Australia quick bowler James Pattinson concedes he's a long shot to make the squad for the T20 World Cup in India in October and November but has his eyes firmly fixed on playing in his third Ashes series at the end of the year.

Pattinson, 30, is a fearsome strike bowler at his best but back injuries and Australia's fast-bowling depth have conspired to restrict him to 21 Tests since he made his debut a decade ago.

He was reduced to tears when a back stress fracture ended his first Ashes campaign after two Tests in England in 2013 and he underwent spinal fusion surgery four years later in desperate attempt to fix the recurrent problem.

The results have been impressive and Pattinson reckoned he was as fit as he has been in a good while as he prepared to lead the Victoria attack in the Sheffield Shield this week.

"In terms of my body it probably feels the best that it has and in terms of my back - it's come really good," he said.

"There's plenty of time, I'm only 30 now. There's obviously the Ashes next year, which is probably the next challenge.

"I'd love to play all formats but I haven't played [enough] T20 cricket. I'll be focusing more on pre-season and putting all my eggs in trying to get ready for the Ashes."

Pattinson featured in two Tests when Australia retained the Ashes in 2019 but failed to get on the field during this season's home series against India, missing out on possible selection for the last two matches after a fall at home.

He said it had been a frustrating summer compounded by the biosecurity measures designed to protect the players from Covid-19

"You're sitting in a hub and you're 12th or 13th man for Australia - which is fantastic - but ... you're missing out on playing cricket," Pattinson added. "You're bowling in the nets and at times it can be frustrating as a 30-year-old when you've done a lot of that already."

Creighton men's basketball coach Greg McDermott, who previously apologized for urging his players to "stay on the plantation" in a postgame locker room talk following a loss over the weekend, said on Wednesday that he offered to resign over his comments.

McDermott said on Creighton's pregame radio show before a 72-60 loss to No. 10 Villanova that he had a long meeting with the players on Sunday night and said he saw "pain in their face(s)" and hoped "one mistake doesn't define you."

McDermott said he wanted to make sure the Bluejays wanted him to remain as coach and apologized for the "distraction that I brought to this team for the choice that I made."

McDermott said the Bluejays -- whose players wear "equality" on the back of their jerseys -- did not ask for him to resign.

"Our guys wanted me to coach and that's my job," McDermott said.

McDermott has been Creighton's coach since 2010. McDermott, who is white, acknowledged saying after a loss to Xavier on Saturday: "Guys, we got to stick together. We need both feet in. I need everybody to stay on the plantation. I can't have anybody leave the plantation."

The coach added that he apologized directly to Creighton's president, the Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, and athletic director Bruce Rasmussen.

Creighton assistant coach Terrence Rencher, who is Black, tweeted that he was "deeply hurt" by McDermott's words.

The school said any disciplinary action would remain confidential.

McDermott was on the sideline and received a fist bump from seemingly all but one player as they ran off the court from pregame warm-ups.

McDermott's racially insensitive remarks overshadowed what was expected to be a fantastic showdown between the top two teams in the Big East. The Wildcats instead raced to a 19-point lead and clinched their seventh regular-season title under coach Jay Wright in the past eight seasons.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Montrezl Harrell offered a sharp rebuff to the technical foul he received in the Los Angeles Lakers' 123-120 loss at the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, calling the whistle a "soft" decision by the official.

"I think some of the referees -- and this is not bashing any referee in general -- but there cannot be any instances of calling the game that soft, man," Harrell said after putting up 26 points and 11 rebounds but still seeing his Lakers head into the All-Star break with a seventh loss in their past 10 games.

Harrell scored a sweeping layup in the paint on Kings center Richaun Holmes with 10 minutes, 51 seconds remaining in the second quarter, putting L.A. up 33-26.

After absorbing contact from Holmes on the shot, Harrell said he simply yelled "and-1" as he ran back on defense, which prompted referee Jenna Schroeder to call him for the technical foul.

"And-1" is a common term in the basketball vernacular, used when a player believes he or she deserves a free throw for being fouled on a successful shot attempt.

"What I said was, 'and-1,'" Harrell said. "No cursing, no profanity, none of that. And she turned around and gave me a tech because she was in her feelings, because she felt like I was too loud with her or I belittled her when we were talking [earlier in the game]. Like, you can't bring that into the game. I don't care who it is; I don't care what the situation is."

Harrell said he believes a prior interaction with Schroeder influenced how she perceived his outburst after the score on Holmes.

"Whether me and you or me and whatever ref got into it, in a verbal conversation the play before, just because you're still holding onto a grudge from that, you cannot come back and give me a tech," he said. "The tech that I got definitely was a big one for me and definitely shouldn't have been called, because at the instance of [the call], I'm not looking at her. I was nowhere near her vicinity. I'm running back on defense."

Harrell said that even arena employees at the Golden 1 Center, the Kings' home court, sided with him.

"Everybody on the bench, everybody in the arena, even the guys sitting at the scorer's table said, 'You can't do that. You can't give a guy a tech just for saying 'and-1,'" Harrell said. "If they're going to give me a tech for saying 'and-1,' then they might as well just tech me up all year, man. Because I've said way worse than that and haven't been given a tech.

"It is what it is, man. I can't control that. I'm going to keep playing with the same passion and fire that I do. I didn't stop talking throughout the rest of the game. I kept playing with the same fire and same mode that I had all game. So, it just is what it is."

Harrell wasn't the only member of the Lakers to have a bone to pick with the officiating after the contest.

Coach Frank Vogel said Kings guard Buddy Hield was awarded three points for a jump shot he made with 8:37 remaining in the second quarter, when Hield's right foot appeared to be touching the 3-point line.

"We told the officials about it. They said they'd turn it into Secaucus, and they gave us some excuse that too much time had passed that they can't reverse it at that point," Vogel said, referring to the league's replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey. "When you got a one-point game down the stretch, that's very disappointing that they weren't able to look at that."

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid said his dominant performance in a 131-123 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night was fueled by playing against Rudy Gobert.

