Pacific Notes: Raynaud, Doncic, James, Knecht, Allen
Kings rookie big man Maxime Raynaud is hopeful he didn’t suffer a significant injury on Friday, Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee reports. He had to be helped off the court during the fourth quarter after injuring his left leg while attempting to set a screen for Russell Westbrook.
“I’ll be fine,” Raynaud said. “It was just scary. … I think it was just an unpleasing sensation you’re not used to.”
Raynaud will undergo an MRI on his left knee in Sacramento on Saturday. The second-round pick has appeared in 25 games (11 starts), averaging 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per night.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Luka Doncic and LeBron James didn’t have any trouble blending their talents on Friday, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times notes. The Lakers‘ superstar duo led the club to a 128-121 win over Memphis. Doncic made 17-of-20 free throws while scoring 34 points with eight assists and six rebounds, and James had 31 points, nine rebounds and six assists. It marked the first time since March that Doncic and James have scored at least 30 points in the same game. “It was just playing and playing in rhythm,” James said. “We’re trying to find ways that we can be productive.”
- Dalton Knecht got a chance to play some minutes off the bench on Friday but the Lakers wing didn’t do much with his playing time. He went scoreless in 11 minutes, missing both of his shots. However, Knecht won’t be judged on offensive output alone. “Play hard – that’s been the biggest playing emphasis for him all season,” coach JJ Redick said, per Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. “He’s not going to be judged on whether he makes or misses shots. That helps. When you go through a stretch and you feel like your team isn’t playing hard, you got to play the guys that are consistently playing hard.” Knecht’s role has been reduced drastically this season after he appeared in 78 games as a rookie.
- Suns guard Grayson Allen missed his eighth consecutive game on Friday but he’s close to returning from a right knee injury, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. “He did (five-on-five on Thursday). That’s a big step,” coach Jordan Ott said. “And then it’s just the response back, which was great. Now he just wants another one. We’re right there.” Allen will participate in another five-on-five again before he comes back to action.
Nets Notes: Thomas, Porter Jr., Claxton, Sharpe, Traore
When Cam Thomas signed his qualifying offer with the Nets in early September, it guaranteed that he would become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Rockets star Kevin Durant believes whichever team signs him this offseason will get a superior talent, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
“I feel like Cam has a bright future. It just takes somebody to believe in his talent and his skill,” Durant said. “Scorers and guys that score the basketball at a high rate, they get taken for granted in this league a bit. We’re so used to loving defenders, play-makers, and guys that can be connectors. Sometimes scorers get taken for granted.
“Hopefully, somebody takes a chance on Cam and gives him what he deserves and puts the ball in his hands and builds around him and lets him grow into a player. What is he, 24? He’s still got a lot of time in this league to keep getting better. Hopefully a team puts some trust in him.”
Thomas, who was rested against the Wizards on Friday, is averaging 21.4 points per game in 11 appearances this season.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Brooklyn fell to 0-6 this season when Michael Porter Jr. doesn’t play. The Nets’ leading scorer sat out the second game of a back-to-back due to an illness as Washington blew them out by 20 points. They shot just 39.5% overall and 6-of-29 from three-point range while dropping their third straight. Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports takes a closer look at whether the Nets should deal Porter for assets prior to the trade deadline.
- Nic Claxton also didn’t suit up on Friday due to personal reasons and that led to expanded minutes for Day’Ron Sharpe. The latter was one of the few bright spots on Friday as he contributed 14 points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks in his first start this season. “One thing we know is Day’Ron is going to play extremely hard,” coach Jordi Fernandez said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “And going from the minutes he’s played to pretty much 30 minutes, your body has to adjust to that. So it’s a great opportunity for him… but also being careful with that.” The Nets hold a $6.25MM club option on Sharpe’s contract for next season.
- Fernandez wasn’t happy with rookie Nolan Traore‘s shot selection on Thursday against the Rockets. Traore took five three-pointers and made one. He finished 1-for-8 from the field. “I need him to use his superpowers and touch the paint. And it felt like he got caught shooting the unders. And a lot of times it didn’t go … because that’s what they want you to do,” Fernández said. “And if you keep shooting and missing, then sometimes, if you keep doing the same thing and seeing the same results, that’s the definition of insanity. And I know how good he is.” Traore didn’t attempt a three on Friday while scoring 12 points in 26 minutes.
