Western Notes: Gobert, Anderson, Irving, Doncic, Dunn
The confrontation between the Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson got physical when Anderson profanely told Gobert to shut up during a timeout, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The argument began with Anderson telling Gobert to block some shots and Gobert replying that Anderson should grab some rebounds.
The duo also had a heated verbal exchange in the locker room at halftime, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Timberwolves guard Mike Conley played a crucial role in calming things down and getting the team refocused.
After being told to leave the building, Gobert sent an apologetic text message to his Timberwolves teammates in a group chat, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez tweets. Anderson said he’ll talk things over with Gobert. “We’ll speak about it and move on. We’re grown men,” Anderson said.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Kyrie Irving is headed to unrestricted free agency. What are his plans? He kept that to himself after the Mavericks’ disappointing season ended on Sunday. He declined to speak to the media, the only Dallas player to do so, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon tweets.
- As for the Mavericks’ franchise player, he provided some comforting words to the team’s fans. Luka Doncic says he’s happy where he is, MacMahon adds in another tweet, an indication that he won’t be asking for a trade any time soon. “I’m happy here, so there’s nothing to worry (about),” Doncic said.
- Kris Dunn gave the Jazz a boost in the second half of the season and looks poised to help the team next season as well, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune opines. Dunn showed improved scoring form, compared to his previous NBA stops, and he remains a quality defender. Dunn signed a multiyear deal with Utah last month, though his veteran’s minimum deal for next season isn’t guaranteed until October 23. Dunn had 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists against the Lakers on Sunday.
NBA’s Play-In Field, Top-Six Playoff Seeds Set
The NBA wrapped up its 2022/23 regular season on Sunday, and the teams and seeds for this year’s play-in tournament have been set. Here are the play-in matchups:
Eastern Conference
Tuesday, April 11
- Game 1: Atlanta Hawks (8) at Miami Heat (7), 7:30pm ET
- Winner secures No. 7 seed; loser plays on Friday.
Wednesday, April 12
- Game 2: Chicago Bulls (10) at Toronto Raptors (9), 7:00pm ET
- Winner plays on Friday; loser is eliminated.
Friday, April 14
- Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1, 7:00 or 7:30pm ET
- Winner secures No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated.
Western Conference
Tuesday, April 11
- Game 1: Minnesota Timberwolves (8) at Los Angeles Lakers (7), 10:00pm ET
- Winner secures No. 7 seed; loser plays on Friday.
Wednesday, April 12
- Game 2: Oklahoma City Thunder (10) at New Orleans Pelicans (9), 9:30pm ET
- Winner plays on Friday; loser is eliminated.
Friday, April 14
- Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1, 9:30 pm or 10:00pm ET
- Winner secures No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated.
Once the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in each conference are set later this week, the eight first-round matchups will be finalized. Those first-round series will tip off on April 15 and 16.
Here are the top six seeds in each conference, along with the matchups that are locked in so far (and Game 1 info, per the NBA):
Eastern Conference
- Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. No. 8 seed (play-in) ^
- Boston Celtics (2) vs. No. 7 seed (play-in) *
- Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6) *
- Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. New York Knicks (5) *
* Series begins on April 15.
^ Series begins on April 16.
Western Conference
- Denver Nuggets (1) vs. No. 8 seed (play-in) ^
- Memphis Grizzlies (2) vs. No. 7 seed (play-in) ^
- Sacramento Kings (3) vs. Golden State Warriors (6) *
- Phoenix Suns (4) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (5) ^
* Series begins on April 15.
^ Series begins on April 16.
Rudy Gobert Punches Kyle Anderson; McDaniels Fractures Hand
5:23pm: McDaniels has a fractured hand, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Minnesota’s President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly, addressing the Gobert situation, didn’t specify whether he would take further action against Gobert, Wojnarowski tweets: “We made the decision to send Rudy Gobert home after the incident in the second quarter. His behavior on the bench was unacceptable and we will continue handling the situation internally.”
4:23pm: Rudy Gobert was sent home by the Timberwolves after he punched teammate Kyle Anderson during a timeout on Sunday afternoon, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
In a video posted by Backcourt Alerts (Twitter link), Gobert and Anderson could be seen standing up and arguing with each other. Gobert lurched forward and took a swing at Anderson, hitting him in the chest. Anderson then had to be restrained from retaliating.
Minnesota is in the midst of a pivotal game against New Orleans. The Timberwolves could be seeded anywhere from seventh to ninth in the Western Conference play-in tournament, depending on the outcome of that game and the Lakers’ game against Utah.
Interestingly and somewhat ironically, Gobert commented about Anderson’s leadership skills to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link) on Saturday.
“Kyle wants to win and sometimes he’s a little aggressive in the way he talks, but I don’t take it personally,” Gobert said a day ago. “I receive it in a positive way because it comes from a place of wanting me to be the best Rudy I can be and wanting us to win. I love his competitiveness, love the way he plays the game.”
In a separate development, forward Jaden McDaniels left the game with a right hand injury, the team’s PR department tweets. McDaniels apparently suffered the injury when he punched a wall while exiting the court, Pelicans Film Room tweets.
