Knicks Notes: Bridges, Clarkson, Diawara, Turnovers
Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has continued to be an iron man since arriving in New York, but has struggled at times with his offensive consistency. This was exemplified in Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, as Bridges went scoreless for the first time this season and the third time since joining the team in 2024, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
According to Bridges, while his lack of offensive production was glaring, it stemmed from defensive issues.
“Being in foul trouble takes me away from being out there to try to help my team win,” he explained. “I’ve got to be better, starting off the game fouling a shooter from three.”
Bridges had hoped Monday’s game against the Clippers could serve as a bounce-back opportunity, but the team lost again and Bridges once again struggled to impact the game offensively, scoring seven points on eight shots. The lone starter not to score in double digits, he didn’t make a shot until midway through the second quarter.
However, head coach Mike Brown had Bridges’ back after the game, according to Bondy.
“He’s human and he’s going to have some nights (when he struggles to shoot),” Brown said. “His track record shows that he can go get it done. It’s not anything I’m concerned about or I’m looking at. And like I said, when he does have nights like that, how else can you impact the game, and he’s shown that he can do that.”
We have more from the Knicks:
- With his team struggling to put together any offensive rhythm against the Lakers, Brown turned to Jordan Clarkson in the fourth quarter. Clarkson played 10 minutes, his highest single-game total since February 11, and scored nine points on four shots. “He’s a guy we can lean on. He can put the ball in the hole,” said Brown, as relayed by Bondy. “We were struggling to do that. So I threw him out there to see if we can mix it up. He definitely helped us. But it was too big of a deficit.”
- Clarkson will face off against the Jazz, with whom he played for five and a half seasons, on Wednesday, but is unsure what reaction he will receive, or what he will feel himself, Mark Medina writes in an interview for Essentially Sports. “I don’t know what my emotions are going to be,” Clarkson said. “I’m going to try to keep my cool.” While the veteran guard’s role has changed with the Knicks, he has stayed ready and his teammates have appreciated his attention to detail and professionalism. “Being a teammate of his has been great,” Jalen Brunson said of Clarkson. “Being able to talk to him all the time and consistently has been great for me. I love him and everything that he’s done.“
- Mohamed Diawara grew up hearing all about the Clippers’ Nicolas Batum, another lanky French forward who could shoot and pass well for his size, Bondy writes in a separate story. On Monday, the Knicks’ rookie got the first poster dunk of his career, and it just so happened to be on his fellow Frenchman. “I was just driving and dunked the ball and fortunately (Batum) was there,” Diawara said. “… Funny to see that. My first dunk — my first poster — was against him.” Diawara finished the game with five points, four rebounds, and two assists.
- Brown was frustrated by what he calls “self-inflicted wounds,” especially on the offensive end, as the Knicks lost their two games in Los Angeles, Kristian Winfield writes for the New York Daily News. New York turned the ball over 19 times against the Lakers and 20 against the Clippers as their offense felt largely out of sorts. “[Nineteen] turnovers on the road, and this is not a knock on [the Lakers], but they’re not gonna trap and double team and all that stuff,” Brown said after the first loss. “But we get into the paint and jump in the air and turn the ball over.” Brunson noticed similar issues on Monday, Bondy notes. “We were getting downhill and trying to make plays. But we got to be better playing off two feet obviously, playing more controlled,” Brunson said. “But (the Clippers) got a lot of guys on their team who are steal guys, who are long wingspans, play passing lanes. That’s what they do. We played to their strengths.”
Central Notes: Harden, Thompson, Duren, Bulls
James Harden never considered getting surgery on the thumb he fractured in a Cavaliers game against the Knicks last week, Chris Fedor writes for Cleveland.com. Returning to play on Sunday in a matinee matchup with the Nets, Harden scored 22 points on nine shots while adding eight assists and nine rebounds. After the game, he broke down why, for him, it was a simple decision not to opt for surgery.
“That’s too much time out,” Harden explained. “Thought about playing last game (on Friday). Thought about playing in Milwaukee (on Wednesday). There’s going to be some discomfort, so just figuring out ways to fight through… Got no other choice.”
On Saturday, he went to the NBA Players Association in Manhattan to get an individual workout, with the intent of seeing if he could dribble.
