Coby White, Kevin Durant Named Players Of The Week
Bulls guard Coby White has been named the Player of the Week for the Eastern Conference, while Suns forward Kevin Durant has won the award in the West, the NBA announced today in a press release.
It’s the second straight week that White has claimed the honor in the East. According to the Bulls (Twitter link), White joins Michael Jordan as the only players in team history to win the award in back-to-back weeks (Jordan accomplished it twice).
White, 25, helped guide Chicago to a 3-1 record last week, averaging 30.3 points, 4.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds on .556/.394/.848 shooting in four appearances (35.5 minutes). All four games came on the road.
Durant, meanwhile, averaged 27.3 points, 6.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game on .588/.471/.933 shooting in victories over Toronto, Chicago and Cleveland last week. It’s the 33rd time he has won the weekly award in his career, per the Suns (Twitter link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic), tying Kobe Bryant for second-most all-time (LeBron James has by far the most with 69).
According to the NBA (Twitter link), White beat out Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, Cade Cunningham, his teammate Josh Giddey, Quentin Grimes, Pacers teammates Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner, Celtics teammates Kristaps Porzingis and Jayson Tatum, and Trae Young in the East.
The other nominees in the West were Deni Avdija, Durant’s teammate Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Kawhi Leonard.
Central Notes: Mobley, Cavs, Mathurin, Holland, Sasser
Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley is viewed as one of the favorites for Defensive Player of the Year in 2024/25, and while he had no qualms about making a case for himself, he was more interested in talking about the team’s goals when he recently spoke to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.
“I’m mostly just focused on the playoffs,” Mobley said. “I’m just trying to be as great as possible in the playoffs and go as far as we can in the playoffs.”
Mobley has been highly impressive in his fourth NBA season, averaging a career-best 18.6 points to go along with 9.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.5 blocks in a career-low 30.2 minutes per contest across 63 outings. His shooting slash line is .568/.372/.729.
The 23-year-old forward/center is the only player from the East to have the won the new Defensive Player of the Month award two times this season, Medina notes. Mobley pointed out that his impact goes beyond what a traditional box score can measure.
“There are defenders not even taking a shot,” Mobley told Sportskeeda. “They’re coming in down the paint and see me there. Then they turn back around and go somewhere else. Those plays don’t necessarily get tracked. But that’s a big factor.”
Here’s more from the Central:
- Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link) and Tony Jones of The Athletic explain why Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson decided to have a “fun practice” on Saturday following a four-game losing streak, helping the players rediscover the joy they’ve played with all season. Instead of letting frustration seep in, the team instead played H.O.R.S.E and cracked jokes while watching highlights the coaching staff compiled of the players when they participated in the NCAA Tournament. “I think it’s been important to not overreact,” Atkinson said, per Jones. “To be clear, I’m not happy with the way we have played. We haven’t played well in the last week. But, you have to look at things in the big picture. And in the big picture, I’ll take who this team has been during the other 97 percent of the season over what we have been over the last week.” Cleveland snapped its four-game skid with a dominant second half on Sunday in Utah against the tanking Jazz.
- Over the course of Bennedict Mathurin‘s three seasons with the Pacers, there has been a constant effort to try to figure out how best to incorporate his more ball-dominant, one-on-one style within the movement-oriented flow of a Tyrese Haliburton-led offense. As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes, the issue becomes even more complicated in instances when Haliburton is unavailable — he missed time recently with a back ailment. When Haliburton is out, Mathurin, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, gets more freedom to try and score however he can out of necessity. The tension between the two playing styles has defined Mathurin’s tenure with the team to this point, Dopirak adds. “It’s two different styles,” Carlisle said, “and I just let him know at halftime (on Saturday vs. Brooklyn) that I acknowledge that if he had the ball every time and we spread it out every time and he was doing the stuff we were doing when we were down in those games (without Haliburton), that he would score and he would get to the free throw line. But in the flow of our normal game, that’s not who we are. We’ve gotta work to bring the two forces of nature together.”
- With Cade Cunningham (calf soreness) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (ankle sprain) out Sunday vs. New Orleans, rookie forward Ron Holland helped spark a Pistons victory, recording 26 points (on 10-of-14 shooting), six assists and five rebounds in 36 minutes off the bench. The fifth overall pick in last year’s draft tied his career high for points in a game and set a new one in assists. Second-year guard Marcus Sasser, who has been in and out of the rotation in 2024/25, was also instrumental to the win, scoring 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. Hunter Patterson of The Athletic and Keith Langlois of Pistons.com have the stories and quotes.
