Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls needed some late-game magic to help fend off LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Thursday.

The Bulls’ 119-117 victory was their second win over the Lakers in a week. The Bulls are trying to secure a spot in the postseason and the victory helped improve their record to 33-40 overall.

Giddey finished the game with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, but it was his game-winning shot that highlighted another positive result for the Bulls.

Josh Giddey buzzer beater

With time running off the clock, Giddey brought the ball up the court and called his own number by making the game-winning shot behind the halfcourt line.

Welcome to the wild ride of women’s March Madness. Make sure your seat belt is buckled for the Sweet 16 matchup between No. 1 seed South Carolina and No. 4 Maryland on Friday and enjoy the show. 

If your seat belt isn’t buckled, the defending champion Gamecocks’ “Seat Belt Gang” will make sure you’re strapped up, just like how they lock down opponents. And now, the Seat Belt Gang has another member — Te-Hina Paopao. 

“I’m just really proud to be part of the Seat Belt Gang,” Paopao said Sunday after recording a career-high four blocks and two steals in South Carolina’s 64-53 win over Indiana. The win advanced the team to its 11th consecutive Sweet 16, the second-longest streak in the nation.

The “Seat Belt Gang” is known for setting the tone defensively for the Gamecocks, who rank fifth in the nation in blocks per game (5.8) and opponents’ field goal percentage (35.2%). The group originated as a two-woman show made up of SEC All-Defensive Team guard Raven Johnson and Bree Hall, who regularly celebrate their defensive prowess by strapping imaginary seat belts across their chest after guarding the opposing team’s best player every night. But the duo is now a trio following Paopao’s induction into the exclusive club.

DAWN STALEY: South Carolina coach calls JuJu Watkins’ injury in March Madness ‘a big void’

“My girl showed she can play some defense,” Hall said after the game.

Johnson added, “She’s a member of the Seat Belt Gang. Me and (Hall) was telling her that. … If she brings that all the time, nobody can stop that.’

How did the Seat Belt Gang originate?

The ‘Seat Belt Gang’ originated in South Carolina, not on the basketball court, but on the football field. Former Gamecocks defensive backs Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu came up with the seat-belt celebration during a walk-though ahead of a matchup against LSU in the 2020 season. Horn said they debuted the hand-across-the-chest gesture during the game. ‘We played LSU that weekend. After the first stop I had, I pulled (the gesture) out. My trainer posted it on his Instagram and it took off from there,’ Horn recalled during an interview with ESPN last week. The celebration can be seen everywhere from Pop Warner, to the NFL, to the women’s March Madness tournament. (Horn was drafted with the No. 8 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2021 and became one of the highest-paid NFL CBs earlier this month.)

Te-Hina Paopao’s defense doesn’t ‘get enough credit’

Paopao has been known for being a knock-down shooter throughout her career, which started in Oregon (2020-23) before she transferred to South Carolina last year. Paopao is averaging a career-high 44.8% from the field, but South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said she doesn’t think Paopao’s “defense gets enough credit.”

‘Pao’s defense was great. It was executed to a T,” Staley said on Sunday, following the win over No. 9 Indiana. ‘I thought she did a great job. We told her that in the locker room. I’m happy that we’re helping to complete Pao, because for the longest, her reputation is she can just flat-out shoot the ball. She’s a consummate point guard, and I don’t think her defense gets enough credit in the past two years that she’s been with us because it’s gotten better and better and better.’

Staley added, ‘We’re a culture of playing defense, and if you don’t play it, you stick out, and (Paopao) is not one that wants to stick out in that way.’

The Gamecocks will be tasked with slowing down No. 4 seed Maryland, which is coming off a 111-108 double-overtime win over No. 5 Alabama in the second-highest scoring game in women’s NCAA Tournament history.

‘They will shoot the 3-ball. They will drive it down your throats. They have some bigs that can command the paint,’ Staley said. ‘They play up and down. They get up and down the floor. They want the game in the 80s and 90s and 100s if they can.’