“If I can dribble, I can play,” he said. “I still couldn’t dribble how I wanted to, but it was good enough.”
Harden finished the game with five turnovers, which is where head coach Kenny Atkinson saw the effects of the injury shining through.
“Just fumbling the ball,” Atkinson said. “Couple of those turnovers weren’t his. Then I noticed him kind of deferring a couple times when bringing the ball up. Which he never does. Just probably needed to give it a break. It’s a tough one, especially for a guy that handles it as much as he does. But we needed him. He played handicapped. But he still played well.”
We have more from around the Central Division:
- While his stats might not always jump off the page for the Pistons, Ausar Thompson is Detroit’s floor-raiser and defensive heart, Hunter Patterson writes for The Athletic. He had a team-high 144 combined steals and blocks coming into Sunday’s game, and the Pistons are 21-4 when he plays 27 minutes or more. “You know how people have offensive modes where they feel like they’re on fire?” Thompson asked. “I feel like I have defensive modes like that. So when I get in modes like that I’m like, ‘Yeah, this guy’s not scoring.‘” Coach J.B. Bickerstaff highlighted his pick-and-roll defense as being particularly valuable. “His ability to get through screens and get back in front of his man so you don’t ever have to bring two (defenders) to the ball lets our defense continue to play five-on-five instead of playing five-on-four or four-on-three,” Bickerstaff said.
- Jalen Duren, the first-time All-Star, got a feather in the cap of his already exemplary season on Friday, Patterson writes. With Cade Cunningham on the bench after fouling out in the fourth quarter, Duren helped the Pistons erase a nine-point Cavs lead in under three minutes. He scored 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Pistons got the three-point victory, and added 16 rebounds and three blocks. Despite watching the end of the game from the sideline, Cunningham was all smiles about his teammate’s performance. “It’s special, man,” Cunningham said. “It’s everything we talked about, everything we knew he was capable of. He’s put a lot of work in to be where he’s at.” Over his last four games preceding Sunday’s victory over the Magic, Duren was averaging 28.3 points and 14.5 rebounds on 65.2% shooting. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer.
- The Bulls got their first win since January 31 on Sunday, beating the Bucks 120-97 and snapping an 11-game losing streak. The win gave the young, awkward-fitting roster a positive moment to savor, Brian Sandalow writes for the Chicago Sun-Times. “I know it’s been frustrating for [the players], I know I’m in the locker room after a game and after a loss they feel like they’re working hard, they’re trying hard,” coach Billy Donovan said. “… To see them stick with it for a whole month like this and to go through the struggles of that, I just appreciate the way they’ve stayed together and just continued to try to come back in each day to work to get better.” Donovan says that despite the winless month, he has seen growth from the team.
Southeast Notes: Knueppel, Hornets, Heat Bigs, Kispert
On Thursday night, Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel set the rookie record for made three pointers when he hit his 207th of the season against the Pacers, per ESPN. He managed to achieve the feat in just 59 games, shattering the mark previously set by Keegan Murray, who needed 80 games to establish that record in 2023. Knueppel, who leads the entire NBA in threes, claimed he wasn’t hunting for the record during the game.
“It’s really just about making the right basketball play,” Knueppel said. “My teammates are setting good screens and setting me up in good spots. The coaches as well. I’m just out there looking to make the right play for my team.”
The rookie’s shooting display caught the attention of the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry, who holds the single-season record with 402 made threes.
“He can obviously shoot the ball at a high level,” Curry said after playing the Hornets. “You can’t really leave him open at all as he has such a quick release and shoots with confidence. And his play-making is very underrated. His game just suits the NBA style, whether it’s fast-paced or a slowed-down possession game.”
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- While Knueppel’s individual play has caught fans’ attention, it’s just one of many reasons for optimism in Charlotte this season, Roderick Boone writes for the Charlotte Observer. The Hornets are currently one of the hottest teams in the league, having gone 17-6 in their last 23 games. After years of struggles to put a competitive team together, there is a palpable sense of excitement from the team and fanbase as Charlotte looks to keep climbing the Eastern Conference standings. “It’s a different vibe,” said Miles Bridges. “We’ll go to away games, their teams be loud, cheering along. And we didn’t have the same at home. Some people showed up, but now it’s like everybody’s showing up, showing us love… Shout out to the fans that’s been down with us before and shout out to the fans now.”
