Stephen Curry Out Saturday With Pelvic Contusion
The Warriors received some promising news on Friday, as Stephen Curry‘s MRI confirmed a pelvic contusion but revealed no structural damage, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
Curry, who sustained the injury after a hard fall in the third quarter of Thursday’s game vs. Toronto, won’t travel to Atlanta and will miss Saturday’s game against the Hawks. He will be reevaluated on Monday, per the Warriors.
Shams Charania of ESPN first reported (via Twitter) the update on Curry, which was later confirmed by Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Saturday’s matchup in Atlanta is the start of the six-game road trip for the Warriors. As Slater notes, the second game of the trip will be on Tuesday in Miami — it’s the first matchup between the Warriors and Heat after last month’s blockbuster trade of Jimmy Butler.
Butler struggled with his shot (4-of-15 from the field) on Thursday, but he still recorded a triple-double (16 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds) and had a clutch block late in the fourth quarter. After the game, he said the Warriors will need to play “perfect basketball” without Curry, according to Slater (Twitter video link).
“We can’t afford to turn the ball over. We can’t afford to foul. Because we don’t have the one individual who can automatically get us back into the game,” Butler said.
The Warriors have surged up the standings since they acquired Butler, currently holding a 41-29 record, good for the No. 6 seed in the West. However, they’re only 1.5 games ahead of the Clippers and Timberwolves in the race to secure an automatic playoff berth, so each of their 12 remaining games will be critical if they want to avoid the play-in tournament this spring.
Mavericks’ Davis, Lively, Gafford To Practice In NBAGL
The Mavericks assigned a trio of injured big men to their G League affiliate on Friday, announcing (via Twitter) that Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford will be heading to the Texas Legends.
According to Dallas-based NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter links), Davis will be going through his second round of 5-on-5 practice with the Legends, while Lively and Gafford are expected to start with a 3-on-3 session.
Davis first practiced with Dallas’ affiliate team on Monday, though head coach Jason Kidd later cautioned that the star forward/center had to clear additional hurdles before he’s able to play again. Davis has been out since February 8, when he sustained a left adductor strain in his Mavericks debut.
Second-year center Lively is recovering from a right ankle stress fracture that has kept him on the shelf since January 14. He has been doing individual on-court work in recent weeks.
Gafford was set to be reevaluated today after suffering a Grade 3 MCL sprain in his right knee on February 10. Evidently that examination went well, as Gafford will be practicing today for the first time in nearly six weeks.
Stein reported a couple weeks ago that Davis and Lively were on track to be healthy before the end of the season, though it wasn’t clear if they’d actually play again in 2024/25. A subsequent report stated there have been no indications the Mavs plan to shut down any of Davis, Lively or Gafford while they remain in postseason contention.
Amid a devastating wave of injuries, the Mavericks have dropped four straight and 11 of their past 13 games. At 33-37, Dallas is currently the No. 11 seed in the West. The Mavs have the same record as Phoenix, but the Suns control the head-to-head tiebreaker and thus the No. 10 seed.
Nets’ Watford Ejected Following Scuffle With Pacers
Nets forward Trendon Watford was ejected in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s overtime loss to Indiana following a brief scuffle with Pacers players Andrew Nembhard and Myles Turner, as The Associated Press relays.
Prior to a driving basket by Bennedict Mathurin, Watford pushed Nembhard with one arm, then the two shoulder shoved each other with one arm apiece after the field goal (YouTube link via ESPN). Turner quickly entered the fray and shoved Watford, who responded by pushing back. Both teams entered the scuffle at that point, with coaches and officials eventually separating the two sides.
The video only shows the play and its aftermath, so it’s unclear who initially instigated the incident.
Nembhard and Watford received double technical fouls for their exchange, as did Turner and Watford for theirs. Watford was automatically ejected after being hit with two technicals.
For his part, Turner largely downplayed the incident after the game, saying he was just standing up for his teammate Nembhard, who is considerably smaller than Watford.
“We’re preparing for the playoffs,” Turner said. “You’re going to have moments like that in the playoffs. So to be battle tested, let it not be a surprise and be able to control your emotions when everything’s high – that’s an underrated thing in this league.”