Kings/Bulls Notes: DeRozan, White, LaVine, Huerter, T. Jones
Forward DeMar DeRozan became the 27th player in NBA history to record 25,000 career points on Thursday, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. As Law Murray of The Athletic notes, DeRozan joins LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry as active players who have scored at least 25,000 points.
However, the impressive milestone was bittersweet for DeRozan and the Kings, who lost to his former club, the Bulls.
While DeRozan exchanged in some lighthearted trash-talking with his former teammates leading up to the game, he made it clear afterward that he still supports them, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. DeRozan particularly singled out Coby White, who scored a game-high 35 points in Chicago’s victory.
“Rooting for all those guys, honestly,” DeRozan said. “I watch every single game when we don’t play. Even if we’re playing at the same time, I check the box score and see how guys do. Obviously, I still talk to my sons every day, make sure they’re making their bed and everything. It was great to see Coby thriving the way I knew he would be. You know, working out with him every summer, seeing how much he loved the game, how much he put into it, it was dope to see.
“In the group chat [Wednesday] night, I was talking trash to [Patrick Williams] and [Dalen Terry] about them having nightmares just thinking about guarding me. So it’s fun, and it’s a different type of excitement you have going against familiar faces.”
Here’s more on the Kings and Bulls:
- Thursday marked Zach LaVine‘s first game against Chicago since he was traded to the Kings last month. In the lead-up to the game, LaVine reflected on his time with the Bulls, saying he had “no bad blood” and a “really good tenure” during his nearly eight years with the team, according to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. “I put that jersey on with a lot of pride,” LaVine said. “I love Chicago. Always will. If you go out there and try your best and it don’t work, sometimes it’s frustrating, both on the organization and as a player. But I wore it with my heart on my sleeve. I can’t get mad at that.”
- While LaVine wasn’t out for revenge, the same can’t be said for Kevin Huerter, who was traded by the Kings to the Bulls in the LaVine deal. The 26-year-old had one of his best games of the season against Sacramento, putting up 25 points (on 10-of-16 shooting), seven assists, five rebounds, four steals and a block in 37 minutes. “We’re competitors at the end of the day,” Huerter said Wednesday, per Cowley. “Any game we go into, we’re trying to win. I know those guys over there [in Sacramento] really well. Any time you get moved on from a team, I think it’s natural that you want to kick their ass next time you play them, but there’s no ill will, no hard feelings. [I’m] still pretty close with a lot of people there, so [I’ll] go try and compete.”
- Bulls point guard Tre Jones sustained a left midfoot sprain during Thursday’s game, tweets K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network. X-rays were negative, Johnson adds, and it’s unclear if Jones will miss time due to the injury. The impending free agent has played well for Chicago since he was acquired from San Antonio in the LaVine deal, particularly over the past couple weeks.
Hawks’ Clint Capela Out At Least 3-4 Weeks With Hand Injury
Clint Capela has been diagnosed with a ligament injury in the fourth metacarpal of his left hand, according to the Hawks, who announced (via Twitter) that the veteran center will be out at least three-to-four weeks as he rehabilitates.
It’s worth noting that Atlanta says Capela will be reevaluated in three-to-four weeks, not that he’s expected to return at that time. The 30-year-old underwent an MRI on Monday which revealed the injury, per the team.
Although the Hawks didn’t outright say it, Capela will almost certainly miss the remainder of the 2024/25 regular season, which concludes on April 13. Depending on how they fare in the postseason — they’re currently the No. 7 seed in the East — it’s possible he might be able to return at some point later next month.
It’s unclear when Capela sustained the injury, but Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears it occurred earlier this month and he initially tried to play through it (Twitter link). Capela has missed the past four games, with his most recent injury designation being personal reasons.
Capela was a longtime starter for the Hawks, but the Swiss big man was moved to the second unit in late January, having been supplanted by Onyeka Okongwu. Capela has averaged 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.0 block in 55 games this season (21.4 minutes per contest).
Obviously, it’s unfortunate news for the Hawks, who have already lost Jalen Johnson and Kobe Bufkin to season-ending shoulder injuries. They’ve also been playing without backup big man Larry Nance Jr., who has been out since mid-February due to a knee injury. He’s set to be reevaluated next week.
It’s a disappointing setback on a personal level as well — Capela will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
With Capela out, the Hawks have been utilizing small-ball lineups off the bench, with forwards like Georges Niang and Dominick Barlow receiving more playing time. That figures to continue for the time being.
