Bulls Notes: Tanking, Okoro, Miller, Essengue
The Bulls aren’t winning very often, but they still aren’t tanking and that isn’t likely to change, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes in a subscriber-only story. Thursday’s loss to the Lakers left Chicago at 27-39, which is the league’s ninth-worst record and only a half-game away from Milwaukee in the lottery race. Coach Billy Donovan said he hasn’t received any direction from executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas to stop playing his best lineups and he doesn’t expect to.
“If we get to a place where we are mathematically out of anything as it relates to postseason and there are guys that are dealing with some ailments or have challenges health-wise, could they say, ‘Hey, let’s get these guys right first.’ I don’t know,” Donovan said. “Everything I got from them up to this point and time is to continue to put our best foot forward.”
As Cowley notes, it’s been hard to get a read on the new roster since the trade deadline upheaval because of injuries. Donovan and the front office would like to get a better look at Anfernee Simons and Jaden Ivey before they become free agents this summer, but Simons is sidelined with a wrist fracture and Ivey is dealing with lingering soreness in his left knee. The team announced today that Ivey will practice with its G League affiliate, so he could be close to returning.
“The Anfernee thing has made it tough to evaluate him, but he does have a large body of work, and so does Collin (Sexton),” Donovan said. “Rob (Dillingham) would be a guy that you can really, really take a look at. The Jaden situation has been unfortunate because he played four games and now he’s out, he’s trying to rehab, but everything I’ve gotten from (the front office) is go out there and help these guys be as competitive and successful as they can be, and put the focus on winning, and I think that’s the same thing as ownership.”
There’s more on the Bulls:
- Isaac Okoro sat out Thursday’s game after being a late scratch Tuesday at Golden State with a knee issue, Cowley adds. “He’s had it before,” Donovan said. “It’s probably going to take a little bit of time to make it calm down. Generally, he starts to feel better each day that goes by. I don’t think it’s a long-term thing or anything like that. He’s just got some inflammation there that they need to calm down.”
- Leonard Miller, who was acquired from Minnesota at the deadline, made his third start Thursday since joining the Bulls and continues to put up impressive numbers. He finished with 15 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes after posting 17 points and 11 rebounds in 38 minutes on Tuesday. Chicago holds a $2.4MM team option on Miller for next season, and Cowley suggests in a separate story that it might be a good idea to keep him in his current role when Patrick Williams recovers from an ankle injury. “I’m always ready to go out there and compete at a high level,” Miller said. “I think I demonstrated that and that’s what I’m going to continue to demonstrate. Me playing at a high level and having a good game, I’m kind of not surprised because I have that belief in myself, I’m confident, and I feel like the sky is the limit with me.”
- Noa Essengue has been cleared for non-contact basketball activities and is considering playing in Summer League, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Essengue, the 12th pick in last year’s draft, only appeared in two games before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. “It’s been a tough year,” he said. “But that’s a goal in life, to always stay positive. It doesn’t matter what happens, whether you’re playing good or bad, you have an injury or are healthy, you stay positive and keep working. That’s what I’ve done.”
Jazz Sign Bez Mbeng To 10-Day Deal
MARCH 13: Mbeng’s contract is official, the Jazz announced in a press release.
MARCH 12: The Jazz are signing rookie guard Bez Mbeng to a 10-day contract, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports (via Twitter).
The Yale product has spent the season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s NBA G League club. He has appeared in 41 games with the Skyforce, averaging 6.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals in 27.5 minutes per game.
Mbeng was signed by the Heat to a camp contract in mid-October, then was quickly waived, lining him up to join Miami’s G League affiliate.
Mbeng has made a reputation of being a standout defender. He went undrafted in June after a standout four-year college career at Yale. He was named the Ivy League’s Defensive Player of the Year for three straight seasons and won the conference’s Player of the Year award in 2024/25 as well.
A 6’4″ guard, Mbeng averaged 13.0 points, 5.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals on .429/.368/.699 shooting in 29 appearances last season (32.7 minutes per game). He helped the Bulldogs reach the NCAA tournament in three of his four years at Yale and is the school’s all-time leader in steals.
Utah currently has two other players — Mo Bamba and Andersson Garcia — signed to 10-day deals and has a full 15-man roster. Unless they qualify for a hardship exception, which is a possibility, the Jazz will have to let someone go to make room to sign Mbeng.
