Sixers Head Coach Makes Shock Admission Over Celtics' Neemias Queta — and more

Sixers Head Coach Makes Shock Admission Over Celtics' Neemias Queta originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Neemias Queta was the best player on the floor as the Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 114-98 on Sunday, March 1. The rim-running big man ended the night with 27 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks. Queta consistently found ways to score against the Sixers, be it put-back buckets, driving the lane or attacking the seams as a cutter.

During his postgame news conference, Sixers’ head coach Nick Nurse gave an honest assessment of Queta’s performance, admitting that his athleticism gave him an edge over Philadelphia’s front court.

“He just seemed a little too quick and athletic for us tonight, too big or something,” Nurse said. “He just seemed like every time we'd make a miss, he seemed to be down there reaching up above all the other hands and pulling it down and keeping it alive. He was really hard to handle tonight for sure.”

Queta has steadily improved his game this season, after being moved into the starting lineup following the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet via trade and free agency, respectively. Even the addition of Nikola Vucevic, who also had a strong showing against Philadelphia, hasn’t displaced Queta from his role in the starting unit.

The fact that Boston’s center rotation was so dominant against the Sixers is an encouraging sign. During the opening months of the 2025-26 season, the big man rotation was seen as a serious weak point in the roster construction. Now, it’s no longer an area of concern.

If Queta continues to produce at the level we saw from him on Sunday, he will have a sizeable role to play in the upcoming postseason. Queta has proven himself to be a starting-caliber big man, and with just one season left on his three-year $7 million deal, a payday might be right around the corner.

More Celtics: Celtics Linked To Former Cavs Guard In Creative Trade Talk

Why Lions traded David Montgomery to Texans for small return originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Detroit Lions have split Knuckles from Sonic.

Their two-headed backfield is now just one. David Montgomery has been traded to the Houston Texans on Monday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Texans are sending a fifth-round pick back to the Lions.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote about this over the weekend.

"The Lions' David Montgomery wants out, has a reasonable contract (owed $6 million in 2026) and is 28," Fowler wrote. "That has value. Word out of Indy is that Detroit would want a decent Day 3 pick (possibly a fifth-rounder) in return."

He got the cost right, and Montgomery now goes to Houston.

MORE: Cowboys show how NFL salary cap is (mostly) fake

Why did the Lions trade David Montgomery to the Texans?

Montgomery's trade is mostly about empowering Gibbs.

The younger back already took over the RB workload in 2025 after it had been an even split previously.

Montgomery is 28 now, and running backs often fall off rather quickly.

This move gets the Lions value back for Montgomery before injury or decline hits him.

Montgomery still ran for eight touchdowns in 2025 despite the reduced workload.

He also averaged 4.5 yards per carry in the recent campaign, showing that when given the chance, Monty is still a quality player.

It'll just be with the Texans now, not the Lions.

More NFL news:

• Bryce Lance is trying to show his name can be good
• Fernando Mendoza wouldn't mind being pick 199
• This linebacker has insane NFL Combine measurements
• Lions' trade cost for David Montgomery has been revealed
• Jordyn Tyson shares desire to come to Cleveland to join his NBA brother
• Ravens have a $38 million last-gasp Lamar Jackson solution to contract problem

The Throne national basketball tournament is set for its fourth annual games. From March 19 to March 21, the premier postseason event will take place in East Rutherford, New Jersey, pitting 16 of the top high school basketball teams in a single-elimination tournament.

Eight boys teams and eight girls teams will play for their respective crowns in March Madness-style brackets at American Dream Mall, put on by the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and Gold Level Sports and Entertainment (GLSE). The teams will play under a club program name rather than the high school name itself, but all students on each team attend the stated high school, the Throne's press release said.

Games will be aired on NBA TV and the NBA App.

The NBPA Foundation will donate $25,000 to the athletic program of both championship-winning teams.

Here are the teams, tournament club names, seedings and schedule, with USA TODAY Sports Super 25 national rankings listed, where applicable (rankings as of March 2).

The Throne Rosters

Boys high school basketball teams

1. Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale, FL) — Eagles (No. 4 in Super 25)
2. Sunnyslope (Phoenix) — Vikings (No. 5)
3. Rainier Beach (Seattle) — Beach (No. 21)
4. Wheeler (Marietta, GA) — Wildcats
5. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, NY) — LuHi
6. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, NJ) — BC Crusaders
7. Columbus (Miami, FL) — Los Explorers
8. Heritage (Frisco, Texas) — Coyotes

Girls high school basketball teams

1. Etiwanda (CA) — Eagles
2. Princess Anne (Virginia Beach, VA) — Cavaliers
3. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, NY) — LuHi
4. St. John Vianney (Holmdel, NJ) — Lancers
5. Tualatin (OR) — Timberwolves
6. St John’s College (Washington, D.C) — Cadets
7. Friends Central (Wynnewood, PA) — Phoenix
8. St Frances Academy (Baltimore, MD) — Panthers

The Throne Schedule

Girls: March 19

• Game 1 (10:00 a.m.): (2) Cavaliers vs. (7) Phoenix
• Game 2 (11:40 a.m.): (3) LuHi vs. (6) Cadets
• Game 3 (1:20 p.m.): (1) Eagles vs. (8) Panthers
• Game 4 (3:00 p.m.): (4) Lancers vs. (5) Timberwolves

Boys: March 19

• Game 5 (4:40 p.m.): (1) Eagles vs. (8) Coyotes
• Game 6 (6:20 p.m.): (4) Wildcats vs. (5) LuHi
• Game 7 (8:00 p.m.): (3) Beach vs. (6) BC Crusaders
• Game 8: (9:40 p.m.): (2) Vikings vs. (7) Los Explorers

Girls bracket: March 20

• Game 9 (3:00 p.m.): Winner Game 1 vs. Game 2
• Game 10 (5:00 p.m.): Winner Game 3 vs. Game 4

Boys bracket: March 20

• Game 11: (7:00 p.m.): Winner Game 7 vs. Game 8
• Game 12 (9:00 p.m.): Winner Game 5 vs. Game 6

Girls Championship: March 21

• Game 13 (1:00 p.m.)

Boys Championship: March 21

• Game 14 (3:00 p.m.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: See the full schedule for The Throne National Championship