Embiid, who had 40 points -- including the game-tying 3-pointer with 6.5 seconds left to go with 19 rebounds, three assists, a steal and two blocks in 40 minutes -- told ESPN's Jackie MacMullan in December that Gobert shouldn't have been third-team All-NBA last season over him. He also has said repeatedly he wants to win Defensive Player of the Year -- an award Gobert is favored to win this season -- and took exception to local media members saying he was "scared" of playing against the Jazz big man after missing Philadelphia's loss in Utah last month with a back injury.

"As we saw tonight, it looks like I was very, very scared of him," Embiid said, his voice dripping in sarcasm. "So, yeah, keep talking.

"But going up against him, one of my goals is to also be Defensive Player of the Year. So, you know, when you go up against those types of guys, he's a great player, and you know, he does a lot for his team that don't show up on the stat sheet ... but when you go against those guys, you know, it brings something else to my game.

"I want to dominate. On the offensive end, but mainly on the defensive end, because that's the goal I set for myself at the beginning of the year ... those are the matchups that you want to go out there and just dominate and prove to everybody that, as a team, that we have a great team, and, individually, you should be up there when it comes to those rankings and stuff."

Embiid was the difference at both ends for Philadelphia. While the Jazz outscored the Sixers 63-24 at the 3-point line, Embiid continued his season-long parade to the foul line -- he took 13 himself, while the Jazz took 19 as a team, one of several things that led up to Jazz star Donovan Mitchell being ejected and multiple Utah players criticizing the officials after the game. Embiid was also everywhere defensively, repeatedly breaking up lobs to Gobert at the rim and, on one play, stopping a Mitchell drive only to immediately jump back up and block a Gobert dunk attempt.

But for Embiid, the lack of respect he got in awards voting last season, after the Sixers exited the playoffs in a first-round sweep by the Boston Celtics, has been a source of motivation he has talked publicly about going back to the preseason.

He specifically, however, singled out Gobert as a source of frustration for being selected as the third-team All-NBA center ahead of him.

"I agree that Anthony Davis had a better season than me," Embiid told MacMullan in December. "[Nikola] Jokic? That's debatable. But Rudy Gobert? No offense, but he [averaged] 15 [points] and 13 [rebounds] and I had my 23 and 12, and that's kind of a big difference. I think my numbers were better. But people didn't want to vote for me because our team didn't do well.

"That's OK, because I will use it to motivate me so there is no chance that anyone can make that mistake again."

When asked after Wednesday's game if that snub played any role in his performance, he didn't try to hide it.

"That's pretty fair," Embiid said. "But what motivates me is to win the game. Without winning, you know, you're not part of those conversations when it comes to Defensive Player of the Year and MVP and all that stuff. That's the first thing. I want to win. That's all I care about.

"The past is the past. It's unfortunate the way things happened last year when I wasn't on there. ... It plays a huge role in my mentality this year, just wanting to destroy everything in my path. I'm playing against a lot of great players every single night. They're really good at what they do. But wherever I'm needed to get the job done, defensively and offensively, that's what I've got to do."

Embiid, who will start Sunday's All-Star Game in Atlanta, is having what easily is the best season of his career, averaging 30.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He is one of the leading contenders for the MVP award, as Philadelphia enters the All-Star Break with a half-game lead over the Brooklyn Nets for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

But, after several games recently, Embiid has repeatedly said he's more interested in winning Defensive Player of the Year than MVP -- though, to be fair, he won't be turning that honor down if it winds up coming his way.

And while Embiid said multiple times Wednesday that teammate Ben Simmons also deserves to be in the mix for the defensive award -- speaking before the game, Sixers coach Doc Rivers said he believes Simmons should be favored, ahead of Gobert, for it -- Embiid said he is focused on winning the honor because he has had that as a goal since entering the NBA.

"When I came into the league, I never thought I would be that good offensively," Embiid said. "I always focused on the defensive side, and that's always been my goal to win it. It'd be nice to do it, but like I said, that's been my focus coming into the league, and obviously the scoring and the offensive side has taken over.

"I keep going back to the same thing -- you can't be in those conversations without winning. Right now, we're winning, we're first in the East, we beat the best team in the league. I got a bunch of great teammates that are doing a great job. You see [Sixers teammate Tobias Harris], that's why I'm preaching for him to be an All Star, because you look at nights like tonight, he dominated in overtime. And you know, as a team, we just play all well together, we move the ball, and we defend well."

Toyota Center public address announcer Matt Thomas attempted to use the same tone and excitement Wednesday night when James Harden's turn came up in the starting lineup introductions as he did throughout the previous eight seasons.

The circumstances, of course, were quite different. So was the reaction from Houston Rockets fans, who greeted Harden with a mixture of cheers and boos as the 2017-18 MVP returned to face his former team for the first time since his request to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets was granted seven weeks ago.

"As far as playing in Houston, a lot of mixed emotions for the fans, but I knew that was going to happen," Harden said. "I just wanted to come out here and give them a show."

Harden succeeded with the sort of spectacular performance that has been almost routine for him since he joined the Nets. He had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists to lead Brooklyn to a 132-114 win over the injury-ravaged Rockets; it was his eighth triple-double in 23 games for the Nets, who enter the All-Star break having won 10 of their past 11 games.

It was the 13th straight loss for the Rockets, who were limited to eight available players as the franchise's longest losing streak in two decades was extended into the break.

"The way we've been losing, we definitely do need a break to clear our minds, find ourselves, try to get some guys healthy, try to get a full team again," said Rockets point guard John Wall, who scored 36 points on 12-of-30 shooting in 41 minutes. "I don't know when the last time we had a full team. Tonight, we went in with only eight guys, but we didn't stop fighting. We kept competing, we kept battling, and that's one thing you can respect."

A smattering of fans in the reduced-capacity crowd booed Harden every time he touched the ball early in the game, expressing their displeasure of Harden's forcing the Rockets to trade him, a divorce process he has acknowledged became more tense and bitter than he would have liked. Harden, who according to Elias Sports Bureau research became the sixth player to post a triple-double in his first game against his former team, said the boos didn't impact him.

"Once I get on that court, it's just trying to win," said Harden, who was 10-of-15 from the floor. "I'm not really worried about anything else. That was kind of my feeling -- win the game and do whatever it takes to do what you've been doing. I wasn't trying to show off, wasn't trying to do anything out of the ordinary that I haven't been doing."

