Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Offense, Green, Sengun, Landale
The Rockets hold a $44.9MM club option on Fred VanVleet‘s contract for next season. The veteran guard hasn’t done himself any favors in the playoff series against Golden State. In the first three games, VanVleet made only 26.8% of his shots (11-of-41), including 20.7% of his three-pointers (6-of-29), while averaging 11.3 points and four assists in 41 minutes per game, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle points out. Game 4 is tonight.
“There’s times and places where I have to play better, I have to make shots at a higher clip,” VanVleet said. “I have to find rhythm and find ways to be more aggressive. But obviously, if I’m getting two on the ball at 28, 30 feet, I feel like I’ve done my job for that possession. If I can draw a mismatch and I can draw a best defender, there’s opportunity for other guys, I feel like I’ve done my job on that possession. So, it’s different ways to attack. I have to be better, 1,000%, and if I make two more shots we probably win Game 1. If I make a couple more (Saturday), we probably get out of here with a win, so that’s totally on me, for sure.”
We have more on the Rockets:
- The Game 3 loss to Golden State, in which the Warriors survived the absence of Jimmy Butler, showed that the Rockets probably need an offensive star to be true contenders, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes. Houston, which was held to 85 points in Game 1, was limited to 93 points in Game 3. If the Rockets decide to go shopping for a roster upgrade, Jalen Green — who signed a three-year, $106MM extension in October — is widely expected to be part of the deal, according to Amick.
- Houston needs to do a better job of holding down the Warriors’ role players, Kelly Iko of The Athletic notes. Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II combined for 33 points on 7-of-14 three-point attempts in Game 3. The Rockets also need Alperen Şengun to deliver in clutch moments. The center shot 7-for-18 from the field and made only one of six free throw attempts in Game 3.
- Backup big Jock Landale, who has yet to play in the series, is listed as probable for Game 4, Lerner tweets. Landale has been recovering from a knee contusion.
Heat Notes: Jaquez, Elimination, Herro, Adebayo, Anderson
Jaime Jaquez Jr.‘s second NBA season hasn’t gone as smoothly as his rookie campaign. Jaquez has been out of the Heat‘s rotation in their playoff series against Cleveland after getting steady playing time last season.
“Obviously, it’s frustrating as a competitor,” Jaquez told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “As a player, you want to be in the game playing. But seasons come with ups and downs. I think more than anything, you take it as a learning experience. It will help you grow as a player and as a person to go through adversity like this. If you make it out to the other side, then you’re going to see what you become.”
Jaquez averaged 8.6 points per game this season on a lower shooting percentage than last season, when he averaged 11.9 PPG and made 48.9 percent of his attempts.
“There’s going to be struggles throughout your career,” he said. “You don’t want to shy away from those. Obviously, there have been a lot of ups and downs with some bad luck with some illnesses and then obviously getting hurt. But I think it’s given me a great opportunity to just learn, learn a lot about myself and about the game and take this time to just continue to work on my craft, work on my routine and continue to get better as a professional.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- They’re facing elimination tonight and staring at a 3-0 deficit in the series. NBA teams are 0-158 in playoff series after falling behind 3-0, Chiang notes. “This is our reality right now. But like I told the guys, it’s not time to let go of the rope,” guard Tyler Herro said. “We’re going to play until the final buzzer, whether that’s next game, Game 5, 6, 7 or another series after this. We just got to keep playing. That’s what we’re paid to do and that’s who we are as an organization. We want to compete and we’re not going out 4-0.”
- Herro pumped in 33 points in Game 2 but was held to 13 points in Game 3, as the Cavaliers limited him to a series-low 46 touches, according to Chiang. “I’m coming off and they’re not allowing me to get any handoffs or coming off pindowns or anything like that,” he said. “Just pretty much face-guarding me and guiding me into the corner.” Herro and his teammates will have to find counters for that strategy if they want to extend the series.
- Bam Adebayo has become more comfortable attempting three-pointers this season and that’s reflected in the volume of his long-range shots through the first three playoff games. He has taken 17 and made six. “He has good balance about it, of being rugged and aggressive at the rim and in the pant, because we need that as well … he’s a very good shooter,” coach Erik Spoelstra told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Kyle Anderson was added to the injury report for Monday’s game due to an illness, Chiang tweets. However, he is available, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets. Anderson has only seen the floor for six minutes during the series.
Jrue Holiday To Remain Out For Game 5
Veteran guard Jrue Holiday, who has missed the past two games of the Celtics‘ series vs. Orlando due to a right hamstring strain, will remain sidelined for Game 5 on Tuesday, the team announced today (Twitter link).
The Celtics lost Game 3 in Orlando without Holiday available on Friday, but bounced back with a 107-98 victory on Sunday to take a 3-1 lead in the series.
