Pacers’ Pascal Siakam Fined $25K By NBA
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam has been fined $25K for “confronting and directing profane language toward game officials” following Saturday’s game in Atlanta, the league announced in a press release.
Siakam, who made his third All-Star appearance last month, finished the two-point loss with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block in 34 minutes. He shot 8-of-19 from the floor while making all six of his free throw attempts.
Aside from a couple of technical fouls, which cost him a total of $4K, this is the first time Siakam has been fined this season, according to Spotrac. In fact, it’s the first time he has been publicly fined since 2021.
As an unrestricted free agent last summer, Siakam re-signed with the Pacers on a four-year, $189MM contract. He’s earning about $42.2MM this season, so losing $25K won’t affect him much financially.
Indiana faces the Bulls in Chicago on Monday, followed by a home game vs. Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Kings Assistant Loucks Named FSU’s Head Coach
MARCH 9: Loucks’ hiring has now been officially announced by Florida State in a team press release.
MARCH 7: Kings assistant Luke Loucks is expected to replace Leonard Hamilton as the next men’s head coach at Florida State University, sources tell Matt Norlander of CBS Sports.
Hamilton, 76, announced last month that he would be stepping down after leading FSU’s program for the past 23 seasons. He has recorded more wins than any coach in school history.
Multiple recent reports have indicated that Loucks was the frontrunner for the job, with Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reporting this morning (via Twitter) that the 34-year-old had been offered the job and was in contract negotiations with his alma mater.
According to Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento, Loucks has accepted the job and was congratulated by the Kings following Friday’s shootaround (Twitter links).
A Florida native, Loucks will be replacing his former head coach, having played four seasons under Hamilton from 2008-2012. After his college career ended, Loucks played in Europe and in the G League (then called the D-League) before transitioning to coaching.
Loucks got his NBA start as an intern with the Warriors prior to being promoted multiple times. He departed the organization in 2021 after accepting a job with the Suns. He has been an assistant with the Kings for the past three seasons.
Loucks is the second assistant coach in as many days to leave an NBA job for his alma mater. Mavs assistant Alex Jensen has agreed to become the University of Utah’s next head coach.
Jalen Brunson Sprains Ankle, Out At Least Two Weeks
6:04 pm: Brunson has been diagnosed with a sprained right ankle and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the Knicks announced today (via Twitter). X-rays on the ankle were negative, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).
8:18 am: Knicks star Jalen Brunson badly rolled his right ankle when he landed on Austin Reaves‘ foot with 1:24 remaining in overtime during Thursday’s road loss to the Lakers (YouTube link).
While Brunson was able to stay in to shoot (and make) two free throws after being fouled on the drive, he left the game immediately afterward, slowly and carefully limping off the court.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), there’s optimism that Brunson sustained a sprained ankle and not something more serious.
Still, it’s worth noting that the severity of ankle sprains can vary drastically — a mild sprain might cause a player to only miss a game or two, while a major sprain can see a player sidelined for months. Brandon Ingram has missed four months and counting with a “significant” sprain, with no timetable for a return.
Former teammate Luka Doncic checked in on Brunson after the game, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). While Doncic said Brunson told him he’d be OK, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said the team’s point guard was still being evaluated.
“He’s being examined,” Thibodeau said. “I haven’t spoken with him. He was back with the medical people. … His mental toughness is through the roof. It doesn’t surprise me (that he stayed in to shoot free throws). The way he played the whole game, they were loaded up on him the whole game.”
Close friend Josh Hart expects Brunson to miss some time due to the injury, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
“Obviously it’s a bummer of an injury. We’ve got to expect him to be out for a little bit,” Hart said. “We’ve got guys. Now we have to step up. Other guys’ roles are going to be bigger. There’s more opportunity. Keep it afloat until he comes back, be aggressive, go out there and compete.”
Brunson, who finished with 39 points and 10 assists, is New York’s team captain. He has made All-Star appearances each of the past two seasons, leads the team in points and assists per game, and is the Knicks’ go-to option in crunch time.
As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes, any type of extended absence for Brunson would clearly be detrimental to the club, especially on offense, even if it has all but secured a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The team has looked a little shaky over the past few months, according to Edwards, who points out that Brunson has frequently bailed out the offense late in games.
In a subscriber-only story for The Post, Bondy argues that Miles McBride and Karl-Anthony Towns will need to step up while Brunson is out. Cameron Payne is among the other candidates for an increased role.
Bulls Notes: Williams, White, Buzelis, Phillips, Play-In
Bulls forward Patrick Williams has missed the past two weeks with a right knee injury, but he appears to be nearing a return. According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, the plan is for Williams to practice today in Miami, and, assuming things go well, he’ll suit up on Saturday against the Heat.