- Heat big men Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware want to play more minutes together, but they know the numbers need to justify it, Anthony Chiang writes for the Miami Herald. For much of the season, Adebayo/Ware duo has been one of the team’s worst two-man groups statistically, but that has started to turn around recently, Chiang notes. Against the Rockets, the pair was unleashed and the Heat won the 16 minutes they played together by 21 points. “I mean, it felt good,” Ware said. “It felt like the days when I’ve played alongside him recently. So, I mean, it felt good.” One wrinkle coach Erik Spoelstra introduced to make the pairing more effective was to use them in a zone defensive scheme, Ira Winderman writes for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Both of those guys were really good in our zone,” Spoelstra said. “Kel’el, that was one of his better jobs in the zone, just communicating, and protecting in that inner circle… Bam was super dynamic at the center position in the zone, and when you play him in the wing (in the zone), he’s our best wing defender, as well.”
- Corey Kispert recorded his career high in points in his first time playing against his former Wizards as a member of the Hawks, Lauren Williams writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Kispert had 33 points and six rebounds as Atlanta won the game without ever trailing. “This game meant more to him. He’d been there for a long time,” teammate CJ McCollum said. “For me, I had a cup of coffee, some tea there. I just figured out my directions on how to get the facility without a GPS when I got traded. He spent some real time there, so I’m glad he’s doing that.”
Warriors Notes: Santos, Curry, Horford, Playoffs
Gui Santos has been given more ball-handling responsibility for the Warriors of late and it has sparked a new excitement in him, Nick Avila writes for NBC Sports Bay Area.
“Yeah, I’m loving it — not that I don’t like the other part,” Santos said. “I love to just be on the NBA floor, but when you’re on the NBA floor and you’ve got a little bit more freedom to find teammates and either go to the basket and do all that, that gives you so much more joy to play. So, I really love it, the momentum.”
The newly extended forward has increased his assist numbers to 4.6 per game over his last five, and his playing style has been infectious among his teammates. However, he knows that his role will change again once Stephen Curry returns.
After receiving his three-year extension, Santos hopes to be an inspiration for other Brazilian players looking to make it in the NBA, Dalton Johnson writes for NBC Sports Bay Area.
“I’m the only one here, so I’m the biggest example when you look at basketball and the NBA being the biggest level you can get to. Everybody is looking at me as an example,” Santos said. “For me, it’s just trying to be a great guy and show that the work ethic is the most important thing. That’s what got me here in this position.”
Head coach Steve Kerr praised Santos following the announcement of the deal.
“He’s been such an important player for us, but also just an incredible development story. Second-round pick and spent his entire first year in Santa Cruz,” Kerr said. “He’s become one of our most important players. We’re all so thrilled for him. He’s excited, it’s a great day.”
Curry reiterated that sentiment, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’ Eden Collier.
“He was so happy to just be on an NBA team at one point,” Curry said. “And now to being a big part of our rotation, really developing and becoming an impactful player on both ends of the floor and being rewarded with that type of security — coming where he came from, it’s a big deal, it’s a big celebration today for him.”
We have more from the Warriors:
- Reacting to the news that Curry will miss at least the next five games with his lingering knee injury, Johnson suggests for NBC Sports Bay Area that it might make sense to shut the star point guard down until the play-in tournament. Given the 4.5-game gap between the Warriors and No. 6 Lakers and the 7.5-game gap that separates Golden State from the No. 11 Grizzlies, caution should be the name of the game when it comes to bringing Curry back, Johnson argues. “It’s just something that you don’t want to have lingering because it can get worse,” Curry said when asked about the injury.
- When Al Horford left the Celtics for the Warriors this offseason, the sense was that he was leaving a team in a gap year for a potential contender. So far, the opposite has been true in terms of the two teams’ relative success levels, and Horford’s integration with the team has required a bit of a learning curve, Gary Washburn writes for the Boston Globe. “I think that the difference is in different places you look for different things,” Horford said. “So in Boston, we ran a lot of pick-and-rolls, and then some isolations, and then we got to moving the ball. And here with the Warriors, we try to get the ball to Draymond (Green), or get the ball in the post, and then play more in the perimeter, play splits and cut to the basket and things like that. And then when Steph is on the court, obviously all that ties in together. So there’s some pick and roll, but then there’s a lot of off-the-ball movement.”
