There were ejections in Minneapolis, sure, and perhaps some suspensions to come. But what the Detroit Pistons have discovered, or rather what they’ve displayed for the better part of this season, is an identity.

One can add the Melee in Minneapolis to some of the other famous brouhahas in the franchise’s history, and of course the jokes will fly about the Pistons being known for such things. The internet was on fire when it saw Isaiah Stewart grab his jersey and point to the “Detroit” emblazoned across the front, while barking at the Minnesota Timberwolves fans.

This was in the aftermath of the altercation that started with the Timberwolves’ Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo and Pistons rookie Ron Holland II. Holland, whose play has improved in recent weeks with more opportunities, has never been one to scare and didn’t back down from Reid or DiVincenzo. Plays before the actual kerfuffle, Stewart, yes, had been into it with DiVincenzo, and then Rudy Gobert found himself on the other end of Stewart letting him know what could happen if he was interested.

So by the time the smoke cleared and players were removed from the first row of the Target Center stands, five players and two coaches, including Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, were ejected.

“What you see is guys looking out for one another, guys trying to have each other’s back … and those are non-negotiable in our locker room,” Bickerstaff said after the game. “When you play the way we play, you earn a reputation, you’re going to be tested.”

All-NBA candidate Cade Cunningham and forward Tobias Harris were already out with injury, so the ejections put an even bigger strain on the Pistons, who ultimately lost the game, 123-104.

But that didn’t matter in the moment, and it doesn’t matter when you’re establishing something very real, brick by brick. It didn’t even matter to Bickerstaff in his fiery moment.

“There were some things said by their assistant coach [Pablo Prigioni], and I’m in the same boat as my guys, we’re going to defend each other,” Bickerstaff said. “I’m not gonna let people say belligerent things about my guys. And it’s that simple.”

That doesn’t fly everywhere, but it does in Detroit — and it had better.

With that comes something for them to embrace, for the present and the future. For now, any team seeing the Pistons on their schedule knows they’re in for a long night — and that’s expected to continue in the playoffs when they begin in three weeks.

For what they lack in experience, they seem to make up with other intangibles. And this franchise seems to be buoyed by instances that firmly plant Detroit on one side and everyone else on the other.

Call it Detroit vs. Everybody.

In a January game in 1988, Pistons bruiser Rick Mahorn — who was more skilled than folks remember but was known as a tough guy for good reason — took down a 23-year-old league darling wearing No. 23 in Chicago. When a skinny Michael Jordan got to his feet, then-Bull Charles Oakley went after Mahorn, and Bulls coach Doug Collins tried jumping on Mahorn’s back, along with assistant Johnny Bach and a hippie by the name of Phil Jackson.

Those Pistons were far more established by that point, having gone to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals the year before, losing to the Boston Celtics, but they were still fighting for their turf — literally and figuratively.

It was the birth of the “Bad Boys,” who took what could’ve been seen as a negative, wrapped their arms around it, and made it their signature. Even though Isiah Thomas was one of the league’s most dazzling players, that toughness became synonymous for the next five years.

Whether they were cult heroes, antiheroes or a revelation to the NBA that winning could be done in a different way than the glamorous Lakers or similarly gritty Celtics, it wasn’t the norm.

They were hated because they were feared, which was the greatest sign of respect.

These Pistons aren’t there, they’re still shaking off the residue of the negative years, the embarrassing 28-game losing streak from last season and futility of having not won a playoff game since 2008 — the end of a seven-year run of 50-win seasons that culminated in two Finals appearances and an NBA title in 2004. 

Not shockingly, that Pistons team was rough and tumble. Ben Wallace was the defensive anchor, and they announced to the NBA that they weren’t to be quarreled with against another Midwest team they’d battle for supremacy for the next few years.

In late March of 2002, the Pistons stormed into Indiana and put a beatdown on the Pacers. Pistons reserve Corliss Williamson drove and found Jermaine O’Neal delivering a forearm shiver late in the fourth quarter. Williamson didn’t take kindly to it and slammed the ball on O’Neal’s head before an all-out brawl took place. O’Neal threw punches at multiple Pistons before being ejected.

(As an aside, Williamson was one of the peacemakers on Sunday as an assistant on the Timberwolves staff.)

The two franchises would meet in the conference finals two years later and, of course, at the start of the 2004-05 season the ugly Malice at the Palace took place when Ron Artest went into the stands after a fan threw a cup of beer on him.