Kings’ Isaac Jones Reaches Active Game Limit
Rookie big man Isaac Jones, who is on a two-way contract with the Kings, has been active for the maximum of 50 NBA games this season and is no longer eligible to play for Sacramento in 2024/25, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.
Jones reached the 50-game limit in Wednesday’s victory over Cleveland when he played four minutes. He has appeared in 31 games this season and been active for 19 more, averaging 3.7 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per contest.
Although he ultimately wasn’t selected, Jones was among the players who boosted their stocks with strong performances in last year’s pre-draft process. The former Washington State standout quickly reached an agreement on a two-way deal with the Kings shortly after going undrafted.
As Marks notes (via Twitter), Jones can continue to practice with the Kings, but he won’t be able to play again unless his two-way contract is converted to a standard deal. A report back in January suggested that Jones was a candidate to be promoted if the Kings still had openings on their standard roster after the trade deadline, and they do — they’re tentatively carrying 14 players, with Terry Taylor on a 10-day contract that runs through March 27.
Jones, who was named to the NBA G League’s Up Next event at All-Star weekend, has also appeared in 15 total games this season with the Stockton Kings. His role has been more significant at the G League level, averaging 21.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block on .567/.300/.745 shooting in 32.3 minutes per contest.
Several other players on two-way contracts are also nearing their active game limits, according to Marks. Kessler Edwards (one) and Brandon Williams (five) of the Mavericks, Hornets wing Wendell Moore (five) and Sixers guard Jeff Dowtin (five) will soon be ineligible to appear in NBA games. All three of the Lakers’ two-way players — Jordan Goodwin (three), Trey Jemison (eight) and Christian Koloko (nine) — are close to their limits as well, as we noted on Thursday.
Players on two-way contracts are ineligible for the postseason, including the play-in tournament.
Stephen Curry Out Saturday With Pelvic Contusion
The Warriors received some promising news on Friday, as Stephen Curry‘s MRI confirmed a pelvic contusion but revealed no structural damage, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
Curry, who sustained the injury after a hard fall in the third quarter of Thursday’s game vs. Toronto, won’t travel to Atlanta and will miss Saturday’s game against the Hawks. He will be reevaluated on Monday, per the Warriors.
Shams Charania of ESPN first reported (via Twitter) the update on Curry, which was later confirmed by Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Saturday’s matchup in Atlanta is the start of the six-game road trip for the Warriors. As Slater notes, the second game of the trip will be on Tuesday in Miami — it’s the first matchup between the Warriors and Heat after last month’s blockbuster trade of Jimmy Butler.
Butler struggled with his shot (4-of-15 from the field) on Thursday, but he still recorded a triple-double (16 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds) and had a clutch block late in the fourth quarter. After the game, he said the Warriors will need to play “perfect basketball” without Curry, according to Slater (Twitter video link).
“We can’t afford to turn the ball over. We can’t afford to foul. Because we don’t have the one individual who can automatically get us back into the game,” Butler said.
The Warriors have surged up the standings since they acquired Butler, currently holding a 41-29 record, good for the No. 6 seed in the West. However, they’re only 1.5 games ahead of the Clippers and Timberwolves in the race to secure an automatic playoff berth, so each of their 12 remaining games will be critical if they want to avoid the play-in tournament this spring.
Mavericks’ Davis, Lively, Gafford To Practice In NBAGL
The Mavericks assigned a trio of injured big men to their G League affiliate on Friday, announcing (via Twitter) that Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford will be heading to the Texas Legends.
According to Dallas-based NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter links), Davis will be going through his second round of 5-on-5 practice with the Legends, while Lively and Gafford are expected to start with a 3-on-3 session.
Davis first practiced with Dallas’ affiliate team on Monday, though head coach Jason Kidd later cautioned that the star forward/center had to clear additional hurdles before he’s able to play again. Davis has been out since February 8, when he sustained a left adductor strain in his Mavericks debut.
Second-year center Lively is recovering from a right ankle stress fracture that has kept him on the shelf since January 14. He has been doing individual on-court work in recent weeks.
Gafford was set to be reevaluated today after suffering a Grade 3 MCL sprain in his right knee on February 10. Evidently that examination went well, as Gafford will be practicing today for the first time in nearly six weeks.
Stein reported a couple weeks ago that Davis and Lively were on track to be healthy before the end of the season, though it wasn’t clear if they’d actually play again in 2024/25. A subsequent report stated there have been no indications the Mavs plan to shut down any of Davis, Lively or Gafford while they remain in postseason contention.