Giannis Praises “Heat Culture” After Thursday’s Game
The Heat were among the teams that contacted the Bucks about a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade before February’s deadline, and his comments after they played Thursday night indicate that Miami has at least piqued Antetokounmpo’s interest, writes Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
The teams are headed in sharply different directions, underscored by the Heat’s 112-105 victory, which was their seventh in a row. Miami has been among the league’s best teams since the All-Star break and has moved into a tie for fifth in the East. The Bucks dropped their third straight contest and are six games away from play-in territory with 17 left to go.
“They’re going to play tough, and they’re not going to stop playing. That’s the Miami Heat culture,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s tough. For me personally, I don’t know how the team feels, but for me personally, it’s (been) a tough season. … I’m just trying to take it game by game. I’m grateful — happy that I’m out here competing. But at the same time, it’s in my nature to win games.”
Those comments are familiar from Antetokounmpo, who has frequently expressed his loyalty to the city of Milwaukee and the franchise, but always with the qualifier that he wants to be on a team that can contend for a title. The Bucks have been eliminated from the playoffs in the first round the past three seasons and have just a single series win since their 2021 championship.
Antetokounmpo didn’t ask for a trade as Milwaukee listened to offers this winter, but Siegel believes his post-game comments on Thursday are a strong indication that he has given some thought to what life might be like with the Heat.
“Miami’s head coach (Erik Spoelstra) is going to keep playing, man,” Antetokounmpo said. “Even when they don’t knock down shots, you’re going to get second chances. They’re going to crash the board, get rebounds, find the open man, try to get to the free-throw line, keep on moving the ball, get the ball to Bam (Adebayo), and try to execute from there. They’re going to play hard. They have guards that can penetrate and drive and kick, and that’s what they do, man.”
Siegel notes that Antetokounmpo and Adebayo are represented by the same agency and have formed a strong bond through their years of battles on the court. Antetokounmpo also came to Adebayo’s defense this week after critics claimed his 83-point game was tainted because it took so many late free throws to reach that mark. Antetokounmpo called it an “incredible” performance and said it will survive historically regardless of any criticism.
“Obviously, whenever I play against Bam, it’s always extra motivation. I think he’s one of the best players in the NBA,” he added. “One of the best two-way players in the NBA. One of the best 4-5 man in the league. Whenever I go at him, I don’t have to see 83 points on the board or follow the hype to find extra motivation to guard Bam. I think it goes both ways.”
Nets To Add Malachi Smith On 10-Day Deal
Malachi Smith has agreed to a 10-day contract with the Nets, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The 26-year-old guard has been playing for Brooklyn’s G League affiliate in Long Island, where he’s averaging 14.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 52% from the field and 42% from three-point range.
Smith signed with the Nets in mid-October after the team acquired his G League rights in a trade and was waived a day later. He received a $42,650 partial guarantee in his contract, which helped Brooklyn stay over the minimum salary floor.
Smith is a G League veteran, also spending time with the Rip City Remix, Wisconsin Herd and Memphis Hustle since going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2023. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Portland in 2023, but has yet to appear in an NBA game.
The Nets have an open roster spot after Grant Nelson‘s 10-day contract expired on Sunday. They decided not to re-sign the rookie forward even though coach Jordi Fernandez was complimentary of his effort.
With no NBA experience, Smith will earn $73,153 during the 10-day contract. If the deal becomes official on Saturday, he will be eligible to appear in six games before it expires.
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Bryant, K. Johnson, Barnes
Victor Wembanyama was a late scratch before the Spurs’ loss to Denver on Thursday due to soreness in his right ankle, Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News states in a subscriber-only story. The star big man was ruled out after participating in warmups while wearing a brace to protect the ankle. He was placed on the injury report after playing 37 minutes Tuesday against Boston.
“It was a close call because there was a chance he could play,” coach Mitch Johnson said. “But, yeah, it was clear it was the right decision in terms of there was nothing we wanted to risk. (That’s) kind of been the north star of every decision we’ve made (regarding his health).”
Johnson added that he doesn’t expect the ankle issue to be a “long-term thing.”
It was the first time Wembanyama has missed a game since January 30, when he sat out against Portland due to a knee injury. Orsborn notes that the 30 consecutive games mark the longest stretch of his NBA career. San Antonio let a 20-point lead slip away on Thursday and surrendered two 40-point quarters without its defensive anchor.
