Jaylen Brown calls out Lu Dort for getting away with too much physica…

Jaylen Brown calls out Lu Dort for getting away with too much physicality originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Over the years, Lu Dort has been one of the Oklahoma City Thunder's best players. He might not be the best offensive player, but he makes up for that with his impressive defensive impact. Dort is a physical defender, and unfortunately, he can stretch too far sometimes.

This has led to him getting called for multiple flagrant fouls throughout his career, which is headlined by the ones he committed against Nikola Jokic this season. At times, he can get with some of the physical defense he played, which was highlighted by Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown recently.

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Jaylen Brown feels Lu Dort gets away with too much physical defense

Brown has grown from being one of the league's premier defenders to becoming a legitimate two-way superstar. He is the Celtics' go-to guy now because Jayson Tatum is still adjusting to his post-Achilles normalcy. He could return to his #1 role, but for now, Brown is the top dog.

Despite playing more of a scorer now, he is still an elite two-way player. He knows that, which is why he considers himself as the best two-way player or at least the second-best behind Victor Wembanyama. So, Brown knows what it takes to be a premier defender in the NBA.

MORE: Mark Daigneault continues to support Lu Dort amid the flagrant foul backlash

That is why he is criticizing the referees for letting go of their whistles when it comes to Dort's physicality. Everyone knows that Dort is a fantastic defender, but he does get away with some physicality that should be fouls.

Unfortunately for Dort, Brown made sure to talk about it with video clips as proof. This included a time when he contested Brown's shot at the rim, and he hit Brown upside the head.

"Dang. They weren't about to call this, too. Bro snapped me upside the head, I'm tight. Bro smacked me upside the head like I was one of his grandkids or something," Brown said on his Twitch stream about Dort's defense.

Moving forward, there will be a spotlight on Dort when he plays defense. He is getting more and more noticed by the referees now, and that is not a good sign for the quality of the Thunder's defense in the future. They still have Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace, but Dort playing more conservative defense is not good.

More NBA news:

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drops a big-time take about the NBA and the Spurs
• Victor Wembanyama claims that he has an argument for the MVP against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• Chet Holmgren believes that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the runaway MVP winner
• Rudy Gobert praises the OKC Thunder for being the example of a winning team
• Nick Nurse makes loud complaints to the referee because of the refs' calls

What's next for Darius Acuff Jr.? Explaining Arkansas freshman's NBA Draft stock originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Arkansas's season came to an end on Thursday with a loss to Arizona, which means Darius Acuff Jr.'s college career could also be over.

The freshman was a sensation for the Razorbacks, leading one of the nation's most explosive offense and putting his name with the other outstanding freshmen. In fact, he made history in his three NCAA tournament games, scoring the most points by any freshman in the first three games of the tournament.

Most points by a freshman through three NCAA Tournament games, per CBS Sports research:

1. Darius Acuff Jr., 86
2. Zion Williamson, 80
3. Kenny Anderson, 78

— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) March 27, 2026

Acuff now enters an offseason where he will be a polarizing draft prospect in a loaded NBA draft class. However, he also comes with some notable concerns in his game.

Here's a look at what's to come for Acuff.

MARCH MADNESS HQ:Live NCAA bracket | TV schedule | Latest news and more

What's next for Darius Acuff Jr?

In all likelihood, Darius Acuff Jr.'s college career is done, as the point guard is expected to enter the 2026 NBA draft. While this year's class is stacked at the top, NBA teams will consider Acuff with a top pick thanks to his playmaking abilities on offense.

In Acuff's freshman season with Arkansas, the point guard led the SEC in points per game, assists per game and minutes per game. He was also named to several All-American first teams and was named the SEC Player of the Year and SEC Rookie of the Year.

NBA SCOUTING REPORT: Why Darius Acuff Jr. is a polarizing prospect

Darius Acuff Jr NBA Draft projection

Darius Acuff Jr. is projected to be one of the top players available in the 2026 NBA draft, although there is stiff competition for the top pick. Acuff's offensive skills will surely entice NBA teams, but his defensive deficiencies could potentially limit how high in the draft he goes.

