Raptors Notes: Barnes, Ingram, Shead, Murray, More
The Raptors picked up a much-need win over Phoenix on Friday after dropping six of their previous eight games, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Scottie Barnes, who entered Friday with a questionable tag due to an illness, was under the weather but made the biggest play of the game, blocking Jalen Green‘s dunk attempt from behind after Green initially drove past him.
“Got out there. Was a little tired and a little winded,” Barnes said after logging 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal in 31 minutes. “Fight through and make it to live another day.”
Toronto was clinging to a four-point lead with 43 seconds remaining at the time, and the block led to a fast break dunk for RJ Barrett, resulting in a four-point swing. It was the Raptors’ first victory over a team with a winning record since January 25, Grange notes.
“It’s pretty amazing. We hit adversity,” said Barnes. “We had two options, to either quit (or) go out there and fight. This just shows the character of this team. We went out there and fought and got a dub. This was a great game. They had us in that first half. We fought back; we made winning plays.”
Brandon Ingram, who had been in a slump in recently, had a game-high 36 points (on 13-of-20 shooting) while chipping in seven rebounds, three assists and a steal, Grange adds.
“I think it was an urgency to compete and most of all stay together,” Ingram said. “We’ve been through some times where the other team was scoring offensively and we weren’t able to stop the bleeding or find a rhythm on the offensive end. At those times, we would put our heads down a little bit and sort of take it upon ourselves to try to fix it. I think tonight we just stayed connected.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- As Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes, Friday’s victory was important for a number of reasons. Not only did it improve Toronto’s position in the postseason picture after the team had fallen into play-in territory, but it showed the group wouldn’t just lay down after falling behind. Head coach Darko Rajakovic said before the game he was not happy with how the team responded to an incident involving Dejounte Murray and Jamal Shead near the end of Wednesday’s loss at New Orleans. Murray made a three-pointer to put the Pelicans up 18 points with 1:24 remaining, then stood over Shead, who had stumbled, and taunted him (YouTube link). Only Immanuel Quickley halfheartedly came to Shead’s defense. “I thought that we did not handle the situation the way we want and how we were supposed to,” Rajakovic said. “Our players had conversations with each other. They know that’s not the true picture and image of our team. They all agreed that’s never going to happen again.” Both Koreen and Grange observe that the team quickly rushed to aid Barrett after a flagrant foul by Grayson Allen on Friday.
- For his part, Shead seemed more bemused by Murray than upset, Grange writes. “I think in the moment I was just like, ‘Oh snap, he’s over me.’ That was about it,” Shead said before chipping in six points and eight assists in 25 minutes off the bench against the Suns. “We were really focused on the outcome of the game. We just weren’t happy with that. It got blown out of proportion a bit. We weren’t really focused on that. … I don’t think I responded in any type of way … (but) if it comes up again, I think we’ll respond a little differently.“
- In another story for Sportsnet, Grange details how the bond between Ingram and Shead has been symbolic of the team’s chemistry this season. “I think I’m connected to the underdog’s personality,” Ingram said. “People that bring the energy in the room, that have high character. (Jose) Alvarado’s like that, Jamal’s like that. And he (Shead) loves the game of basketball, like, I feel like he really loves the game of basketball. He has the knowledge, and he wants to get better. He wants to learn. He has an open ear. He listens, but he also responds well, too. So, I think it’s just easy to connect.”
Warriors To Sign Omer Yurtseven To 10-Day Deal
The Warriors plan to sign free agent center Omer Yurtseven to a 10-day contract, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
Agents Keith Glass and Luke Glass confirmed the news to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Yurtseven, who averaged 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per game in 113 NBA regular season appearances with the Heat and Jazz from 2021-24, signed a G League deal 10 days ago and had been playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ affiliate.
In three games with the Vipers this month, Yurtseven averaged 23.0 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 29.7 minutes per contest. The 27-year-old converted 56.9% of his field goals and 87.5% of his free throws in a small sample size.
The Turkish big man has spent most of the past two years overseas playing for Panathinaikos, but recently parted ways with the Greek EuroLeague team.