“After being out for a while, I just want to check all the boxes, so to speak,” Williams said Thursday. “A lot of injuries happen when guys are trying to rush back more than anything, so I’m just trying to be careful in that aspect.
“You guys know I’ve dealt with my fair share of injuries already, so I’m doing what I can to prevent what I can. The knee itself feels good; the quad tendon feels good. I want to get back knowing we’re in the homestretch of the regular season. I want to be able to be full-go swinging by the time we get to that play-in tournament.”
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Guard Coby White erupted for a career-high 44 points in Thursday’s comeback victory in Orlando, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. White scored the team’s final nine points and recorded 17 points in the fourth quarter.
- Centers Zach Collins and Jalen Smith fouled out in the fourth quarter yesterday, but recent draft picks Matas Buzelis and Julian Phillips stepped up late against a physical Orlando frontcourt, per Cowley. “Whatever it takes to get the win, honestly, and that’s what we had to do,” Buzelis said. “We had to be physical, dive on the floor, run in transition, and whatever we had to do. I’m proud of that, and I’m proud of Ju for sure.”
- In another story for The Sun-Times, Cowley examines a few key questions facing the Bulls following the news of Ayo Dosunmu‘s season-ending shoulder surgery. Cowley believes Dosunmu’s injury could increase White’s trade value this offseason, perhaps making the team more likely to deal 2023/24’s runner-up for Most Improved Player.
- In a column for The Chicago Tribune, Poe argues that another play-in berth for the Bulls feels all but inevitable. As Poe writes, Chicago has a 3.5-game lead on Brooklyn and Philadelphia and is 4.5 games up on Toronto for the final play-in spot with 19 games remaining on the team’s schedule. While things could certainly change, as all four teams have struggled lately, the Bulls’ reluctance to embrace a tanking season will likely come back to bite them when the draft lottery rolls around, Poe opines.
Mavericks Issue Updates On Davis, Lively, Gafford
The Mavericks provided updates on a trio of injured big men on Friday, announcing in a press release that Anthony Davis has been making daily improvements and has been cleared for “more dynamic on-court movements.”
The star forward/center has missed the past 10 games with a left adductor strain, with a recent report suggesting that Davis might miss the rest of the season with the injury.
According to the Mavericks, Davis will be evaluated on a weekly basis going forward. That means he’s out at least four more games, and it certainly doesn’t sound like his return is imminent.
Second-year center Dereck Lively, who is recovering from a right ankle stress fracture, has progressed to individual on-court work. He will also be evaluated weekly. The 21-year-old has been out since January 14, having missed the past 23 games.
Finally, the Mavs issued a vague update on center Daniel Gafford. According to the team, while Gafford is “showing progress,” he’ll be sidelined for at least two more weeks, which is when he’ll be reexamined.
Gafford, who is expected to explore an extension with Dallas in the offseason, has been sidelined since February 10 due to a right knee sprain. It was reported that he suffered a Grade 3 MCL sprain.
It has been a rough go of late for the Mavericks, who recently lost star guard Kyrie Irving to a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee. Dallas has lost five of its past six games and only had eight players active for Wednesday’s contest in Milwaukee due to the spate of injuries.
The team has an open spot on its 15-man roster but can’t fill it until April 10 due to its proximity to a hard cap.
Kings’ DeMar DeRozan Fined $25K By NBA
The NBA has fined Kings forward DeMar DeRozan $25K for publicly criticizing the officiating following Wednesday’s game at Denver, the league announced today (via Twitter). Sacramento wound up losing by six points after controlling the first three quarters.
The Kings were outscored 32-17 in the fourth quarter, with the Nuggets shooting 13 free throws in the final frame vs. Sacramento’s four.
“The refs were terrible. Terrible as s–t. Simple as that,” DeRozan said, according to Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter links).
“Bunch of times we got hit, we got smacked,” the six-time All-Star continued. “Three or four shots out there, clearly got hit, got smacked. They get the same call on the other end. Throws off our whole rhythm. Gives them momentum at home. Makes it tough on us to execute.”
Known for his mid-range mastery and ability to draw fouls, DeRozan attempted a season-high 32 field goals in the game but only shot four free throws. He finished with a game-high 35 points.
It was a tough loss for the Kings, who were playing without two starters — Domantas Sabonis is on the shelf with a hamstring strain, while Malik Monk is day-to-day with a right toe sprain. Sacramento’s next game is Friday against San Antonio.
Lakers Notes: Vincent, Luka, LeBron, Reaves, Jemison
The Lakers rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit before ultimately prevailing in overtime during Thursday’s victory over the Knicks. Los Angeles has now won eight straight and 20 of its past 24 games.