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

AI-assisted summary
• Duke’s women’s basketball coach, Kara Lawson, is an Olympic gold medalist and former WNBA player.
• Lawson’s players attest to her continued basketball skills, claiming she’s the ‘best shooter in the gym.’
• Now in her fifth year coaching Duke, Lawson has led the Blue Devils to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley isn’t the only Olympic gold medalist roaming the sidelines of the Sweet 16 here. 

“She will lace them up and show us how it really goes when it comes to executing plays,” Blue Devils senior guard Reigan Richardson said. “Once in a while, she’ll go out there and shoot with us, just to prove she’s the best shooter in the gym.”

Watch Duke vs. UNC on Fubo (free trial)

Lawson, who will lead No. 2 Duke against in-state rival No. 3 UNC in March Madness action on Friday, won gold with the 2008 Olympic team. She played in the WNBA for 13 seasons, winning a championship in 2005 with the Sacramento Monarchs. She was a WNBA All-Star in 2007. 

In Year 5 as the head coach of Duke women’s basketball, Lawson has the Blue Devils in the Sweet 16 for the second straight season. And Lawson still has a hold of her jump shot, junior guard Ashlon Jackson said.

“This year was my first year in three years that I have seen her (Lawson) miss a shot while showing us something,” Jackson said. 

Lawson played at Tennessee under legendary head coach Pat Summitt. In four seasons, Lawson led the Lady Volunteers to three Final Fours.

To no surprise, Lawson’s basketball resume has helped her lead and mentor players on and off the floor. In particular, her players enjoy hearing stories from her playing days and from working as the Boston Celtics’ first female assistant coach.  

“It comes out everywhere,” graduate guard Vanessa de Jesus said of Lawson’s storytelling. “Depending on how she feels, especially before games, kind of just motivating us or leading up to a tournament, just to make a story and get us together, have a goal towards something.” 

The 2024-25 Blue Devils still are writing their story. They’re hoping for a few more jaw-dropping surprises like their coach sometimes delivers. 

“After practice I was playing around getting my water and coach is over there practicing her half-court shots,” Blue Devils senior guard Reigan Richardson said. “And her first take she threw it up there and I was like, ‘She’s not gonna make it,’ and then she made it. She swished it.” 

Duke vs. UNC women’s basketball time, where to watch

• Date: Friday, March 28
• Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN

Wesley Branch is a student in the University of Georgia’s Sports Media Certificate program.

AI-assisted summary
• Raven Johnson plays point guard for the South Carolina Gamecocks, coached by Dawn Staley, one of the greatest point guards in history.
• Staley emphasizes the importance of the position, holding them accountable for any miscommunications or errors on the court.
• Staley’s players describe her coaching style as direct and insightful, drawing from her experience as a renowned player.
• The players value Staley’s guidance and recognize her deep understanding of the game.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – South Carolina women’s basketball junior Raven Johnson has one of the hardest jobs in March Madness. She plays point guard for one of the greatest point guards in history – her head coach, Dawn Staley.

“If anything goes wrong on the floor I blame the point guards,” Staley said. “Anything, any kind of misconnect, miscommunication. And they could not have been involved in the interaction.”

On Staley’s resume: Three-time Olympic gold medalist, seven-time WNBA All Star, two-time Naismith Trophy winner.

“It’s very hard, you have to be another version of Staley on the court,” Johnson said. “She has to trust you with the ball. Not even that – all these girls have to respect you, they got to listen to your voice.”

Alongside Johnson, guards Te-Hina Paopao and Bree Hall act as “connectors” on the floor, as Staley calls them. The trio has started in all of the Gamecocks’ 35 games this season and is slated to start in South Carolina’s Sweet 16 game against No. 4 Maryland on Friday.

Staley played point guard at the University of Virginia for four seasons, leading the Cavaliers through four NCAA Tournaments and three Final Four appearances. 

“Her IQ for the game is phenomenal,” Johnson said. “Some things that she sees, I’m like, ‘Wow, Coach, I would have never thought of that.’ From freshman year to now, I’ve learned so much from her.”