Johnson is hopeful that Wembanyama can return for Saturday afternoon’s contest against Charlotte, saying, “I do, but that doesn’t mean he will. It’s going to be a wait-and-see thing. But, yeah, he was pretty close (to playing) tonight.”
There’s more from San Antonio:
- Johnson has been experimenting with small-ball lineups recently, but he hasn’t decided if they’ll be used in the playoffs, Orsborn adds in a separate story. Forwards Carter Bryant and Keldon Johnson both saw time in the middle on Thursday. “It’s going to be something that’s going to be discussed amongst the staff and we’ll talk through it, I’m sure,” Johnson said. “Different games will have different personalities and different matchups. But I think we have seen some positivity when we’ve gone small at times and tonight was probably the largest sample size in a given game.”
- Harrison Barnes returned from a five-game absence due to a left ankle impingement, raising questions about how he and Bryant will split time for the rest of the season, per Jeff McDonald of The Express-News (subscription required). Barnes scored 20 points off the bench in 27 minutes, while Bryant was limited to nine minutes of action.
- The Spurs and Wembanyama plan to make sure he reaches the 65-game minimum to qualify for postseason awards, according to McDonald. Thursday marked his 15th missed game of the season, meaning he can only sit out two more the rest of the way.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Wagner, Hornets, Daniels
The Wizards have suffered plenty of losses this season, but none carried the sting of allowing Bam Adebayo to score 83 points Tuesday at Miami, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. With the embarrassment from that game still fresh, Washington needed to find some sense of atonement Thursday in Orlando. The Magic came away with an overtime win, but Wizards players were satisfied with their effort after erasing a 19-point deficit.
“(Bam) scored a lot of points. You’ve got to give him credit,” Trae Young said. “But the way it happened and the way it went down, you see the reaction from people around the league. Around everybody, it’s kind of the same. So we had a similar mindset, but at the same time, we allowed it to happen in the first half and gave him a rhythm to even have the confidence to think he was going to get that. So the way we bounced back is the way we needed to bounce back tonight. I’m just happy with the way that we did that.”
Robbins notes that Orlando still led by 16 points midway through the fourth quarter when Washington found success with a small lineup featuring Bub Carrington, Leaky Black, Will Riley, Bilal Coulibaly and Anthony Gill. That group made of 12-of-17 shots to end regulation and tied the game when Coulibaly banked in a three-pointer with 5.8 seconds remaining.
Gill, who Robbins calls the team’s most “mild-mannered” player, stood over Orlando’s Desmond Bane and celebrated at one point during the rally. Like Young, Gill believed his team needed to make a statement to show that it’s not a pushover.
“I’m not going to be the one that talks about how (Tuesday’s) game was played out,” Gill said. “Bam had an unbelievable game. We did not respond. We didn’t prepare the way that we should have for the game, and it showed with how well he played against us. We know for what we’re trying to build here that’s unacceptable, and we were kind of upset with that.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- For the first time since the All-Star break, Magic forward Franz Wagner was able to take part in an on-court workout during Wednesday’s shootaround, Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel states in a subscriber-only story. Wagner did some light shooting, and coach Jamahl Mosley said he hasn’t been cleared for contact yet.
- Wednesday’s victory at Sacramento was the Hornets‘ 12th in their last 13 road games, which gives the team confidence that it can succeed in any postseason scenario, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer (subscription required). “All these games feel like they have a little bit more intensity to them, they have a little bit more meaning,” coach Charles Lee said. “They have a little bit more physicality to them and so every game we are almost looking at it as a postseason game. And you’ve got to develop your habits now because that time of the year, it’s for the prepared. That’s not the time to start preparing for things. And so our guys are trying to find that next level even right now during the regular season.”
- Hawks wing Dyson Daniels continues to expand his game, observes Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal Constitution (subscription required). Daniels missed Thursday’s win over Brooklyn with a left great toe sprain, according to Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link).
Grizzlies’ Scotty Pippen Jr. To Undergo Toe Surgery, Won’t Return This Season
MARCH 13: Pippen is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
MARCH 12: Fourth-year guard Scotty Pippen Jr. is undergoing a sesamoidectomy to address pain in his right big toe, the Grizzlies announced in a press release (Twitter link).
A return timeline for Pippen will be established after the procedure, per the team, but the 25-year-old is expected to make a full recovery.
If you’re experiencing a bit of déjà vu, you’re not alone. Pippen underwent a sesamoidectomy back in October to deal with discomfort in his big toe, but that was on his left foot, not his right.