That element was regrettable, of course, and nobody’s suggesting these Pistons find themselves in that position. But it seems fitting some teams have a look and a feel, no matter the era. Stewart has developed a reputation for being ready to fight, but it obscures him being one of the league’s best defenders, and a player many teams have called about regarding his trade availability.

He’s not as legendary as Wallace, but he does fit the Mahorn mold, and he’s a huge part of why this team is developing an identity, a way of life for 48 minutes.

You can’t win in this league without an identity. It’s as much for you as it is for the rest of the league to know what they’re in for, for incoming players to know the standard, and even for fans to connect and have strong opinions on either side of the spectrum.

Those Bad Boys Pistons made you feel something — hell, they still make you feel something to this day. Seeing Stewart brings a visceral reaction now, just like seeing Bill Laimbeer’s sneer, or Dennis Rodman’s clap-and-smile routine, or Isiah’s charm being on full display.

“You don’t win by accident. There’s a formula for success. And you must study it and force that formula on your team,” Thomas told NBC’s Bob Costas in 1993. “We didn’t just hunker down and say it’s us against the world. It was planned, thought out, detailed, organized.

“It was no type of tradition. A fan could care less if he wore a Detroit Pistons hat. It didn’t mean anything to him. There was no brand name equity in that Pistons emblem. So you had to create something. And it wasn’t gonna be created through your marketing department. It had to be created through your players.”

Thomas was talking about the Pistons’ reputation, and subsequently, his own. It was a personal cost for Thomas to win, to create that identity from nothing — and it’s being followed again today.

The Pistons are more than just resurgent this season. They’re coming. This April and beyond.

Detroit vs. Everybody.

Kevin Durant left the Phoenix Suns’ blowout loss to the Houston Rockets early on Sunday night after rolling his ankle hard in the second half.

The injury came just a quarter after the Suns star got into it briefly with Rockets forward Dillon Brooks — who was then ejected from the game after the scuffle.

Durant is expected to miss at least a week due to a left ankle sprain, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. 

Durant was driving to the basket in the third quarter at the Footprint Center when his left foot landed completely on Jabari Smith Jr.’s foot in the lane. Durant’s left ankle rolled hard, which sent him down to the court awkwardly, clearly in a lot of pain.

He was helped up and limped off the floor and back to the locker room. He did not return.

Durant was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said. He was expected to remain in Phoenix when the team leaves Monday for a three-game trip that starts in Milwaukee. 

Durant drew a foul on the play he was injured, but he did not remain in the game to shoot the free throws. He ended his night with 11 points and seven rebounds.

The injury came after an incident with Brooks in the second quarter, though Durant was far from the aggressor there. Brooks was called for a simple foul while trying to guard Durant at the top of the key late in the first half. But well after the initial whistle was blown, Brooks kept making a play for the ball — which led to a bit of shoving between Brooks, Durant and Nick Richards.

But when Brooks didn’t let it go and started yelling at the official, he was quickly hit with a pair of technicals and thrown out of the game. Once the official ejected Brooks, he briefly tried to charge at the official. An assistant held him back, and then the two left the floor for the locker room.

Brooks finished with eight points, one rebound and one assist in 11 minutes. He now has 15 technical fouls this season. He also entered Sunday’s game leading the league in fouls this season with 235.

The Rockets, despite Brooks’ ejection, still took a huge 29-point lead into halftime. They outscored the Suns by 21 points in the second quarter alone. Things didn’t get any better for Phoenix in the second half, either. Houston cruised to a 148-109 win behind a 33-point night from Jalen Green, pushing the team to 49-26 on the season. The Rockets have won 12 of their past 13 games, and are fighting to hang on to the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference standings.

The Suns, on the other hand, dropped to 35-40 and are sitting 11th in the standings — which has them missing the playoffs entirely — with only seven games left in the regular season. Durant’s future with the Suns is unclear, too, after it seemed he was going to be traded at the deadline earlier this year. Durant has one year left on his four-year, $194 million deal with the Suns. 

Durant was expected to stay behind when the Suns leave for a three-game road trip Monday while he undergoes further testing on his ankle. The Suns are back in action Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, and won’t be home again until April 8. 

If Durant misses the team’s entire road trip, that could put him in line to return for that April 8 game against the Warriors. But if Durant needs more time to recover, it’s possible Sunday’s game was the last time he’ll see the court this season, and — depending on how the offseason goes — maybe the last time he’ll play for the Suns.

