California Notes: Luka, LeBron, Goodwin, Kings, Dunn
Following the Lakers‘ seventh loss in 10 games, a 118-106 defeat to Orlando on Monday, All-Star guard Luka Doncic took some accountability for the club’s recent struggles. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, Doncic believes that it falls to him and fellow All-Star LeBron James to lead the Lakers out of this stretch.
Both players missed multiple contests during this 3-7 run, which also included a rough slate of six games played in eight days. Doncic sat out two games due to an ankle ailment, while James was shelved for seven with a groin issue.
“I think me and Bron, think we should be the guys to do that,” Doncic said. “That’s on me. Obviously, I’ve got to do better, I’ve got to talk more. I talked in the first half, then just kind of [let my] voice down and I shouldn’t do that.”
Los Angeles got back in the win column on Wednesday, defeating Indiana 120-119 on the road with a buzzer-beating James tip-in off a Doncic miss. They’ll face off against Chicago on Thursday night in the second game of a back-to-back slate.
There’s more out of California:
- Lakers two-way guard Jordan Goodwin reached his active game limit on Tuesday vs. Indiana, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Marks observes that Goodwin’s deal will need to be converted to L.A.’s standard roster if the contending club wants him to suit up in any more regular season or postseason contests. All 15 standard roster spots are occupied, meaning the Lakers would need to cut a player to promote Goodwin.
- After losing four straight and eight of their last 10, the Kings are struggling to finish their 2024/25 regular season strong. Pricey new trade acquisition Zach LaVine called out the energy in the team’s locker room earlier this week, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “The vibe is not good,” LaVine said following a Monday defeat to Boston. “It shouldn’t be. We’re not happy with the way we’ve been performing individually and as a group.” Interim head coach Doug Christie disagreed with LaVine’s characterization of the vibe in the locker room. “He was incorrect,” Christie said. “I think when you ask a question like that when you go through a little bit of a losing streak, it’s more about not being happy that you lost, like I’m upset that I lost.”
- Clippers reserve guard Kris Dunn is bringing the same acumen he displayed as an on-ball defensive specialist with lottery-bound Chicago and Utah clubs to a fringe West contender, as he tells Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda. “I think it’s probably just being on a bigger stage,” Dunn said. “I’ve done this in Chicago, I’ve done this in Utah. I think also me being healthy plays a part in that — from my earlier years to now, I’ve been doing the same thing for sure.”
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Embiid, Dowtin, Chisholm
After facing a lot of high-level competition and working through a tough schedule early into the 2024/25 season, the Raptors have seen their slate during the year’s home stretch get significantly easier — just as they’ve been looking to stack up losses.
Toronto is hoping to cement its bid for the best possible lottery odds in this summer’s draft, but playing fellow rebuilding squads could complicate that plan, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
To wit, Grange notes that the Raptors are still scheduled to play Charlotte and Brooklyn twice each, and have one more game against seemingly lottery-bound clubs in Philadelphia, San Antonio, Portland, Chicago and Dallas as the season winds down.
As of this writing, the 25-47 Raptors have the seventh-worst record in the league. They could conceivably overtake the 23-49 Nets and Sixers – and maybe even the 20-53 Pelicans – in the lottery order if they play their cards “right.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers coach Nick Nurse said today that injured former MVP center Joel Embiid has finished consulting various specialists about his lingering knee inflammation, and Philadelphia intends to make a decision on next steps “soon-ish,” per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).
- Sixers guard Jeff Dowtin is rapidly approaching the 50-contest active game limit for two-way players. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscriber link), the Rhode Island alum has just two games left before Philadelphia faces a decision on his fate. If the Sixers want to give the 27-year-old any more run in 2024/25 beyond those two games, the front office will need to promote Dowtin to its standard roster. Through 38 games this year (he has been a DNP-CD in 10), the 6’3″ guard boasts averages of 6.4 PPG, 1.8 APG, 1.6 RPG and 0.5 SPG in 14.1 minutes per night.
- Incoming Celtics owner Bill Chisholm spoke with All-Star forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and team president Brad Stevens ahead of the club’s recent tilt in Sacramento, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). “It’s the most incredible feeling to think that maybe I can just play a tiny little part in the future,” Chisholm said, “and now I’ll just let these guys do what they’re doing, let Brad do his thing. If I can help in any way, that’s amazing to think about.”