Amid a devastating wave of injuries, the Mavericks have dropped four straight and 11 of their past 13 games. At 33-37, Dallas is currently the No. 11 seed in the West. The Mavs have the same record as Phoenix, but the Suns control the head-to-head tiebreaker and thus the No. 10 seed.
Nets’ Watford Ejected Following Scuffle With Pacers
Nets forward Trendon Watford was ejected in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s overtime loss to Indiana following a brief scuffle with Pacers players Andrew Nembhard and Myles Turner, as The Associated Press relays.
Prior to a driving basket by Bennedict Mathurin, Watford pushed Nembhard with one arm, then the two shoulder shoved each other with one arm apiece after the field goal (YouTube link via ESPN). Turner quickly entered the fray and shoved Watford, who responded by pushing back. Both teams entered the scuffle at that point, with coaches and officials eventually separating the two sides.
The video only shows the play and its aftermath, so it’s unclear who initially instigated the incident.
Nembhard and Watford received double technical fouls for their exchange, as did Turner and Watford for theirs. Watford was automatically ejected after being hit with two technicals.
For his part, Turner largely downplayed the incident after the game, saying he was just standing up for his teammate Nembhard, who is considerably smaller than Watford.
“We’re preparing for the playoffs,” Turner said. “You’re going to have moments like that in the playoffs. So to be battle tested, let it not be a surprise and be able to control your emotions when everything’s high – that’s an underrated thing in this league.”
Pelicans Sign Elfrid Payton To 10-Day Contract
10:35am: Payton’s 10-day contract is now official, the Pelicans confirmed in a press release. He is eligible to play in five games over the next 10 days.
9:30am: The Pelicans intend to sign free agent guard Elfrid Payton to a 10-day contract, agent Darrell Comer tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
A Louisiana native who played college ball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Payton appeared in seven games with the Pelicans in the fall on a non-guaranteed deal. In one of those games, he recorded a career-best 21 assists. He was released in early December.
Payton, 31, signed a pair of 10-day hardship contracts with Charlotte last month. He struggled to make an impact in his six games with the Hornets, only scoring six points on 3-of-21 shooting (14.3%) in 123 total minutes.
Prior to 2024/25, it had been two full seasons since Payton had appeared in an NBA game, last suiting up for Phoenix in ’21/22. He has spent time in the G League over the past three campaigns, including playing for the Pelicans’ affiliate — the Birmingham Squadron — in ’24/25.
In 13 total games with New Orleans and Charlotte this season, Payton has averaged 4.1 points, 5.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 20.5 minutes per contest. He has converted 38.8% of his field goal attempts, including missing his only three-pointer, and split his two free throws.
Mohamed Bamba‘s 10-day contract with the Pelicans recently expired, creating an opening on the team’s standard roster. It’s possible the Pelicans might be able to bring back Bamba while adding Payton — they could qualify for a hardship exception due to the injuries to Dejounte Murray, Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy and Brandon Boston. Boston’s injury, a left ankle stress reaction, is the only one of the four that might not be season-ending — he’ll be reevaluated today.
Payton will earn a $171,756 salary on his new 10-day contract, while New Orleans carries a cap charge of $119,972.
Wizards’ Saddiq Bey To Practice With G League Affiliate
Forward Saddiq Bey has been out of action since March 10, 2024, when he tore the ACL in his left knee as a member of the Hawks. As a free agent last July, the 25-year-old signed a three-year, $20MM ($1MM in incentives) contract with the Wizards.
A little more than a year after his initial injury, Bey appears to be nearing his 2024/25 season debut. Sources tell Josh Robbins of The Athletic that Bey will practice with the Capital City Go-Go — the Wizards’ NBA G League affiliate — on Friday and Saturday (Twitter link).
According to Robbins, Washington’s goal is for Bey to play in some NBA games in April. The Wizards have a total of seven games on their schedule next month, including one on April 13, the final day of the regular season.
While the Wizards will likely bring the former first-round pick along slowly in the final stages of his recovery from a major injury, the fact that he’s progressed to this point is a good sign for his availability for next season. In 63 games with Atlanta in ’23/24, Bey averaged 13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 32.7 minutes per contest, with a shooting slash line of .416/.316/.837.
At 15-53, the Wizards currently have the worst record in the NBA. If that stands for the remainder of the season, they will pick no worse than No. 5 overall in the 2025 draft.