Pippen wound up missing 15-plus weeks of action following his initial toe surgery, having made his season debut on February 6. Given how long he was out after the first procedure, it’s probably safe to say he’ll miss the rest of the season following this one.
In 10 appearances (21.2 minutes per game) for Memphis in 2025/26, Pippen averaged 11.4 points, 4.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals on .448/.313/.783 shooting splits. He was a key reserve for the Grizzlies last season, appearing in a career-high 79 games while averaging 9.9 PPG, 4.4 APG, 3.3 RPG and 1.3 SPG in 21.3 MPG. He posted a shooting slash line of .480/.397/.713.
The Grizzlies have been ravaged by injuries again in ’25/26, with Pippen, Ty Jerome, Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke and Ja Morant all missing the majority of the season. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was also ruled out for the remainder of ’25/26 last month after undergoing finger surgery.
Memphis was granted a hardship exception on Thursday and used it to sign Tyler Burton to a 10-day deal. The 26-year-old wing has spent this season in the G League with the Grizzlies’ affiliate club, the Memphis Hustle.
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Doncic, Reaves, Ayton, Injuries
LeBron James returned Thursday after missing three games with foot, elbow and hip injuries, but it was mostly in a supporting role as the Lakers defeated Chicago for their fourth straight win, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James posted 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, but he took just 13 shots as Luka Doncic (51) and Austin Reaves (30) dominated the scoring. According to McMenamin, L.A. is 8-3 this season when James isn’t one of its top two players in field goal attempts.
“LeBron and I, we talked, we had a great conversation over the last couple days,” coach JJ Redick said. “He wants to do everything possible to help his team win, and he understands the importance of making sure Luka and AR can be at their best. And you know, that’s incredible with him. It speaks a lot to just how much he cares about this team and his teammates, and how much he wants to win.”
Although James is still capable of huge scoring nights, he has become more of a complementary player at age 41. He called Doncic and Reaves “magical and dynamic” on offense and said he’s willing to do whatever is needed to help the Lakers succeed.
“I mean, if it benefits others, it benefits the team. The team is most important,” James added. “Everybody’s successful when we win. So yeah, it is a sacrifice. I know what I’m capable of still doing as an individual, but what’s important for this team, I’m able to adapt to. … And that’s the only thing that matters. And the win is the only thing that matters.”
There’s more from Los Angeles:
- Doncic celebrated his first 50-point game with the Lakers and his highest scoring total since being traded last February. Reaves topped 25 points for the third straight game, which McMenamin notes is his longest streak since suffering a calf injury in November that led to an extended absence. “I obviously have delusional confidence in myself when it comes to basketball,” Reaves said. “But when the game’s over and I’ve got to go home and think about it, I don’t really think of myself in the category of some of these other guys. But I just enjoy playing basketball, playing the right way and continuing to get better.”
- Deandre Ayton is averaging 14.3 points and 10 rebounds over the last three games after being sidelined by knee soreness last week, McMenamin tweets. “Felt like I picked up my energy and my focus,” Ayton said. “You know, I finally caught up with the team.”
- Before the game, Redick told reporters that Maxi Kleber is expected to miss more time with a lumbar issue, McMenamin adds (Twitter link). The team is waiting for results after Jaxson Hayes underwent imaging on his back, while Marcus Smart, who sat out Thursday’s contest with a hip issue, may be able to return Saturday against Denver.
Bam Adebayo: “I Don’t Care” About Critics Of 83-Point Game
After posting the second-highest single-game scoring total in NBA history on Tuesday, Bam Adebayo felt like he received more criticism than praise about the circumstances surrounding his 83-point night. Following the Heat’s victory over Milwaukee on Thursday, Adebayo fired back at his detractors, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic.
“First of all, y’all are blaming me. You should be blaming that head coach (Washington’s Brian Keefe). Get that first,” Adebayo said. “I was not the one that let me go one-on-one the whole game until I had 70 (points) and then started to send a double (team). At that point, I had 70 with, what, nine minutes left to go in the game? You think I’m not going for it?”
As Katz outlines, both teams altered their strategies during the closing minutes of Adebayo’s historic performance. Miami committed several intentional fouls to get the ball back and give him more scoring chances, while the Wizards surrounded Adebayo with their entire defense in an effort to stop him from surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game in 2006.