Al Horford has taken Holiday’s spot in the starting lineup, with Sam Hauser playing an increased role off the bench and Boston leaning heavily on its stars. Jayson Tatum and Derrick White each played at least 39 minutes in Games 3 and 4, with Jaylen Brown logging 41 minutes in Sunday’s win.
Speaking of Brown, he’s listed as questionable for Game 5 due to a posterior impingement in his right knee, per the Celtics. However, the reigning NBA Finals MVP had that same questionable designation prior to Games 3 and 4 and ultimately saw a full workload in both contests, so it would be a bit of a surprise if he joins Holiday on the inactive list.
If the Celtics can wrap up their first-round series with a win over the Magic on Tuesday, the team will have a lengthier layoff before beginning its second-round series, which would give Holiday some additional recovery time.
Pelicans Announce Surgeries For Kelly Olynyk, Brandon Boston
A pair of Pelicans players have undergone surgical procedures, according to the team, which put out a press release on Monday to provide updates on center Kelly Olynyk and wing Brandon Boston Jr.
Olynyk underwent a “minimally invasive” surgery on his left heel, along with an ultrasound-guided tendon debridement, on Friday at the Fortius Clinic in London, England. The veteran big man had missed the final three games of New Orleans’ season due to what the team referred to at the time as left Achilles tendonosis, so it sounds like the procedure was meant to address that injury.
Boston, meanwhile, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle on Friday in Los Angeles. The 23-year-old swingman didn’t play after February 8 due to what the team diagnosed as a stress reaction in his left ankle.
Both players are expected to have a recovery timeline of approximately three to four months, according to the Pelicans. That projection suggests that Olynyk and Boston should be ready to go when training camp gets underway in the fall, though that’s not necessarily a lock — their recoveries will be worth monitoring closely this offseason.
Olynyk, acquired from Toronto in February’s Brandon Ingram trade, emerged as a starter for the Pelicans down the stretch, averaging 10.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 25.5 minutes per game across 20 outings (all starts) with New Orleans. He posted a shooting line of .500/.389/.754 and made a strong case to be part of next season’s roster. The 34-year-old is owed approximately $13.4MM in the final year of his deal in ’25/26.
Boston spent training camp last fall with San Antonio and was claimed off waivers at the start of the season by the Pelicans, who converted him a to a two-way deal. The former Clipper earned a rotation spot and, eventually, a promotion from his two-way deal to the standard roster. In 42 games (10 starts), he averaged 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 steals in 23.6 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .436/.350/.788.
The Pelicans hold a $2.35MM team option on Boston for next season. His ankle procedure makes it less likely that option will be picked up, though that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t eventually return to the team on a new deal.
And-Ones: Awards, Fredette, Silver, Early Entrants
After announcing Stephen Curry as this season’s Teammate of the Year on Monday afternoon, the NBA will unveil three more award winners later this week, according to the league (Twitter link).
The 2024/25 Rookie of the Year is scheduled to be announced on Tuesday at 7:00 pm Eastern time, with Most Improved Player to follow on Wednesday, 24 hours later. The league’s Sportsmanship Award winner will be revealed on Thursday at 12:00 pm ET.
Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher, and Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells are the finalists for Rookie of the Year honors, while Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, and Clippers center Ivica Zubac remain in the running for Most Improved.
The Sportsmanship Award isn’t one of the major ones voted on by media members — it’s voted on by players after league executives select six finalists, who were announced earlier this month. Those finalists are Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Celtics guard Jrue Holiday, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, and Magic forward Franz Wagner.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Less than a week after announcing his retirement as a player, former NBA lottery pick Jimmer Fredette has a new job. USA Basketball stated in a press release on Monday that Fredette has been named the first-ever managing director for Team USA’s 3×3 men’s national team. Fredette will be responsible for compiling USA Basketball’s coaching staff and roster for 3×3 international competitions, essentially taking on the same role that Grant Hill performs for the 5×5 men’s national team.
- Appearing on ESPN’s Numbers on the Board podcast (YouTube link), NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke about a number of topics, including whether shortening the regular season from 82 games is a viable possibility for player health reasons. While Silver said that “nothing is off the table,” his response suggested the idea of reducing the 82-game schedule is likely a long shot (YouTube clip).
- We can probably expect a full, official list from the NBA in the coming days, but in the meantime, news of early entrants who declared for the 2025 draft ahead of Saturday’s deadline continues to trickle out. Here are a few more of the players who are testing the draft waters this spring:
- Mouhamed Faye, C, Reggio Emilia, Italy (born 2005) (Twitter link via Jonathan Givony of ESPN)
- Elijah Fisher, G/F, Pacific (junior) (Twitter link via Jon Chepkevich of Rookie Scale)
- Ousmane N’Diaye, F/C, Baskonia, Spain (born 2004) (Twitter link via Chepkevich)
Former Knicks Guard Dick Barnett Dies At 88
Dick Barnett, a former NBA guard who won a pair of championships with the Knicks, has died at age 88, writes Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press.
