Knicks Notes: Brunson, Kolek, McBride, Playoffs
Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson, who is expected to miss another week as he continues to recover from a sprained right ankle, has missed New York’s last eight games as a result of the injury. According to Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post, one benefit of Brunson’s absence has been extended run for some the club’s younger backcourt options and role players.
“You are not replacing Jalen individually,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It’s impossible. We have to do it collectively with our defense and rebounding and playing together.”
With Brunson’s usual backup Miles McBride a late scratch ahead of Saturday’s Washington clash due to a groin issue, veteran Cameron Payne drew the starter, while rookie Tyler Kolek logged a career-high 18 minutes and handed out eight dimes. Kolek often fed forward Mikal Bridges, who was in the midst of a solid shooting run.
“It was big-time for us having Ty out there finding ’Kal constantly,” Payne said.
There’s more out of New York:
- Kolek’s big night has made him an intriguing possibility for backup minutes behind Brunson going forward. Dexter Henry and Bryan Fonseca of The New York Post wonder if he could wind up being the Knicks’ best reserve option for Brunson sooner rather than later, and what his path to a consistent rotation role might look like.
- Kolek will probably get another shot at major minutes for the Knicks again on Tuesday, as McBride is considered likely to sit out Tuesday’s showdown with Dallas due to his groin injury, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (via Twitter). When healthy, McBride has been solid for New York this season. In 59 available bouts, he’s averaging 9.4 points per game on .407/.371/.817 shooting.
- At 44-26 on the year, the Knicks seem to be more or less locked into the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 overall seed. Three clubs are jockeying for the right secure home-court advantage and the No. 4 seed behind them. The 41-29 Pacers are currently in that slot, just one game up on the 40-30 Bucks, and 2.5 games ahead of the 39-32 Pistons. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic evaluates the pluses and minuses of each of those clubs as potential first-round playoff foes for New York, identifying the team that should ultimately be the Knicks’ preferred matchup (Milwaukee).
NBA Fines Wizards’ Jordan Poole $2K For Flopping
The NBA has announced (via Twitter) that, after a league office review, it has retroactively fined Wizards guard Jordan Poole $2,000 for flopping during Washington’s Saturday night blowout loss to New York.
After missing a layup, Poole theatrically fell to the floor in an effort to convince the officials he took an elbow from Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns (video link).
Poole had a solid showing otherwise in the 122-103 defeat. He scored 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field, including 3-of-9 shooting from the three-point line. He also made all four of his free throw looks. The 6’4″ pro dished out three dimes and pulled down three boards.
Through 60 games for the Wizards this year, Poole is averaging a career-high 20.5 points per game with a shooting line of .424/.372/.878. He’s also chipping in 4.6 APG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.4 SPG.
The 25-year-old is in the second season of a four-year, $123MM rookie contract extension he inked while still with Golden State. Should Poole manage to stay healthy through the end of the regular season, his performance this season should help improve his value going forward, though it’s unclear if Washington would attempt to move him this offseason.
In the Eastern Conference, the 15-55 Wizards are the only team that’s already been eliminated from the 2024/25 postseason thus far. With a loss tonight to the slumping Heat, however, the 18-52 Hornets would join them.
Meanwhile, the win for New York improved the club’s record to 44-26 on the year, keeping the Knicks three games ahead of the 41-29 Pacers for the East’s No. 3 seed.
Central Notes: Kuzma, Hardaway, Haliburton, White
New Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma is adjusting to life on a competitive club after his years with the rebuilding Wizards, as he told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda in a recent interview.
“I haven’t found my total offensive groove,” Kuzma said. “But I’ve been able to be competitive. Defense and rebounding is something that I do really, really well. So that’s what made an impact. It’s just about being able to compete. That’s the best thing for me. And it’s something that I’m very happy to do, especially with this group of people. We’re only going to be better.”
In his 21 contests with Milwaukee so far, the 6’9″ vet is averaging 14.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.0 APG. He’s shooting a middling .437/.295/.671, a far cry from the shooting efficacy of beloved former Bucks wing Khris Middleton — although Kuzma provides a major athletic and defensive advantage over Middleton at this stage in their careers.
Kuzma also has a health and availability edge over Middleton, though he continues to be affected by a left ankle sprain he sustained on March 5, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
“I’ve been playing on one leg for like the last three weeks,” Kuzma said. “I think the OKC game, I felt pretty good. And then felt much better in Golden State and then felt the best I’ve felt since before that Dallas game where I sprained it.”