Slightly ahead of schedule, Rockets guard Reed Sheppard was officially active and cleared to play in Sunday’s road game versus Phoenix.

After suffering a right thumb avulsion fracture on March 6 versus the New Orleans Pelicans, Houston’s top rookie was initially estimated to miss at least four weeks.

Drafted at No. 3 overall in the 2024 first round, Sheppard has played only sparingly in the 2024-25 season for a deep Houston squad that is highly likely to advance to the NBA’s 2025 playoffs. At the moment, the Rockets are 48-26 and No. 2 in the Western Conference standings.

With that in mind, considering Sheppard’s relative inexperience and a lack of consistent playing time before the injury, it’s probably a longshot to expect Sheppard to play significant minutes this season or postseason.

Rockets say rookie guard Reed Sheppard — who missed the past 11 games — is available tonight. Sheppard had been out since early March with a right thumb injury.

— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) March 30, 2025

Then again, in a March 3 game with widespread injury absences and an opportunity for more minutes, the 20-year-old Kentucky product flashed his potential with an efficient 25-point, 5-assist night at Oklahoma City.

Regardless, Sheppard could be a useful depth option near the end of Houston’s bench. And perhaps more importantly, having a healthy thumb on his shooting hand is an essential first step when it comes to skills development during the offseason ahead.

More: Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard making good progress in thumb injury rehab

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: After right thumb injury, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard cleared to play

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The start of the Miami Open men’s final between Novak Djokovic and unseeded 19-year-old Jakub Mensuk on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium was delayed 5½ hours from its 3 p.m. start time.

The players didn’t take the court until 8:37 p.m. due to rain and organizers deciding on completing the women’s doubles final.

The South Florida rain began at 12:50 p.m. during the women’s doubles final pitting Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider against Cristina Bucsa and Miyu Kato, with Andreeva and Shnaider leading 3-0 in the first set.

The women’s players returned to the court at 5:30 p.m. after the rain stopped and the courts were readied by court-drying machinery. But rain began minutes later before warmups and the umbrella-toting players left the court again.

The women returned to the court an hour later and resumed play at 6:50 p.m. Andreeva and Schnaider went the distance, prevailing in a third-set match tiebreaker 6-3, 6-7 (5), 10-2.

About three-quarters of the fans were still in the stadium. Players were told that the doubles championship ceremony would be abbreviated.

Seeded fourth, the 37-year-old Djokovic was seeking his seventh Miami Open title – which would tie him for the record with Andre Agassi.

Djokovic is also attempting to win his 100th career pro title, which would rank third after Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).

Mensuk, of the Czech Republic, is playing his first ATP 1000 final. He was not quite 2 years old when Djokovic won his first Miami Open title in 2007. Djokovic also won Miami in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 – all coming at the old venue in Key Biscayne.

The age gap of 18 years and 102 days will be the largest in the history of ATP 1000-level final.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

As is customary, the NFL’s head coaches for the upcoming season, including the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Liam Coen, gather for a photo during the Annual League Meeting.

Coen is entering his first season as the Jaguars‘ head coach, and this will be his first time holding the head coaching title in the NFL.

The annual meeting is held in Palm Beach, Florida, with head coaches, executives, and team owners all in attendance. Part of the conversation in the coming days, as noted by Tim Twentyman, will be teams discussing proposals to change rules, bylaws, and resolutions submitted by the NFL’s competition committee.

Two of the larger, more attention-grabbing topics of conversation will consist of a potential 18-game schedule and whether or not to ban the tush push.

We will also hear from Coen as well as Jaguars’ general manager James Galdstone during the event as well. This will be the first time that we’ve heard from Coen since free agency started a few weeks back. The Jaguars, of course, were quite active early on.

Below you can see the coaches’ photo for the 2025 league year:

NFL coaches gathered on Day One of the Annual Meeting for a quick photo in between sessions. pic.twitter.com/BQdoin0RpV

— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) March 30, 2025

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2025 Annual coaches photo: Jaguars’ Liam Coen takes part

As is customary, the NFL’s head coaches for the upcoming season, including the Indianapolis Colts’ Shane Steichen, gather for a photo during the Annual League Meeting.

Steichen is entering his third season as the Colts‘ head coach and has a .500 record through two years after going 9-8 in 2023 and 8-9 this most recent season.