It’s obviously an ominous way for Minnesota to enter the play-in tournament for the second straight season. It remains to be seen whether Gobert will draw a team suspension for his actions, which would put it at a disadvantage up front. Minnesota’s key frontcourt reserve, Naz Reid, underwent wrist surgery on Wednesday.
Naz Reid Undergoes Surgery, Expected To Miss Six Weeks
APRIL 5: Reid has undergone surgery to repair his left scaphoid fracture, the Timberwolves announced today in a press release. The team didn’t confirm or dispute the recovery timeline reported by Wojnarowski (noted below), simply reiterating that the big man will be sidelined indefinitely.
MARCH 31: Timberwolves center Naz Reid will undergo surgery on his fractured left wrist, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
He’ll be sidelined for six weeks, likely ending his season unless Minnesota makes a significant playoff run. It’s a huge blow for the Timberwolves, as Reid filled in admirably during Karl-Anthony Towns‘ extended absence and had just moved to a significant bench role.
The center suffered the injury during the second half of a 107-100 loss to the Suns on Wednesday, in a fall after a dunk attempt.
In 68 games this season, the 6’9″ big man had been averaging 11.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.1 APG, and 0.8 BPG across 18.4 MPG for the Timberwolves.
He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer after earning the vet minimum this season.
Nathan Knight figures to play a more prominent role and it’s possible the Timberwolves might try to clear a roster spot for two-way big man Luka Garza.
Raptors May Convert Jeff Dowtin’s Contract
APRIL 5, 7:38am: There’s no guarantee Dowtin will be promoted from his two-way contract, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who says the team is “loath” to waive a player from its standard 15-man roster.
Grange, cautioning that a decision may not be finalized on Wednesday, believes the most likely outcome would see Toronto sticking with its current group.
APRIL 4, 10:50pm: The Raptors will have to give two-way guard Jeff Dowtin a standard contract if they want to keep playing him for the remainder of the regular season and the play-in tournament, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets.
Dowtin reached the 50-game limit on Tuesday for which a two-way player can be active for NBA games in a season. Lewenberg anticipates Dowtin’s contract will be converted on Wednesday, prior to the first of two road games at Boston. The Raptors need to waive another player to make that happen, with Joe Wieskamp looking like the probable odd man out.
Dowtin played 12 minutes in Toronto’s win over Charlotte. He logged 10 minutes against the Hornets on Sunday and dished out four assists.
Overall, Dowtin has appeared in 24 games, averaging 2.5 points and 1.3 assists in 10.3 minutes per night.
Wieskamp has made six cameo appearances with the Raptors this season. He was signed to a multiyear deal in February but the contract was not guaranteed beyond this season.
Central Notes: Allen, Weaver, Bogdanovic, Drummond
Grayson Allen could return for the Bucks‘ first playoff game, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. Coach Mike Budenholzer addressed Allen’s injury situation on Tuesday and said it all depends on how much Allen, who has a right ankle sprain, can do in practices leading up to the postseason. A promising MRI added to the encouragement that Allen can come back in the opening round.
“If everything kind of went perfect, I think there are scenarios where he could be available for the first (playoff) game,” the Bucks’ coach said.
We have more from the Central Division:
- It’s been another miserable season for the Pistons, who seem destined to have the league’s worst record. GM Troy Weaver penned a letter to Pistons fans in a press release, saying they’re on the “right path to success” with the young players they have and the changes that are coming. “We are in an excellent spot to upgrade our roster this offseason,” Weaver wrote. “We’ve positioned ourselves for another high draft choice in this year’s draft, we have a favorable salary cap position, and we’ll continue to talk with teams and evaluate trade opportunities as they present themselves.”
- The Pistons have unofficially shut down leading scorer Bojan Bogdanovic for the season due to an Achilles injury but Bogdanovic has been active in other ways with the team, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets. “He’s still in our meetings, in our practice, shootarounds, he’s still involved,” coach Dwane Casey said. “He gives opinions in our film sessions. If our older players see anything, they speak because they’ve been through it.”
- Bulls center Andre Drummond missed a game last week “to clear my mind,” according to The Associated Press. “I had to take some time away to really clear my mind and address some things that I’d been neglecting for a while,” he said. “I feel OK. Obviously, I still have a lot of work to do with my mental. But we have a job to do. And that’s to win basketball games and get to the playoffs.”
Rockets’ Stephen Silas Uncertain If He’ll Be Retained
Stephen Silas said he’s proud of the job he’s done with the Rockets, even though there’s heavy speculation he may not retained for next season, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Silas was hired with a four-year contract but this is the last season that the contract is guaranteed. The club holds a team option for 2023/24 and could be in the market for a new voice. The rebuilding Rockets had the league’s second-worst record at 19-60 entering their game against Denver on Tuesday.
“I have not been perfect at all. But I am proud of the job that I’ve done,” Silas said. “I have a three-year contract, and this is the last home game of my three years. So whatever happens, happens after this. But I can’t be anything but proud.”