Pelicans Sign Elfrid Payton To 10-Day Contract
10:35am: Payton’s 10-day contract is now official, the Pelicans confirmed in a press release. He is eligible to play in five games over the next 10 days.
9:30am: The Pelicans intend to sign free agent guard Elfrid Payton to a 10-day contract, agent Darrell Comer tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
A Louisiana native who played college ball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Payton appeared in seven games with the Pelicans in the fall on a non-guaranteed deal. In one of those games, he recorded a career-best 21 assists. He was released in early December.
Payton, 31, signed a pair of 10-day hardship contracts with Charlotte last month. He struggled to make an impact in his six games with the Hornets, only scoring six points on 3-of-21 shooting (14.3%) in 123 total minutes.
Prior to 2024/25, it had been two full seasons since Payton had appeared in an NBA game, last suiting up for Phoenix in ’21/22. He has spent time in the G League over the past three campaigns, including playing for the Pelicans’ affiliate — the Birmingham Squadron — in ’24/25.
In 13 total games with New Orleans and Charlotte this season, Payton has averaged 4.1 points, 5.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 20.5 minutes per contest. He has converted 38.8% of his field goal attempts, including missing his only three-pointer, and split his two free throws.
Mohamed Bamba‘s 10-day contract with the Pelicans recently expired, creating an opening on the team’s standard roster. It’s possible the Pelicans might be able to bring back Bamba while adding Payton — they could qualify for a hardship exception due to the injuries to Dejounte Murray, Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy and Brandon Boston. Boston’s injury, a left ankle stress reaction, is the only one of the four that might not be season-ending — he’ll be reevaluated today.
Payton will earn a $171,756 salary on his new 10-day contract, while New Orleans carries a cap charge of $119,972.
Wizards’ Saddiq Bey To Practice With G League Affiliate
Forward Saddiq Bey has been out of action since March 10, 2024, when he tore the ACL in his left knee as a member of the Hawks. As a free agent last July, the 25-year-old signed a three-year, $20MM ($1MM in incentives) contract with the Wizards.
A little more than a year after his initial injury, Bey appears to be nearing his 2024/25 season debut. Sources tell Josh Robbins of The Athletic that Bey will practice with the Capital City Go-Go — the Wizards’ NBA G League affiliate — on Friday and Saturday (Twitter link).
According to Robbins, Washington’s goal is for Bey to play in some NBA games in April. The Wizards have a total of seven games on their schedule next month, including one on April 13, the final day of the regular season.
While the Wizards will likely bring the former first-round pick along slowly in the final stages of his recovery from a major injury, the fact that he’s progressed to this point is a good sign for his availability for next season. In 63 games with Atlanta in ’23/24, Bey averaged 13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 32.7 minutes per contest, with a shooting slash line of .416/.316/.837.
At 15-53, the Wizards currently have the worst record in the NBA. If that stands for the remainder of the season, they will pick no worse than No. 5 overall in the 2025 draft.
Thunder Clinch Top Seed In West
The Thunder have secured the top seed in the Western Conference entering this year’s playoffs, tweets Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman.
Oklahoma City clinched the West’s No. 1 seed when the Lakers lost to the Bucks on Thursday evening (Twitter link via the NBA).
It’s the second straight season the Thunder have been the top seed in the West. Unlike 2023/24, when their playoff seeding was still up in the air until the very last game of the season, they have clinched the No. 1 seed in ’24/25 with 13 regular season games remaining.
The Thunder finished ’23/24 with a 57-25 record. Oklahoma City, which holds a one-game lead on Cleveland for the best record in the NBA, has already matched that win total in ’24/25 and currently has a 57-12 record.
Houston could theoretically tie Oklahoma City at 57 wins if the Rockets win their remaining 12 games and the Thunder lose all 13 of theirs. But even if that happens — and there’s essentially no chance it will — the Thunder will remain the top seed due to a head-to-head tiebreaker (OKC went 3-1 vs. Houston this season).