ESPN currently has Acuff ranked eighth on its big board, while CBS Sports has him ranked fifth, Sporting News sixth and The Ringer has him sixth. Acuff will likely be considered the best true point guard in the draft, but he is going up against combo guards and star-caliber wings as well.

How does Darius Acuff Jr compare to other potential top picks?

HEre's how Darius Acuff's numbers this season compares with the other three projected top picks: Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson.

How old is Darius Acuff Jr.?

Darius Acuff Jr. is 19-years-old, but will turn 20 early in the next NBA season. He is older than much of his competition for the top NBA pick, including AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Darryn Peterson.

How tall is Darius Acuff Jr.?

Darius Acuff Jr. is listed at 6-foot-2, so his size will be a factor in his NBA evaluation. Teams will have to decide whether they want to spend a high pick on a player of his size, or whether they prefer a player who is bigger and stronger.

LAS VEGAS — For all intents and purposes, the playoffs are underway for the Vegas Golden Knights.

What seemed like a stone-cold lock a few weeks ago has become a desperate struggle to make it to the postseason. When the NHL season resumed on Feb. 25 after the Winter Olympics, the Knights were in first place in the Pacific Division, four points ahead of second-place Edmonton.

Thursday, Vegas was trailing the Oilers, who are still sitting in second in the division despite being without star Leon Draisaitl with the Knights in third place.

So it’s a matter of survival over these final 10 games, which began with a head-to-head pillow fight that turned into real fisticuffs on a couple of occasions against Edmonton at T-Mobile Arena. The Knights are running out of runway and with 79 points and nine games remaining, their hold on a playoff berth remains a tenuous one. Los Angeles is just three points behind Vegas and Seattle is five points back. The Knights and the Kraken will meet twice over the final nine-game stretch, April 9 in Seattle and the regular season finale April 15 at T-Mobile Arena.

The Knights’ 4-3 overtime loss following Evan Bouchard’s goal 3:10 into the extra period only magnifies that this team needs to get on a late-season run and time’s a wastin’. Bruce Cassidy has been juggling things around, trying to get the right combinations to click. So far, it hasn’t yielded much in terms of results.

“Every single game is going to be like a playoff game,” forward Ivan Barbashev said. “Points are big. We got one today, two would’ve been better.

“As a group, we’ve been talking about it. Play simple. Put the puck behind them and we’ve had some success doing that.”

So how did we get here? How did things go sideways so quickly in March?

Too many key players have not been delivering. You can lay the blame for the spotty goaltending of Adin Hill if you wish but he’s not the sole problem. Though just when it appeared Hill had turned the corner with wins over Pittsburgh and Chicago earlier this month, he reverted back to the struggling netminder that had defined his season to date. His 3.03 goals-against average and .868 save percentage have him statistically near the bottom third of the NHL. He’s ranked No. 56 out of 95 goaltenders who have appeared in a game this season. Akira Schmid, Hill’s backup, is ranked 32nd.

The real issue is the guys playing in front of Hill aren’t producing enough to get him off the hook. Going into Thursday night, Jack Eichel hadn’t scored in six games. Mark Stone hadn’t produced a goal in his last seven appearances until he delivered twice Thursday. Mitch Marner no goals in his last six games. Pavel Dorofeyev no goals in his last five. Tomas Hertl no goals in his last 10. Barbashev had just one goal in his last 10 until he scored in the third period to tie it 3-3.

In the 16 games since returning from the Olympic break, the Knights have scored just 37 goals. That’s an average of 2.3 a game. Sorry, that ain’t gonna cut it.

Cassidy can’t put the puck in the net for his players. Nor can he prevent them from being scored on. His shot-blocking days ended years ago back in Italy. That said, he needs to find a way to get his guys going before it’s too late and he’s potentially looking to sell his house in Summerlin. Thursday was the 15th loss in OT or a shootout by the Knights this season. If they had managed to win just half of those games, we wouldn't be having this discussion. But the failure to convert when opportunities present themselves continues to plague this team.

