Former NBA Center Oliver Miller Dies At 54
Longtime NBA center Oliver Miller has sadly passed away at just 54, according to the National Basketball Retired Players Association (Twitter link).
No official cause of death has been revealed, but Miller tweeted late last month that he had been diagnosed with cancer.
Miller was selected with the No. 22 overall pick out of Arkansas by the Suns in 1992. As a rookie, he became a critical bench player during MVP Charles Barkley‘s inaugural season in Phoenix, when the club advanced to the 1993 NBA Finals. The team lost in six games to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen‘s Bulls, who were capping off their first three-peat.
Across a nine-season NBA career, Miller suited up for the Pistons, Raptors, Mavericks, and Kings before returning to Phoenix for the 1999/2000 season. In his 493 career NBA regular season appearances (193 starts), the 6’9″ pro recorded averages of 7.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Between 2000-03, Miller enjoyed non-NBA pro stints in Greece, Poland, Puerto Rico, and China, along with the USBL and then-D League stateside.
Miller returned to the NBA, briefly, for the 2003/04 season, where he suited up for the Western Conference Finals-bound Timberwolves. He intermittently hopped around the D League and USBL from 2004-10 before calling it a career.
Hoops Rumors sends its deepest condolences to Miller’s family and friends.
2025’s Most Valuable Traded Second-Round Picks
Fans of lottery-bound NBA teams will be keeping a close on the bottom of the league’s standings down the stretch because of the effect that “race” will have on the draft order and lottery odds for the 2025 first round.
However, it’s not just the first round of the draft that’s worth keeping an eye on. Those reverse standings will also dictate the order of the draft’s second round, and an early second-round pick can be nearly as valuable as a first-rounder.
[RELATED: Traded Second-Round Picks For 2025 NBA Draft]
Here are a few of the traded 2025 draft picks that will land near the top of the second round:
From: Washington Wizards
To: Boston Celtics
Current projection: No. 31
The Celtics are the defending champions and one of the biggest threats to win the NBA’s 2025 championship. They also have the league’s third-highest payroll. Teams in that position are generally running a draft-pick deficit, having gone all-in to fortify their roster, but that’s not the case in Boston, where the Celtics control their own first-rounder (currently projected to be No. 28) along with this Wizards second-rounder that could be the best day-two selection in this year’s draft.
The Wizards originally traded swap rights to their 2025 second-round pick during the 2021 offseason as part of the five-team blockbuster that netted them Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, among others.
Those swap rights changed hands a few times and eventually got tied up with a handful of other swaps. The Celtics acquired them in the 2023 offseason from the Pistons as part of a deal that saw them down six spots in the draft from No. 25 to No. 31 (Detroit used the 25th pick on Marcus Sasser).
Boston will technically receive the most favorable of four second-round picks (Washington’s, Golden State’s, Dallas’, and Detroit’s), but there’s no chance that won’t be the Wizards’ selection.
From: Utah Jazz
To: Minnesota Timberwolves
Current projection: No. 32
While the Lakers made a run to the Western Conference Finals later that season, it’s hard to argue that the Timberwolves didn’t ultimately get the best of the three-team 2023 deadline deal with Los Angeles and Utah that saw them land Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, two players who continue to play major roles in Minnesota.
As part of that three-team trade, which allowed the Jazz to acquire the Lakers’ top-four protected 2027 first-round pick, Minnesota received multiple second-round picks from Utah, including this year’s selection.
Like the Celtics, the Timberwolves have one of the NBA’s highest payrolls, so this extra second-round pick should come in handy for an organization looking to keep its tax bill in check next season — drafting a player in the second round and signing him to a rookie-minimum contract (or something close to it) is the most effective way for a team to limit the cap/tax impact of a roster spot.
From: New Orleans Pelicans
To: Charlotte Hornets
Current projection: No. 34
It has been a long, winding road for this second-round pick, which was – sort of – first sent to Memphis in a three-team 2021 trade. That deal, which also included Charlotte, saw New Orleans acquire Jonas Valanciunas, Devonte’ Graham, and the draft rights to Trey Murphy.
The Pelicans actually included the Lakers’ top-10 protected 2022 first-round pick in that trade, but because it landed in its protected range in ’22 (eighth overall), New Orleans instead owed the Grizzlies a pair of second-rounders, one of which was this 2025 selection.
From there, the Grizzlies traded the Pelicans’ 2025 second-rounder to the Suns in 2023 as part of a package for pick swaps; Phoenix flipped it to the Spurs a few days later as part of a Cameron Payne salary dump; and San Antonio brought it full circle by sending it to Charlotte in a salary dump of Graham during the 2024 offseason.
