the Lakers 10-5 for the season, Redick said: "I'd have to go back and re-watch every possession there in the last couple of minutes.
"I didn't love the thought process and the mindset when Wagner hit the three. Overall, I felt comfortable with our execution up until the missed free throws and the Wagner three."
On the game-winning moment from Wagner, Redick added: "We talk all the time about our isos. We don't want to allow threes in isos, especially late in the game. It could have been a little bit better. Small things."
The Magic improved to 10-7 to stay fourth in the Eastern Conference, with this a seventh win in eight games.
"It was big-time," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said of his side's most impressive win of the season thus far. "They missed the free throw, which makes it a two-point game.
"[Wagner] comes down, doesn't have to rush it, lines it up. That's the thing, we work on those spacing situations, those shots. He works on those shots. He's not afraid of big moments, and that's what we've asked him to do."
Wagner scored 15 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter and added 11 assists for the Magic, while Jalen Suggs added 23 points and Moritz Wagner had a season-high 19.
"I was a little mad I missed the first [three-point attempt], so I was glad I got another shot," Wagner said post-game.
"They were set up pretty well, so I didn't really see any driving lane. The one before felt really good. In those moments, you don't really think too much, but I guess I made a good call.
"Down two, you never just want to settle for a shot, but the way they were playing me... I do work on my off-the-dribble three a lot, and you work on it for those moments. I stepped into it with confidence and I felt really good."
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