Nets Notes: Porter, Thomas, Claxton, Highsmith
The Nets had a three-game winning streak snapped by the Warriors on Monday but they’re garnering attention with their improved play and young talent, C.J. Holmes of the New York Daily News writes.
Before giving up 120 points to Golden State, Brooklyn had the No. 1 ranked defense in the league during December. The Nets notched wins over Toronto, Philadelphia and Minnesota during the mini-streak.
“Looks like it’s working,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I watched the Minnesota game, that was impressive. And I don’t know, I just think that every time we’ve played them over the last couple years, they’ve been energetic, well-organized, well-coached. So, you know, they came to our place last year and beat us. We came here last year, and it was like 24-to-6 right out of the gate. We had to fight to win at the end, so I just think they’re doing a great job. Jordi (Fernandez) is doing a great job, his staff, player development, in the face of obviously a rebuild, but seven out of 10 wins, best defense in the league in December.”
We have more on the Nets:
- Michael Porter Jr. had the 10th-most votes among Eastern Conference players in the first round of fan voting. It reinforces the notion that Porter is a long shot to be selected for the 12-man squad despite posting career-high numbers, but that won’t stop the Nets from campaigning for him, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Mike is a leader by example. He shows up, always been very professional since I got to know him at 19 years old. He’s worked on his body, came in and did his work. Obviously, that shot is pure, but he puts a lot of time into it,” Fernandez said. “He makes open shots, contested shots and impossible shots. That’s the work that not a lot of people see and his teammates see it.”
- The front office must keep in mind the long-term picture during this competitive stretch in which they’ve moved up a few spots in the standings, Lewis opines. General manager Sean Marks and team owner Joe Tsai must make a tough decision on whether Porter is a trade asset or a building block for the future, as well as seeking a market for Cam Thomas. They could also ponder other moves, such as trading Nic Claxton or absorbing another salary dump into their league-high $15MM in cap space to acquire more draft assets.
- While Haywood Highsmith continues to work his way back from right knee surgery, he’s trying to assist the club any way he can, such as mentoring rookie Drake Powell. “Just a true vet,” Fernandez said of Highsmith, per Holmes. “You see him right now, he’s passing the ball to Drake and we’re not asking him to do it. So that shows you the type of veteran he is, his leadership. He holds him accountable and he wants him to get better. So that’s very important for us. That leadership is priceless and we’re very happy with him… He’s doing his job every single day.”
Bulls’ Josh Giddey To Miss Multiple Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Bulls starting point guard Josh Giddey has a left hamstring strain and will miss at least a few weeks, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic confirms through the team’s PR department that the injury, initially diagnosed as hamstring tightness, is a strain (Twitter link).
Giddey, acquired from Oklahoma City prior to last season, has been enjoying a career year with averages of 19.2 points, 9.0 assists and 8.9 rebounds in 29 games. He leads the Bulls in all three statistical categories, so his loss — even for a few weeks — could have a huge impact on their season and approach to the trade deadline.
Chicago had won five straight before losing its last two games to fall to 15-17. The Bulls are currently in ninth place in the East, which would put them in the play-in tournament.
It’s been a painful week injury-wise as Coby White re-injured his right calf on Monday and Zach Collins suffered a toe injury. That duo is also expected to miss multiple games.
Giddey was one of several restricted free agents on the market during the offseason who endured lengthy negotiations. It worked out in the long run as he signed a four-year, $100MM deal heading into training camp.
Without their starting backcourt, the Bulls will have to rely on Tre Jones, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter and Jevon Carter to get them through the upcoming weeks.
If the Bulls chose to go into sell mode before the trade deadline, they’ll have multiple expiring contracts to dangle. Nikola Vucevic, Collins, Huerter, White, Dosunmu and Carter all fit into that category.
Kristaps Porzingis Ready For Action After 10-Game Absence
Kristaps Porzingis is not on the Hawks’ injury report for Wednesday’s game against the Timberwolves, Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks tweets.
Porzingis has been out for 10 games due to an unspecified illness. Overall, he has missed 14 of the past 15 contests with the ailment.
