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David Adelman Fined $35K Following Ejection Saturday

December 21st, 2025 at 6:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Nuggets head coach David Adelman has been fined $35K by the NBA after he was ejected from Saturday’s loss to the Rockets, the league announced (Twitter link).

According to the statement by the NBA, Adelman was fined for “directing inappropriate language toward game officials and failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection.”

This marked Adelman’s first career ejection as a head coach. The first-year coach was irate midway through the fourth quarter after he believed that star Nikola Jokic should have been rewarded a foul, and stormed the court, yelling and pointing at one of the game’s referees while cursing at him.

“It felt like a reaction to the game earlier in the week. That’s what it felt like to me,” Adelman said after the game, per Logan Struck of SI. “They had one foul with five minutes to go in the second quarter, and I just felt like both teams were playing extremely hard, physical… Honestly, I was confused. And so I was just looking for answers, and it turns out I had to leave.”

The Rockets and Nuggets both ended the game with 20 personal fouls.

Ivica Zubac To Miss At Least Three Weeks With Ankle Sprain

December 21st, 2025 at 4:59pm CST by Eli Cohen

Ivica Zubac will be out for at least three weeks for the Clippers after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 left ankle sprain, reports NBA on Prime’s Chris Haynes (via Twitter).

Zubac exited Saturday’s game against the Lakers after playing just 10:47 due to the injury. He is averaging 15.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists this season after having a breakout year for the Clippers and earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team in 2024/25.

The victory over the Lakers broke the Clippers’ five-game losing streak and earned them their seventh win on the season, as they’ve struggled to find success on either end of the floor. They come into Sunday ranked 24th in offensive rating and 26th in defensive rating, with the fifth-worst record in the league.

The loss of Zubac will be a difficult blow to overcome for the team, as backup center Brook Lopez, who signed with the team this offseason, has struggled to make an impact. However, Lopez stepped up on Saturday, scoring 11 points and adding two blocks in a season-high 25 minutes.

Stein’s Latest: Atkinson, Harden, Sabonis, White

December 21st, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

There have been “rumbles in coaching circles” that Kenny Atkinson’s job is becoming less safe amid the Cavaliers‘ recent stumbles and their disappointing 15-14 record, Marc Stein of The Stein Line states in his latest Substack column (subscription required). Atkinson led the Cavs to the best record in the East a year ago in his first season with the team, but a second-round playoff ouster and this season’s shaky start have built up frustrations in Cleveland.

A report that owner Dan Gilbert is “very unhappy” with the team’s recent play provides another reason to be concerned about Atkinson’s job security. The Cavaliers headed into the season expecting to challenge New York for the top spot in the East, but they’re currently in play-in territory after dropping eight of their last 11 games, with several losses coming against teams near the bottom of the standings.

However, a source tells Stein that Gilbert’s anger is unlikely to result in a quick coaching change. He points out that Gilbert was one of Atkinson’s strongest supporters during the hiring process, preferring him over James Borrego, who’s now the interim head coach in New Orleans.

Stein shares more inside information from around the league:

After speculating in a recent column that the struggling Clippers might listen to offers for James Harden before the deadline, Stein heard from a rival front office member who’s expecting Harden to be made available in trade talks. Stein points out that as a one-year Bird Rights signee who remained with his team, Harden has the ability to veto any trade he doesn’t like. Harden’s new contract technically covers two seasons, but it contains a player option with a partial guarantee.
With Domantas Sabonis projected to miss at least four-to-five more weeks while recovering from a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, Stein points out that there’s a chance he might not return to the court by the February 5 trade deadline, which is roughly six-and-a-half weeks away. Stein states that it’s unclear if the Kings are willing to listen to trade offers for the former All-Star center, as they prefer to part with DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. However, there’s sure to be league-wide interest in Sabonis if the front office commits to a full rebuilding project.
Stein hears that rival teams are getting the impression that the Bulls are more willing to consider trading Coby White than they’ve been in the past. White has an expiring $12.9MM contract this season and is headed for unrestricted free agency next summer. Stein notes that White’s modest salary complicates Chicago’s effort to get back equivalent value in a deal, since he’s unlikely to sign an extension before reaching unrestricted free agency next summer.

Heat Notes: Jakucionis, Guard Depth, Adebayo, Ware, Rozier

December 21st, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Friday’s loss at Boston was the sixth in the last seven games for the Heat, but they got an encouraging performance from rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (subscription required). Pressed into duty because of the team’s lengthy injured list, the 20th pick in this year’s draft got his first career start and responded with 17 points in nearly 36 minutes.

“He gives us the energy, the pace. He’s fearless in terms of his play-making, aggressiveness, getting into the paint,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He has really improved his three-point shooting. So that was definitely a bright spot. With Davion (Mitchell) being out, Kas got an opportunity and he really played well.”