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- Floor-spacing veteran Pistons swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. spoke with Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda at length about his new role on a rising young playoff hopeful. “Just being one of the designated shooters for the team really helps the guard play, especially with [Cade Cunningham],” Hardaway told Afseth. “It helps space the floor—not only for myself, but also for [Tobias Harris], [Malik Beasley], and a lot of other guys that came in with that. So just having that positive impact, bringing that maturity, and having multiple guys who understand what it takes to win ball games—guys who’ve been playing at a high level for many years—that’s key.”
- Two-time All-Star Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton returned to the lineup Saturday against Brooklyn following lingering back issues, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). It was his first action in a week. “I’ve had back issues my whole life,” Haliburton said. “I’ve worked really hard to try to get rid of it and try to do everything we can. Sometimes my body reacts in certain ways. There was a couple of plays in the Bucks game when I got twisted in the air… It felt bad for like a week.”
- Bulls guard Coby White has been on a scoring tear of late, averaging 29.4 PPG across his last 10 contests. In a conversation with Afseth of Sportskeeda, the 25-year-old unpacked his breakout season. “It was just about improving on a lot of different things,” White said. “The summer is long, especially since we didn’t make the playoffs, so I had a lot of time to work.” In 64 healthy bouts for the 31-40 Bulls, the UNC alum is averaging a career-high 20.0 PPG, plus 4.4 APG, 3.6 RPG and 1.0 SPG. He has also taken on more of a leadership role while looking to score more regularly since Chicago traded Zach LaVine to Sacramento last month.
Warriors Sign Kevin Knox For Rest Of Season
March 23: Knox’s new deal with the Warriors is official, the team confirmed in a press release.
March 22: The Warriors intend to sign forward Kevin Knox to a rest-of-season contract, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Knox has already signed a pair of 10-day deals with Golden State this season, so in order to bring him back, the team had to make at least a rest-of-season commitment, since players aren’t permitted to sign three 10-day contracts with a club in the same year.
During his first 20 days with Golden State, the former No. 9 overall pick appeared in seven games off the bench, averaging 4.0 points and 1.6 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per night, with a .458/.273/.750 shooting line in a small sample size.
Knox, who has made 313 total regular season appearances since 2018 for the Knicks, Hawks, Pistons, Trail Blazers, and Warriors, has spent most of the 2024/25 campaign playing for Golden State’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. In a total of 28 NBAGL outings, the 6’8″ forward has contributed 21.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 32.6 minutes per game on .495/.389/.759 shooting.
As we outlined last weekend, the Warriors were fast approaching their deadline to re-add a 14th man to their standard roster. Teams are permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time and for up to 28 days in total during a season — Golden State is right up against that 28-day limit.
Assuming it’s officially finalized on Saturday, Knox’s contract will pay him $345,412 for the rest of the season. Charania’s report suggests it’s just a one-year deal, in which case the Warriors figure to carry a cap hit of $275,936. If they were to tack on another year, that cap charge for 2024/25 would increase to $345,412, Knox’s actual salary.
The Warriors will still have an open spot on their 15-man roster after signing Knox and should narrowly have enough breathing room below their hard cap to add a 15th man anytime, assuming his contract just covers the rest of the season.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Sarr, Daniels, Magic
The Wizards looked like a team in contention for the top pick in the draft for most of Saturday’s game at New York before a late rally made things close, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Washington trimmed a 33-point deficit down to four points early in the fourth quarter, but the Knicks were able to regroup and finish off a 122-103 victory, giving the Wizards a half-game edge over Utah in the race for the league’s worst record.
“Showed great resolve during that period. … The guys just continued to make the right play on both ends of the floor,” coach Brian Keefe said. “It wasn’t home run plays. It was a box out, a deflection, making the right pass. And then we just stacked those possessions.”