- Kerr is realistic about the Warriors’ chances of earning a top-six spot in the West to avoid the play-in tournament, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Joaquin Ruiz writes. “It’s a lot to make up with 22 games left,” Kerr said. “We don’t even talk about it. It’s not anything that is worth discussing because we just have to try to go out and win and see what happens.“
Stephen Curry To Be Reevaluated in 10 Days
Warriors guard Stephen Curry will be reevaluated in 10 days as he seeks to return from the right knee injury that has kept him sidelined since January 30, ESPN’s Anthony Slater reports (Twitter link). That means that Curry will miss at least five more games in addition to the 10 he has already missed.
It’s essentially the same update the Warriors provided on February 19 when they announced that an MRI on Curry’s troublesome knee revealed no structural damage but that he would miss at least five games and would be reevaluated in 10 days. Today marked 10 days since that announcement.
Curry is dealing with patellofemoral pain syndrome, colloquially known as runner’s knee. He has referred to it as an “unpredictable” issue.
Head coach Steve Kerr previously stated that the team has no interest in shutting Curry down for the season. Golden State is currently the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
Curry is averaging 27.2 points and 4.8 assists per game this season despite averaging just 31.3 minutes per night, one of the lowest marks of his career. He’ll fall shy of the 65-game minimum for end-of-season awards, meaning he’ll miss out on All-NBA honors for just the second time in the past 13 years.
Curry will remain sidelined for at least the team’s upcoming games against the Clippers (Monday), Rockets (Thursday), Thunder (Saturday), Jazz (March 9), and Bulls (March 10).
Knicks Notes: Towns, McBride, Diawara, Contender Status
While the Knicks have had a relatively successful season to this point, Karl-Anthony Towns‘ role in coach Mike Brown‘s offensive scheme has been a nagging issue all season long, writes The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy (subscription required). The responsibilities allocated to Towns have often appeared the least stratified and have been partially to blame for the big man putting up the lowest scoring total of his career since his rookie season, though the decline in his shooting percentages also falls on his shoulders.
Bondy believes that both Towns and Brown must shoulder the burden of fixing Towns’ offensive output, especially in regard to his number of field goal attempts, which are the lowest of his career. For the Knicks to be as effective as they can be, Towns needs to be a consistently major part of the offensive attack, and Bondy writes that there are too many games where that’s not the case.
Towns had the added distraction of being in and out of trade rumors, especially surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo, since last summer, but he’s trying his best to block out the noise, Steve Popper writes for Newsday.
“I continue to worry about what’s the task at hand,” Towns said. “That’s being the best player I can be for my brothers and my teammates here in New York, continue to go out there and impact winning. I keep saying that all the time. I know you guys think it’s redundant, but it’s true. It’s how I approach the year, the season. Every game is about can I impact winning the most.”
We have more from the Knicks:
- There’s still no specific return timeline for Miles McBride, who has been out since late January and underwent surgery for a sports hernia in early February, Bondy writes. “It’s going to be a process coming back,” McBride said. “I’m feeling the love from the whole organization. They want me back but they want me back right. So that’s the main thing.” McBride is having the best season of his career and is a key part of the Knicks’ improved depth this season, so his healthy return will be important, but it likely won’t be happening soon. “It’s really a slow process,” he said. “So I’m starting to do some form shooting (shooting without jumping). And I’m starting to do a few strengthening exercises for the area I was injured.”
- Mohamed Diawara has exceeded expectations as a rookie, but he got his first taste of how tough the league is when he was temporarily bumped from his usual spot in the rotation as Brown looked to see what newcomer Jeremy Sochan could bring off the bench. While that was a humbling moment, the first-year forward didn’t let it change his approach, according to Bondy. Brown is aware of how such a change could impact a young player and has tried to mitigate its effects. “Yes, it can [hurt his confidence],” Brown said. “But that’s my job more than anybody else’s is to make sure I communicate with him and anybody else when that happens. There’s a part of me — and I could be wrong about this — but there’s a part of me that doesn’t think so because I started him. And I thought it would rattle him. It doesn’t rattle him.” Diawara responded well against the Bucks on Friday as he was once again back in his customary spot in the rotation, Bondy notes in a separate piece. He had 10 points and led the team in plus-minus. Against the Spurs on Sunday, he put up 14 points in a blowout win.