Jakucionis has dealt with a bumpy start to his NBA career, caused in part by a sprained left wrist that sidelined him for part of training camp and the preseason, along with a strained right groin that forced him to miss the first seven regular season games. He has been playing mainly in the G League, where he’s averaging 16.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game with Sioux Falls.

“You never know when the chance is coming, when D-Mitch was out,” Jakucionis said. “I just have to be ready every time they need me, and I’m trying to stay ready every time they need me.”

There’s more on the Heat:

Jakucionis’ potential emergence adds to an extremely crowded backcourt in Miami, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel states in a mailbag column (subscription required). Injuries have been a factor so far, but Jakucionis could eventually be competing for playing time with Mitchell, Norman Powell, Tyler Herro and Dru Smith. Winderman notes that Pelle Larsson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are also used in guard roles, so there could be difficult decisions about playing time if everyone gets healthy.
Spoelstra experimented with small-ball lineups earlier in the season, but injuries have forced him to rely more on the double-big combination of Bam Adebayo and second-year center Kel’el Ware, Winderman observes in a separate story. The Heat tend to use Ware in drop coverage to protect the rim, while switching on defense more often when he’s not in the game. “I mean, it keeps teams off balance,” Adebayo said. “We’ve got to look at it in a positive way. We keep teams off balance.”
In another piece, Winderman calls for commissioner Adam Silver to make a decision on what the Heat can do with Terry Rozier‘s contract before the January 7 salary guarantee date and the February 5 trade deadline get any closer.

Hoops Rumors Mailbag: Reaves’ Next Deal, Slow Starts

December 21st, 2025 at 1:58pm CST by Rory Maher

This week's mailbag covers questions on what Austin Reaves' next contract might look like and players experiencing early-season slumps.

Muhammad asks:

What do you think about Austin Reaves' contract for the next season? Will he exercise his player option or decline and sign a max contract?

Reaves is undoubtedly boosting his value in a contract year. He discussed his future and desire to remain with the Lakers last month in a story from ESPN.

“I’ve said it a million times. I want to be in L.A. I love it,” Reaves said at the time. “Even though the other extension was turned down, that doesn’t mean that I’m trying to go get a f---ing gigantic number that don’t make sense. I want to be here, I want to win. I want to do everything that can help this organization be better. So I don’t try to think about those things.”

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Wolves Notes: Finch, Conley, Edwards, Taylor

December 21st, 2025 at 12:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has been fined $35K by the NBA for “directing inappropriate language toward game officials and failing to leave the court in a timely manner” following his ejection in Friday’s game against Oklahoma City, the league announced (via Twitter). Finch was thrown out of the contest midway through the first quarter for expressing his displeasure over a lack of foul calls, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (subscription required).

According to Hine, it took several assistant coaches and security personnel to keep Finch away from the referees after he was tossed. Finch was irate that the Thunder weren’t whistled for a foul during a possession in which he claims Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle were both grabbed and hit.

Finch didn’t address reporters following the game, but he explained the incident at Saturday’s practice, saying he “wanted to make my point” with the outburst.

“I thought early on, the tone was being set in the wrong direction, and I wanted to set about trying to change things,” Finch said. “All credit to the guys. They really responded, picked up the pieces. The staff did an incredible job navigating that game. The most important thing is we got the win and that our guys responded and played well over the last three and a half quarters.”

It was only the second career ejection for Finch, and his players were impressed by the tirade, with Randle calling it “top tier.”

“I don’t know what image he’s projected to y’all. I don’t know what they’re seeing, but Finchy is a hell of a competitor,” Randle added.

There’s more from Minnesota:

The Timberwolves have upgraded Mike Conley to available for Sunday’s game with Milwaukee (Twitter link). The veteran guard has missed the past four games with right Achilles tendinopathy.
In an interview with Shams Charania of ESPN (YouTube link), Edwards talks about the benefits of playing for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics. Edwards says it was inspiring to experience Stephen Curry‘s work ethic up close, and he learned how to be a better leader by watching his veteran teammates. “I think probably being with the USA team,” Edwards responded when asked about his leadership skills. “Just seeing like everybody got their own way of leading. You gotta learn how to talk to everybody. Some guys you can be super hard on and some guys you’ve got to pull to the side and talk to them one on one.”
Former owner Glen Taylor is glad to see that Kevin Garnett will rejoin the organization as a team ambassador, even though he and Garnett never resolved the dispute that drove him away, Hine adds in a separate story. “I always thought he should be there,” Taylor said. “That he wanted to wait until now is fine. It’s his decision. Overall, I like the guy, respect the guy, and I’m happy for him.”