Yurtseven will provide a strong rebounding presence for a Golden State which has been hit hard by a spate of recent injuries.
In addition to Jimmy Butler (torn right ACL) and Stephen Curry (runner’s knee), who have been out since January, Moses Moody has missed the past six games due to a right wrist sprain and four other players (Draymond Green, Al Horford, Seth Curry and Quinten Post) were either hurt before or during Friday’s loss to Minnesota.
Veteran big man Horford is expected to miss multiple games due to a right calf injury. The 39-year-old has formally been diagnosed with a soleus (calf) strain, per Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link), while Seth Curry has a left adductor strain. All of the aforementioned players (aside from Post, who’s questionable) are out for Sunday’s game in New York. De’Anthony Melton (left knee injury management) and Kristaps Porzingis (general illness management) are out as well on the first of a back-to-back.
As a three-year veteran, Yurtseven will make $136,717 over the course of his 10 days with Golden State, while the Warriors will carry a $131,970 cap hit. The team had one roster opening and won’t need to waive anyone to add Yurtseven.
Southwest Notes: VanVleet, Murray, Flagg, Jerome
Rockets guard Fred VanVleet is still holding out hope he can return this season after tearing his right ACL in September RealGM relays. VanVleet made those comments on a recent episode of Unguarded.
“I’m about five, five and a half months, almost six months now,” VanVleet said. “So, I’m getting there. I’m getting stronger. I’m getting better. I’m moving around a lot better. I’m getting some good on-court workouts. I think a lot of the predictions of where I was going to be were made pre-surgery, so we’ve had to adjust that timeline as things go on. But again, selfishly, I’m always going to keep my window open. I’m not going to come on here and tell you, ‘Oh, I’m not coming back,’ and then I come back like, ‘Oh, surprise.’ But I’m not ruling it out, and I’m not saying I’m coming back. I’m just rehabbing, I’m working on myself, and I keep that goal in mind because I’ve made such good progress.”
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Dejounte Murray continued his strong comeback from his Achilles tear. The Pelicans guard racked up 35 points, seven rebounds and four assists against Houston on Friday in his eighth game of the season. “On both sides of the ball, he was fantastic down the stretch,” Pelicans’ interim head coach James Borrego said, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com.
- Cooper Flagg had 25 points for the Mavericks against Cleveland on Friday and feels he’s finally recovered from the midfoot sprain that sidelined him for eight games. “I really feel I hadn’t come back with my pop, like my athleticism has kind of been lacking since I got hurt and came back,” Flagg told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “I finally felt like I was getting my pop back a little tonight.”
- Ty Jerome, who joined the Grizzlies during the offseason on a three-year, $27.66MM contract, had 21 points against Detroit on Friday. He’s averaging 20.1 points and 5.4 assists in 12 games. He’s missed most of the season due to a calf strain. “I mean Ty’s been very solid for us the whole time,” coach Tuomas Iilaso said. “He’s turning into one of the premier creators in the whole league. [He’s] able to create shots for himself and for others, and he gets the toughest assignments every night. Today, [the] Pistons we’re able to put a lot of length, a lot of physicality on him, and they also stepped up on the pick-and-rolls, to try to get the ball out of his hands. But, somehow, he always finds a way.”
Pacific Notes: Warriors Injuries, Porzingis, Lopez, Ayton
The injuries keep piling up for the Warriors. Already without Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, they are dealing with four more injuries, as Anthony Slater of ESPN details.
Draymond Green was scratched 30 minutes before tip-off of Friday’s loss to Minnesota because of lower back soreness. Al Horford departed after five minutes with right calf tightness. Seth Curry limped to the locker room in the second quarter with left adductor soreness and Quinten Post sprained his left ankle.
“We’re going through it,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We’re about as beaten up as any team I can ever remember.”
Kerr expects Horford to miss several games. “With a calf, we’re not going to rush him back,” Kerr said.