At the time of that last trade between the Spurs and Hornets, Graham was in the final season of the four-year contract he received as part of the sign-and-trade agreement that sent him from Charlotte to New Orleans in the original 2021 deal. The Hornets traded away Graham and didn’t get the 2025 Pelicans pick in that initial transaction, but ultimately ended up with both last summer (they subsequently waived Graham).
Of course, when the Spurs attached this pick to Graham’s contract to get out of his modest $2.85MM partial guarantee, they couldn’t have known things would go so bad in New Orleans that this pick would land in the mid-30s. Their loss will be the Hornets’ gain. Charlotte also controls its own second-rounder and is currently on track to pick at both 33 and 34.
From: Toronto Raptors
To: Detroit Pistons
Current projection: No. 35/36
The Raptors are tied in the standings with Brooklyn and have the league’s easiest remaining schedule, so it’s possible this pick could move from the mid-30s into the late-30s. It’ll still be a valuable asset for the Pistons, who will almost certainly lose their own first-round pick, making this their highest selection in the 2025 draft.
This Raptors pick was one of three second-rounders Detroit acquired from Dallas in last summer’s Tim Hardaway Jr./Quentin Grimes swap. The Mavericks had previously acquired it from the Spurs as part of the three-team sign-and-trade deal for Grant Williams in 2023. San Antonio, in turn, acquired it from Toronto in the Jakob Poeltl trade between the two teams earlier that year.
Given their spot near the bottom of the NBA’s standings, the Raptors would certainly prefer to still have their own second-round pick, but they’ll have a pretty favorable alternative — they control Portland’s second-rounder, which currently projects to be No. 40.
Central Notes: Thompson, Collins, Vucevic, Giddey
Second-year Pistons forward Ausar Thompson has established himself as a talented young defender, but he’s not satisfied with his development on either side of the ball, as he told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. Thompson’s growth has been one of the components of the club’s ascent to postseason contender this season. At 35-29, Detroit is currently the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.
“I feel like since I’ve played basketball, I’ve never wanted my man to score on me,” Thompson said. “Never have and never will. I definitely take it personally.”
Thompson, who was a finalist for February’s Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month award, noted that he has been putting in consistent shooting work with Pistons assistant coach Fred Vinson this season, and broke down the specific foci of their approach.
“I’m trying to shoot with more arc,” Thompson said. “I’m trying to stop misses from going left to right. I’m shooting it with confidence. We work on it every day.”
Thompson did acknowledge that opposing defenses don’t necessarily fear him just yet, instead giving him plenty of space on long-range jumpers. This year, the 22-year-old swingman is connecting on just 21.2% of his 0.8 attempts per game beyond the arc.
“They want to let me shoot,” Thompson said. “I feel like they don’t think they can guard me if they step up. That’s how I like to view it. So I’m going to keep going.”
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- Whenever Bulls center Nikola Vucevic returns from a calf injury, reserve Zach Collins is hoping he can be employed in two-big lineups alongside Vucevic, notes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I always hope it happens,” Collins said this weekend. “I enjoy playing with another big guy on the court, whether it’s a four or five, being able to interchange.” Head coach Billy Donovan has at least expressed some interest in exploring a jumbo-sized Collins-Vucevic tandem at times. “It’s something I’ve thought about and talked about, but since the [All-Star] break, we just haven’t been whole,” Donovan said.
- Although the 34-year-old Vucevic was ultimately not traded from Chicago this season, it could still happen this summer. Should the Bulls move on from the former All-Star, Cowley wonders if new acquisition Collins has shown enough to perhaps replace Vucevic as the team’s next starting five. The 6’11” big man has averaged 12.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks in his 10 games with Chicago. The Bulls have gone 4-6 in those bouts.
- Bulls guard Josh Giddey, a restricted free agent this summer, helped power Chicago to a surprise 17-point comeback victory against Miami on Saturday, Cowley writes in another Sun-Times story. In the win, Giddey logged a 26-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound triple-double that included some clutch late buckets. “Guys being out has kind of made us shift lineups around, being able to guard multiple positions, play multiple positions offensively,” Giddey said. “Just being versatile and flexible to whatever is out there… Confidence is a big thing.”
- In case you missed it, the Cavaliers‘ deadline trade to acquire forward De’Andre Hunter has given head coach Kenny Atkinson new flexibility in his closing lineups. Although Atkinson sometimes opts to play Hunter and bench starting center Jarrett Allen in these moments, Allen says he doesn’t mind.