- While there have been some questions about the ceiling of a Knicks team that has repeatedly lost to the East-leading Pistons, they looked like contenders on Sunday vs. the Spurs, Jared Schwartz writes for the Post. New York was able to snap San Antonio’s 11-game winning streak thanks to a strong outing from Mikal Bridges and smart defense from OG Anunoby and Towns on Victor Wembanyama, forcing him into seven turnovers and limiting him to just two points in the fourth quarter. “We started taking the right shots,” Brown said. “I told our guys ‘let that thing fly.’ Once we started letting it fly, good things started to happen.”
Southwest Notes: Bagley, Flagg, Coward, Plumlee
With the announcement that Kyrie Irving would not play this year, the rest of the Mavericks’ season is expected to function as something of a fact-finding mission, Mike Curtis writes for the Dallas Morning News.
Dallas has five players set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, and one newcomer who has shown enough to warrant long-term consideration is Marvin Bagley III, who was a part of the Anthony Davis trade between the Mavs and Wizards.
“He’s a really good player,” coach Jason Kidd said of the former No. 2 overall pick. “He’s a grown-up and understands the NBA game a little bit. Sometimes it takes time. We all want it to happen overnight. I think the coaching staff, the media, everyone that’s been on this road trip or with him, has made him comfortable and you can see the way he’s playing.”
Since arriving in Dallas, Bagley has averaged 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds in six games as a reserve and has three double-doubles in that span. Curtis points to the 26-year-old’s energy on the glass as a major factor in his success. Bagley is averaging 3.7 offensive rebounds per game with the Mavs and is a different archetype of big man than their top two centers, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.
Curtis writes that Bagley has yet to find a franchise that will commit to him, but a deal to keep him in Dallas as a reserve center could be mutually beneficial.
We have more from around the Southwest Division:
- Cooper Flagg remains out for the Mavericks‘ game against the Kings on Thursday, Curtis notes (via Twitter). This will mark the fifth absence in a row for Flagg, who is dealing with a midfoot sprain, after he had previously missed just four games all season. Even if Flagg were to miss extended time, he’s not in danger of missing out on any end-of-year awards, as the 65-game rule does not apply to Rookie of the Year or All-Rookie.
- Having traded Jaren Jackson Jr. for picks and unproven players and with Ja Morant‘s future with the team still up in the air, the Grizzlies may be in need of a new face of the franchise, prompting Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal to wonder if Cedric Coward can step into that role. As Cole writes, Coward is notably self-assured for a rookie. “He’s a very mature kid for his age,” coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “I think that’s a very valuable commodity to have.” Coward has been injured since early February, but has still been very engaged with the team, both during games and practices, teammate Jaylen Wells noted. For his part, Coward is trying to keep a level head with the prospect of such expectations being placed on his relatively inexperienced shoulders. “You just try to make the best of whatever situation it is,” he said. “Whether it’s franchise cornerstone, whether it’s a building block — no matter what it is, the title doesn’t mean anything to me.“
- Mason Plumlee knows he won’t be playing major minutes with the Spurs, but he’s excited to take advantage of whatever opportunities present themselves, Tom Orsborn writes for the San Antonio Express-News. “I think I’ve seen guys check in for five minutes and turn a game around,” he said. “That’s the way I look at it.” The soon-to-be 36-year-old is inactive due to “return to competition reconditioning” as he makes his way back from groin surgery, but he says he feels great and is ready to get started with an organization he’s long admired. “When I came into the league (as a late-first round pick in 2013), the Spurs had all the guys that were winning championships, and I just remember them being so sharp in everything they did on the court, and you hear about how well it’s run behind the scenes and everybody gets hired (to become head coaches) out of here,” he said. “So you kind of know coming in that there’s something that works, there’s something unique.”
Northwest Notes: Bailey, Jazz, Nuggets, Cissoko
Ace Bailey knows that not everyone is a fan of his game or his approach to the 2025 draft. However, coaches and players who know him sing a different tune, Kevin Reynolds writes for the Salt Lake City Tribune.