The Rockets as an organization gave Harden a warm welcome back to Houston. He chatted with and hugged several Houston staffers and players before and after the contest. A tribute video, featuring highlights from Harden's eight seasons in Houston and his charitable acts in the community, played during the first timeout of the game.

"You could tell it meant something to him," Nets coach Steve Nash said. "This place is special for James. Houston means a lot to him -- the city, the organization, what he accomplished here with this team. I know it was a big game for him. I'm proud of the way he handled it."

Harden said he learned "on the internet" on Tuesday that Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta plans to eventually retire Harden's No. 13 jersey and hang it in the Toyota Center rafters.

"My reaction was hopefully I did something right. Obviously, I came up short of a championship, but the work on and off the court that [I] put in over those past eight years was elite," Harden said. "I think that's the only thing I didn't do or didn't accomplish, was a championship, which is difficult to attain. But as far as bringing excitement to this city, taking care of the fans on and off the court, is something I tried to contribute, so hopefully, that outweighs that [lack of a championship]."

After Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell was hit with technical fouls on two separate plays in the final minute of overtime and was ejected with 30.5 seconds to go in Utah's 131-123 loss at the Philadelphia 76ers, the All-Star said he is tired of the Jazz being "screwed" by the referees, calling the way his team's games are officiated "f---ing ridiculous."

"First off, you know, give the 76ers credit. They played a hard game. Joel [Embiid] did what he does, and at the end of the day, they're a good team. We competed. But it's tough. It's tough to go out there and see how we fight and compete, and to have a game like that taken from us," Mitchell said following Wednesday night's contest.

"Now, I'm never ever one to blame a ref, to blame an official -- I can say I could have done more -- but this is getting out of hand. There have been games like this that we've won; there have been games like this that we've lost. But this whole refereeing stuff. ... We're nice, we don't complain, like, we don't get frustrated, we fight through things, and the fact that we continually get ... screwed, in a way, by this. You know?"

"We won this game, in my personal opinion. You know?" Mitchell continued. "But like I said, I'm going to give them credit. They won. Whatever. Cool. But it's been a consistent thing, and the question is, 'Can we do it? Can we sustain it? Are we for real No. 1? And, yeah, the hell we are. And it's getting f---ing ridiculous that this is what is happening."

The NBA-leading Jazz, who controlled most of Wednesday's tilt, wound up heading to overtime after Embiid hit a game-tying 3-pointer for the 76ers with 6.5 seconds to go in regulation and Mike Conley missed a floater at the buzzer that would have won it for Utah.

In overtime, after Tobias Harris scored four straight baskets for Philadelphia to put the Sixers in front, Mitchell was assessed his first technical with 57.5 seconds to go when Embiid drew a foul inside on Jazz center Rudy Gobert. Embiid gleefully made a T with his hands over and over again -- pointing at Mitchell -- as the referees called it on the Utah guard.

On the Jazz's next possession, Mitchell missed two shots -- the first of which Gobert snagged to keep Utah in possession -- and, thinking he got fouled, Mitchell kept barking at the officials.

Mitchell was then called for the second technical with 30.5 seconds to go, getting ejected from the game in the process. As he left the court, Mitchell smashed a water cooler to the floor, then appeared to apologize to a security guard sitting near it as he went to the visitors locker room inside the Wells Fargo Center.

"We have a whole second half of the season to go and get ready for, and I'm sick of it, to be honest with you," Mitchell said. "We all are. This is something that just it eats me. It eats at me, man.

"Y'all know what it is. We all know what it is. But it's really getting out of hand. It's really, really, really getting out of hand. And the league needs to do something about this. I want to see the Last Two Minute Report. I want to see it. But it's getting out of hand."

One thing that will be on Thursday's Last Two Minute Report is a call that was reviewed by the officials with just under 30 seconds to go in regulation, when it appeared Jazz forward Royce O'Neale was called out of bounds after saving a loose ball. On the replay, it was clear that O'Neale did not, in fact, step out of bounds.

However, the officials then said the ball had gone out of bounds, keeping the ball with Philadelphia and confusing virtually everyone watching. After the game, a pool report confirmed that the call was made not because O'Neale stepped out of bounds but because the ball first hit a referee who was standing out of bounds -- meaning the ball had, in fact, gone out of bounds.

And while that play ultimately didn't have an effect on the outcome, that will be of little solace to the Jazz, who were left steaming as a result of being called for seven more fouls than Philadelphia and being at a significant disadvantage in free throws, with the Sixers going 27-for-35 and the Jazz going just 14-for-19.

That disparity also drew the ire of Gobert, Utah's other All-Star -- who, like Mitchell, also earned himself a certain fine from the NBA sometime Thursday after repeatedly calling out the officials during his own postgame media session.

"Our guys are not able to get calls everybody else in the f---ing league gets," Gobert said. "We know we are the Utah Jazz, and maybe some people don't want to see us go as far as we can go, but it's disappointing.

"Three times in a row, Mike Conley is going to the rim, and they're grabbing him right in front of the officials, and there's no calls. And on the other end, there are calls that are invisible that are being made."

"I think it's disrespectful, to be honest, to the game of basketball and to our team, and hopefully, they're going to watch the game when they get home," Gobert added. "Hopefully, they feel ashamed when they watch the game."

Gobert went on to say he believed the Jazz were being treated unfairly because they play in a small market.

"I don't want to say that," Gobert said, "but I really believe it. After playing in this league for eight years, it's a little harder [to be in a small market], and that's one of the things that we've got to overcome. That's why I told the guys: 'When you're a small market, you've got to be better than just better. You've got to be elite, and you've got to control what you can control.'

"But it's very disappointing to be disrespected like that. ... It's not just one play, because we all make mistakes. I have a lot of respect for the officials. It's a tough job. I think they try their best, but it was too obvious tonight. They can't make it that obvious. We're going to watch film and do all that and keep getting better, but we deserve more respect as a team and as human beings for all the work we put in."