Stephen Curry missed his 16th consecutive game and the Warriors have gone 5-11 in that stretch. Now, they embark on a six-game road trip.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- There was a bright spot for the Warriors on Friday. Midseason acquisition Kristaps Porzingis scored 20 points and feels like he’s fitting in, according to Michael Wagaman of NBCSportsBayArea.com. “We’re starting to develop a decent feel,” Porziņgis said. “I think guys are getting accustomed to playing with me. It’s progress. We’re getting better for sure. Overall, I think we’re heading in the right direction.”
- Clippers center Brook Lopez is in the midst of his 18th season and he’s aiming for more, he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “I always had a number of 20 years. A lot of great players played 20 years [whom] I looked up to,” he said. “Timmy [Duncan], Kobe [Bryant]. I think Ticket [Kevin Garnett] got there. That’s always been a goal of mine, but I feel great. So now that we’re as far along as we are, I don’t really want to put a cap on it. Just see how long we can keep going until we fall.” The Clippers have a decision to make early in the summer regarding Lopez. They hold a $9,187,500 option on his 2026/27 contract. He’s averaging 11.8 points and 5.1 rebounds since the All-Star break.
- Deandre Ayton has developed into the Lakers’ X factor, Khobi Price of the California Post points out. The Lakers are 27-8 when he grabs at least eight rebounds and 24-9 when he takes at least eight shot attempts. Ayton had 23 points and 10 rebounds against Chicago on Thursday. Ayton holds a $8,104,000 option on his contract for next season.
New York Notes: Robinson, Alvarado, Minott, Porter Jr.
Mitchell Robinson played a season-high 31 minutes on Friday and he made the most of it. The Knicks center grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds, nine offensive, in a nine-point victory over Indiana.
Robinon has been on a load management plan all season.
“It’s obviously shown that it’s paid off,” coach Mike Brown told the New York Post’s Jared Schwartz, “because of his ability to, knock on wood, stay on the floor and play in games and play the minutes he played tonight.”
It’s a good sign for a big man, who will be on the free agent market this summer.
Here’s more on the New York teams:
- Knicks guard Jose Alvarado is frustrated by his lack of 3-point success, according to Schwartz. “I just gotta continue to trust in my work. I’ve been a good shooter my whole career,” he said. “It’s a different road, a different situation here. You asked me how [my 3-point shooting] is, it sucks, so I gotta get better at it.” Since knocking down eight 3-pointers against the Sixers on Feb. 11, Alvarado, who holds a $4.5MM option on next season’s contract, has made just five of 34 attempts. He didn’t even take a shot in 13 minutes against the Pacers.
- Josh Minott had a career night against Atlanta on Thursday, notching 24 points, three rebounds, three steals and three blocks in 24 minutes. He was acquired by the Nets from Boston prior to last month’s trade deadline. “I’ve been waiting on it,” Minott told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “But at the end of the day, I’m not going to call it pointless — but it’s one goal. So overall, I don’t want to say satisfied, but I’m pretty happy with my performance. But at the end of the day, it’s about getting numbers in the right column.” The Nets hold a $2,584,539 option on his non-guaranteed contract for next season. The contract would become guaranteed on July 15.
- The Nets’ leading scorer, Michael Porter Jr., won’t play this afternoon against the Sixers due to an ankle sprain, Lewis tweets. This will be the 15th game he has missed this season.
Pistons Notes: Sasser, Winning Streak, Holland, Huerter
Marcus Sasser took advantage of extended playing time for his highest scoring output since New Year’s Day. The Pistons guard scored 16 points in a 126-110 win over Memphis on Friday.
Sasser has been starting with Ausar Thompson sidelined by a right ankle sprain.
“Again, this isn’t new or a surprise. It’s just opportunity,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I give Sass a ton of credit because he’s always ready when his number is called. He works to be prepared for the moment. He’s an NBA basketball player, that’s clear. It’s just about the opportunities for him, and he’s getting them now, and he takes advantage of them like he always does. But he’s a dogged defender, he’s another ball handler, [a] play maker. Obviously, his ability to shoot the basketball. How he can space the floor for us. Again, he’s a good player whose opportunity numbers have just kind of not bounced his way. But the more exposure he gets the more opportunities he gets, and we’ll continue to give him chances.”