Led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder have the NBA’s fourth-best offense and the top defensive rating in the league by a wide margin. Their net rating differential of 12.6 points per 100 possessions is one of the best marks in league history.
Stephen Curry Exits Thursday Game Due To Pelvic Contusion
March 21: Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Curry underwent an MRI after the game, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter video link).
“He thought he might be able to come back (into the game),” Kerr said. “We just decided not to risk anything. So hopefully it’s not bad.”
March 20: Warriors superstar Stephen Curry suffered a hard fall on his back following a drive on Thursday vs. Toronto, grabbing his tailbone and staying down on the ground in pain, The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II relays (Twitter link).
Curry headed to the locker room, with general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. later following him. He was then quickly ruled out for the rest of the game due to a pelvic contusion, according to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears (Twitter link).
It’s an obviously unfortunate turn of events for the streaking Warriors, who have won 15 of their last 18 games. During that stretch, Curry is averaging 28.1 point and 6.1 assists per game while making 40.5% of his 12.5 three-point attempts.
The Warriors have increasingly looked like formidable Western Conference contenders since acquiring Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline. Entering Thursday night’s game, they were 2.5 games behind the fifth-seeded Grizzlies.
It’s not clear how many games, if any, the injury will force Curry to miss beyond Thursday. Any missed time would be a blow to Golden State. The Warriors held on to defeat the Raptors on Thursday for their 41st win of the season.
Atlantic Notes: Scheierman, Brunson, Knicks, Walker
Celtics rookie Baylor Scheierman scored a career-high 20 points against the Nets on Tuesday, giving the Celtics their 50th win. As Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe notes, 17 of Scheierman’s 20 came in the second half and he only missed one garbage-time shot.
“Obviously it’s a lot of fun when [the game] slows down and it feels like you’re just out there playing free, playing loose,” Scheierman said. “Coach [Joe Mazzulla] has got a lot of confidence in you, players have got a lot of confidence in you. That’s what the game is all about, and that’s how I enjoy playing.”
Scheierman hasn’t played much at the NBA level this year, but he’s contributed to a pair of wins in the past couple weeks. The 2024 No. 30 overall pick is getting more comfortable by the day.
“Confidence is kind of an overused term,” Mazzulla said. “I think in reality, it’s like, this kid just got here. He’s been here for three months. Like, what do you expect him to look like 10 games in playing sporadically? He’s always had that confidence. I think a lot of it is a matter of timing. A lot of it’s a matter of opportunity. And a lot of it is the moments that you get, you’ve got to deliver and you’ve got to impact winning.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said Jalen Brunson was out of his walking boot and has progressed to doing “light shooting,” according to Newsday’s Steve Popper (Twitter link). New York is hoping to get him into some game action before the playoffs begin. He hasn’t played since March 6 due to an ankle injury.
- New York wing Josh Hart ripped the Knicks after they lost to the 18-win Hornets on Thursday, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “The way we’re losing games is embarrassing,” Hart said, “… It’s extra effort, and we’re not doing that, and that’s what’s embarrassing, especially for this team, especially for a Thibs-coached team, a New York-based team. That’s not what we should be doing. That’s not what we’re supposed to be built on.” New York is 3-4 without Brunson during this stretch.
- Sixers guard Lonnie Walker IV hasn’t played since March 12 after suffering a concussion. He’s probable for Friday’s game against the Spurs, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Walker is averaging 8.2 points and 3.3 rebounds this season.
Pacific Notes: Butler, Zubac, Lue, Van Gundy, LaVine, LeBron, Hachimura
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. became one of the few top executives in recent history to trade for a former teammate when acquiring Jimmy Butler at this year’s deadline. Dunleavy, who played with Butler in Chicago, wasn’t deterred by the fact that some of the forward’s stints with prior teams had ended poorly, nor by Butler’s apparent willingness to hit free agency in 2025 (he wound up extending with the Warriors). Now, as NBA insider Jake Fischer writes, the move is paying dividends for surging Golden State.
“There’s nobody who could explain the intricacies of Jimmy Butler better than Mike Dunleavy,” a league source said to Fischer.