Wednesday night's NBA slate of games included numerous intriguing matchups, from the top team in the East facing the top team in the West, the drama of James Harden's return to Houston, All-Stars going up against each other with the Chicago Bulls' Zach LaVine facing the New Orleans Pelicans' Zion Williamson, and two of the league's top scorers squaring off in Stephen Curry meeting Damian Lillard.

Additionally, 12 teams wrapped up the first half of the season as All-Star Weekend rapidly approaches.

With so much action to keep an eye on, we asked our NBA insiders for their biggest takeaway from the biggest games.

Embiid makes MVP case by stunning Jazz

Anyone who watched the Philadelphia 76ers' 131-123 overtime victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night could tell the game meant something extra special to Sixers star Joel Embiid.

Embiid -- who told ESPN's Jackie MacMullan back in December that he should have made an All-NBA team over Jazz center Rudy Gobert last season, and has been campaigning to be the league's Defensive Player of the Year -- was dominant at both ends in Wednesday's win, scoring 40 points to go with 19 rebounds, three assists, a steal and two blocks in 40 minutes.

On offense, Embiid repeatedly powered through Gobert inside, getting his characteristic double-digit free throw attempts while also getting several buckets at the rim. Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Embiid was flying around, repeatedly breaking up lobs to Gobert and, on one possession, contesting a Donovan Mitchell drive and then recovering fast enough to block Gobert at the rim.

Embiid has said since before the season began that he is on a mission to prove that the lack of leaguewide recognition he received last year was a mistake. Wednesday night was the latest example of how successful that campaign has been. And while Embiid might not win Defensive Player of the Year -- in fact, Sixers coach Doc Rivers said before the game that Embiid's teammate, Ben Simmons, should be at the top of ballots for that award -- games like Wednesday's are why Embiid is one of the favorites to be the NBA's Most Valuable Player this season, and the Sixers enter the All-Star break with the best record in the Eastern Conference. -- Tim Bontemps

Harden dominant in return to Houston

Nothing about James Harden's return to the Toyota Center came as much of a surprise. Harden received a mixed reaction from Rockets fans among the reduced-capacity crowd, as some cheered in appreciation for his eight spectacular seasons in Houston and others booed, letting out the fresh, hurt feelings from Harden forcing a trade less than two months ago.

As he has done consistently since joining the Brooklyn Nets, Harden dominated, posting his eighth triple-double since the trade with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. And the Rockets lost 132-114, extending the franchise's longest skid in two decades to a painfully fitting 13 games, matching Harden's jersey number that will one day hang from the Houston rafters. -- Tim MacMahon

Dubs can't thwart Blazers' 'Dame Time' decision

The Golden State Warriors did exactly what they hoped they would through the first 47 minutes of Wednesday's 108-106 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers -- they slowed down Damian Lillard. They threw body after body at the All-Star point guard, limiting him to just 2-for-9 from beyond the arc and forcing the rest of the Blazers to try to beat them. But then with 14 seconds left and the Blazers down two, there was Lillard draining a 3-pointer that gave the Blazers a lead, and then there was Lillard 10 seconds later rotating under the basket to take a charge from Draymond Green to seal the win. "It's always a good vibe when you go against somebody that plays at such a high level," Warriors star Stephen Curry said of Lillard on Tuesday. The Warriors had chance after chance to close Wednesday's game late, but they ran out of time. They knew "Dame Time" would eventually come -- and they still couldn't stop it. -- Nick Friedell

Pacers' McConnell sets record for robbery

The Indiana Pacers facing the Cleveland Cavaliers wasn't a marquee matchup, but Pacers guard T.J. McConnell found a way to steal the spotlight. McConnell had nine steals in the first half, the most by any player in one half since the stat became official in 1973-74.

McConnell ended up with 10 steals for the game, one shy of the record, but had 16 points and 13 assists for a very unusual triple-double in Indiana's 114-111 win.

McConnell was 8-for-8 from the field to become the first player to record 10 steals while shooting 100% from the field in a game, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. Michael Jordan previously held the record for the highest field goal percentage in a game with 10 or more steals with a 78% shooting performance in 1988.

Harrell's big game can't lift Lakers

With center Marc Gasol out for the Lakers on Tuesday because of the NBA's health and safety protocols, Montrezl Harrell -- the league's reigning Sixth Man of the Year -- started a game for the first time since 2019 and had one of his worst outputs of the season: 6 points, 2 rebounds and just 19 minutes played. Coming into Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings with Gasol still sidelined, Harrell had a talk with Lakers coach Frank Vogel.

"Even when Marc is out, he still prefers to come off the bench," Vogel said.

So big man Damian Jones, on a 10-day contract, got the start; Harrell got his wish; and he responded with perhaps his finest game as a Laker thus far: 26 points on 13-for-20 shooting with 11 rebounds and a block in 33 minutes.

As much of a lift as Harrell provided, it still wasn't enough to withstand the absences of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Gasol. Harrell's tip-in attempt following a missed potential winning layup by Dennis Schroder rolled off the rim in the waning seconds of a 123-120 loss. The Lakers head into the break losers of seven of their past 10 games. -- Dave McMenamin

LaVine adds to his All-Star season

In his final tuneup before Sunday's All-Star Game, Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine continued to show why he was selected to the league's midseason showcase. LaVine finished with 36 points and eight assists in the win over the Pelicans, and he helped put the game away in the fourth quarter in the process. As the Pelicans attempted to come back from a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit, LaVine finished a tough layup over Josh Hart with 40.1 seconds remaining to put the Bulls back up eight. He also iced the game with two free throws with 9.7 seconds to go.

It was LaVine's 11th game this season with at least 35 points, tied for the most in the NBA. Also, Coby White might really enjoy playing New Orleans. The second-year pro finished with 25 points, and two of his three highest-scoring games this season have come against the Pelicans. -- Andrew Lopez

Hawks pull win out of their hat

The Atlanta Hawks went into the All-Star break on quite a high, but it certainly didn't look like that would be the case for much of their game with the Orlando Magic. A Dwayne Bacon free throw put Orlando in front 106-90 with 6:08 to go, and the Magic's win probability at that point was 99.3%.

But from there ...

The Hawks trailed 106-90 with just under 6 minutes remaining before coming back to win 115-112 vs the Magic.

Entering today, teams were 1-232 when trailing by 16+ points in the final 6 minutes of the game. pic.twitter.com/NgyV1v9GEb

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 4, 2021

Hawks star point guard Trae Young, who will have the weekend off despite entering the night 10th in the league in scoring (26.2 points per game) and third in assists (9.5 per game), scored 20 of his 32 points in the second half and gave the Hawks the lead for good with two free throws with eight seconds to play.

Double triple-double for Detroit

Dennis Smith Jr. and Mason Plumlee became the second pair of teammates in Pistons history to each record a triple-double in the same game, according to Elias Sports Bureau research.

Smith got his triple-double by the slimmest of margins, with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Plumlee had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Detroit beat the Toronto Raptors 129-105.

The other Pistons teammates with triple-doubles in the same game were Donnie Butcher and Ray Scott, who did it in 1964.

A win is a win for Mavs

To win a game in which your best player (Luka Doncic) is sitting, and in which you shoot 8-of-40 from 3, and under 40% from the field, and do it comfortably, says ... something. Either the Dallas Mavericks, in their 87-78 win, did an excellent job holding down the Oklahoma City Thunder's young talent, or the Thunder had a moderately worse offensive game than Dallas (Oklahoma City's 78 points were its fewest since 2015).

Nevertheless, every win is precious to the Mavs in a crowded Western Conference playoff race, and it was an encouraging sign to see Kristaps Porzingis play well (19 points, 13 rebounds). For Dallas, its potential resides in a healthy, dominant Doncic and a healthy, confident Porzingis. So maybe it wasn't a notable win or performance, but it's always better than the alternative. -- Royce Young

Mighty cold in Minnesota

So, how do you like life as an NBA coach, Chris Finch?

Finch, who replaced Ryan Saunders as Minnesota Timberwolves coach last month, is still looking for his first win. Minnesota is 0-5 under Finch and has lost nine straight, with a 135-102 drubbing by the Charlotte Hornets the latest defeat. The 33-point win was Charlotte's largest in the past three seasons, as the Timberwolves limp into the break with the league's worst record at 7-29.

"Tonight's performance was completely unacceptable," Finch said.

We look back at British successes in the early European Indoor Championships beginning with 1966 when it was the European Indoor Games

The European Indoor Games began in 1966 and only became a full European Indoor Championships in 1970.

Back in its early days, it was an annual competition – there was no World Indoor Championships – and here we give details of all British winners as well as list other UK medallists for the first 10 years.

1966: Dortmund, March 27 (GB: 2 golds, 2 silver, 2 bronze)

Barrie Kelly 60m: 6.6
Competing in the one-day inaugural Games, Kelly shocked runners with faster times and better pedigree with a British record run.

Only named for the team the Tuesday before, his start did not stand out but his pick-up put him ahead and the 10.5 outdoor performer just about got the better of 10.3 man Heinz Erbstosser and Viktor Kasatkin who shared the winning team which was only 0.1 of a second down on the world record 6.5.

John Whetton 1500m: 3:43.8 
Soviet Olyeg Raitko set a fast pace of 57.3 and 1:57.8 on the 160m circuit but Whetton went ahead two laps (320m) out and he went 15 metres clear at the bell and he stretched the gap to almost three seconds as his time broke Neill Duggan’s British record. Raiko was a distant second in 3:46.7.

This was his 26th indoor win in 28 races.

Other medallists:
Mike Parker 60mH silver (7.8 – 1st E Ottoz 7.7)
Mary Rand 60m bronze (7.4), High jump bronze (1.65), Long jump silver (6.53) (T Schelkanova 6.73)

1967: Prague, March 11/12 (GB: 2, 1, 0)

John Whetton 1500m 3:48.7
Whetton set off towards the back and he was still in the pack at 800m (2:05.3) and 1000m (2:38.2) when he was fifth.

He put a burst in 300 metres out and opened up four metres at the bell from Olympic silver medallist Jozef Odlozil which he increased to the finish as he completed a 54.8 last 400m. Odlozil was second in 3:49.6.

Lynn Davies Long jump 7.85m
A short run-up caused havoc and over 20 of the 36 jumps in the final were fouls as athletes were forced to start on the track, go downhill and then step up onto the board runway.

The 1964 Olympic champion had three no jumps and then he jumped 7.85m in the fourth to equal Leonid Borzakovskiy’s mark to share the lead.

Davies fouled in the fifth round and then when the Soviet athlete fouled in the last round (his fifth failure compared to Davies who was then on four), it meant Davies just needed a valid second jump of any distance in the last round to win on count-back and playing safe he jumped just 6.52m to win the gold!

Other medallists:
Linda Knowles High jump silver 1.73m (T Chenchik 1.76m)

1968: Madrid, March 9-10 (GB: 1, 1, 0)

Gold: John Whetton 1500m 3:50.9
This was billed as his potentially last ever indoor race and he said it was one of his hardest as he won his third successive title.

He got boxed as the leaders jogged through 800m in 2:07.0. He was only able to extricate himself and get a clear run in the last 100m of the 182m laps and a big sprint on the final bend gave him a clear win over Jose Morera (3:51.7). he covered the last 400m in a scintillating 51.2.

Whetton went on to finish a fine fifth in the Olympics despite the altitude and then was a shock winner of the 1969 European outdoor title.

Other medallists:
Bob Frith 50m silver 5.8 (J Hirscht 5.7)

1969, Belgrade, March 8-9 (GB: 2, 2, 5)

Gold: Ian Stewart 3000m 7:55.4 (UK record)
The 20 year-old Birmingham-based Scot ran a faultless race on a 195m track staying in the pack as the leaders passed 1000m in 2:45 ad halfway in 4:04.5. He moved closer to the front at 2000m in 5:20.0. With around 400m to go Lacos Mecser elbowed Stewart as he moved up which roused the Briton into action and he shot away from the field and shocked the opposition and withe a strong last few laps he won by five metres in a British record from Javier Alvarez (7:56.2) and 1967 champion Werner Girke (7:56.8).

Gold: Alan Pascoe 50mH 6.6 (UK record) (main image, above)
It shows his great versatility that a man who would win titles at 400m hurdles in 1974 could be the best in Europe over 50m hurdles.