- Stevens himself spoke about the Celtics‘ impending new ownership situation too, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. “My only thing is just asking to be kept in the loop on everything I need to know from the standpoint of making decisions here and now and moving forward,” Stevens said. “As we get to spend more time with Bill, with [current team governor Wyc Grousbeck] and Bill, then we’ll have more clarity on how we are going to do things.
Nikola Jokic Returning For Nuggets Wednesday
Three-time MVP Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is returning to the hardwood for Denver’s Wednesday clash with the Bucks, the team has announced (via Twitter).
The 6’11” superstar had been on the shelf for Denver since the club’s 126-123 loss against Washington on March 15 due to a left ankle impingement.
Milwaukee, conversely, will be missing both of its nine-time All-Stars — plus two rotational big men, to boot.
Bucks guard Damian Lillard is out indefinitely due to a blood clot in his right calf. He’ll be joined on the bench by two-time MVP forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’s dealing with a sprained left foot, Milwaukee announced today (Twitter link).
Jokic is angling to pick up his fourth MVP honor across the last five years. He’s averaging a triple-double for the 45-28 Nuggets, with excellent shooting efficiency. The seven-time All-Star is averaging 29.1 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 10.3 APG, 1.8 SPG and 0.7 BPG. He’s connecting on .575/.413/.807 shooting splits.
Denver has also made Jokic’s fellow starters Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon available. Braun is dealing with a left foot strain, Porter has a strained low back, and Gordon is managing a right calf injury plus a left ankle sprain.
The absences of Antetokounmpo and Lillard are compounded by the long-term unavailability of sixth man big Bobby Portis (suspension) and reserve center Jericho Sims (thumb surgery), both out until at least April.
Knicks Notes: Towns, Hart, Robinson, McCullar, McBride
Knicks wing Josh Hart and All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns both logged triple-doubles during a historic performance against the reeling Mavericks on Tuesday night, writes Chris Herring of ESPN. Hart and Towns became the first New York players to simultaneously achieve the feat, Herring writes.
In the 128-113 win, Towns racked up 26 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Hart, meanwhile, had 16 points, 12 boards, and 11 dimes. Herring reports that this marked just the 17th time ever that two NBA teammates secured triple-doubles in the same game.
It was also Hart’s ninth triple-double of the 2024/25 season, besting Hall of Famer Walt Frazier‘s previous single-season Knicks record of eight in 1968/69. This is Towns’ first triple double of the year.
“I didn’t envision this,” Hart said. “This is more than I ever dreamed of.”
“[Hart’s] got nine this season; I’ve got one,” Towns remarked. “But the way he does it is special. It’s always with effort and for the betterment of the team. I’m just happy there’s a way to see on the stat sheet the impact he’s having on the game. He sacrifices so much for the team, so I’m happy that he can have this moment.”
There’s more out of the Big Apple:
- The Knicks’ big man tandem of Towns and Mitchell Robinson is considered to be “a work in progress” even by head coach Tom Thibodeau, although metrics indicate that the dynamic duo is yielding strong early returns, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link). Robinson has played just 10 games this season due to injury.
- Knicks rookie wing Kevin McCullar Jr. made his NBA debut during Tuesday’s Dallas clash, and scored the first two points of his career during his three minutes of action, Bondy notes in another New York Post article. For McCullar’s achievement, Hart awarded the young guard the game ball. McCullar had spent roughly a full year recovering from a knee injury. “It’s been rough, but I kept my head on straight,” McCullar said. “Adversity makes you who you are and everybody goes through it in different ways of life… Growing up, that’s all I’ve known is playing basketball.”
- Knicks reserve guard Miles McBride is out for a third straight game on Wednesday vs. the Clippers with a left groin strain, per Newsday’s Steve Popper (Twitter link). Robinson, who continues to sit out one game in back-to-back sets, is active on Wednesday after sitting out Tuesday’s contest against Dallas. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (via Twitter), Thibodeau told reporters today that McBride was “limited” during the team’s latest practice.
Hawks’ Larry Nance Out For Rest Of Regular Season
Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr. is expected to miss the rest of Atlanta’s 2024/25 regular season as he continues to rehabilitate from a lingering right medial femoral condyle fracture, the team has announced (via Twitter). Nance initially suffered the injury on February 10 against Orlando.
The Hawks indicated they’ll provide an update on Nance’s status after the regular season concludes next month.