After his lone game earlier this month, Porzingis admitted he was frustrated by the illness, which he said wasn’t related to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), the condition he was diagnosed with after missing extended time in 2024/25 while a member of the Celtics.
Porzingis, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension before then, has been very productive when available in his first season with Atlanta, averaging 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 blocks on .497/.364/.855 shooting in a career-low 25.9 minutes per contest.
His return should give the reeling Hawks, currently saddled with a 15-19 record, a much-needed spark. Atlanta has lost seven straight and its defense has generally been a no-show. The Hawks have given up 126 or more points in each of their last nine losses and ranks 23rd in defensive field goal percentage at 47.9%.
A strong return by Porzingis could also have other implications. The Hawks have been prominently linked to Mavericks big man Anthony Davis and Porzingis’ $30.7MM expiring contract would be a likely component to match salaries. Even if the Hawks don’t acquire Davis, Porzingis’ contract could be one of the more attractive assets on the trade market in the coming weeks.
Jalen Johnson, who missed Monday’s loss to Oklahoma City due to an illness, is also off the injury report while Trae Young is questionable due to a right quad contusion.
Knicks Notes: Diawara, Towns, Bridges, Brown, Robinson
Mohamed Diawara lasted until the No. 51 pick in June, which the Knicks acquired from the Clippers. The French forward admitted to James Edwards III of The Athletic that he was unsure if anyone would take him despite some positive feedback in pre-draft workouts.
“I didn’t know at all,” Diawara said. “I was hoping to get drafted but I had no clue if I would at all. I worked out with 13 teams. The feedback was pretty good. I did a lot of good workouts. I feel like I showed a lot of stuff to other teams. I felt confident that I wouldn’t regret anything.”
Diawara has been a pleasant surprise and made his biggest impact this season in a five-point win over New Orleans on Monday, contributing 18 points and two steals in 18 minutes in a starting role. Diawara is currently on a one-year contract and will be a restricted free agent after the season.
“His feel for the game is uncanny for someone his size and how young he is,” coach Mike Brown said. “Everything you try to teach him, he tries to absorb it. He works extremely hard. He’s long and a pretty good defender. He’s getting better. There are a lot of little things you watch and go, ‘Wow, oh my gosh.’ All of those things, when they add up, it gives you more confidence as a coaching staff to throw him out there and see what’s going to happen.”
We have more on the Knicks:
- Karl-Anthony Towns wants to be an All-Star but he’d like to play for the World team under the new format in the annual event, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports. Towns was born and raised in the United States but has represented his mother’s native country, Dominican Republic, in international competitions, including the 2023 World Cup.
- Mikal Bridges and Brown have had some long discussions and the forward feels a bond with his coach, Bondy writes. “I think we had some meetings and talked to each other and stuff. I think honestly right now is probably the most I’ve been close with Mike. I think right now, honestly, to this day,” Bridges said. “Just have some good conversations, talk to each other. And just picking his brain, hear what he’s thinking and me voicing some things. Kind of get that clarity from your coach. Because you never know what’s going on — playing hard and just talking to him, what he’s thinking about our team and stuff. I think we had a pretty good talk before Christmas, and I think our relationship is just — it was always fine. But I think it’s definitely going up.” Bridges signed a four-year, $150MM extension in August.
- Mitchell Robinson will miss his second straight game on Wednesday against San Antonio due to left ankle injury management, Edwards tweets. Robinson hasn’t suffered a setback but the team is being cautious due to a heavy schedule recently. Josh Hart (right ankle sprain) and Landry Shamet (right shoulder sprain) remain out as well.
Suns’ Jalen Green Fined $25K For Profane Comment
Suns guard Jalen Green has been fined $25K by the NBA for using profanity when interrupting a teammate’s live television interview, the league announced on Tuesday (via Twitter).
Green made his comments while Collin Gillespie was being interviewed at the conclusion of the Suns’ 115-101 victory over the Wizards on Monday. Gillespie posted 25 points and six assists against Washington. A video clip of the interview can be found here.
