NBA — New Era In Atlanta
The Hawks have the #1 net rating in the NBA over the last 10 games and have been on an absolute tear. They currently sit 6th in the East, and things are looking very optimistic.

CBB — March Madness First Week Recap
The NCAA Tournament did not disappoint in the first week. We saw 12-seed High Point knock off 5-seed Wisconsin, 11-seed VCU take down 6-seed North Carolina, 11-seed Texas upset 6-seed BYU, and 9-seed Iowa beat the defending champion Florida Gators.

📈 Rising

Hawks
#1 net rating + top-5 offense & defense over the last 10

Thunder
Top-5 net rating + #1 defense over the last 10

Lakers
9-game win streak + #2 offense over the last 10

📉 Falling

Heat
4-game losing streak + #18 defense over the last 10

Magic
4-game losing streak + #13 offense over the last 10

Wizards
Worst net rating in NBA + 16-game losing streak

📈 Rising

Nebraska
Clutch win over Vanderbilt + top-10 defense nationally

Texas
Upset win over #3 Gonzaga + top-15 offense

Tennessee
Win over #3 Virginia + top-15 defense

📉 Falling

St. John’s
#42 offense + matchup vs Duke

Alabama
#67 defense nationally + matchup vs Michigan

Iowa
#22 net rating + matchup vs Nebraska

The Atlanta Hawks have been widely known for being average. In fact, at one point the Hawks were 174-174 in their last 348 games, 67-67 in their last 134 games, and 31-31 in their last 62 games. But as of late, Atlanta is 9-1 in their last 10 games, has the #1 net rating over that stretch, and currently sits 6th in the East.

When Atlanta traded the 3rd overall pick Luka Doncic in the 2018 draft for Trae Young, people were in shambles. After making a deep playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the team has experienced a roller coaster that ended with the trade of Trae Young to the Wizards earlier this year. But since that trade, Atlanta hasn’t looked back.

The Hawks have posted a top-5 offensive rating over the last 10 games. But the real shift has been on the other end — Atlanta now owns a top-5 defense since the trade, and for the first time in years, there’s no weak link to hunt. They’re bigger, more physical, and built around length across the board. And it starts with Jalen Johnson, who’s taken the keys and ran with it (22+ PPG, 10+ REB, 7+ AST since the trade) while still keeping the ball moving.

This isn’t a one-man show anymore — 8 players are averaging 9+ PPG, they’re winning the possession battle (+7 FGA per game), and guys like Kuminga have added real scoring punch since the deadline. Atlanta finally switched its direction — and it’s built on size, versatility, and a team that actually defends. In the next 11 games, they’ll face the Celtics twice, Cleveland twice, and the Pistons, Magic, and Heat. It’ll be interesting to see how they fare during this stretch.

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March Madness has lived up to the hype. There’s been a lot of discussion around the tournament and if we’ll see anymore cinderella runs, and the answer is yes. But not the kind of cinderella we’re used to seeing.

To start, the very first day we saw 9-seed TCU upset 8-seed Ohio State, which wasn’t that crazy, but shortly after 12-seed High Point from the Big South Conference knocked off 5-seed Wisconsin in a crazy game that went down to the wire. To follow it up, 11-seed VCU was down by 19 points and came all the way back to upset 6-seed North Carolina in overtime, to cap off the 6th largest comeback in NCAA Tournament history.

Under this new NIL structure, I highly doubt we’ll ever see the same type of deep March Madness runs from small mid-majors. But 9-seed Iowa knocking off 1-seed Florida Gators proved that in March anyone can be beat. Even the defending champions.

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Storyline
Two of the hottest teams in the NBA right now go head-to-head.

Numbers to Know
Knicks: Won previous matchup + top-4 net rating
Hornets: Top-3 defense + top-10 offense over the last 10

Matchup
Jalen Brunson and the Knicks’ shot creation vs a Charlotte team that’s defending at an elite level and playing with real pace.

🎯 Full Timeout Pick: Check Instagram @fulltimeout_

Storyline
Sweet Sixteen clash between two powerhouse programs — and two elite coaches who already saw each other this summer, with UConn taking the exhibition 76–69.

Numbers to Know
Michigan State: #12 defense + #22 offense
UConn: #14 defense + #30 offense

Matchup
This is a rock fight. Two top-15 defenses, but Michigan State brings the more reliable offense — and that’s the edge in a game where points will be hard to come by.

🎯 Full Timeout Pick: Michigan State

NBA

CBB

Jalen Williams Returns ➜ The Thunder star is off the injury report and expected to return tonight vs. the 76ers, giving OKC a key piece back heading into the final stretch.

NBA Expansion Vote Looming ➜ The league will vote March 24–25 on beginning the expansion process for Las Vegas and Seattle. If approved, Memphis or Minnesota is expected to move to the Eastern Conference.

Cade Cunningham Injury Update ➜ The Pistons guard has been diagnosed with a collapsed lung and is expected to miss an extended period of time.

Coaching Carousel Heats Up ➜ Georgia Tech is set to hire Troy HC Scott Cross, Providence is landing Brian Hodgson after leading South Florida to the NCAA Tournament, and Syracuse is expected to bring in Siena HC Gerry McNamara.

March Madness Upsets Piling Up ➜ The tournament has already delivered chaos: #12 High Point over #5 Wisconsin, #11 VCU over #6 North Carolina, #11 Texas over #6 BYU (and #3 Gonzaga), #10 Texas A&M over #7 Saint Mary’s, #9 Utah State over #8 Villanova, and #9 Iowa knocking off both #8 Clemson and #1 Florida.

Which NBA team currently has the best win streak?

A. Oklahoma City Thunder
B. San Antonio Spurs
C. Los Angeles Lakers
D. New York Knicks

Otega Oweh sends it to OT as Kentucky takes down Santa Clara:

🧩 FT Pop Quiz Answer: A. Oklahoma City Thunder (11-game win streak)


That’s Volume 14.
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