Spoelstra Fumes Over ‘Dangerous Play’ That Injured Adebayo
The Heat–Hornets overtime thriller on Tuesday was marred by what Miami coach Erik Spoelstra called a “stupid play.”
Charlotte pulled out a 127-126 play-in tournament victory, with LaMelo Ball scoring the game-winning layup. Ball was also involved in a controversial play in the first half. Heat wing Simone Fontecchio blocked his shot and the Hornets guard tumbled to the ground. The ball landed in Bam Adebayo‘s hands and Ball, as ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk describes, grabbed at the Heat center’s legs, tripping him.
Adebayo fell hard to the floor and eventually limped back to the locker room. He was ruled out during the second half due to a lower back injury.
Spoelstra felt Ball should have been ejected. Instead, the Hornets guard finished with 30 points and 10 assists.
“I don’t think it’s cute. I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s a stupid play,” Spoelstra said, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). “It’s a dangerous play. Obviously, our best player was out. I’m not making an excuse. The Hornets played great and made those plays down the stretch. We had our opportunities to win. That’s a shame. He should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys, shenanigans. Somebody has got to see that. He should have been thrown out of the game for that. There’s no place in the game for that.”
Official Zach Zarba explained to a pool reporter why the play wasn’t reviewed
“The play wasn’t whistled in real time. Play continued with a fast break,” he said. “And because play wasn’t stopped immediately, and there was no whistle on the play, the window to review the play was closed. Play was stopped, after a change of possession, and then a time out. So, by rule, our window to review that play then is closed.”
According to Zarba, Ball could be disciplined by league operations when they review the play.
Ball was apologetic after the game, Youngmisuk tweets. He said he got hit in the head on the play and didn’t know where he was. He added that he would speak to Adebayo about it.
The Hornets will head to either Philadelphia or Orlando to play on Friday for the final playoff spot in the East.
Pacific Notes: Lue, Curry, Jackson, Westbrook, Allen
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was the head coach of the Cavaliers in three of Cleveland’s matchups with the Warriors in the Finals. He now must face Golden State and Stephen Curry again in the play-in tournament on Wednesday. The losing team in the No. 9 vs. 10 matchup will see its season end.
“I’m sick of it,” Lue said playfully when asked about facing Curry again in the postseason. “He’s just a guy that can explode. He can score 50 if you’re not careful. He only had 24 last game, but he had nine three-point attempts. We can’t let him get that many attempts up from the three-point line. We gotta try to keep him down as much as possible… We gotta be locked in to what we’re trying to do defensively.”
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers could have big man Isaiah Jackson — out since March 27 due to an ankle injury — available for the play-in game against the Warriors. He played 5-on-5 on Monday and practiced on Tuesday, Law Murray of The Athletic reports, and is listed as questionable (Twitter links). Jackson averaged 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game in 15 appearances off the bench last month.
- Russell Westbrook wouldn’t mind staying put with the Kings, Sean Cunningham of KCRA News tweets. “If I’m welcomed back, then I’ll be back,” Westbrook said. The veteran guard was on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract this season. Playing for his seventh team, Westbrook, 37, averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds in 64 games.
- Suns wing Grayson Allen isn’t active for Tuesday’s play-in tournament game against Portland due to left hamstring soreness, the team tweets. Allen, who suffered the injury last Friday against the Lakers, averaged 16.5 points per game this season, the fourth-best mark on the team. It’s unclear if he’d be available for a second play-in game this Friday or Game 1 of a playoff series on Sunday.
Warriors Notes: Kerr, Curry, Porzingis, Horford, Green
There’s still no clarity on Steve Kerr‘s future with the Warriors, Nick Friedell of The Athletic reports. Kerr has put off talk of another contract until after the season.
A team source told Friedell that nothing had changed in that regard. Kerr signed a two-year, $35MM extension in 2024 that expires after this season. Golden State, seeded 10th, needs to win two games to advance through the play-in tournament.
However, Kerr’s preference is to stay put. He’d like to continue to coach the Warriors and Stephen Curry despite a very trying season. Draymond Green says the front office and ownership won’t find a better coach than the one they already have.
“I think oftentimes in this league, everybody is always looking at the other side thinking it’s greener,” Green said, per Florito Maniego of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Then, when they get on the other side, they realize all the grass is brown, and it’s dead. And there’s no sprinkler system, and the sun doesn’t rise on that side, it only sets on that side. Then, everybody wants to look back, like, ‘Oh, man.’ Now you start this cycle of [hiring] four coaches in four years. You start this cycle of six coaches over eight years.
“The Warriors have been through that cycle, and nobody is trying to go through that again. So, as long as we have Steve Kerr wanting to coach this team, you’re not going to go and find a better coach, so that’s not a worry of mine or anybody in this organization.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- They are in a do-or-die situation in Wednesday’s play-in tournament contest with the Clippers. However, Kerr must remain mindful of how much he can use some of his regulars. Curry, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford will all play fewer than 40 minutes in the must-win game, according to ESPN. All three missed chunks of time during the second half of the season due to injuries or illness. ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link) notes that Curry has played 26, 25, 27 and 29 minutes in his four games back from his knee injury. Slater projects that something in the range of 34 minutes will likely be Curry’s cap on Wednesday.
- Curry remains optimistic that the Warriors can extend their season, according to Janie McCauley of The Associated Press. “I love playing basketball,” he said. “It’s what I get paid to do. … Our season’s been different than we expected, but the fact that there is something to still play for gives all of us a lot of confidence down the stretch to make something out it, and I want to be a part of that.”
- Green may not be the defensive force he once was, but he’s still the team’s anchor in that department, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic notes. Green appeared in 68 games and was a steadying influence on a team often playing shorthanded. “You gotta be locked in, number one,” he said. “I think these will be very detailed game plans. The guys you want shooting, you’ve got to have them shooting. You’ve gotta stay locked in on your defensive responsibility. You can’t have defensive lapses. There’s just no space for defensive lapses in playoff games, man. So I think it’s a matter of everybody understanding what the game plan is and accomplishing it.”
Steinbach, Quaintance, Carr, Thomas Enter NBA Draft
Potential lottery pick Hannes Steinbach is placing his name in the 2026 NBA draft, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress tweets.
The German-born forward put up stellar stats in his lone season with the University of Washington, posting averages of 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game in 30 starts. The standout freshman shot 57.7 percent from the field and 34 percent on three-point attempts.
Givony projects the 6’11” Steinbach as a top-20 pick; ESPN’s Jeremy Woo has him as the No. 15 overall prospect on his current big board.
Here’s more draft news:
- Kentucky sophomore big man Jayden Quaintance announced on Tuesday in a social media post that he’s declaring for the 2026 draft (Instagram link). Quaintance is a projected first-rounder despite knee issues that have marred his two college seasons. He averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game as a freshman at Arizona State before suffering a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee. Persistent knee issues limited him to four games with the Wildcats this past season. The 6’10” forward/center is listed as ESPN’s No. 20 prospect.
- Another projected first-rounder, Baylor’s Cameron Carr, is declaring for the draft, Givony tweets. Carr averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 38% from three as a junior this past season. The 6’5” Carr, who played just 18 games at Tennessee in his first two college seasons, will not enter the transfer portal and intends to go pro, Givony adds. Carr is rated 24th overall by ESPN.
- Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas will declare for the draft but maintain his college eligibility, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets. Thomas averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per contest in his freshman season with the Razorbacks, knocking down 41.6% of his three-point attempts. He’s currently rated No. 28 by ESPN.
Southeast Notes: Jakucionis, Fontecchio, Young, Davis, Magic
Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis wound up playing in 53 games, including 12 starts, during his rookie season. The Miami brass was pleased with his development, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.
“I’m very encouraged by the progress that he’s made,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s willed himself through his work and consistent actions to be pretty consistent in our rotation the last several weeks. That was hard-earned. “He’s a lot better now than where he was coming into training camp, and certainly where he was in summer league. But he’s relentless, and he wants to get better. You have to respect his competitive spirit. He’s a competitor out there, even as a young player, so he’ll continue to get better.”
Jakucionis scored in double figures in three of his last seven games and also had a nine-assist performance against Washington earlier this month.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Despite an erratic season, Simone Fontecchio would like to re-sign with the Heat, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net relays. He’ll be a free agent this summer. “I’d love to stay here,” Fontecchio told Italy’s Sky Sports. “I wouldn’t want to move my family again because we’re great in Miami. Just as importantly, I feel really comfortable with everyone here, from the owners to the coaching staff, and especially in this locker room, which is special because of the group it’s created.” Fontecchio appeared in 70 regular season games but his playing time and production weren’t consistent. He has averaged 8.5 points in 16.7 minutes per game.
- In his offseason guide, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says the top priorities this summer for the Wizards are Trae Young‘s and Anthony Davis‘ contract situations. Young has a June 23 deadline to either exercise his $49MM player option or become an unrestricted free agent and could sign a longer-term deal with Washington either way. Davis cannot become a free agent but is eligible to sign a four-year extension as of Aug. 6. The first year of such an extension would replace his $62.8MM option for 2027/28.
- While the Magic‘s season won’t end if they lose a play-in game at Philadelphia 0n Wednesday, it will call into question the direction of the franchise, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel opines. Bianchi believes it stands as a referendum as to the progress they’ve made in recent years.
LeBron James, Brandon Ingram Named Players Of Week
Lakers forward LeBron James and Raptors forward Brandon Ingram have been named Players of the Week for the week of April 6-12, according to the league (Twitter links).
The Western Conference winner, James averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds per contest as the Lakers won three straight contests to close the season and clinch home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs despite playing without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. LeBron had back-to-back double-doubles on Thursday and Friday, putting up 26 points and 11 assists in Golden State and then 28 points and 12 assists vs. Phoenix.
Ingram averaged 25.5 points per game on 57.8 percent shooting from the field across four games as the Raptors went 3-1 to wrap up their season and clinched the No. 5 seed in the East. The veteran forward poured in a season-high 38 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists in Thursday’s victory over Miami.
It’s the first Player of the Week award of the season for either James or Ingram, though it’s the 70th time LeBron has won it over the course of his 23-year NBA career. Ingram has now earned the honor five times.
Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers), Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson (Rockets), and Terrence Shannon Jr. (Timberwolves) were the other nominees from the Western Conference, while Paolo Banchero (Magic), Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) and Jalen Duren (Pistons) were also nominated in the East.
Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Siakam, Carlisle, Contract Decisions
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who missed the seaon while recovering from an Achilles tear, said his bout with shingles has been depressing, painful and lengthy, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.
“Mine’s been on my face,” Haliburton said. “I couldn’t even go in front of a camera if I wanted to early because my eye was basically closed shut and it was all over my face. They told me I would be really itchy. I wasn’t itchy for the first two weeks. I just had a bad rash. Then once the rash went away, the itching came and it’s been miserable. Hence why every time you’ve seen me I’ve been in glasses just to not touch my face, really. That’s really the only reason I’ve been wearing them.
“I’ve lost part of my eyebrow. My eye is always swollen from itching it. I have good days and bad days, but for the most part, it’s bad days. It has not been any fun. I’m still, honestly, dealing with it. I’ve been taking unbelievable amounts of medication, it hasn’t worked.”
Haliburton’s weight has increased, mainly due to the medications.
“I’m out of shape like crazy like I’ve never been before,” Haliburton said. “… I told you guys I’ve been gaining weight. You’ve probably heard me talk about it. I’ve been gaining weight all season. But it’s been good weight. I feel like it’s been good. Well now, it hasn’t. But I credit a lot of that to the medication in all honesty.”
Haliburton added that his Achilles recovery has gone well and he should be ready to go by training camp.
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Injuries wrecked the Pacers’ season but better health alone won’t turn their fortunes around next year, according to forward Pascal Siakam. “We know that it’s not going to just take flipping a switch,” Siakam said, per Dopirak. “Like, ‘Oh, we have everybody back and we’re going to right back where we were at.’ It’s going to take a lot of rebuilding. Making sure that we start over. That’s what it’s going to take. As long as we all have that mindset and we go into the summer with that level of seriousness of understanding what it takes to win, what we’re going to need to do to win, I think we’ll be OK.”
- Coach Rick Carlisle credited his players for continuing to work and play hard throughout a trying season, Dopirak tweets. Indiana went 4-7 in its last 11 games following a 16-game losing streak.“It’s a humbling year. There’s a saying that you’re either humbled or you’re about to be humbled. After last year, just the rash of things that happened was humbling enough. … We started 1-13 but our guys played their butts off the entire year.”
- If they hang onto their first-round pick, the Pacers could enter the offseason $11.7MM over the luxury tax and $3.2MM above the first apron threshold, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes. Indiana has decisions to make with Micah Potter‘s team option and the partially guaranteed salaries of Kam Jones and Quenton Jackson — the team has until June 29 to exercise the $2.8MM Potter option and the following day to guarantee the $2.2MM contract of Jones, who already has $1.1MM guaranteed. Jackson’s contract increases from $275K to $2.6MM on July 15 if he remains on the roster.
Pistons Notes: 60-Win Season, Playoffs, Pick Swap, Smith
The Pistons secured the third 60-win season in franchise history by defeating the lottery-bound Pacers on Sunday. They’ll now await their first-round opponent in a series that begins on Sunday night.
“It’s a sign of the work that’s been done by everybody who’s a part of this,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “Front office, coaching staff, players, medical staff — everybody that’s touched these guys and helped them with that consistency, with that effort. It’s a group thing. Everybody who’s been part of it should be celebrated for it. But again, our work’s not done. That’s the mentality that we have, but there is an appreciation and respect for all of the work that everybody’s put in to help us get here.”
Veteran forward Tobias Harris, a free agent after the season, has been impressed by his teammates’ even keel approach.
“I think we’ve done a great job of handling success this season,” Harris said. “Just being able to weather the storm, really lock in with one another, communicate and just pull for one another in whatever we’re doing. We had guys, including myself, in and out of the lineup with injuries earlier in the year. Everybody just stepped up and has been super supportive of the next guy getting ready. The guy who is up takes on the challenge of being their best. We’ve had great moments from different guys excelling, playing and showing who they are in this league. Some amazing stories have come about from our group. So we just embrace all of it.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- On the heels of the worst season in franchise history in 2023/24, Detroit lost in the first round to the Knicks last spring. While ’24/25 was considered a success based on their 30-win jump during the regular season, the Pistons certainly won’t just be happy to make the postseason this time around. They’re coming in as the No. 1 seed in the East with their sights set on the Finals. “Playoffs, man. We’re excited about it. Playoffs are on the mind,” Cade Cunningham said, per Patterson. “It’s been a great regular season. Now it’s time for the real fun.”
- The three-team trade that sent Jaden Ivey to the Bulls produced additional dividends for the franchise, Christian Romo of the Detroit Free Press notes. Not only did the Pistons acquire another key reserve in Kevin Huerter, they also wound up with a higher first-round pick this season. As part of the deal, Detroit received a pick swap from the Timberwolves that was top-19 protected, so the team will now have the No. 21 overall pick while Minnesota moves down to the No. 28 slot.
- Big man Tolu Smith received a promotion last week, getting his two-way deal converted to a standard contract. Bickerstaff told Coty Davis of the Detroit News that Smith earned his way onto the 15-man roster. “He’s competed at a high level when given an opportunity, but he’s continued to work and work and work and improve and get better and establish an NBA skill set in a way that he can impact the game,” Bickerstaff said. “There have been stretches this year where we’ve had him on the floor, whether it’s here or Motor City, where he’s just been dominant. His ability to rebound the basketball, protect the paint, and finish around the rim. He just adds a different dynamic. He can move his feet; he’s physical. He fits right in with the identity of this team and the rest of our big guys.”
Mavs Deny They Botched Austin Reaves’ MRI
The Mavericks denied Lakers coach JJ Redick‘s claim that they botched Austin Reaves‘ MRI, Christian Clark of The Athletic reports.
Reaves underwent an MRI on his left oblique/rib area on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s game in Dallas after suffering the injury against Oklahoma City on Thursday. Redick told the media that Reaves had to get two MRIs done because the first one didn’t focus on the correct portion of his body.
“I don’t know where the chain of command lies with Dallas imaging, but they scanned the wrong area,” Redick said. “Not on our end. We made it explicit what was supposed to be scanned, but they scanned the wrong area.”
The Mavericks issued an official statement that they didn’t make a mistake administering an MRI on Reaves.
“Our medical team followed standard imaging protocols based on the information provided at the time,” the statement read. “There was no error in the scan performed.”
Reaves was eventually diagnosed with a Grade 2 oblique strain, which is expected to sideline him for four-to-six weeks.
Wizards Hold Onto Lottery Pick As Losses Pile Up
The Wizards preserved their 2026 lottery pick with their latest loss.
Washington won’t have to convey its first-round pick to the Knicks after falling to 17-62 on the season with a 129-98 loss to Chicago on Tuesday. The pick was top-eight protected and the Wizards are now assured of finishing among the bottom three teams in the league, Josh Robbins of The Athletic points out (Twitter link). That means Washington can’t wind up with a pick lower than seventh, regardless of the draft lottery results.
The Wizards no longer owe the Knicks a first-rounder. Instead, they’ll convey their second-round pick this June and their 2027 second-rounder to New York. This year’s second-round selection will be No. 31 overall if the Wizards don’t win one at least one of their final three games.
The Wizards cycled through 26 players this season while failing to win more than two games in a row. They added former All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis via midseason deals, but Young only appeared in five games for the team while Davis has yet to make his D.C. debut.
After winning their first two games following the All-Star break, the Wizards went into all out tank mode and have won just one of their last 24 games. They’ll wrap up their season with home games vs. Chicago on Thursday and Miami on Friday, followed by a visit to Cleveland on Sunday.