He had been eliminated from the semi-finals the previous year when he won the first running but the race was later rerun as some had got left at the start and in the rerun, 14 minutes later he missed out by inches when his winning heat time would have been good enough for second in the final.

This time he was extra careful at the start but trailed bullet-starting Werner Trzmiel initially but hurdling superbly, gradually closed the gap and just behind on the fourth and last flight, he had the better run-in and dip and was a clear winner in a British record time which was shared by the German.

Pascoe would go on to win medals in both the 1969 and 1971 European 110m hurdles and he won a 4x400m silver medal in the 1972 Olympics and he won a European and Commonwealth double at 400m hurdles in 1974.

Other medallists:
Walter Wilkinson 1500m bronze 3:46.4 (E Salve 3:45.9)
Lynn Davies Long jump silver 7.76m (K Beer 7.77m)
Bob Frith (pictured below) 50m bronze 5.8 (Z Nowosz 5.8)
Madeline Cobb 50m bronze 6.5 (I Szewinska 6.4)
Rosemary Stirling 400m bronze 54.8 (C Besson 54.0)
Christine Perera 50mH bronze 7.4 (K Balzer 7.2)
Susan Scott Long jump silver 6.18m (I Szewinska 6.38m)

1970, Vienna, March 13/14 (GB: 2, 0, 0)

Ricky Wilde 3000m 7:47.0 (world record – 7:46.85 on electrical timing)
Wilde had been a good runner on track and country prior to this event but had never won a big international race and this was one of the greatest breakthrough performances ever seen by a British athlete.

Javier Alvarez set a solid pace but nothing special looked on as halfway was reached in around 4:03.0 and 2000m was passed in 5:21.0 well outside eight minute tempo.

Wilde knew he had to go wild over the last kilometre to beat the great Harald Norpoth, who was the 1966 champion and the 1964 Olympic silver and 1966 European silver 5000m medallist.

Getting faster and faster the Briton pushed on and the German was the only one able to hold close but gradually a gap opened up on the penultimate lap and he was 10 metres clear at the bell which he stretched further on the final lap to win by over two seconds.

The finish speed was of the highest world class – he covered the last kilometre in 2:26.0 and the last 1500m in 3:44.6. The actual 1500m in Vienna was won in 3:48.8!

The long kick meant he wiped out Bernd Deissner’s world record of 7:47.8.

Norpoth took silver in 7:49.6 and Alvarez the bronze in 7:52.6.

Emiel Puttemans, who would go on to break the world 3000m and 5000m records in the next two years and win Olympic 10,000m silver, was sixth in 7:57.0.

Wilde never ever repeated this sort of world-beating form again or ever make a major Games team outdoors but did run a 13:30.8 5000m in 1972 but the British team was exceptionally strong that year.

Gold: Marilyn Neufville 400m 53.0 (world record)
Only 17 years-old the London schoolgirl was in her first major event and up against Olympic champion Colette Besson and Christel Frese who had set a world record 53.7 in her heat.

World 300m record-setter Karin Lundgren blasted the first lap and the Cambridge Harrier just behind her was through 200m in an unprecedented for her 24.8.

Neufville went past the Swede on the second lap and then had a battle against Frese and just about fought her off. Though her second lap was 28.2, it was sufficient for gold and easily smashed the German’s world record and went a full second quicker than the record at the start of the Championships.

Frese was second in 53.1 with Besson third in 53.6.

Later in the year Neufville would destroy the world outdoor record at the Commonwealth Games with a 51.0 in the colours of Jamaica but would never approach that form ever again.

There were no other medals and the next highest was Colin Campbell’s sixth in the 800m.

1971: Sofia, March 13-14 (GB: 2, 1, 1)

Gold: Peter Stewart 3000m 7:53.6
Stewart, Ian’s elder brother, was under pressure to win Britain’s third gold in a row at this event but was up against Wilfried Scholz who had beaten him in the match against East Germany.

After a slow first 400m (67.2), Scholz began to power on with a string of fast 400m’s of 63.4, 62.0, 62.8 and 62.8 and only Stewart was able to keep in contact. The next two 400ms section both took 62.4 and the relentless pace opened up a second gap on the Briton at the bell (7:23.0).

Stewart had almost settled for second as he dropped 10 metres back on the last lap but as came off the final bend he realised he was closing and he powered past the German to win by five metres courtesy of a 29.6 last 200m. Scholz ran 7:54.4 with third Yuriy Aleksushin 50 metres back in 8:01.2.

Gold: Margaret Beacham 1500m 4:17.2 (world record)
Beacham had had an astonishing season setting a world record in the British Championships (4:20.5) and then against East Germany (4:17.2) but in her first major championships she was up against four world class athletes with much faster outdoor PB’s

She changed her normal front-running tactics and sat in as the leaders ran a modest pace of 69.2 for 400m and 800m in 2;19.6 (five seconds own on her world record pace) and was having trouble extricating herself from the pack to get in a better position. At 1200m she got clear and was right behind Christina Merten at 1200m (3:29.6).

The Briton then powered past the German and showing unprecedented finishing speed she blasted the last 300m in 47.6.

Following her home around four metres back was Lyudmila Bragina (4:17.8), who would smash the world outdoor record four times in 1972 culminating in her Olympic title.

Beacham was never able to repeat this form and never made an outdoor championships team for Britain.

Other medallists:
Phil Lewis 800m silver 1:50.5 (Y Arzhanov 1:48.7)
Rosemary Stirling 800m bronze 2:06.6 (H Falck 2:06.1)

1972 Grenoble, France, March 16-17 (GB: 0, 0, 0)

There were no British medals with the fifth places of Pete Browne (800m in 1:51.3) and Maureen Chitty (long jump 6.26m) being the highest UK placers.

1973: Rotterdam, Netherlands, March 10-11 (GB; 1, 0, 0)

Gold: Verona Elder 400m 53.0
Having been a semi finalist the previous year, the then 19 year-old Miss Bernard showed how much she had improved. She equalled her PB of 54.0 in her heat which she improved to 53.4 in winning her semi final.