After reducing the minutes for his veteran players earlier this week, Keefe has returned to a regular rotation. Khris Middleton was held out Saturday because it was the second night of a back-to-back, but Jordan Poole was on the court for nearly 28 minutes and backup center Richaun Holmes returned to action after sitting out the previous three games. Shankar notes that Keefe only used eight players until late in the third quarter when Colby Jones and Anthony Gill entered the game and helped to spark the rally.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Wizards showed more confidence in rookie center Alex Sarr than they did in their last meeting the Knicks, Shankar adds. Previously, Keefe used small forward Justin Champagnie as the primary defender on Karl-Anthony Towns, with Sarr roaming on defense. On Saturday, Keefe let Sarr handle Towns one-on-one. “I loved it,” teammate Marcus Smart said. “He’s learning. Towns is a vet in this league, and he’s been doing this for a very long time. … [Sarr] has to get a little bit stronger — he knows it. But I liked the approach he had. He wasn’t running from the challenge. And he’s only going to get better.”
- Hawks guard Dyson Daniels had three more steals on Saturday, increasing his league-leading total to 197 on the season. With at least one steal in 41 straight games, he tied Mookie Blaylock for the third-longest streak in franchise history, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m proud of that kid. I think he’s DPOY (Defensive Player of the Year) for the season,” Onyeka Okongwu said. “I’m excited to watch him going forward.”
- The Magic are hoping Friday’s 120-point outburst at Washington will spark their offense for the rest of the season, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. He notes that Orlando is 7-1 when reaching the 120-point mark, but the team still has the league’s least-productive offense at 104.8 PPG. “It was huge,” coach Jamahl Mosley said of Friday’s performance. “Our guys understanding what we need to do, how we need to take care of business when we are on the road one game at a time and focus in these moments to play the right-type defense and have our offense clicking at the right is very important for this group as continue down the stretch.”
Bulls Notes: Buzelis, Jones, Giddey, Ball
If there’s a “rookie wall” for Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, he crashed through it Saturday night, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Buzelis scored a career-high 31 points in a convincing win over the Lakers, shooting 12-of-18 from the field and 5-of-10 from three-point range.
It was a welcome breakthrough for Buzelis, whose playing time has been declining recently. Cowley notes that he was shooting just 24% from three-point range over his previous six games and was limited to single digits in points in four of those outings.
“People can say what they want to say,” Buzelis said. “I haven’t hit a wall. I feel like I’ve got good energy out there. There’s been some games where the offense hasn’t really been going for me, but some nights are like that. Defensively, I feel like I’ve been really good.”
It’s been a challenging road trip for Buzelis, who was assigned to guard LeBron James on Saturday after previous matchups with Kevin Durant and DeMar DeRozan. Cowley points out that Thursday’s game in Sacramento was particularly tough for the rookie forward, who was a minus-10 overall and only played about three minutes in the second half.
“I think I’ve learned the most about basketball the last four or five months than I have in my total life,” Buzelis said. “Being in the NBA, playing against all these guys, now it’s just building it, making the tools sharper, everything sharper. Handles, shooting, defense, all of it. I know I’m going to be a really good player. I put the work in, the effort in every day, and I love this sport. I’ll do anything it takes to better myself.”
There’s more on the Bulls:
- With Tre Jones sidelined for at least the next two weeks due to a sprained left foot, there’s only a slight chance he’ll be able to return before the regular season ends on April 13, Cowley states in a separate story. The Bulls would love to have him back for the play-in tournament, which starts two days later, but everything hinges on how quickly he can recover. “The hope is he would be able to come back, but we’re probably not really going to know much until after that ramp-up starts,” coach Billy Donovan said. “He’s going to be in a boot for a while. It’s a pretty moderate sprain in his foot, and once he’s able to clear that hurdle, the next part is going to be where his pain is at, how much he can ramp up and how soon he’ll be able to play. So we probably won’t know much until we get through those two weeks.”
- Josh Giddey narrowly missed a quadruple-double on Saturday with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 17 assists and eight steals. He also went 1-of-2 from three-point range, bringing him to 37.9% from beyond the arc for the season. In the same piece, Cowley notes that long-distance shooting was one of the biggest question marks about Giddey when he was acquired in an offseason trade with Oklahoma City. “I think it’s reps; I haven’t changed anything,” Giddey said. “I started to figure out the last two months, missed shot, made shot, move on to the next one. That mindset has kind of been drilled into me, and that’s helped a lot. Now I’m to the point that if I shoot 10 and miss, I shoot the 11th. A lot of shooting is between the ears, so structurally, I haven’t changed anything.”
- Lonzo Ball has missed 10 straight games with a right wrist injury, but Donovan said there’s hope he can return during an upcoming two-game homestand, Cowley adds.