At 35-37 on the year, the Hawks are currently the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed. They are 10 games clear of the No. 11-seeded Raptors, so they’ve essentially clinched a play-in tournament berth.
Assuming Atlanta survives the play-in as either a No. 7 or No. 8 seed in the East and qualifies for the actual playoffs, the wording of today’s announcement seems to indicate there’s a chance the club could add Nance back to the fold in the postseason.
The 6’8″ big man has battled injuries and has seen a limited role even when healthy for the Hawks this season. In the 24 contests he’s played, the Wyoming alum logged averages of 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game during his first season with Atlanta. He was acquired as part of the Hawks’ offseason deal that sent former guard Dejounte Murray to New Orleans.
Nance is now the fourth Hawks player who will miss at least the end of the regular season. Most critically, starting forward Jalen Johnson tore the labrum in his left shoulder in January. Reserve center Clint Capela injured a ligament in the fourth metacarpal of his left hand last week, and is expected to be back in three-to-four weeks — i.e. at the end of the regular season. Guard Kobe Bufkin underwent surgery for a right shoulder instability in December.
Trail Blazers’ Bryce McGowens Fractures Rib, Out For Season
Trail Blazers two-way player Bryce McGowens fractured his right rib during a game with Portland’s G League affiliate squad, the Rip City Remix, the Trail Blazers announced on Wednesday (Twitter link).
According to the team, the injury will sideline McGowens for the rest of the 2024/25 season. Portland expects him to make a full recovery.
McGowens has made a bigger impression with the Remix than he did with the Trail Blazers. In 16 regular season bouts with Portland’s NBAGL affiliate, he finishes the year with averages of 29.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.5 SPG and 0.8 BPG. He has a shooting line of .487/.330/.806.
Across 13 contests with Portland proper this season, the 6’7″ wing played just 32 total minutes, scoring 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
McGowens had a larger role last season as a member of the Hornets, appearing in 59 games (14 starts) and averaging 5.1 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 14.9 MPG.
Because his two-way contract only covers the ’24/25 season, McGowens will be eligible for restricted free agency this offseason if Portland issues him a two-way qualifying offer.
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.
Injury Notes: Williams, Giddey, Porzingis, LeBron
After suffering a hip strain in the second half of a victory over Denver on Monday, Thunder All-Star forward Jalen Williams was ruled out for Wednesday’s road contest against Boston, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). Aaron Wiggins drew the start in Williams’ absence
With their 118-112 win over Boston on Wednesday, the Thunder have ensured they’ll avoid the play-in tournament in the West, having clinched a top-six playoff spot, per the NBA (via Twitter).
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link), Williams didn’t travel with the Thunder as they embarked on a three-game road trip. Reigning Coach of the Year Mark Daigneault indicated on Wednesday that the team has yet to determine a recovery timeline for the 6’5″ forward.
Here are a few more health-related updates from around the NBA:
- Bulls guard Josh Giddey sprained his right ankle in the fourth quarter of an eventual 121-103 win over Indiana on Monday. The 6’8″ pro, a restricted free agent this summer, was in a walking boot briefly to stabilize the ankle, but head coach Billy Donovan revealed that he is now out of the boot, per KC Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Although Giddey is recovering well, Donovan said that he expected him to “be out for a little bit.” Johnson tweets that the fourth-year guard is engaging in toe raises and walking, but has no return timeline until Chicago brass can gauge how he holds up in on-court workouts. Giddey indicated that he will travel with the team for its upcoming road trip, according to Johnson (via Twitter).
- In the loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Celtics starting center Kristaps Porzingis sat out his seventh straight game due to a viral illness, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). Porzingis was originally listed as questionable before being ruled out a couple hours prior to tip-off. Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters pregame that he did not have a sense of when the 7’2″ big man would be available, with the postseason just a month away. 38-year-old veteran big man Al Horford started in Porzingis’ stead.
- A medical recommendation prompted 21-time All-Star Lakers forward LeBron James to depart L.A.’s road trip and return home for further treatment on his groin strain, sources inform Shams Charania of ESPN. Los Angeles will wrap up the road trip with games in Milwaukee and Denver on Thursday and Friday, respectively. James exited the Lakers’ Saturday loss to Boston in the fourth quarter, and reports have indicated that he’ll miss at least one or two weeks with the injury.