As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, while Luka Doncic and LeBron James each recorded 30-point double-doubles, both superstars credited the team’s supporting cast for the comeback victory. Gabe Vincent, who was limited to just 11 games last season due to a knee injury, made three three-pointers late in the fourth quarter. Doncic said those timely shots “won the game.”
“It’s part of why I’m here,” Vincent said. “Part of why I’m here is what I’ve done at those moments late in the season. So just try and take the experience I’ve had and built and just try to continue to keep up with winning games.”
The Lakers also received important contributions from rookie forward Dalton Knecht (11 points, four rebounds), starting center Jaxson Hayes (eight points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks) and backup center Trey Jemison (seven points, four rebounds), McMenamin notes.
“There’s no such thing as non-key players on this team,” James said. “Everybody is key. And everybody who steps on the floor has a role and they go in and match that. And I thought our bench gave us a great lift once again and Gabe was — I’ll single him out — he was spectacular. His play both on the defensive end and obviously his shooting, we needed it.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Jovan Buha and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic share their takeaways from Thursday’s matchup between the Lakers and Knicks. As we relayed in another story, the biggest news from the game was Knicks star Jalen Brunson suffering a right ankle injury in overtime.
- He struggled in the game, going just 2-of-13 from the field in 32 minutes, but it was a positive development that Austin Reaves was able to return from a right calf strain, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group. Reaves had missed the past two contests with the injury. “The imaging we got kind of relieved any fears we had,” head coach JJ Redick said before Thursday’s game. “It’s just been more about him feeling comfortable and ready to play. He’s just had an overall great season. He’s been solid – more than solid. He’s been really good through each iteration of this team this season. And I think the more time that him, Bron and Luka could just all be on the court together and get comfortable is good for us going into this home stretch.”
- Although it’s largely a coincidence, since they happened to sign him right when their hot streak began, the Lakers have yet to lose a game in which Jemison has appeared for them in 2024/25, tweets Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Jemison, who is on a two-way contract, is a candidate to be promoted to the standard roster, as two-way players aren’t eligible for the postseason. The Lakers are now 13-0 when Jemison plays.
Mark Cuban On Luka Doncic Trade: “Get A Better Deal”
In an exclusive interview with WFFA’s Jonah Javad on Thursday evening (YouTube link), former Mavericks majority owner — and current minority stakeholder — Mark Cuban broke his silence about the shocking decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
The full deal saw the Mavericks send Doncic, Markieff Morris and Maxi Kleber to the Lakers, with the Mavericks acquiring Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. Utah was also involved, receiving a couple of second-round picks (one from L.A., one from Dallas) for taking on the salary of Jalen Hood-Schifino, who was later waived (he is now on a two-way deal with Philadelphia).
Was Cuban upset about the trade?
“Yeah, of course. … If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that’s one thing. Just get a better deal. … I still firmly believe if we had gotten four unprotected number ones and Anthony Davis and Max Christie, this would be a different conversation.”
Would he have made the trade?
“I’m not going to go there. It doesn’t even matter.”
Cuban confirmed he did not have advanced knowledge of the deal, which has been previously reported.
“I knew five minutes at the most before (it was reported). … From a basketball perspective, you know, I hear about it after the fact, I don’t hear about anything beforehand.”
Is it difficult for him to be out of the loop when he was used to being actively involved in front office decisions?
“Yeah, there are parts that aren’t fun, obviously. Especially this month, or last month. But, you know, they paid for that right.”
Does he regret selling his majority stake in the Mavs?
“Sometimes I get mad (and think) ‘I would have done this.’ But, not really. … I didn’t want my kids to end up in this exact position, at some level, if they made a mistake. Imagine if I didn’t [sell], and my kids had taken over and they made a mistake like this.”
On the team’s struggle to communicate with fans in the aftermath of the trade:
“I think the biggest challenge that the Mavs have right now is there’s nobody who’s really outgoing to communicate. It’s not so much what you do, it’s how you communicate why you do what you do — and that’s their challenge without me in front.”
Has he been consulted by GM Nico Harrison or governor Patrick Dumont since the trade was completed?
“I have not talked to Nico about it. I said hi to Nico twice after the trade.”
The full video interview can be found here, while more transcript highlights can be found on WFFA’s website.
Pelicans’ Trey Murphy Discusses Breakout Season, Zion, More
It has largely been a season to forget for the Pelicans, who hold the fourth-worst record in the NBA in part due to a crushing — and seemingly never-ending — wave of injuries. However, one silver lining has been the standout play of Trey Murphy.