In the final, she dominated the race from the off when drawn in the outside lane she accelerated into the lead at the break and then held off the challenge of her rivals on the second lap to finish a few metres up on East Germans Waltraud Dietsch (53.4) and Renate Siebach (53.5).

The time was a bonus as she gained a share of Neufville’s world record.

There were no other UK medals with Brian Green’s 4th place in the 60m (6.74) being the best British result.

1974: Gothenburg March 9-10 (GB: 1, 1, 0)

Geoff Capes Shot 20.95
This was Capes finest victory.

In the first round East German Heinz-Joachim Rothenburg threw a huge 20.87m to add five centimetres to Cape’s European record.

Capes response though was a superb throw of his own and it landed at 20.95m to regain his European record and the distance was well in excess of his UK outdoor record.

The Briton backed this up with a 20.90m second throw and a 20.77m final throw despite it slipping from his fingers.

Rothenburg didn’t improve on his opening throw and no one else bettered 20 metres.

Other medallists:
Andrea Lynch 60m silver 7.17 (R Stecher 7.16)

1975 Katowice, Poland, March 8-9 (GB: 3, 1, 0)

Gold: Ian Stewart 3000m 7:58.6
Six years after his first win, Stewart sat in as the -pace got gradually quicker (2:42.6 and 2:41.4 over the opening two kilometres.

The world international cross-country winner Pekka Paivarinta burst ahead on the last 160m lap and Stewart chased after him and then edged past to win by inches as they shared the winning time. The final kilometre took just 2:34.6.

Boris Kuznetsov was a distant third in 8:01.2.

Gold: Andrea Lynch 60m 7.17
In the previous championships, Lynch lost out by the narrowest of margins to Olympic double sprint champion Renate Stecher and she matched her British record from that race as she got a great start and dominated the race winning clearly from Monika Mayer (7.24) and the world’s greatest ever female athlete Irena Szewinska (7.26).

Gold: Verona Elder 400m 52.68
Up against three Soviets in the four woman final, she started quickly to get control on the tight bends and ran brilliantly to defeat the world record-holder Nadyezda Ilyina (53.21) by around four metres.

Despite the bends, Elder’s time was a British record and the third fastest on record.

Other medallists:
Geoff Capes Shot silver 19.98m (V Stoev 20.29m)

We continue our look at British athletes who made the podium at the European Indoor Championships from 1976 to 1985

Here we cover all British successes from 1976 to 1985 when the European Indoor Championships importance greatly varied and occasionally only a few athletes would be selected.

For our feature on the period 1966 to 1975, please click here.

1976: Munich, February 20-21 (GB: 1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)

Gold: Geoff Capes Shot 20.64m
Though tired from a US tour and suffering from a damaged finger he dominated the event opening the event with a 20.43m but the gold medal throw came in the fifth round.

He had the day’s three best throws and Gerd Lochman of the GDR was second with 20.29m.

Other medallists:
Berwyn Price 60m hurdles silver 7.80 (V Myasnikov 7.78)
Ray Smedley 3000m bronze 8:02.2 (1 I Sensburg 8:01.6)
Sonia Lannaman 60m silver 7.25 (1st L Haglund 7.24)

1977 San Sebastian, March 12-13 (GB: 3, 2, 0)

Gold: Mary Stewart 1500m, 4:09.4
Her brothers Peter and Ian had already won gold at 3000m and full of confidence after a recent world record of 4:08.1 she joined her siblings as a champion.

Roumyana Chavdarova led through 400m in 67.0. and 800m in 2:14.0 and 1000m in 2:48.8 with Stewart going ahead at 1100m and then accelerating away over the last two laps which she covered in 63 seconds to repel the challenge of Vesela Yatsinska (4:10.0), who ran a 1:58 800m a few years later.

Gold: Jane Colebrook 800m 2:01.1
In her first big international event, this was the least expected success even though she had the fastest pre Games time of 2:02.5 being the smallest and least experienced athlete in the line-up. She only got through to the final as a fastest loser after finishing third in her heat in 2:03.2.

In the final she stayed back out of trouble as Svetlana Strykina blasted the first lap in 27.5 and was through 400m in 57.66. Colebrook was fourth at the bell but moved up to third along the final back-straight and then sprinting past her rivals in the finishing straight to gain a narrow and exciting win over Totka Petrova (2:01.2) and 1977 champion Elzbieta Katolik (2:01.3) and Styrkina (2:01.4).

Her time equalled the world indoor record and matched the 1964 Olympic winning time of Ann Packer.

Gold: Sebastian Coe 800m 1:46.5 (main image, above)
The Briton in his first senior championships and until this point thought of as more of a 1500m runner, won his heat and semi final in 1:50.5 and 1:48.2 respectively.

Because he was concerned about getting pushed, he blasted the first 200m in 24.9 and was through 400m in 51.37 (26.5 for his second lap). He kept the pressure up through 600m in 78.9 (27.5 lap) and East German Erwin Gohlke looked dangerous but the Briton held his form well and covering the last lap in 27.4, he eased away from his rival (1:47.2) to win by five metres.

His time of 1:46.5 just missed Carlo Grippo’s 1:46.4 world record.but took a second off his British and Commonwealth record.

It completed a glorious spell for the British team as they won three top class gold medals in just 20 minutes.

Other medallists:
Geoff Capes Shot bronze 20.11m (R Stahlberg 20.48m)
Sue Reeve (nee Scott) Long Jump bronze 6.48m (J Nygrynova 6.62m)

1978: Milan, March 11-12 (GB: 0, 2, 1)

There were three medals, two to two of Britain’s most successful ever indoor competitors but Keith Connor gained Britain’s first ever triple jump medal.

Other medallists:
Keith Connor Triple jump silver 16.53m (A Piskulin 16.82m)
Geoff Capes Shot silver 20.46m (H Halldorsson 20.59m)
Verona Elder 400m silver 52.75 (M Koch 51.14)

1979: Vienna, February 24-25 (GB; 1, 1, 2)

Gold: Verona Elder 400m 51.80
Elder confirmed her position as Britain’s most successful ever indoor female performer when she won her third title.