Sasser is signed through next season. The team exercised a $5,198,983 club option on his contract for 2026/27 in October.
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- They’ve won three straight after a season-worst four-game losing streak. They also defeated the Nets and the injury-riddled Sixers this week. “It’s no secret that we went on a little run. We were losing games in the stint, but coach told us to stay together throughout all this,” reserve wing Ron Holland said. “We had a lot of success throughout the season so far. I mean, we weren’t getting big-headed or anything, but every team goes through [losing streaks] in the NBA. So, he was just telling us to stay together, to keep running the course and everything will be fine. We’re back on track now, so hopefully we can stay rolling.”
- Holland continues to struggle from deep — he’s made just 15.8 percent of his 3-point tries this month — but he’s still been an offensive threat during the winning streak. He’s averaging 14.3 over the last three games. “I love watching Ron on and off the court. Just his work ethic,” Bickerstaff said. “There are not many guys that are in the gym working as hard as Ron is working on his game, his want to get better, his commitment to this team, his willingness to sacrifice for this team. But then on court, he’s understanding where his spots come and how he can be even more impactful on both ends of the floor where his strengths lie. And then he understands the moment, too. We’ve seen our team not have the energy, or be on the downswing, and then we put Ron in the game and he comes in with that energy to be instantly impactful. And that means a lot to us.”
- Trade deadline acquisition Kevin Huerter has averaged 21 minutes over the last six games. He’s posted double digits in his last two outings — 12 points against the Sixers and 11 against the Grizzlies. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Al Horford Exits Friday’s Game With Right Calf Tightness
The Warriors entered Friday’s contest vs. Minnesota shorthanded, with leading scorers Stephen Curry (patellofemoral pain syndrome in right knee) and Jimmy Butler (torn right ACL) sidelined and Draymond Green a late scratch due to a lower back issue.
Golden State lost another veteran contributor to injury during the game, as Al Horford experienced right calf tightness and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced (via Twitter).
Horford sustained the calf injury in the first quarter. He played five minutes, recording three points and one rebound.
The 39-year-old center/forward entered Friday’s game averaging 8.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 blocks on .425/.361/.846 shooting in 42 appearances (22.1 minutes per contest). Horford has mostly come off the bench in his 19th season — Friday was his 12th start.
Second-year big man Quinten Post is a candidate for more playing time with Horford out. The Dutch big man missed Wednesday’s loss to Chicago and was questionable entering Friday’s game due to bilateral foot injury management before being upgraded to available. De’Anthony Melton also returned to action Friday following a one-game absence because of a left adductor injury.
Horford holds a player option for next season worth a little under $6MM.
Keegan Murray (Ankle Sprain) Out At Least Two More Weeks
While Keegan Murray is making progress in his recovery from a left ankle sprain, he’ll be out at least two more weeks, which is the next time he’ll be reevaluated, the Kings announced in a press release (Twitter link via James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com).
After appearing in 80, 77, and 76 regular season games over his first three years in the NBA, Murray has been beset by health problems in 2025/26. The fourth-year forward’s season debut was delayed until November 20 after he underwent surgery on his left thumb; he later missed a pair of games in December due to a mild calf strain; then he missed several weeks with a moderate left ankle sprain.
Murray re-injured his ankle on Feb. 25, his fourth game back from the initial sprain, which he suffered on Jan. 4. Murray has been limited to 23 appearances this season, averaging 14.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.0 steal on .420/.277/.776 shooting in 34.5 minutes per game. Those 1.6 blocks per game would represent a career high for the former Iowa standout, though his FG% and 3PT% are at career low rates.
The Kings also provided an update on Devin Carter, who was injured during his career night on Tuesday. The second-year guard underwent an MRI on his right calf, which revealed a deep soft-tissue contusion. Carter is considered day-to-day, per the team.
Sacramento is currently 16-51, the worst record in the Western Conference and second-worst mark in the league.