Return Of James, Hachimura Gives Lakers Fully Healthy Roster
The results weren’t good Saturday night, but the Lakers can take solace in having all their rotation players available for the first time in several weeks, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. LeBron James returned after missing seven games with a groin strain, and Rui Hachimura was back after sitting out 10 games with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee.
Saturday’s 146-115 loss to the Bulls dropped L.A. into fourth place in the West, a half-game behind Denver and three ahead of the Clippers and Timberwolves in the battle for a top-six seed and an automatic playoff berth. Coach J.J. Redick said finishing in the top six is his goal for the stretch drive so his team can have a week to rest and prepare for the playoffs.
“I think that’s a good way to look at it. … ground zero,” Redick said. “These next 12 games, you’ve got to refind your way. It’s a perpetually flowing river that we’ve all of a sudden run into a beaver’s (dam) … and we got to get ready to get the water flowing again.”
James logged 31 minutes in his first game action in two weeks. After finishing with 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, he told reporters that he’s taking it “day by day” in his recovery process.
Hachimura, who had five points and two rebounds in 18 minutes, said his knee is only about “70-80%.” He’s expected to be on a restriction of 20-24 minutes per game for the rest of the season.
“My knee is going to be like that for a while, I think,” he said. “I can’t really get back to 100% right away. I got to rest for a long time to get back to normal. But I don’t think we have that, so we just got to maintain and manage it.”
Continuity appeared to be an issue for the Lakers on Saturday as they turned in their worst defensive performance of the season and committed 21 turnovers, including five by James and seven by Luka Doncic. They were outscored 81-53 in the second half, and the 146 total points they surrendered matches a franchise record for a non-overtime home game, according to Josh Dubow of The Associated Press (Twitter link).
McMenamin points out that the Lakers are entering another tough portion of their schedule as they fight for playoff seeding. They’ll start a four-game trip Monday in Orlando and will play eight of their last 12 on the road. They have three back-to-backs left and just four games remaining against teams that aren’t in the top eight of either conference.
“I think we’re in a great spot,” Doncic said. “Obviously, today wasn’t a good game for us, but I think we’re in a great spot. We’ve got to play hard every game to try not to get in the play-in and try to get the highest seed we can.”
Jimmy Butler Views Return To Miami As ‘Another Game’
Jimmy Butler doesn’t want his return to Miami on Tuesday to be a dramatic event for him or his team, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
Butler, who repeatedly clashed with Heat officials before being traded to the Warriors at last month’s deadline, said he views it as just “another game.” It’s an experience he’s been through several times already after leaving the Bulls, Timberwolves and Sixers.
“Yeah, I was traded from there, yada, yada, yada,” Butler said after Saturday’s loss in Atlanta. “Yeah, it didn’t end the way that people wanted to, yada yada yada. But that’s so far behind me now. I don’t even think about it. I don’t pay attention to nothing except for the trajectory of this squad.”
It was a little more than six weeks ago that the Heat were trying to find their way out of a toxic situation with Butler. He was suspended three times this season — the last one being indefinite — as they searched for someone to take him off their hands. Phoenix was his preferred destination, but Miami couldn’t work out a deal without taking back Bradley Beal in return. The Warriors became a late option after their efforts to land Kevin Durant from the Suns fell through.
The teams have been on much different paths since the trade was completed. Golden State has surged to sixth place in the West, holding a 16-4 record since acquiring Butler. Miami, which is on a 10-game losing streak, has gone 4-17 while falling to 10th in the East.
Butler can probably expect a mixed response from what’s sure to be a boisterous crowd at the Kaseya Center. Although fans might blame him for destroying this season, he’s still beloved for helping the Heat reach the NBA Finals twice in his five and a half seasons with the team.
“Not really, don’t make no difference,” Butler responded when asked if he has any concerns about how fans will react. “I’m a member of the Golden State Warriors. I love that fan base. They showed me a lot of love while I was there. But I’m there to win now. I’m on the opposing team.”
He added that the Heat were “all right” while he played there and made some “cool runs,” but they weren’t able to accomplish their goal of winning an NBA title.
Tuesday’s game will also be a reunion for ex-Warriors Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson, who were sent to Miami in the five-team deal. Wiggins spent five years with Golden State and played an important role in winning the 2022 title. Anderson was in his first season with the Warriors after being traded there in July.