Adebayo set the tone for the night with 31 points in the first quarter, reached 43 by halftime and was at 62 going into the fourth quarter. He set NBA records by making 36 free throws and attempting 43, with 16 of his foul shots coming in the closing 12 minutes.
“That’s the thing that’s crazy when they talk about the unethical part of basketball. I’m like, ‘I had 70 with nine minutes to go,’” Adebayo said. “Who would just be like, ‘You know, coach? Just take me out.’ Yeah, right. … A minute? All right. Nine? Yeah, I’m going for it. You can’t be mad at that. If you are mad, I don’t care. Because a lot of people, they’re upset because if they did play, they never had a chance to get that close to chasing greatness. And if you get that close to chasing greatness, that’s the point of chasing it, so you can surpass it. … If you’ve been in the backyard, and you and a couple of your homies are playing 21, and you got 19, you’re not gonna get an easy look off.”
Regarding the free throws, he added, “It’s not like I shoot 15 free throws a game. It’s not like I average 10 free throws a game. You can watch the film. I was legitimately getting fouled every time, so I went to the free-throw line.”
Coach Erik Spoelstra sent a similar message during Thursday’s pre-game session with the media, saying, “I apologize to absolutely no one,” per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (subscription required). The Heat played Tuesday without Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Kel’el Ware and Andrew Wiggins, who were all sidelined by injuries, so Spoelstra wanted Adebayo to take control of the offense.
“I’ve seen people say, you’ve got to be a purist,” Spoelstra said. “I’m a Darwinist in this league. Really, you can do anything you want in this game. You can approach it however you want. If we get criticized for what we do, there was probably irony in these two organizations. There’s nothing wrong with what [the Wizards are] doing. If you can tank and get a great draft pick, I don’t care. Like, you can do anything you want in this league. You can approach it however you want.
“We don’t do that and we have a 14th pick do something that you’re trying to get out of the No. 1 pick. I’ve seen teams hack a Shaq. Debate it or not debate it, who cares? You can do whatever you want. You foul three-point shooters, not foul three-point shooters. You can take the last shot in the game that’s already over or don’t take it. Who gives a damn? Like, you’re allowed to do what? I don’t even believe in that.”
Celtics Notes: Tatum, White, Gonzalez, Brown, Harper
The Celtics were down two starters on Thursday at Oklahoma City, with Jayson Tatum (right Achilles injury management) and Derrick White (right knee contusion) both ruled out (Twitter links via the team).
Thursday will mark Tatum’s first absence since he made his season debut on March 6. He has averaged 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steal in his first three contests (27.0 minutes per game). Head coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum’s day off was part of his recovery plan, per Brian Robb of MassLive.
“Just trust in our sport science team and trainers,” Mazzulla said. “The goal was always for him to come back and also to maintain his health as he continues to stay healthy and continue to get better. Just the trust and communication from our team.”
Boston’s next game will be on Saturday vs. Washington.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- In a story for The Athletic, John Hollinger examines Tatum’s first two games of the season. Hollinger didn’t notice anything awry with Tatum physically, and says with the team already playing at a very high level before he returned, the Celtics don’t need a peak version of the perennial All-NBA forward to make a deep playoff run.
- Hollinger has also been keeping tabs on Hugo Gonzalez, writing that the 20-year-old wing has played high-level defense as a rookie and is a strong rebounder for his size. According to Hollinger, Gonzalez plays with lots of energy and finishes well near the basket, especially in transition, but his jump shot and handle are shaky. The Celtics have had multiple developmental success stories the past two years, Hollinger adds, so Boston was an ideal landing spot for the Spanish small forward.
- On the Cousins podcast with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady (YouTube link), Jaylen Brown said he contemplated asking for a trade in 2019 after Boston was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, but McGrady convinced him not to. “Coming and sitting down with Mac, we spent a couple days just working out and talking, having some food, and he’s telling me like, I’m thinking like one thing and he’s thinking like, ‘nah, you need to stay, it’s going to be you.’ He’s telling me all the stuff that all just manifested itself. So, I can’t even like, it’s crazy looking back on it now,” Brown said.
- In a mailbag, Robb of MassLive states that Ron Harper Jr. is “highly likely” to have his two-way contract converted to a standard deal. Robb expects Harper’s promotion to happen on the final day of the regular season (April 12) since he still has two-way eligibility left. Harper scored a career-high 22 points (on 8-of-11 shooting) in 33 minutes during Tuesday’s loss at San Antonio and has been solid defensively for the Celtics, Robb notes.