STATS Hosted Solution

(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)

HOUSTON (AP) After James Harden scored 61 more points Friday night to match his career high, Mike D'Antoni was asked the question just about everyone in the NBA is wondering this season.

Who can defend the league's most unstoppable scorer?

"Me. I can sit him on the bench," D'Antoni said. "That's about it."

Zion shines as Duke overcomes slow start
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Everything was set for Zion Williamson's starring turn on the biggest stage in college basketball. The Duke megastar made his NCAA Tournament debut some 90 miles away from his high school, in front of what was essentially a hometown crowd, with a CBS camera dedicated to his every move. (MORE)

UNC rips Iona after being down 5 at half
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) �� North Carolina completed a perfect first round for top seeds in this NCAA Tournament, but not before Iona became the latest No. 16 seed to show these matchups are no sure thing. Cameron Johnson scored 21 points, and North Carolina quickly erased a five-point halftime deficit to hot-shooting Iona, going on to win 88-73 on Friday night. (MORE)

12th-seeded Liberty rallies by Miss. St.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) Down by 10 points with less than seven minutes to play against a more accomplished opponent, Liberty didn't give in a bit. Instead, the Flames just kept getting the ball to Caleb Homesley.

Homesley scored 22 of his 30 points in the second half, and Lovell Cabbil hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:16 to play to send 12th-seeded Liberty to its first NCAA Tournament win, 80-76 over fifth-seeded Mississippi State on Friday night. (MORE)

13 seed UC Irvine upends 4 seed K-State
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) When it comes to college basketball in California, UC Irvine is low on the totem pole. Now the program that sometimes feels like a little brother to Pac-12 powers like UCLA and USC is the only school from the state still standing in the NCAA Tournament after pulling off a stunner . (MORE)

Down 14, UVa storms past Gardner-Webb
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) This time, Virginia was not one-and-done against a 16 seed. It looked possible, at least through the first half, as the Cavaliers were tested in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Down 14 points in the first half Friday against Gardner-Webb, another early exit was quite possible. (MORE)

Ohio St. escapes to top Iowa State 62-59
TULSA, Okla. (AP) Ohio State went from barely making the NCAA Tournament to a spot in the second round. Kaleb Wesson had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the 11th-seeded Buckeyes to a 62-59 upset of sixth-seeded Iowa State in the Midwest Region on Friday night. (MORE)

Nuggets win 6th in row to tie atop West
NEW YORK (AP) A year after missing out on the playoffs by just one game, Denver wouldn't mind snatching the top spot in the Western Conference from defending champion Golden State. At the same time, the Nuggets don't think it's the most important thing for a deep postseason run. (MORE)

George, Westbrook lead OKC past Raptors
TORONTO (AP) Stuck in a four-game losing streak, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder came to Toronto and got their swagger back. Paul George scored 28 points, Westbrook had 18 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds, and the Thunder beat the Raptors 116-109 on Friday night. (MORE)

A's slugger Olson has right hand surgery