Warriors Notes: Green, Kerr, Curry, Richard, Hield

December 21st, 2025 at 11:45am CST by Arthur Hill

Draymond Green’s ejection early in the second quarter of Saturday’s game wound up being a turning point for the Warriors, who rallied for a win over Phoenix, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Golden State trailed by 11 points when its volatile leader was tossed for picking up a pair of quick technical fouls, but the sequence sparked a rally that led to the end of a three-game losing streak.

“Sometimes we take advantage of Draymond, what he does for us, and we count on him to clean up everything,” Gary Payton II said. “But once he’s out of there, we know we all got to come together and do it collectively. I think everybody felt that. And when we’re doing that as a unit, we can be pretty damn good.”

Green got his first technical for pushing Suns guard Collin Gillespie in transition (YouTube link). The next one came seconds later when Green taunted lead official Pat Fraher, resulting in an automatic ejection.

Phoenix scored 44 points and registered five dunks in the first quarter, according to Poole. The Warriors’ defensive effort picked up after the incident as they held the Suns to a combined 31.8% from the field in the second and third quarters.

“I think it woke us up,” Stephen Curry said. “Because we knew without him, we’re going to have to play even tougher, dig deeper down the rotation. I think everybody was kind of on alert and trying to have his back.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Coach Steve Kerr called Green’s ejection “weak” on the part of the officials and compared it to an incident from the teams’ prior matchup on Thursday, per Nick Friedell of The Athletic. Kerr is still fuming about a play late in that game where he claims Dillon Brooks hit Curry with a “premeditated” punch to the stomach. Brooks was assessed a flagrant 1 foul after a video review, but wasn’t ejected. “How can you not be upset? This is a guy who broke Gary’s elbow in the playoffs, clotheslining him with one of the dirtiest plays I’ve ever seen,” Kerr said. “So it’s not like there’s not a track record there, and it’s right there, they look at it. I don’t know what the point of replay is if you’re not gonna kick a guy out for literally punching somebody. It’s bizarre to me that he was not, first of all, ejected from that game, and then suspended or fined. Nothing. Nothing.”
In an interview with Zena Keita of “The Athletic Show,” Kerr expresses gratitude for being able to coach Curry and Green for so long, relays Jordy Fee-Platt of The Athletic. Kerr reveals that he nearly worked out a draft-day deal to bring Curry to Phoenix in 2009 when he was serving as general manager of the Suns. Kerr also states that even though he’s in the final year of his contract, he has no plans to retire while Curry is still active. “I will never leave Steph Curry,” he said.
Rookie guard Will Richard contributed 20 points in the victory, but he only played because Kerr chose to end Buddy Hield‘s long streak of consecutive games, Poole notes in a separate story. Hield was a healthy scratch for the first time since joining the Warriors last season. “I told him beforehand, I feel terrible, he had a streak of 199 games in a row, it was one of the longest streaks in the league and one of the things I love about Buddy is he’s there for you every single night,” Kerr said. “He’s the greatest teammate ever and just an amazing spirit and a key part of our team, and it felt terrible not to play him, but I sat Will the last five or six games and we needed to get him back out there and you can see why. Buddy’s time will come back around, it always does. He has got the right attitude, he’s going to keep working and getting shots up and I know things will work out for him.”

Hawks’ Eli Ndiaye To Have Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

December 21st, 2025 at 10:37am CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks two-way player Eli Ndiaye has suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will undergo season-ending surgery in early January, the team announced (via Twitter). The injury occurred during a December 9 G League game while Ndiaye was playing for Atlanta’s College Park affiliate.

The 21-year-old power forward signed a two-way deal in July after spending the past four seasons with Real Madrid in Spain. He entered his name into the 2025 draft, but wasn’t selected.

Ndiaye hasn’t made an NBA appearance yet, but he played nine games with the G League Skyhawks, making seven starts and averaging 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 26.2 minutes per night. He was shooting 43.1% from the field and 23.5% from three-point range.

The Hawks have the option to sign another two-way player to replace Ndiaye, although they’ll lose his rights if they release him. Atlanta already has an open two-way slot, with Caleb Houstan as the team’s only other two-way player.

Ndiaye is Atlanta’s second two-way player to sustain a season-ending injury in the first two months of the 2025/26 campaign. Forward Jacob Toppin underwent right shoulder surgery earlier this month and was waived on Monday.

Clippers Notes: Lue, Zubac, Paul, Niederhauser

December 21st, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers‘ season got a little brighter on Saturday with a win over the rival Lakers, but they have a long way to go to recover from a disastrous start, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Prior to the game, coach Tyronn Lue challenged his team to go 35-20 the rest of the way to reach .500 and later amended that to 36-19 for a winning season.

That may not be realistic for a team that entered the night near the bottom of the Western Conference, but Lue wants to give his players something to shoot for. He wasn’t completely happy with the performance on Saturday, but he hopes it will move the team in the right direction.