The 24-year-old is posting career highs in virtually every major statistic in 2024/25, including points (21.7), rebounds (5.2), assists (3.8), steals (1.2), blocks (0.7), and minutes (35.6) per game through 46 appearances.
Murphy, who signed a four-year, $112MM rookie scale extension in October (it begins in ’25/26), recently discussed a number of topics in an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. Here are a few highlights.
On his breakout season:
“I’m just trying to get better. I’m understanding that I’m still young and have a long career ahead of me. I just want to build good habits and develop my game. That’s been the biggest thing this season, especially with all the injuries and stuff like that. Those are things we can’t control. The biggest things we can control now is just developing my game and finding ways to get better. … When guys go down, people feel like they have to elevate their roles. So they have to shoot more. I feel like, especially the last three weeks, that my assist numbers have been going up. We’re seeing different coverages. My threat to score has been the biggest thing for me.”
On his nine-figure contract extension:
“It means a lot. Being able to secure generational wealth is great as well as being able to take care of my family. It shows that they believe in me. It means a lot. So it makes me want to continue to work hard and prove them right on their investment.”
On being encouraged by how Zion Williamson responded following a one-game suspension for reportedly missing a team flight and being late for multiple practices:
“He’s been really good. He’s been really good. I’ve seen a big step from him, maturity-wise. It’s been great to see. … Overall, the biggest thing is that he’s been leading by example. He’s been stepping up defensively and talking. He’s sharing the ball offensively. He’s been a complete player.”
On learning from CJ McCollum:
“CJ is probably the person that I look up to the most when it comes to basketball-related things. When I’m his age, I want to be in the position that he’s in with still being super-efficient and still a pro’s pro and is about his business. He has really shown me a lot about the business on and off the court. I’m very appreciative of him. … With how he carries himself, he’s very about taking care of business and making sure to keep the main thing the main thing.”
Murphy’s interview with Medina also touches on how he and the team have dealt with injuries, his close relationship with Brandon Ingram, and how he’s developing into a vocal leader, among other topics. It’s worth reading in full if you’re a fan of the Pelicans and/or Murphy.
Celtics Notes: Sixers Game, Pritchard, White, Walsh
Tonight’s nationally televised game between Boston and Philadelphia will be lacking in star power. The Celtics (Twitter links) have ruled out Jaylen Brown (right knee posterior impingement), Al Horford (left big toe sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness), while Jrue Holiday remains sidelined with a broken finger on his right hand (mallet finger).
Both Jayson Tatum (right shoulder impingement) and Sam Hauser (right ankle sprain) are questionable to suit up, per the team.
The banged-up Sixers, who have already lost Joel Embiid, Jared McCain and Eric Gordon for the season, will be without Paul George this evening due to left groin soreness, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter). George, who has battled a variety of injuries in 2024/25, was previously listed as questionable.
Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain) and Kyle Lowry (right hip injury management) are also out for the 76ers, while Justin Edwards is questionable with a left ankle sprain, according to the league’s latest injury report.
Thursday is the second end of a back-to-back for Boston; Philadelphia last played on Tuesday.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- Guards Payton Pritchard and Derrick White made history in Wednesday’s 10-point victory over Portland, writes Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. In addition to becoming the first Celtics duo to score 40-plus points in the same game, they also became the first tandem in NBA history to each make at least nine three-pointers in the same contest. Both players set career highs in points and threes made, with Pritchard (43 and 10) slightly edging White (41 and nine). They were both extremely efficient — Pritchard shot 14-of-20 and chipped in 10 rebounds and five assists in 43 minutes, while White was 14-of-26 and also had three rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. Remarkably, they only combined for one turnover.
- Second-year forward Jordan Walsh was a surprise contributor in yesterday’s win, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. The 21-year-old has only averaged 8.0 minutes per game in 41 appearances this season, but he matched a season high by playing 21 minutes against the Blazers. As Robb writes, Walsh hadn’t played at all in three of the five games leading up to Wednesday’s contest, in part due to the signing of veteran Torrey Craig. However, Walsh was ahead of Craig on the depth chart yesterday and got an opportunity for playing time with Tatum, Porzingis and Holiday out.
- After the game, head coach Joe Mazzulla explained Walsh’s increased workload. He finished with three points and six rebounds. “Just with guys out, opportunity is there,” Mazzulla said, per Robb. “His ability to defend in individual defense, these guys do a great job of breaking guys down, and he’s really gotten better at that, and we needed someone who offensive rebounds. I think he got two big ones in the first half, I think he ended up with one more there, so just continuing to get better. It’s an opportunity to get him out there and make sure he continues to grow defensively and rebounding.”