Staley is the only player in ACC history, male or female, to log more than 2,000 points, 700 assists and 400 steals. She is one of three Virginia basketball players to have their jersey retired. 

“She has helped me tremendously with my passing, especially to the post,” Hall said. “I’d say the first two years were the building blocks … We would do different drills, and she would ask me, ‘Did you see that? Did you see this? Did you see that?’”

Paopao, who is in her second and final season playing for South Carolina after transferring from Oregon, said Staley is as pinpoint with her guidance as she was with her passing.

“She’s direct,” Paopao said. “She’ll tell you on the spot, rather than waiting ‘til the storm is calm. She’ll tell you right then and there when you don’t want to hear it, but at the same time, you have to hear it.”

Staley was picked as the flag bearer for Team USA during the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Athens Olympics. The same year, USA Basketball named her the Female Athlete of the Year – an honor she also had won a decade before.

“Any advice she gives, I always listen,” Paopao said, “because she’s very wise and obviously knows what she’s talking about.”

Olivia Noni is a student in the University of Georgia’s Sports Media Certificate program.

The No. 1 Duke Blue Devils and No. 4 Arizona Wildcats both had aspirations of playing in San Antonio next weekend, but one of those dreams died Thursday after the two sides played for a spot in the Elite Eight.

Cooper Flagg and Duke have been the juggernaut they were advertised to be, winning their first two March Madness games by a combined 67 points against Mount St. Mary’s and Baylor. They continued that streak with their first win of fewer than 10 points Thursday vs. Arizona, winning 100-93.

Watch Duke vs Arizona in March Madness on Fubo (free trial)

Arizona gave the Blue Devils their best shot, especially by way of Caleb Love and his game-leading 35 points. But Flagg and Kon Knueppel scored 30 and 20 points, respectively, and were too much for the Wildcats, who refused to go away down the stretch.

Check out full scores, updates and highlights from Duke’s win vs. Arizona:

Duke vs Arizona score

What had been a comfortable Duke lead finished slightly more anxiety-inducing. The Blue Devils led by nearly 20 points at one point in the second half, but the Wildcats managed to cut it to seven points by the end of it, with Duke winning 100-93.

Duke vs Alabama basketball

With the Blue Devils’ win, Duke will now play Alabama in the Elite Eight following the Crimson Tide’s 113-88 win over No. 6 BYU.

Caleb Love stats

It may have come in a losing effort, but Love has nothing to be ashamed of from an individual standpoint. He scored a game-leading 35 points on 11-of-21 shooting, including 5 of 11 from 3-point range. He added four rebounds, an assist and a steal in the loss.

Duke vs Arizona Sweet 16 updates

This section will be updated throughout the game.

Arizona making a run vs Duke

Don’t declare the Wildcats dead, at least not yet. After falling behind by nearly 20 points in the second half, coach Tommy Lloyd’s team is roaring back, riding a 7-0 run to cut Duke’s lead to 78-70 with 7:47 remaining. Renowned Blue Devils assassin Caleb Love is up to a game-high 31 points.

Cooper Flagg no-look pass

Flagg’s been much more than a scorer for Duke against Arizona, as he showed so deftly early in the second half, when he drove to the basket, had the defense collapse on him and, without looking, finds a wide-open Sion James in the corner with a crisp pass, leading to a 3-pointer that put the Blue Devils up 56-44.

Duke gets out to hot second half start

Whatever momentum Duke had going into halftime has followed them out of the locker room. The Blue Devils score eight of the first 10 points of the second half to extend their lead to 56-44 in the opening three minutes of the period.

Duke, Cooper Flagg leading Arizona at halftime

Duke ended the first half in style, with Cooper Flagg calmly taking the ball up the court, checking the clock and draining a 3-pointer from the top of the key to double the Blue Devils’ lead to 48-42 at halftime. Flagg has a game-high 18 points.