Central Notes: Allen, Stewart, Bucks, Antetokounmpo
The midseason arrival of De’Andre Hunter to the Cavaliers altered center Jarrett Allen‘s role, but he has no problem with taking a step back for the greater good, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. As Fedor observes, heading into Friday’s game against Charlotte, Allen wasn’t a part of recent closing lineups, with Hunter joining the other four starters.
“It’s not really difficult for me,” Allen said. “I trust Kenny [Atkinson] wholeheartedly. Sometimes I wish I was out there. Sometimes I understand why I’m not. At the end of the day, it’s not my job to decide. It’s my job to do the best I can whenever my number is called.”
That closing lineup changed a little in a close game with the Hornets on Friday, with the team in need of rim protection. Allen took over a closing role in place of Max Strus.
“They know they’ve got to earn it,” Atkinson said. “There’s earning it and then there’s matchups. We’ve had a discussion with the whole team. Whether it’s you’re in the rotation or not in the rotation, you might deserve to be in a rotation but you’re still not in the rotation because we’re so deep. You might finish the game, you might not. That’s just kind of how it is. That’s what it takes to get to that next level. That’s part of the sacrifice and chemistry thing we’ve got going on.”
Allen said he’s willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win and is drawing tremendous reviews from his teammates for his consistency, confidence and leadership.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today (Twitter video link), Pistons center Jalen Duren complimented fellow big man Isaiah Stewart, arguing that his teammate deserves more recognition and should be on an All-Defensive team at the end of the season. Just one year after winning only 14 games, Detroit is in prime playoff position and is just two games back of the fourth-place Bucks. Over an impressive month-long stretch that has seen them win 10 of their past 12 games, the Pistons are allowing fewer points per possession than any other team, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. Katz agrees with Duren’s sentiment that Stewart, averaging 1.4 blocks per game, should get an All-Defensive nod. Stewart is holding opponents a 46% shooting percentage on dunk and layup attempts, which is the best such number in the league in the last five years, Katz notes.
- The Bucks have demonstrated a willingness to build around the duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard and their deadline moves are paying off, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “Hopefully, I think that it’s more about, ‘How do we make the top two guys their best selves?’” general manager Jon Horst said. “And, ‘How does everyone else play their role around them?’” The Bucks brought in Kyle Kuzma (15.2 PPG) and Kevin Porter Jr. (9.2 PPG), along with Jericho Sims (4.6 RPG) at the deadline.
- Antetokounmpo became the sixth-youngest player to reach 20,000 career points on Wednesday, Jamal Collier of ESPN observes. “I always look back at myself, and I don’t want to say I get emotional, but it’s a good feeling,” the Bucks star said. “I’m proud of the journey, but I have so much more to give.“
Injury Notes: Martin, Gobert, Jackson, Monk, Thompson, Heat
Caleb Martin is close to making his Mavericks debut. He was upgraded to questionable for Dallas’ Friday game against the Grizzlies, according to The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Curtis (Twitter link). Martin hasn’t played since Jan. 10, when he was a member of the Sixers.
The Mavericks acquired Martin at the trade deadline in exchange for Quentin Grimes. It was an interesting move in the wake of the Luka Doncic trade, as the Mavs sent out the younger Grimes – set to hit restricted free agency this summer – and acquired the 29-year-old Martin in the first of a four-year, $35MM deal.
However, Martin hasn’t played for the shorthanded Mavericks as he works his way back from a hip strain. In 31 games with Philadelphia, he averaged 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 43.5% from the floor and 37.9% from three.
The return of Martin would be more than welcome news for the Mavericks. Heading into its matchup with Memphis, Dallas only has eight players fully available.
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has missed the last nine games due to a lower back injury. He was upgraded to questionable for the team’s Friday game against the Heat, according to team PR (Twitter link). Gobert is averaging 11.0 points and 10.4 rebounds this season.
- Jaren Jackson Jr., who is currently week-to-week with an ankle sprain, wasn’t in a walking boot and was moving around well on the Grizzlies‘ bench, according to Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com (Twitter link). While nothing is confirmed, those are good signs for the star big man to be back on the shorter end of that timetable.
- Kings guard Malik Monk is day-to-day with a right toe sprain, according to the Kings (Twitter link via Andscape’s Marc J. Spears). He’s out for at least Sacramento’s game against the Spurs on Friday and will be evaluated on a daily basis afterward.
- J.B. Bickerstaff said Ausar Thompson is no longer on a minutes restriction, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). The young Pistons forward has improved his conditioning in recent weeks. “(Monday’s game vs.) Utah was the first time he reached 30 minutes in a game, and doing it in a high altitude shows how far he’s come,” Bickerstaff said.