The Warriors knew they needed top-end talent, having reportedly pursued Lauri Markkanen and Paul George in the offseason and Kevin Durant at the deadline. In Butler, they acquired the impact player they sought. The Warriors are now 15-3 since the trade, and by extending Butler, they’re hoping to show him how much they value what he adds to the organization.
“This is a commitment to each other,” Dunleavy said. “I didn’t want this to be a temporary thing or a rental or anything like that. I think he feels the same way, on the backside of his career and doesn’t want to be jumping around.”
The Warriors signed Butler to a two-year, $110.9MM extension when he arrived in Golden State.
“I am wanted here,” Butler said. “I’m appreciated here. I’m grateful that [Dunleavy] saw what I could bring to this organization and this team.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers‘ confidence in Ivica Zubac continues to grow, Janis Carr of The Orange County Register writes. Zubac is averaging career highs of 16.4 points and 12.6 rebounds per game this season. He had a 28-point, 20-rebound game on Tuesday after having nearly recorded a triple-double (17 points, 14 boards and eight assists) on Sunday. “He’s doing a good job of taking his time, making the right pass and making the right play and so he’s only going to keep getting better,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “Give him credit for what he’s doing.”
- Lue missed Tuesday’s game due to back pain, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Broderick Turner. He previously missed four of the past six Clippers‘ games due to the injury. Assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy also missed Tuesday’s game due to personal reasons.
- Kings guard Zach LaVine was unavailable on Wednesday due to personal reasons, but was active for their Thursday matchup against the Bulls, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports (Twitter link). He’s averaging 22.7 points per game on .527/.441/.894 splits in his first 18 outings with Sacramento.
- Lakers coach JJ Redick said he’s “hopeful” both LeBron James and Rui Hachimura will be able to return this Saturday, according to Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina (Twitter link). A report on Sunday indicated that James was expected to miss at least another week, so if he does indeed return on Saturday, he’d narrowly beat that timeline. Hachimura’s Saturday return seems more likely, since that original report suggested he would be able to come back within the week.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Thompson, Grizzlies, Pelicans
The Rockets are guaranteed to at least make the play-in tournament this season after defeating the Magic on Wednesday. It’ll be the first time the team has made any form of postseason appearance since 2020. The Rockets still haven’t clinched a top-six seed, which would allow them to avoid the play-in, but they’re close, with a 5.5-game lead on the seventh-seeded Clippers.
Houston has now won eight games in a row and climbed to second in the West. According to Houston Chronicle’s Danielle Lerner, the Rockets’ energy is high nearing the postseason.
“We’re just hooping,” forward Tari Eason said. “The overall motto that I say is, ‘Just have fun.’ You know, basketball is fun. Sometimes we get caught up in this or that or just narratives, or whatever the case may be, but I think we’re out there having fun. When you’re out there having fun, you play free. You play better.”
Several veterans and young players are helping the Rockets make the push.
“We don’t have one guy,” Alperen Sengun said. “Jalen [Green] is scoring guy, but we have every day, some different guys. So we don’t really care who scores. Everybody do their job. I get my rebounds. Tari, you have to rebound, Jabari [Smith], you have to get the rebounds. You know, we just all make each other’s job easy and I think that’s the really important thing about us, and I think that’s being helping us to win.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Rockets guard Amen Thompson was upgraded to probable ahead of Friday’s game against the Heat, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Thompson hasn’t played since March 8 as he works his way back from a foot injury. He’s averaging 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in 60 games (33 starts) this season.
- The Grizzlies are still seeking late-game continuity, Michael Wallace of Grind City Media writes. When complete, Memphis is one of the most complete contenders. However, Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane have only played 30 games together this season. “We’ve been a resilient team all season; that’s just been part of this team’s journey,” coach Taylor Jenkins said. “But there has to be an urgency that we play with on both sides of the floor.“
- Even though the Pelicans are eliminated from playoff contention, they haven’t called it quits on the season, Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes. That was evident after their impressive road win over Minnesota on Wednesday followed a 46-point loss to Detroit earlier in the week.