Competing in her 50th international she only made the final as a fastest loser when Barbara Krug beat her in the heat. And she went into the final as the slowest of the four qualifiers on paper.

Austria’s Karoline Kafer, inspired by the home crowd, blasted through 200m in a seemingly suicidal 23.92 two metres up on Jarmila Kratochvilova with Elder holding back in third in 24.6 a few metres up on Krug, hoping that her 800m training – she had finished 6th in the championships in the longer event the previous year – would pay off.

The positions remained the same at 300m but gradually Kafer faded as they hit the final straight and the Czech athlete edged by only for a relatively fast finishing Elder to pass the two and win with her final stride and win in a British record 51.80 which moved her to second all-time behind the great Marita Koch’s 51.14 in winning this race in 1977 ahead of Elder.

Kratochvilova (looking about half the size she did when winning double world gold in 1983) was second in 51.81 and Kafer third in 51.90.

Other medallists:
John Robson 1500m bronze 3:42.8 (E Coghlan 3:41.8)
Geoff Capes Shot silver 20.23 (R Stahlberg 20.47)
Judy Oakes Shot bronze 15.66 (I Slupaniek 21.01)

1980, Sindelfingen, March 1-2 (GB: 0, 0, 1)

Britain only fielded a team of 4 and won no gold medals but Liz Barnes gained a bronze.

Other medallists:
Liz Barnes 800m bronze 2:01.5 (J Januchta 2:00.6)

1981, Grenoble, February 21-22 (GB: 0, 0, 2)

Again Britain failed to win a gold but did win two medals through Aston Moore and Elder.

Other medallists:
Verona Elder 400m bronze 52.37 (J Kratochvilova 50.07)
Aston Moore Triple jump bronze 16.73m (S Abbyasov 17.30m)

1982, Milan, March 6-7 (GB: 0, 0, 2)

For the third Championships running there were no British gold medals but Wendy Hoyte and Paula Fudge gained bronzes.

Other medallists:
Wendy Hoyte 60m bronze 7.27 (M Gohr 7.11)
Paula Fudge 3000m bronze 8:56.96 (A Possamai 8:53.77)

1983: Budapest, March 5-6 (GB: 0, 3, 0)

Still no titles but three silvers was a big advance on the previous three championships.

Other medallists:
Ainsley Bennett 400m silver 46.43 (Y Lomtev 46.20)
Peter Elliott 800m silver 1:47.58 (C Trabado 1:46.91)
Joan Baptiste 200m silver 23.37 (M Koch 22.39)

1984: Gothenburg, March 3-4 (GB: 2, 1, 1)

Gold: Bev Kinch 60m 7.16 (UK record)
There were doubts over her fitness when in her first race since mid-January she did not impress finishing second in her heat in 7.26.

In the final though the 20-year-old with more of a reputation as a long-jumper, dominated the race winning clearly from Anelia Nuneva (7.23) and a then young Nelli Cooman (7.23). Her time took a hundredth of a second off Lynch’s 1975 UK record.

Gold: Sue Hearnshaw Long Jump 6.70m (UK record)
The standard was not great as 6.08m won a bronze medal but the Briton, who won four medals in the BMAF Indoor Championships last year, was in magnificent form.

She had the four best jumps of the competition – all at 6.62m or better – and easily defeated defending champion Eva Murkova, a 6.92m jumper, who here could only manage 6.55m.

Other medallists:
Ade Mafe 200m silver 21.34 (A Yevgeniev 20.98)
Phil Norgate 800m bronze 1:48.39 (D Sabia 1:48.05)

1985: Athens, March 2-3 (GB: 3, 0, 2)

Gold: Mike McFarlane 60m 6.61 (UK record)
McFarlane, who had not ventured indoors for seven years and failed to win the AAA title made up for lost time. In his semi final he set a British record 6.63 though lost to British title winner Ronald Desruelles’s 6.62 .

In the final he got a good start, held off an early challenge from Antonio Ullo and then resisted a late charge from Antione Richard to clearly defeat the Frenchman (6.63).

It was the British men’s first gold medal since Coe in 1977.

Gold: Todd Bennett 400m 45.56 (world record)
World record-holder Thomas Schonlebe was absent but the Briton proved that to be an irrelevance as he took 0.04 of a second off of the East German’s record.

He dominated the race from the off passing 200m in 21.7 and 300m in 33.1 and winning by three metres from Klaus Just (45.90).

Gold: Rob Harrison 800m 1:49.09
In an era of the likes of Coe, Cram, Ovett and Elliott, Harrison did not get as much championship action such a quality performer deserves but he made the most of his opportunity here.

A poor heat where he only qualified as a fastest loser was followed by a semi final win in an indoor PB 1:47.72.

In the final he stayed at the shoulder of the leader as 400m was passed in 55.94 and then made his move 130 metres out to complete a 25.5 final 200 metres.
He won by nearly three metres from Romanian Petru Dragoescu (1:49.38).

Other medallists:
Heather Oakes 60m bronze 7.22 (N Cooman 7.10)
Yvonne Murray 3000m bronze 9:00.94 (A Possemai 8:55.25)

West Indies 134 for 6 (Pollard 38, Hasaranga 3-12, Dananjaya 3-62) beat Sri Lanka 131 for 9 (Nissanka 39) by four wickets

In one of the more ridiculous T20 run-chases you will witness, Kieron Pollard became just the third player to hit six sixes in an over in international cricket off the same bowler, Akila Dananjaya, who had rocked West Indies' chase just an over earlier with a hat-trick.

It felt like it was either sixes or wickets for most of West Indies' innings as an opening stand of 52 in 3.2 became 52 for 3 when Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle (on his comeback) and Nicholas Pooran fell in three balls to Dananjaya. Eight balls later Lendl Simmons also departed, lbw to the impressive Wanindu Hasaranga, before Pollard's immense response.

Facing the next over from Dananjaya he joined Herschelle Gibbs and Yuvraj Singh in having taken 36 off an over with some of the shots almost going out of the small ground. West Indies' Powerplay tally of 98 was also a new record and the wild ride continued when Pollard was also lbw to Hasaranga before relative calm was brought to the conclusion by Jason Holder.

Full report to follow