Green, who was traded by Houston to Phoenix during the summer, made the trip to D.C. even though he’s currently sidelined by a right hamstring strain. The hamstring injury has been an ongoing problem in 2025/26 for Green, who initially suffered a strain early in training camp, then aggravated it during his ramp-up process in mid-October.
The 23-year-old sat out the first eight games of the regular season, played 23 minutes in his debut in early November, then aggravated the injury again a couple days later about seven minutes into his second game.
The fine will eat up just a small portion of Green’s salary. He’s earning approximately $33.6MM in the first season of a three-year, $105MM rookie scale extension.
Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of Week
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Leonard led the Clippers to three wins during the week of December 22-28 while posting averages of 41.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per contest. The star forward erupted for a career-high 55 points against the Pistons on Sunday.
It’s Leonard’s fourth Player of the Week award as a Clipper and the 10th of his NBA career, but it’s the first time he has earned the honor since the 2023/24 season.
Kevin Durant (Rockets), Keyonte George (Jazz), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees.
The Celtics, meanwhile, went 2-1 last week with Brown averaging 32.7 points on 55.9 percent shooting from the field while also grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game.
Boston’s star wing has scored at least 30 points in all nine games he has played this month and has now been named the East’s Player of the Week twice in December — he also claimed the award on Dec. 8. Brown and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson have traded the award back and forth in recent weeks, with no other Eastern Conference player winning it since Nov. 24.
LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Michael Porter Jr. (Nets) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were all nominated in the East.
Thunder Notes: Bounce-Back, Holmgren, Smith, System, Hartenstein
Following three losses in four games — including a pair to their new conference rival, the Spurs — the Thunder responded with a 129-104 thumping of the Sixers on Sunday. Oklahoma City reestablished itself on the defensive side, holding Philadelphia to 42% shooting and forcing 23 turnovers, which it converted into 31 points.
“We really cranked up the pressure and the help and did so with discipline,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault told Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. “It wasn’t reckless. I thought we really tuned up there and did a really good job of making everything hard on them.”
We have more on the Thunder:
- Chet Holmgren, who scored a total of 31 points in the Thunder’s three previous games, erupted for 29 points, nine rebounds and four blocks on Sunday. “At the core, the guy is just a winning, tough player,” Daigneault said, per Martinez. “And it’s exhibited with the way he can hold his own at (center) when we shift him there. … He was a dominant defensive player tonight, first and foremost. He was great at the rim. Great in the help. Great in the coverages. He really played at a high level on that end of the floor. It just changes our team when he’s in that mode.”
- The Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s NBA G League affiliate, has acquired wing Zhaire Smith from the Texas Legends in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick, Rylan Stiles of SI.com tweets. Smith was on the Mavericks‘ training camp roster but was waived in mid-October. Smith, a 2018 NBA first-rounder, racked up 24 points, six rebounds and five assists against the South Bay Lakers on Saturday. Smith’s career got derailed early on due to a broken foot, followed by a life-threatening allergic reaction to sesame that left him forced to use a feeding tube.
- Buying into Daigneault’s system is a requirement for the Thunder players and they recognize the benefits, Martinez writes. “On the player’s side, it’s always a sacrifice, but it’s for the better,” Luguentz Dort said. “For a player, you become more efficient. And then you connect more with the team. You’re more into what the team wants to do, and that recipe has been working. Whenever it’s been like that, it’s always important to listen to what they want you to do. Then you just adapt and get better at that, and you’ll be in a good position.”
- Isaiah Hartenstein will miss tonight’s game against Atlanta due to a right soleus strain, according to Martinez (Twitter link). It’s the second time Hartenstein has strained that calf this season. He previously missed six games after injuring it on Nov. 26.
Doncic, Antetokounmpo Lead Early Fan Voting For All-Star Game
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, in the first returns of fan voting for the All-Star Game, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
Doncic leads all players with 1,249,518 votes. The top five vote-getters from the Western Conference also include Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.
Joining Antetokounmpo among the top five in the Eastern Conference are Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
Fans voting represents 50% of the vote to determine the five players from each conference to be named as starters for the All-Star Game, with current NBA players and a media panel accounting for 25% each. This year, All-Stars are being selected without regard to position.
A newly-created, round-robin tournament featuring a USA vs. World format will be held Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers.