February 23, 2021 Results:

What we got right:

College Basketball:

#10 West Virginia at TCU - We almost nailed this score exactly. We predicted a 75-66 West Virginia win, and they won 74-66. We still haven’t nailed a score exactly, but we are getting closer. The Mountaineers improved to 16-6 on the season, and like we predicted they won this game with defense. TCU shot just 43% from the field in the loss.

Iowa State at #2 Baylor - Baylor hadn’t played in three weeks, and sure looked like it in the first half. They trailed 2-16 Iowa State by 17 points in the first half, before rallying for the 77-72 win. We can chalk this game up to rust, but the Bears better be ready to go in their next game as they head to Phog Allen to play Kansas.

NBA:

Sacramento at Brooklyn - Even we undersold how bad Sacramento’s defense is. They allowed 127 points to a Kings team still missing Kevin Durant, as they dropped their eighth straight game. That is now seven wins a row for the Nets, who have climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference. That is despite Durant missing their last five games.

Minnesota at Milwaukee - We knew this was going to be a dominating win for the Bucks, but we did not expect them to score almost 140 points. The Bucks beat the Timberwolves 139-112, ruining the debut for new Minnesota coach Chris Finch. Giannis Antentokoumpo had 37 points in 29 minutes, as the Bucks rested their starters for the majority of the fourth quarter.

Portland at Denver - That is now three straight losses for the Blazers, as the host Nuggets won this game 111-106 behind 41 points from Nikola Jokic. Jamal Murray had 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Nuggets pulled away. The Blazers made it close late, earning the cover.

What we got wrong:

College Basketball:

#5 Illinois at Michigan State - Michigan State has won two games in a row against quality opponents to get back on the NCAA Tournament bubble. They have more work to do, but the 82-71 win over Illinois was a major step in the right direction. The Spartans have another chance for a big win on Thursday, as they host #4 Ohio State. If they win that one it will be tough to keep them out of the Big Dance.

Georgia Tech at #16 Virginia Tech - When Virginia Tech struggles on offense, they really struggle. They shot just 41% from the field, committed 16 turnovers, and lost to the Yellow Jackets 69-53. This was the Hokies worst game of the season, and they need to bounce back on Saturday when they host Wake Forest.

St. John’s at #8 Villanova - Villanova got their revenge on St. John’s in a big way, beating the Johnnies 81-58 on their home floor. Villanova dominated this game from the outset, and never looked back. The Wildcats are such a Jekyll and Hyde team, we don’t know which team will show up from game to game. They need to be more consistent. Yesterday was a good start.

#7 Oklahoma at Kansas State - This was as surprising of an outcome as we have seen this season. Kansas State didn’t win a game the entire month of January, but has now won two in a row after their stunning 62-57 upset over the Sooners. This was a devastating loss for Oklahoma in terms of seeding purposes, as it probably puts them out of a top two seed come March.

#17 Kansas at Texas - Kansas had a big lead in this game, but their offensive woes came to a forefront as Texas fought back to force overtime. In the extra period, it was all Longhorns, as Texas earned the 75-72 win over the Jayhawks. Texas earned the season sweep over Kansas with the win.

Ole Miss at #24 Missouri - Just two weeks ago, Missouri was a top ten team and was thinking about a high seed come March. Now they have lost four out of five games, and will most certainly drop out of the rankings next week. It has been a stunning collapse for the Tigers, who played well defensively in this game, but shot horribly in the 60-53 loss.

NBA:

Atlanta at Cleveland - Cleveland snapped its ten game losing streak with a 112-111 win over the Hawks. This was a close game throughout, but in the end it was the Cavaliers who made one more play than the Hawks. Colin Sexton had 29 points in the win for Cleveland, while Trae Young led the way with 28 points for the Hawks, but it took him 27 shots to get there.

Detroit at Orlando - Detroit snapped a three game losing streak and earned a split in its two games against Orlando with a 105-93 victory over the Magic. Saben Lee scored a career high 21 points for the Pistons with the win, while Nikola Vucevic celebrated being named an all-star by dropping 20 points for the Magic.

Golden State at New York - This was the first game this season with fans in the stands at Madison Square Garden, and Stephen Curry put on a show for them. Curry had 37 points to lead the Warriors to the 114-106 win over the Knicks. Julius Randle had 25 points for the Knicks, but they didn’t have enough offense to get the win.

Philadelphia at Toronto - Philadelphia jumped out to a 19 point lead after one quarter, then held on the rest of the way to secure the 109-102 win over Toronto to snap the Raptors four game winning streak. We put a lot of faith in the Raptors to get the job done here, and they let us down again.

Boston at Dallas - This was a hard fought well played game between two teams that have underperformed this season. Luca Doncic hit a three pointer with .1 seconds left to give the Mavericks the 110-107 win over the Celtics. It was part of a 31 point night for Doncic, who put Dallas on his back and carried them to the finish line.

Washington at Los Angeles Clippers - We thought this might be too big a task for Washington, but we rode with them anyways. It was not a good decision, as the Clippers won 135-116, handing the Wizards their first loss in six games. Kawhi Leonard led the charge for the Clippers with 32 points, while Bradley Beal scored 28 in the loss.