As a team, Duke is 19-of-31 from the field (61.3%) and 7-of-13 from 3-point range (53.8%). Behind a team-high 14 points from Caleb Love, Arizona is 12-of-28 overall (42.9%) and 7-of-14 from 3 (50%).

Duke pulling ahead of Arizona

The Blue Devils are creating a little distance from the Wildcats, riding an 11-0 run to take a 23-16 lead over Arizona with 8:30 remaining in the first half. Freshman Kon Knueppel capped off the spurt with a 3-pointer.

Cooper Flagg points today

Flagg has 25 points, six rebounds and seven assists with 3:22 remaining. He’s 9-of-17 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point range. He has a steal and a block, as well, doing a little bit of everything for the Blue Devils.

Caleb Love points today

In what will be his final game against Duke, Love has 33 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range. He also has four rebounds, an assist and a steal.

Alabama vs BYU score

The winner of Thursday’s game between Duke and Arizona will advance to take on No. 2 seed Alabama in the Elite Eight. Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide knocked off BYU 113-88 while making an NCAA Tournament-record 25 3-pointers (on 51 attempts). All-American guard Mark Sears led the way with 34 points while making 10 of his 16 shots from beyond the arc.

Maliq Brown injury update

While Cooper Flagg’s ankle generated most of the attention for Duke over the past two weeks, there was another Blue Devil who was dealing with an even trickier injury. Maliq Brown has played in just two games since Feb. 17 after suffering a dislocated shoulder on two different occasions, including most recently in an ACC Tournament win against Georgia Tech on March 13.

After sitting out Duke’s first two games of the NCAA Tournament, he’s now back. In the minutes leading up to the Blue Devils’ Sweet 16 game against Arizona, Duke announced that Brown is active, raising the possibility that he could make his way back to the court.

On Wednesday, Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer said that Brown ‘could be available’ for Thursday, describing his status as ‘day-to-day.’ He took part in his team’s practice Wednesday, as well.

Though he averages only 2.6 points per game, Brown has been an integral piece for Duke this season, particularly on the defensive end.

Caleb Love stats

Duke will be facing a familiar foe Thursday night. Caleb Love has been a frequent villain for the Blue Devils, whose big performances for North Carolina against Duke in 2022 defeated the Blue Devils in their final home game under Mike Krzyzewski and knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament in Coach K’s final career game.

Now at Arizona, he’ll look to deliver one final blow to Duke in what could be his final college game.

This season, Love is averaging 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 39.3% from the field and 33.6% from 3-point range.

Duke vs Arizona men’s basketball betting odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of March 26

• Spread: Duke (-9.5)
• Over/under: 153.5
• Moneyline: Duke -500 | Arizona +375

Men’s March Madness championship odds

March Madness odds, according to BetMGM, as of Wednesday, March 26

Here’s a full look at the odds of each remaining team to win the men’s NCAA Tournament.

• Duke (+210)
• Florida (+340)
• Houston (+475)
• Auburn (+475)
• Tennessee (+1600)
• Alabama (+1900)
• Michigan State (+1900)
• Texas Tech (+2200)
• Maryland (+3500)
• Arizona (+5000)
• Kentucky (+6600)
• Purdue (+8000)
• BYU (+8000)
• Michigan (+8000)
• Ole Miss (+9000)
• Arkansas (+10000)

Duke vs Arizona picks and predictions

USA TODAY Network’s experts have Duke defeating Arizona across the board, with the Blue Devils’ firepower ultimately proving to be too much for the Wildcats.

• Jeremy Cluff: Duke 79, Arizona 73
• Craig Meyer: Duke 87, Arizona 79
• Rodd Baxley: Duke 82, Arizona 70
• Ryan Haley: Duke 83, Arizona 74

What time is Duke vs Arizona today?

• Tipoff: 9:39 p.m. ET

Where to watch Duke vs Arizona?

• TV Channel: CBS
• Live Stream:Fubo (free trial)

Duke vs Arizona will be broadcast on CBS. Cord-cutters can find the game on Fubo, which offers a free trial, or Paramount+, CBS’ dedicated streaming service.