The Knicks, who announced Barnett’s death on Sunday, didn’t provide any additional details, but said in a statement they were “terribly saddened” to learn of his passing (Twitter link).
“Throughout his illustrious career, Dick Barnett embodied everything it meant to be a New York Knick, both on and off the court,” the team stated. “He left a positive impact on everyone he encountered and this organization is incredibly fortunate to have him be such an integral part of its history.
“His jersey will forever hang in the rafters of Madison Square Garden, and his play throughout his career will forever be a part of Knicks fans memories.”
A star at Tennessee A&I College (now Tennessee State University), Barnett won three NAIA titles from 1957-59 and was selected fourth overall in the 1959 NBA draft by the Syracuse Nationals (the future Philadelphia 76ers). He spent two years in Syracuse, then a single season with the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League before joining the Lakers in 1962 and eventually the Knicks in 1965.
Barnett’s most memorable NBA seasons came in New York, where he averaged a career-high 23.1 points per game in 1965/66, made an All-Star team in ’67/68, and won championships with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973.
Barnett appeared in a total of 971 NBA regular season games from 1959-73, averaging 15.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 29.8 minutes per contest. He ranks ninth on the Knicks’ all-time scoring list with 9,442 points, putting him right between former teammates Earl Monroe and Bill Bradley. He had his No. 12 jersey retired by the organization in 1990.
Barnett was enshrined twice to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, first as a member of that three-time champion Tennessee A&I College team in 2019, then as a player in 2024.
Our condolences go out to Barnett’s family and friends.
Damian Lillard Suffers Left Achilles Tear
April 28: Lillard has been diagnosed with a left Achilles tear, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who says (via Twitter) that an MRI confirmed the severity of the injury.
As noted below, in addition to ending Lillard’s playoff run this season, the torn Achilles also figures to compromise his availability for the ’25/26 campaign. It’s not uncommon for a player who tears an Achilles to require a full calendar year to recover and return to the court.
April 27: Bucks star guard Damian Lillard is feared to have suffered a left Achilles tear, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets.
Lillard’s injury occurred during Game 4 of his team’s first-round series on Sunday night. He went down on the non-contact play after tapping an offensive rebound from the top of the key to a teammate. He needed to be helped off the floor and couldn’t put weight on his left leg.
It’s a heartbreaking development for the Bucks and the nine-time All-Star. Lillard, 34, returned to action in Game 2 of the series after recovering from a blood clot in his right calf, which sidelined him for more than a month. He was cleared of deep vein thrombosis, which required blood thinning medication, 10 days ago.
Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals on .448/.376/.921 shooting in 36.1 minutes per contest during the regular season. He would have been a strong candidate to make an All-NBA team for the eighth time, but did not qualify due to the 65-game rule — he appeared in 58 games this season.
Lillard struggled with his shooting in Games 2 and 3, making just 24 percent of his attempts while averaging 10.5 points in 34.5 minutes.
If Lillard has indeed suffered a tear, it would likely jeopardize his 2025/26 season and put the Bucks in a difficult financial bind. He’s due to make an estimated $54,126,380 next season and holds an option projected at $58,456,490 for the 2026/27 season.
In the short run, the Bucks will have to rely heavily on Kevin Porter Jr. to run their offense for the remainder of the series.
Stephen Curry Named 2024/25 Teammate Of The Year
Warriors star Stephen Curry has been named the NBA’s Teammate of the Year for the 2024/25 season, the league announced today (via Twitter).
The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award “recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment to his team,” per the NBA.
The award isn’t voted on by media members. A panel of league executives select the 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the award, while current players vote on the winner. Players receive 10 points for a first place vote, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, and one point for fifth place.
Curry just narrowly won this season’s vote ahead of Rockets center Steven Adams.
Here are this season’s full voting results, according to the NBA, with the player’s point total noted in parentheses:
- Stephen Curry, Warriors (1,257)
- Steven Adams, Rockets (1,237)
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks (925)
- DeAndre Jordan, Nuggets (897)
- Nicolas Batum, Clippers (868)
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers (850)
- Al Horford, Celtics (834)
- James Johnson, Pacers (751)
- Jaylin Williams, Thunder (690)
- Brook Lopez, Bucks (657)
- Tobias Harris, Pistons (648)
- Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies (552)
It’s the first Teammate of the Year award for Curry, though it’s the seventh time in a row that a point guard has earned the honor.