Southwest Notes: Middleton, Mavericks, Zion, Sengun
Khris Middleton helped the Mavericks snap an eight-game losing streak during Thursday’s victory at Memphis, writes Dwain Price of Mavs.com. The veteran small forward had a season-high 35 points (on 10-of-17 shooting) in just 25 minutes, with 22 of those points coming in the fourth quarter.
According to Price, Middleton’s 35 points are the most by a Mavs reserve since Rodrigue Beaubois had 40 in March 2010.
“It was a good feeling,” Middleton said, referring to his fourth-quarter explosion. “I think it’s a better feeling to get a win after the last couple of losses, but definitely once you get a couple going like that in the fourth quarter like I did, it feels good.
“But you got to give credit to my teammates again for the screens and just trying to find me and trying to get me going. You just feel like anything that you shoot or throw up there it’s got a chance to go in, so I’m a shooter and you get a couple to go down you keep firing.”
Middleton will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign a veteran extension before the new league year begins on July 1.
We have more from around the Southwest:
- In a mailbag for The Athletic, Christian Clark answers a handful of questions about the Mavericks, including the team’s search for a permanent general manager and the future of Kyrie Irving. Clark expects Irving, who won’t play this season as he recovers from a torn ACL, to be in a Mavs uniform in 2026/27 no matter who Dallas selects in June’s draft.
- Zion Williamson‘s salary for 2026/27 is now 60% guaranteed after he made his 51st appearance of the season on Friday, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter links). The Pelicans forward will have another 20% of his $42.2MM salary for next season guaranteed if he reaches the 61-game mark, with the final 20% hinging on whether he meets certain weight criteria specified in his contract, Marks adds.
- Rockets center Alperen Sengun was sidelined for Friday’s contest vs. New Orleans due to lower back pain, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. It’s unclear if the two-time All-Star will miss additional time as a result of the ailment.
Kings Notes: DeRozan, Westbrook, Cardwell, Hayes
It has been a challenging season for Kings forward DeMar DeRozan, who made it clear at the end of January that he’d prefer to be playing more meaningful games this late in his career. The 36-year-old erupted for a season-high 39 points (on 17-of-22 shooting) in Wednesday’s loss to Charlotte, passing Spurs great Tim Duncan for 18th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
“I don’t take nothing in this game for granted,” said DeRozan, a six-time All-Star in his 17th NBA season. “I never would have imagined coming into the league I would be playing this long, I would have the opportunities I’ve had, I would accomplish things I have.
“Me just being a fan of the game my whole entire life, it’s an honor to be in a position to accomplish any type of goal in this league. It’s crazy to be in that position and I don’t take none of this for granted. I just love playing basketball at the end of the day, and at the end of the day, you look up and things like this happen. It’s definitely cool.”
Here’s more from Sacramento:
- In an interesting story for The Sporting News, Stephen Noh takes a look at “the hidden side” of Russell Westbrook, noting that the veteran Kings guard is often hostile towards the media but is beloved by teammates and widely considered one of the kindest players in the league off the court. Rockets center Clint Capela called the former league MVP the “most genuine superstar” he’s played with. “Very happy person. Very nice guy,” Capela told Noh. “Always smiling, always joking around. I was like, ‘Wow, I never thought that a superstar could also be that great of a guy.'”
- Rookie big man Dylan Cardwell, who has been out since February 11 due to a left ankle sprain, was a full participant in Friday’s practice, writes James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com. Cardwell isn’t on the injury report ahead of Saturday’s contest at the Clippers, which means he should be active after missing 11 straight games.
- Killian Hayes discussed his time with the Kings on Friday, as Sean Cunningham of KCRA News relays (Twitter video link). “It’s a fun group,” Hayes said. “I think we’ve got great chemistry off the court, and on the court, we’ve gotta keep playing hard, keep playing for one another.” The sixth-year guard said he’s trying not to think about his contract situation — his second 10-day deal with Sacramento expires on Saturday night, and the Kings will have to either let him go or sign him to a rest-of-season contract at that point.