“We got Jimmy over here, I know this is a big game for him,” Draymond Green said. “They got Wiggs over there. I know it’s a huge game for him. We want to win for Jimmy, they’re going to want to win for Wiggs. We got to come out ready to play.”
Northwest Notes: Avdija, Walker, Nuggets, Jokic, Ingles
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija is enjoying the best scoring stretch of his career, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Avdija posted a season-high 36 points in Friday’s win over Denver, bringing him to 162 over the last six games. He was a productive scorer during his first four NBA seasons in Washington, but he has raised his game since being traded to Portland last summer.
“I don’t think I’ve played like this before,” he said. “I think I knew I had it in me. But I’m not really thinking about it. I’m just playing. I’m just free. I love playing around the guys. I love making plays. I love being on the court with our team, regardless of how I score or how much I score.”
Avdija is among the reasons Portland has become a surprise contender for the final play-in spot in the West. Not only is he scoring at a career-best rate of 15.9 PPG, he’s also pushing the ball up-court and setting up teammates, averaging 5.7 assists during those same six games.
“His play-making is getting better,” coach Chauncey Billups said. “He actually cares about play-making. He’s learning and learning and learning about his guys. They’re learning him.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Jabari Walker, who missed the past four games while in concussion protocol, is listed as questionable for the Trail Blazers‘ meeting with Boston on Sunday, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Anfernee Simons and Donovan Clingan, who sat out Friday’s game due to illness, are also questionable.
- The defensive issues that have been plaguing the Nuggets were on display again Friday at Portland, observes Troy Renck of The Denver Post. They surrendered 128 points to a Blazers team that was missing its leading scorer and fell to 8-8 since the All-Star break. Renck adds that losing Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the last two offseasons has left coach Michael Malone with no answers for certain matchup problems.
- Nuggets star Nikola Jokic will miss his fourth straight game Sunday in Houston with a left ankle impingement, according to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun are all probable.
- Joe Ingles hasn’t played much this season, but Timberwolves coach Chris Finch put him in the starting lineup on Friday so his eight-year-old autistic son could watch him play, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Jacob Ingles was recently able to sit through his first game without sensory overload, and Finch wanted to do something to honor the family. “This is the stuff,” Ingles said, “I’ll remember forever.”
Heat Notes: Adebayo, Herro, Losing Streak, Wiggins, Riley
The Heat could be missing their two best players as they try to end a 10-game losing streak Sunday night against Charlotte, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Bam Adebayo is listed as questionable with a left knee sprain he suffered while setting a screen in Friday’s game against Houston. He had a sleeve on his left leg and walked with a limp on Saturday at the team’s annual Family Festival, according to Chiang. Tyler Herro was also banged up against the Rockets, suffering a contusion on his left hip, and he’s listed as questionable as well.
Although it’s been a down season for the Heat, their stars have been remarkably durable. Adebayo has appeared in 68 of the team’s first 70 games, while Herro has played in 67. The losing streak has dropped Miami 12 games below .500 at 29-41, but the team still has a comfortable five-game lead over Toronto in the race for the final play-in spot.
There’s more from Miami:
- The Heat would have to win all 12 of their remaining games to avoid their first losing season since 2018/19, Chiang states in a separate story. Chiang lists 10 low-lights from the losing streak, including the fact that Miami has been outscored by an average of 27.9 points per 100 possessions during the fourth quarter of the last 10 games. Since the streak began, they have fallen from the 14th-worst record in the league to the eighth-worst. “It’s a resilient team, tough-minded team to be able to keep on coming back and competing at a high level,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We all understand that we need to do more, particularly in these moments of truth. But it’s not from a lack of competition or spirit, and that’s not going to change with this group.”
- The lone bright spot from Friday night was the return of Andrew Wiggins, who missed the previous two games with a lower leg contusion. Chiang notes that even though the contusion has healed, Wiggins is still dealing with the lingering effects of a sprained right ankle he suffered in late February. He played nearly 30 minutes on Friday and scored 30 points.
- As Pat Riley turned 80 on Thursday, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel questioned whether the Heat’s longtime president can still attract top-level talent to Miami. Winderman contends that Riley’s only major acquisition of the last decade, apart from the draft, came when he traded for Jimmy Butler in 2019.