The award, which was introduced in ’12/13, had gone to either Mike Conley (2019 and 2024) or Jrue Holiday (2020, 2022, and 2023) in five of the past six seasons, with Damian Lillard claiming it in 2021.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Porzingis, Horford, Sale
There are few signs of the right wrist injury that Jayson Tatum suffered in Game 1, except for a new celebration he has started using after clutch shots, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Tatum credits rookie Baylor Scheierman for coming up with the move, in which he raises his arms and clasps his right wrist with his left hand. It was on display frequently during the two games in Orlando as Tatum scored 36 and 37 points to help the Celtics return home with a 3-1 series lead.
“I know what I’m dealing with,” Tatum said about his wrist. “My team knows how serious it is, but it’s that time of year. We’re all sacrificing our bodies and going through things. It’s the playoffs.”
Holmes notes that Tatum has been a consistent weapon for the Celtics against an aggressive Magic defense that limited them to 31 three-point attempts on Sunday, well below their season average of 48.4 per game. Sunday’s contest was tied at 91-91 with 4:16 left before Tatum delivered nine late points to pull out the victory.
“I thought in my head, like, ‘This guy is special,'” Kristaps Porzingis said. “He just has, I think also, from when I got here to now, he’s developed more of a killer instinct, and he’s been getting us big buckets in this series and last year’s playoffs. Thanks to him, we were right there, and today again he was phenomenal.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Porzingis knew he needed to try something different after being held to 28% shooting from the field in the first three games of the series, per Brian Robb of MassLive. He found the answer in Game 4, rolling to the basket for three easy dunks in the first quarter on his way to 19 points. “Just being a bit more towards the rim because they weren’t really – even though I haven’t shot the ball good in this series, they don’t really give up anything from the three,” Porzingis said. “They’re closing out really hard, so, gotta make an adjustment.”
- Al Horford swatted away five shots on Sunday, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players 38 or older with that many blocks in a playoff game, according to Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe. “There should be a separate stat sheet for guys like him because of the type of stuff that he does,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Just an unbelievable competitor. Made all the plays necessary to help us win.”
- Even though William Chisholm has been announced as the Celtics’ next owner, there are still things about the sale that remain “murky,” according to Ben Horney of Front Office Sports, including Wyc Grousbeck‘s role in the power structure once the purchase is finalized and the new ownership team’s plans to deal with an escalating payroll.
Lakers Notes: Game 4 Loss, Hayes, Finney-Smith, Doncic, LeBron
Coach J.J. Redick made two bold strategic moves that nearly led the Lakers to a Game 4 victory in Minnesota, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Redick decided to replace center Jaxson Hayes with Dorian Finney-Smith for the start of the third quarter, and he used the same five players for the entire second half. Buha notes that Gabe Vincent nearly checked in at one point, but Redick changed his mind and stayed with the same unit for the full 24 minutes.
“I think once you’ve kind of made that decision, and (the players) all are in, you just gotta trust them,” Redick said.
The move seemed inevitable with Hayes, who has been limited to seven points and eight rebounds in the series and didn’t reach double digits in minutes in any of the first four games. Finney-Smith enables L.A. to spread the floor on offense and switch more easily on defense.
The group started the second half on an 11-0 run and won the third quarter by a 36-23 margin, giving the Lakers their highest-scoring quarter of the series. They led by seven points with 5:06 remaining and seemed to be in a good position to tie the series, but couldn’t close out the game. A series of late mistakes proved costly, but players refused to blame the loss on their iron man performance in the second half.
“I don’t think fatigue had anything to do with that,” LeBron James said. “Just missing some point-blank shots, you know? We were getting into what we wanted to get into. We just weren’t able to convert.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Sunday’s game displayed how little trust Redick has in his bench, Buha adds. Along with Hayes, his other rotation members, Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jordan Goodwin, tend to be one-way players. Buha believes Redick might use a center-less approach for the rest of the series, even though the Wolves have a lot of size on their front line.
- After battling through a stomach virus in Game 3, Luka Doncic seemed to be back to normal on Sunday, according to Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Doncic finished with 38 points while logging a series-high 46 minutes. “This is the playoffs – fatigue shouldn’t play any role in this,” Doncic said. “I played a lot of minutes, but that shouldn’t play a role. I think they just executed better on the offensive end during the last minutes.”
- James also played 46 minutes and appears to be fully recovered from a left hip flexor strain he suffered two weeks ago, Buha states in a separate story. “He’s moving better,” Redick said after Game 3. “He seems like he’s getting healthier by the day. It’s typically a one-to-two-week injury. Believe it’s been two weeks tonight, if I’m mistaken, from the Houston game. Clearly he’s moving better.”