“We got to start at one,” Lue said. “We told our guys that today. I thought we came out with the right intent. Like I said, being up 15 at halftime, I thought we should have been up probably 20 to 25. And that second half, we just didn’t run through the tape. We got to get better with that. But it is a huge win for us.”

Lue adopted a must-win mentality for Saturday’s game and relied heavily on his stars, playing Kawhi Leonard nearly 42 minutes and James Harden almost 41 minutes. The Clippers snapped a five-game losing streak, picking up their first victory since December 3 and their first win at home in more than seven weeks. Although they’re still in a dire position, holding the league’s fifth-worst record and owing their first-round pick to Oklahoma City, there’s at least some hope for the future.

“I think we’ve probably led in every single game we played,” Harden said. “We’ve had big leads and then allowed them to just (dissolve), however that looks. So just finding a way to win a game, man. And it feels like it’s been forever, but I feel good.”

There’s more on the Clippers:

The only downside on Saturday was the loss of center Ivica Zubac, who suffered a left ankle injury in the first quarter and was ruled out of the game, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Zubac, who’s averaging 15.6 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per night, hasn’t missed a game all season. The Clippers said his condition will be evaluated Sunday.
LeBron James told reporters after the game that he hasn’t talked with longtime friend Chris Paul since the Clippers announced they were “parting ways” with him earlier this month (video link from McMenamin). James declined to give his opinion on the situation, saying, “It’s not for me to comment on, to be honest. It’s none of my business.”
Lue wasn’t able to offer an update about the status of first-round pick Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who has been experiencing knee soreness, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). The rookie center has only made one brief appearance since December 3.

Sixers Notes: Walker, Edgecombe, Embiid, Barlow

December 21st, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Head coach Nick Nurse stuck with the same five players through the entire fourth quarter Saturday night in the Sixers‘ win over Dallas, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Reserve Jared McCain joined Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in a three-guard lineup alongside backup big men Jabari Walker and Adem Bona. That group held the Mavericks to 30.4% shooting from the field in the final 12 minutes to reclaim control of a game that appeared to be slipping away in the third quarter.

Maxey had 16 points in the closing quarter, and Nurse believed all three guards were having a positive impact. He was also confident in the contributions he was getting from Walker and Bona.

“As far as the two bigs, I felt Jabari was playing (Cooper) Flagg super physical,” Nurse said. “And the other thing, we started doing some switching between the four and five. Jabari also would get switched onto (Anthony) Davis and was playing him physically to get him off the block and battle him. I don’t know how many rebounds Jabari got. But it sure seems like he snatched a bunch of them down there, that was also critical.”

Walker pulled down six of his eight rebounds in the fourth quarter while playing effective defense on Flagg, helping to hold the star rookie to four points in the quarter on 2-of-6 shooting. Walker, who has been a valuable contributor after signing a two-way contract during the summer, credited “a great scout report” for the defensive effort against Flagg.

“I think (Dominick Barlow) started off on him. Big credit to him,” Walker said. “He had a great night tonight, also. I want to show him some love with that. I think either one of us could have finished the game. We both understand that about each other. So, some games it is going to be (like that). So I just tried to feed off the energy he had tonight.”

There’s more on the Sixers:

Saturday’s game featured two of the top selections in June’s draft, with Edgecombe (26 points, six rebounds, four assists), who was chosen at No. 3, slightly outperforming the top pick Flagg (24 points, four rebounds, three assists). Nurse marveled at the ability of both players to be able to contribute right away, Pompey states in the same piece. “The rookies that have impacted in a big way is really something,” he said. “Especially considering those two guys are really young. I guess they’re really good. I think most rookies, you will see flashes. You will see one great game, then six go by. These guys are starting to do it like night in, night out. And to me, that’s like what the NBA is.”
Joel Embiid sat out both weekend games due to right knee injury management and an illness, Pompey adds. He’s now up to 16 missed games for the season and will almost certainly fall short of the 65-game requirement to qualify for postseason awards. “He just didn’t have a great week with the illness and a little bit of soreness in the right knee,” Nurse said. “And fortunately, we can get through the week and … get another couple of days, and hopefully get him going.”
Barlow, another two-way offseason addition, was more aggressive than usual in attacking the basket against Dallas, observes Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (subscription required). The fourth-year forward finished with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting, taking advantage of his matchup with Klay Thompson and the Mavs’ defensive focus on Maxey. “If he’s scoring the ball the way he does, they’re gonna over-help on that. Or if they’re switching they’re not gonna worry as much about me as they are him, and that makes a lot of sense,” Barlow explained. “Just being aggressive on that, to make them where they have to respect me, guarding the ball, knowing that I will do that (drive), will make his life easier.”