“If anybody calls about Ace Bailey, I f—ing call back right away,” said Steve Pikiell, Bailey’s coach at Rutgers. “I’ve been coaching 42 years, and he’s as good of a kid I’ve had.”
Pikiell adds that he believed that certain teams that had been heavily scouting Bailey and then fell in the lottery might have helped contribute to some of the negative narratives surrounding him on draft night. According to Reynolds, Bailey has rewarded Utah’s faith in him on an interpersonal level.
“He’s such a great kid, man. Off the court, he’s such a joy. On the court, he’s putting it together,” former teammate Kyle Anderson said. “I didn’t pay attention to the noise during the draft process, but I’m glad to see that really hasn’t surfaced.”
While Bailey has learned to fit into Utah’s locker room, the coaching staff has worked to make sure he plays a role that will benefit him the most long-term.
“We want to help him get through this season and be a way better player than when he started,” coach Will Hardy said. “I’m not pro Ace just bombing away to get stats and clicks.”
The strategy seems to be working, as Bailey has played some of his best basketball of late, averaging 15.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game since mid-January.
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- The Jazz were furious about being fined $500K by the NBA, Tony Jones reports for The Athletic, as they believe they were singled out for a widespread practice among tanking teams of resting players in key situations. Jones writes that while Utah has tanked in recent seasons, they had plans to make at least one substantial win-now trade roughly three years ago, but it fell through when the player’s agent informed them that he would rather play elsewhere.
- The Nuggets currently have a disconcerting trend going: they are falling apart in clutch situations, and it only seems to have gotten worse with Nikola Jokic back, Bennett Durando writes for the Denver Post. Denver is 26th in clutch net rating at -9.9, and the number falls to -19.3 when Jokic is playing. Coach David Adelman acknowledged the issue and said he’s looking to add wrinkles to get Jokic and Jamal Murray easier looks while Aaron Gordon is out and not occupying his usual area in the dunker spot. “We’re trying to maintain who we are, playing the two-man game without the things that matter behind it,” Adelman said. “Like, if we play a two-man game with Aaron Gordon, it’s a very different rotation (in help defense) for teams. So you don’t want to scrap something that you know you’re gonna do (in the playoffs), and you’re presupposing that those guys are gonna be out there. … We have to figure out a way to finish games when teams are full-rotating to (Jokic and Murray). Sometimes three guys, sometimes four.” Durando notes that the sample of clutch games with Jokic playing is small, but it can still impact the playoff race.
- The two-year standard contract that Sidy Cissoko recently signed with the Trail Blazers is a minimum-salary deal that’s non-guaranteed in 2026/27, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype notes (via Twitter). In order to promote Cissoko, the Blazers had to waive Rayan Rupert, his best friend on the team, making the move bittersweet, writes Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (subscriber link). “For me, it’s tough because he’s the guy that helped me with everything when I got here. I’ve got a lot of experience with him,” Cissoko said. “We’ve played together since we were 16 or 17.” Cissoko added that the promotion to the standard roster represents a step toward his goal of playing in the NBA for over a decade. “I’ve done great by being myself,” he said. “I’m not going to change because of my contract. It’s the same Sidy. I’m going to play the same way.”
Injury Notes: Tatum, Antetokounmpo, Garland, Thompson
Jayson Tatum, who is making his way back from an Achilles tear he suffered last spring, has been a full participant in five-on-five scrimmages for the Celtics, Shams Charania said on ESPN’s NBA Today (YouTube video link).
According to Charania, the keys for Tatum physically are building his conditioning and strengthening his calves through a high volume of scrimmages and practices. However, the biggest factor will be making sure he feels ready to go mentally and isn’t thinking about the injury while he’s playing.
The Celtics will not push Tatum, but they’ll get him on the floor once he feels fully like himself again, which is why there is still no set timeline for his return, Charania adds.
“A dozen people here — doctors, Celtics officials, Jayson Tatum himself — they’re going to gather in a room when he’s ready and get him to a point where he wants to be, which is, in March, and as we get closer and closer to the playoffs, make a decision about whether he’s able to make it back on the floor,” Charania said.
