The Mavericks are coached by a sorcerer

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

BIG D: The Mavericks, against all odds, have made the playoffs again. Rick Carlisle deserves a statue at this point. Dallas beat Utah to clinch a spot in the West derby, and because the Rockets also won that puts the Jazz in a very difficult position. Utah needs to beat the Lakers Wednesday and root for the shorthanded Kings to beat the Rockets. The Rockets are in with a win or a Jazz loss.

START THE COACHING CAROUSEL: I predicted which NBA head coaching positions will become open and who will fill them. Lots of options for Tom Thibodeau. Along those lines, reports suggest Randy Wittman is in fact toast. And Ettore Messina is sounding like a favorite in Brooklyn.

HUH: There are growing indications that placing Bryan Colangelo in control of the Sixers was Jerry Colangelo’s plan all along, and that both J.C. and Josh Harris are doing a poor job covering their own tails.

SCORES GALORE ...

ATL 94, CLE 109
MIL 98, ORL 107
CHA 114, BOS 100
WAS 120, BKN 111
HOU 129, MIN 105
CHI 121, NOP 116
LAL 79, OKC 112
DAL 101, UTA 92
SAC 105, PHX 101

HOW COLLEGE BALL HELPS: Really good piece from Ricky O’Donnell on how college basketball really did help Denzel Valentine and Buddy Hield develop into top-flight players.

WELP: Josh Jackson commits to Kansas instead of Arizona or Michigan State. Josh Jackson is gonna be good.

PLEASE SAY THAT’S NOT A TATTOO. PLEASE SAY THAT’S NOT A TATTOO. PLEASE SAY THA

SPEAKING OF KOBE ... A good video in which Nike athletes say goodbye to the Black Mamba.

REUNITED! Seems like perhaps Joe Dumars and John Hammond are going to reunite in New Orleans.

HMMM: David Blatt to the Knicks?

ON THE AIR TONIGHT: Playoff previews? Sure! TNT has Thunder-Spurs (8 p.m. ET, altogether meaningless) and Grizzlies-Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET, important only for lower bracket seeding). Knicks-Pacers and Heat-Pistons on League Pass will also help shake out the East bracket.

Happy Tuesday. See you next time.