The Rockets are headed to the next stage of the rebuild, and it could be accelerated with some lottery luck if they land the top pick. It’s uncertain whether Silas will get a chance to be a part of it. He has not spoken with GM Rafael Stone or team owner Tilman Fertitta about his future.
Whichever way it shakes out, Silas is happy for the experience.
“I learned a lot about myself,” Silas said. “I learned a lot about coaching in the NBA. I’ve learned a lot about dealing with adversity. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to coach this team. I’m grateful to have the Rockets’ logo on my chest. I’m just grateful.”
New York Notes: Bridges, Knicks’ Future, Randle, Toppin
Mikal Bridges outplayed Utah’s Lauri Markkanen, the favorite for the Most Improved Player award, in the Nets’ one-point win over the Jazz on Sunday. So why shouldn’t Bridges get consideration for the award? Brian Lewis of the New York Post makes that point.
Bridges has delivered 11 30-point games for the Nets, including three in his last four, after posting just two in 365 games before the Suns traded him. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday.
We have more on the New York teams:
- The Knicks have exceeded expectations and their future is bright, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. Jalen Brunson has been better than anyone anticipated, Julius Randle had a bounce-back campaign and some of their younger players have stepped up. They also have the means to get even better in the future, considering that no top-eight team in either conference has the surplus of first-round picks they do.
- Is there a silver lining to Randle’s left ankle injury? Chris Herring of Sports Illustrated explores that topic and believes — assuming Randle can come back close to full strength once he’s reevaluated next week — it could be a blessing in disguise. In the midst of the Knicks’ current four-game winning streak, other players have filled the scoring void, including Josh Hart, Quentin Grimes, Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley. That should give Randle more trust in those players than he had in the offensively challenged group around him in the Knicks’ last playoff journey.
- Speaking of Toppin, he could be auditioning for an extension this offseason while filling in for Randle, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post notes. He has scored 33 points in his first two starts this season. “Just playing to his strengths,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Every player has strengths, every player has weaknesses. Stay away from your weaknesses, play to your strengths, understand who you are playing with.”
Western Notes: Doncic, Brunson, Bamba, Vassell, Sochan, Popovich
With the Mavericks seemingly headed for postseason elimination, Luka Doncic acknowledged that he misses former backcourt partner Jalen Brunson “a lot,” Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News reports.
“I mean, amazing guy, amazing player. For sure,” the Mavericks’ franchise player added.
Doncic describes the Mavericks’ season as “very disappointing” due to chemistry issues, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “I think you don’t see that chemistry we had before — I mean, especially last year,” Doncic said. “I think that chemistry was at the top, everybody. But chemistry builds not just not right away. It’s a long process.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- The Lakers could have another frontcourt option as soon as Tuesday. They have upgraded Mohamed Bamba to doubtful for their game with Utah, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. Bamba has been sidelined since March 5 with a left ankle sprain. In a Late Night Lake Show podcast, Buha said he “would not be surprised if (Bamba is) back by the end of the week.” (video link).
- Spurs swingman Devin Vassell has been out since March 26 with a knee ailment. Jeremy Sochan has been sidelined since March 22, also due to a knee issue. It’s likely both are done for the season. Sochan has far exceeded the number of games he played last season at Baylor, while Vassell is coming off surgery performed in January, so the Spurs are playing it cautious, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets.
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said that hearing he’d been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame was an “out of body experience,” Orsborn writes. Popovich got the news Saturday in a phone call from Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo. “Sort of a phone call you never think about or expect,” Popovich said “It’s like somebody telling you the earth is flat, some weird feeling that you have, an out-of-body experience, because it’s not what you grow up thinking.”
Southeast Notes: Young, Wizards, Heat Arena, Magic
Trae Young will miss the Hawks’ showdown with the Bulls in Chicago on Tuesday due to a non-COVID illness, the team tweets. The Hawks are currently tied with Toronto for eighth place in the East at 39-39 with Chicago right behind at 38-40. Seedings for the play-in tournament are up for grabs and finishing seventh or eighth provides teams with an advantage.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Wizards will retain their 2023 first-round pick by virtue of missing the playoffs, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington notes. The pick this year was lottery protected, stemming from a 2020 trade with the Rockets. The Knicks are now owed the Wizards’ 2024 pick, which is top-12 protected — that protection decreases to top-10 in 2025 and top-eight in 2026. If none of those convey, the Knicks would receive two second-round picks in 2026 and 2027.
- The Heat’s home arena is now called Kaseya Center, the team announced in a press release. The building was called American Airlines Arena from 1999-2021 and FTX Arena from 2021-23. Kaseya is a global provider of unified IT management and security software for managed services providers and IT professionals.
- The Magic have faint playoff hopes — they need to win their remaining four games and hope Chicago goes 0-4 this week. However, Orlando is energized by the fact it has hung around the postseason picture this long, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel writes. “Regardless, we’re going to continue playing to win,” guard Jalen Suggs said. “I said it last week before our road trip; I’ll say it again: we’re not playing this game to just go out there. … We’re going out to win, night in and night out.”