The event is held in Palm Beach, Florida, with head coaches, executives, and team owners all in attendance. Part of the conversation in the coming days, as noted by Tim Twentyman, will be teams discussing proposals to change rules, bylaws, and resolutions submitted by the NFL’s competition committee.

Two of the larger, more attention-grabbing topics of conversation will consist of a potential 18-game schedule and whether or not to ban the tush push.

We will also hear from Steichen as well as Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard during the event as well. This will be the first time that either of them has spoken publicly since free agency started a few weeks ago.

Below you can see the coaches’ photo for the 2025 league year:

NFL coaches gathered on Day One of the Annual Meeting for a quick photo in between sessions. pic.twitter.com/BQdoin0RpV

— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) March 30, 2025

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2025 Annual coaches photo with Colts’ Shane Steichen

A historically chalky NCAA tournament will fittingly crown a national champion with a clash of the heavyweights.

All four No. 1 seeds have advanced to the men’s Final Four for the first time since 2008 and only the second time in history.

Saturday’s first national semifinal will pit the two juggernauts left standing from this season’s most dominant conference. SEC regular-season champ Auburn (32-5) will face off against SEC tournament champion Florida (34-4) with a spot in the national title game at stake.

The nightcap of the Final Four doubleheader could offer Duke (35-3) its toughest challenge of the postseason. The Blue Devils draw a Houston team that has lost just once since Thanksgiving weekend thanks to its holy trinity of defense, rebounding and protecting the ball.

Oddly enough, the Alamodome was also the venue the only other time all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four. In 2008, Kansas toppled Memphis in overtime to win Bill Self’s first national title, tying the game in the final seconds of regulation with a Mario Chalmers 3-pointer after Derrick Rose missed a potential clinching free throw.

Between 2008 and 2025, there weren’t many other years when the four No. 1 seeds came close to advancing en masse to the Final Four. Only in 2015 did three teams from the top seed line make the Final Four. Not since 2016 have all four No. 1 seeds even made the Elite Eight.

“The four teams that are advancing, I think they’re the best four teams in the country,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said after his team’s win Sunday. “That doesn’t obviously always happen.”

In hindsight, there were signs before the NCAA tournament tipped off that this could be the year that bucked that trend. By the numbers, the 2025 NCAA tournament had maybe the strongest quartet of No. 1 seeds in recent history.

Duke, Florida, Auburn and Houston each entered the NCAA tournament with adjusted efficiency margins of 35 or more, according to college basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy. That’s the number of points they would be expected to outscore the average Division I opponent by over 100 possessions.

The gap between the four No. 1 seeds and even this year’s No. 2s and 3s was unusually large. So was the gap between this year’s four No. 1 seeds and previous national champions. Only two of the past 22 national champions have finished the NCAA tournament with an adjusted efficiency margin above 35.

Anecdotal evidence corroborates what the numbers are suggesting. Auburn and Florida are the two strongest teams from a dominant conference. Houston won the Big 12 by four games and backed that up with a conference tournament crown. Duke produced a historic season in a down ACC, piling up a plus-434 scoring margin in 20 league games. It was mid-January the last time any of them were ranked lower than 6th in the AP poll.

Who’s the favorite among the No. 1 seeds? Oddsmakers say it’s Duke — and with good reason.

Jon Scheyer’s first Final Four team is the best Duke team in a decade, better than the 32-win Zion Williamson-R.J. Barrett juggernaut, better than the Paolo Banchero-led group that took Mike Krzyzewski to one last Final Four. With Cooper Flagg and fellow projected lottery picks Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, the Blue Devils are challenging the narrative that a freshman-driven team cannot win a national title in the era of COVID seniors and grad transfers.

If this Final Four ends up a Duke coronation, the Blue Devils will have earned their crown.

Houston will test Duke on Saturday with its top-rated defense and its knack for turning offensive rebounds into second-chance points. The Cougars will be eager to avenge last year’s Sweet 16 loss, a game that they were leading until losing star guard Jamal Shead to an injury midway through the first half.

Looming on the other side of the bracket is an Auburn team that looks to have rediscovered its peak form and a Florida team with the most ice-cold clutch shooter in this NCAA tournament. No one wants any part of Walter Clayton Jr. in a close game down the stretch. Ask UConn. Or ask Texas Tech.

Is this the best Final Four field in history? It’s certainly in the conversation.

An upset-free NCAA tournament will culminate with a monster Final Four.

Next Saturday can’t arrive soon enough.