It’s tough,” Stone said. “You give yourself a chance to win. You get the power play in OT and you don’t capitalize.”

Vegas’ inability to exit its own end cleanly continues to be an issue. They are susceptible to a strong forecheck by the opposition and that was evident when Zach Hyman picked Brayden McNabb’s pocket late in the second period and beat Hill from in close to give the Oilers a 3-2 lead which they took into the third period.

“I thought we played a pretty good game 5-on-5,” Stone said. “The problem was we gave up a few big mistakes we got to clean up.”

And while getting a point certainly helped their cause, they are in no position to feel comfortable as to their postseason future. The Knights can’t worry about who they may face in the playoffs. Their focus is on just getting in.

“We’re just trying to get our game together and get in,” Cassidy said. “It’s been a battle for us since the Olympic break to win games. So let’s get winning again, feel good about ourselves and then if and when, we’ll worry about who our opponent is and accept the reality of what the pros and cons are.”

Stone said: “I’m trying to get us going in the right direction. I take a lot of pride in being part of the organization we’ve built here.

“We’ve got nine big games left to put ourselves in the dance. There’s no guarantees. So we have to wake up in the morning, put our best foot forward and be ready for every game.”

CALGARY — Ryan Huska wasn’t interested in shielding his young defenceman by making excuses or downplaying the impact of Zayne Parekh’s late mistake.

In a game Huska said was lost because of penalties, it was a too-many-men call in the final minute of overtime that ended the Flames’ four-game winning streak.

As the puck moved into the Ducks’ offensive zone, Parekh jumped over the boards a handful of Mississippis before Zach Whitecloud reached the Flames bench.

The whistle blew quickly, and there was no argument from the bench, as everyone, including the 19-year-old, knew he’d made a mistake.

The Ducks made him pay with a power-play goal with one second left.

“Whether you’re a young guy, old guy, the referees made the right call there,” said a curt Huska, following a 3-2 loss.

“It’s a bad change.”

Asked if it was something he needed to talk to the team’s top prospect about, Huska shrugged.

“No, that’s talked about a lot,” he said.

“We were just warned. Both teams were just warned right before.”

The Flames didn’t see fit to trot the youngster out after the game to fall on his sword, as he most certainly would have.

He’s a smart young man who understands, in the grand scheme of things, that moments like these are all part of the growing pains a first-year player is bound to endure.

He’s had his share of ’em this year, as part of a rookie season in which the club has only recently started to play him on a regular basis, playing regular minutes.

Progress is being made, but moments like these can be put in the two steps forward, one step back category.

This one was a mental lapse, as perhaps the excitement of joining the play in overtime got the better of a player who is hellbent on trying to prove he can be an offensive difference-maker at this level.

After Mikael Granlund completed his hat trick with one tick left on the clock, Parekh spent a prolonged period of time in the penalty box, essentially licking his wounds.

You can bet that once he reached the dressing room he was met with a steady stream of veterans trying to console him with a tap or quick word of support.

The whole idea of icing a team with as many youngsters as the Flames have comes with an understanding that rookie mistakes will be made.

This one cost them a point, which, ironically, will be appreciated by Flames fans who’ve been cringing throughout the team’s season-high five-game point streak.

The Flames now sit fourth-last, moving one point ahead of Chicago.

Two nights after Parekh scored his first of the season to send the game to overtime, he spent most of Thursday night against Anaheim absorbing hit after hit in a punishing, 17-minute outing that saw him get one shot on net, while blocking four shots.

As far as encouraging signs, for the second game in a row, there he was, out on the ice in overtime, being trusted as part of a trio that included Matthew Coronato and Matvei Gridin, who scored earlier on.

Three future pillars, being given significant responsibilities they wouldn’t have had if the team were still in a playoff race.

Given how his night ended, the optics of sitting him Saturday against Vancouver as part of load management would set the internet on fire.

We’ll see if it comes to that.

With 10 games remaining, there’s no debate he needs to keep playing, building confidence, shouldering heavier loads, and learning to bounce back from nights like these.

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