It was an exciting Saturday night in the NBA as teams fight for playoff berths. Several former Wildcats played key roles in their teams wins – let’s see who:

RECAP:

DE’AARON FOX DROPS 36 IN BUZZER BEATER WIN OVER CAVS

Our guy De’Aaron Fox is still hot. Fox has scored 30 or more points in each of his last games, shooting 64.1% in that same span. His team is feeling his energy, too. Though the Kings are currently 11th in the Western Conference at 21-25, they have won their last four games with the help of Fox’s leadership. Currently, they are only three games behind Dallas for No. 8 spot in the West and a playoff shot to go along with it.

Last night, the former ‘Cat dropped 36 in a thrilling Kings win, along with four rebounds, six assists and two blocks. To put it simply, the point guard is making his presence known all over the court. His Kings teammate and former UNC Tarheel Harrison Barnes added a double-double with 16 points and 11 assists. Three of those points were crucial to say the least, coming on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to win the game.

Fox was involved in the game-winning play, of course. Sacramento was down 98-97 with 1.6 seconds remaining, but the Kings coaching staff had a nice play drawn up and ready. Fox heaved the ball from the baseline to Barnes, who caught it in stride near the Cavs bench and launched a 26-foot dagger to keep Sacramento’s playoff chances alive. Thank goodness Fox played quarterback growing up, right?

HARRISON BARNES WINS IT OFF THE FULL-COURT PASS 😱

CRAZY GAME-WINNER. pic.twitter.com/CMQaOv0iNv

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 28, 2021

"I did play quarterback growing up…just in case y'all were wondering" 😂

🎥 Swipa breaks down the game-winning play pic.twitter.com/srVfItzIkY

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 28, 2021

WALL POSTS DOUBLE-DOUBLE IN ROCKETS WIN

Though the 13-32 Rockets are second to last in the Western Conference, there seems to be a small spark in H-Town entering the second half of the season. After going on a 20-game losing streak, they have now won two of their last four. Still not great, but it’s a start, right?

John Wall has been at the center of that action. Last night, the former ‘Cat posted a double-double in the Rocket’s win over the Timberwolves with 13 points and 12 assists. His teammate Kevin Porter Jr. added 25 to the Houston effort and the Rockets won 129-107.

Wall with a double-double

🏀 13pts
🏀 11ast pic.twitter.com/pGda7J2QwT

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 28, 2021

Though he hasn’t had his best statistical season, he is still a crucial part of the Rockets. Right now, the veteran point guard is averaging 20.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. Hopefully, the addition of guard Avery Bradley and big man Kelly Olynyk from this week’s trade will help the former ‘Cat out.

On the other side of the ball, former Kentucky big man Karl Anthony-Towns and Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 27 points each. Towns also snagged 14 rebounds and dished out four assists. Minnesota is currently last in the West and in need of some major help. Currently they have the first pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Houston has the third pick.

KNICKS GRIND OUT CLOSE WIN WITHOUT RANDLE

If you’ve been reading these the past few months, you might have noticed I am big on the Julius Randle train. The All-Star has had an incredible season and proved to be a crucial part of the Knicks, who are having one of their best seasons in recent memory. Unfortunately, though, Randle did not play in last night’s matchup with the Bucks due to a right thigh contusion.

Randle plays more minutes than almost any other player in the NBA, so the Knicks had to work together to overcome his absence. Alec Burks and R.J. Barrett both helped to pick up some of the slack, each scoring 21 points to help the Knicks grind out a 102-96 win over Milwaukee. The victory came with a huge loss, though, as starting New York center Mitchell Robinson exited the game with a broken right foot in the first quarter.

Immanuel Quickley provided some quality minutes for the Knicks as well, ending with 13 points and five assists in his 26 minutes of play. Derrick Rose also made his return for the Knicks last night, racking up 13 points in his 29 minutes on the court. Rose has been sidelined the last 10 games after contracting COVID-19 and working to rebuild his stamina.

NO FEAR. pic.twitter.com/3iueZRBWxU

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 28, 2021

The Knicks are currently in a good spot for their playoff hopes, sitting at No. 5 in the Eastern Conference at 24-22.

Here are the full stats from last night:

[table id=735 /]

TODAY IN THE NBA:

1:00 p.m. – Suns (Booker) at Hornets (Washington, Richards, Monk)

7:00 p.m. – Trail Blazers at Raptors

9:00 p.m. – Hawks at Nuggets (Murray)

10:00 p.m. – Magic at Lakers (Davis)