The College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas may be in its inaugural year, but for Villanova and Southern California, it’s already creating memorable moments. As these two programs meet in Thursday’s quarterfinals, each is leaning on a different kind of motivation—legacy for the Wildcats and renewal for the Trojans. Villanova (20-14) cruised to an 85-64 win over Colorado in the opening round, a game that held deep meaning for interim head coach Mike Nardi. The former Wildcat guard stepped in during the transition from Kyle Neptune to incoming head coach Kevin Willard, and he didn’t miss a beat. “This is a very special place that means a lot to a lot of people,” Nardi said after the win. “Having the

At 7:30 ET, the Miami Heat will host the Memphis Grizzlies in a non-conference matchup. The Grizzlies (-180) are favored by 4.5 points over the Heat (+152), and the over/under line is set at 228 points. Miami comes into this game on a six-game winning streak, while Memphis has lost four straight. The Grizzlies are currently 8th in the Western Conference, and the Heat are 9th in the East. Memphis fell to 44-32 on the season after a 134-125 home loss to the Warriors on Tuesday. The Grizzlies entered the game as +4 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 259, surpassing the pre-game O/U line of 239 by 20 points. After

At 7:00 ET, the Orlando Magic (-959) will be visiting the Washington Wizards (+627) in a Southeast Division matchup. The Magic are 37-40 and currently in 7th place in the Eastern Conference, while the Wizards are 17-59 and in 15th place in the East. The over/under line for this game is 216 points. Orlando is favored by 13.5 points, and the game will be played at the Capital One Arena in Washington. The Magic are 1st in the Southeast Division, while the Wizards are 5th. Orlando improved to 37-40 on the season with a 116-105 road win over the Spurs on Tuesday. The Magic, who were favored by 5.5 points, covered the spread, and the game’s total of 221 points

With the regular season winding down and every win carrying postseason weight, the Portland Trail Blazers find themselves clinging to playoff hope by a thread. A convincing 127-113 victory over the Atlanta Hawks gave them a pulse, but the margin for error is virtually nonexistent. Now, they head to Toronto for a must-win game against a Raptors team that has officially been eliminated from playoff contention—but still has pride, shooters, and youth development on its mind. Portland enters the game with a 33-43 record, 3.5 games back of the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. It’s not impossible, but the path is razor-thin. Need to understand how the Western Conference standings shake out? One loss could be the difference