We have more injury news from around the NBA:
- Bucks coach Doc Rivers believes that star Giannis Antetokounmpo is nearing a return from the calf strain that has sidelined him since late January, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm reports (via Twitter). “I know he’s close,” Rivers said. “I don’t think he’s close like tomorrow, but he’s getting closer and he looked great… I can tell you what my eyes see and he looks good.” Rivers previously told Nehm that Antetokounmpo had participated in 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 work without experiencing setbacks, and that he didn’t necessarily need to progress to 5-on-5 to be cleared for return (Twitter link).
- Darius Garland has yet to suit up for the Clippers since arriving in Los Angeles as the cornerstone of the James Harden trade, and that won’t change in Thursday’s game against the Timberwolves. However, there are encouraging signs, as Law Murray of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that Garland is participating in 5-on-5 workouts. With the two-time All-Star injured, the Clippers have been relying on Kris Dunn and, occasionally, rookie Kobe Sanders to man the starting guard spots.
- Amen Thompson is sitting out the Rockets‘ game against the Kings with a quad injury, but Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle writes that coach Ime Udoka doesn’t believe it will be a long-term issue (Twitter link). Udoka said that Thompson has been playing through the injury and that he hopes that this absence will only last one game.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Towns, Shamet, Sochan, Yabusele
Jalen Brunson recently said he hoped the Knicks would “do right by me” in his next contract discussion, a quote that caught some fans’ attention. Recently, he clarified his hopes for his future with the organization, Stefan Bondy writes for the New York Post (subscriber link).
“I would love to be here for the rest of my career. I love this place,” Brunson told Bondy. “They’ve welcomed me with open arms. They’ve been behind my back since day one. I built a life here. And I love the city, I love the fans, I love everything this place has offered me, on and off the court. So I just love it here. And I’d love to stay.”
He added that his comments about doing right by him did not mean he felt that the Knicks owed him, but that he hopes they recognize the financial sacrifice he made to help the front office build the team.
Brunson will be extension-eligible in the summer of 2027 or could reach free agency in 2028.
We have more on the Knicks:
- Karl-Anthony Towns‘ inconsistent play is a lightning rod of sorts for Knicks fans, but despite his down shooting year, he’s been much more productive than given credit for, Peter Botte writes for the Post. Botte also notes that while New York has struggled against some of the stronger teams in the East, especially the Pistons, the same was true last year, when they posted a 1-6 record against Detroit and Boston before beating both teams in playoff series.
- Landry Shamet‘s consistency as a scorer and defender has forced changes to the Knicks’ rotations, and no one is bearing the brunt more than Mikal Bridges, Bondy writes. “You’ve just got to sacrifice, find your moments and play the right way,” Bridges said. Bridges’ presumed place in the closing lineup has been taken by Shamet three times this month, though Bondy notes that all the starters’ minutes are down lately as coach Mike Brown has been trying to incorporate the bench more. “It’s give and take where if somebody is playing well, we’ll try to keep them on the floor, but that might mean others will see their field goal attempts and their minutes may go down because they’re not on the floor as much,” Brown said.
- New acquisition Jeremy Sochan has struggled in his first few outings for the Knicks, but he’s not concerned, Bondy writes in a separate story. “It’s my first time adjusting to a different dynamic,” said Sochan, who was a Spur for his first three-and-a-half years in the NBA. “So it’s going to take some time to figure out and, of course, I haven’t been in a lot of game shape. So altogether there are going to [be] ups and downs. But I’m blessed and excited to be in this situation. And I truly believe I can add to this team.” Sochan said that learning the playbook wasn’t difficult, but learning his teammates’ tendencies and fitting into the ecosystem will take more time. He played five scoreless minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Cavaliers.
- Brown believes that Guerschon Yabusele‘s best role in the NBA is one that the Knicks couldn’t really offer him, Bondy writes. “The position he’s shown he’s best in in the NBA — the small-ball center spot — we just didn’t have the minutes consistently for him to be there,” Brown said. “And then when he was at the four. For us, because of our centers, the matchups weren’t always there. So we had to pick and choose when he was on the floor and how we were going to play him.” Bondy adds that there is speculation that the Frenchman has already locked in a lucrative deal overseas for next year.