- The Heat have been down multiple starters and rotation players during the past two games due to injuries and illnesses. However, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, they should be getting reinforcements soon. Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Andrew Wiggins were all upgraded to questionable for Friday’s matchup against the Wolves. Kel’el Ware remains out and Alec Burks was downgraded to questionable. The Heat have assigned Josh Christopher to the G League, which may be a sign that the team expects to have more players available on Friday.
Central Notes: Dosunmu, Walker, Jerome, Pistons
Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, who was scheduled to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday, said on Tuesday that he’s still not sure when the initial injury – a fracture along the back side of his left shoulder – occurred, according to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.
“It is kind of bizarre just knowing that there was a fracture there,” Dosunmu said. “It was something that I played on — and I think I could have continued to play on. But I don’t know, for whatever reason the last time (he aggravated the injury), it probably knocked it out in a different way, because it was a different pain than I previously felt.”
Dosunmu will be entering the final year of his current contract in 2025/26 as he comes back from his procedure on his shoulder. As Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times observes, that would be a stressful situation for many NBA players, but the Bulls guard welcomes the challenge of returning from this injury, having a big contract year, and helping the team take a step forward.
“I thrive in situations like that,” Dosunmu said. “I thrive in adversity, proving people wrong, wherever the doubters may be. . . . I’m excited for the rehab process. Like I said, taking it one day at a time. Just looking at it as a blessing in disguise.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Pacers forward Jarace Walker, who hasn’t been part of the rotation for the past month, continues to handle his demotion admirably, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. As Dopirak details, the former eighth overall pick hadn’t been assigned to the G League all season before this week, but welcomed the opportunity to suit up for the Indiana Mad Ants and see legitimate game action on Monday. “I’m not gonna lie, I was excited,” said Walker, who ended up posting a triple-double (20 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists) for the Pacers’ G League affiliate. “Any time I can work on my game, hoop, have fun, still be with the guys, it’s a good experience for me. I had a great time. It was kind of a no-brainer.”
- In a subscriber-only story for Cleveland.com, Chris Fedor considers whether the Cavaliers can – and will – re-sign Ty Jerome when he reaches free agency this summer following a breakout season. As Fedor writes, the Cavs are headed into apron territory next season, but will have the ability to make Jerome a competitive offer using his Early Bird rights if they’re comfortable further increasing their team salary.
- The Pistons‘ decision to bring in Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. as veteran leaders last summer has paid major dividends. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press takes a closer look at the positive impact the “Uncle T’s” have had in Detroit’s locker room this season.
Mark Daigneault, J.B. Bickerstaff Named Coaches Of The Month
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff have been named the NBA’s Coaches of the Month for February, according to the league (Twitter link).
It’s the second time this season that Daigneault has won the Western Conference award. He has traded it back and forth with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, with Udoka claiming it for October/November and January while Daigneault earned it in December and February.
Daigneault’s Thunder were 11-2 in February, further cementing their hold on the top seed in the West. They currently have a 10.5-game lead on the No. 2 Lakers.
As for Bickerstaff, his Pistons continue to be one of the NBA’s best stories, having just completed a 9-3 February. Although Detroit is still just sixth in the East, the team is only one game back of the Bucks for a top-four seed in the East and has a five-game cushion on Miami in the race for the conference’s last guaranteed playoff spot.
Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers) and Joe Mazzulla (Celtics) were the other nominees in the East, while Chauncey Billups (Trail Blazers), Steve Kerr (Warriors), Michael Malone (Nuggets), and J.J. Redick (Lakers) were nominated in the West, per the NBA (Twitter link).
Eastern Notes: Quickley, Holiday, D-Lo, Harris, Dosunmu
The five-year, $162.5MM contract that Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley signed in free agency last July was viewed by several fans and analysts at the time as an overpay. It hasn’t become any more team-friendly over the course of this season as Quickley has battled one injury after another and has seen his production decline a little even when he’s been healthy.
However, the 25-year-old provided a reminder in Sunday’s win over Orlando of what he’s capable of, scoring 17 of his team-high 24 points (and handing out a pair of assists) during a five-minute barrage at the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth to help seal the victory, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. While Quickley was happy about his performance, he disagreed with the notion that it will help build confidence for him going forward, Grange adds.
“Confidence is also a choice, a decision,” Quickley said. “Mindset is choice, confidence is choice. I try not to think like that. That’s how I used to think early in my career. And I’ve kind found out elite players don’t think like that. They don’t think that good plays give them confidence, or bad plays don’t give them confidence. Confidence is a choice. You choose confidence.”
It has been a fairly forgettable season overall for Quickley, but the Raptors remain confident that he can be an elite point guard, according to Grange, who notes that Sunday’s outburst was one of the few times this year that he has looked the part.
“That stretch in the third (and fourth) quarter, he was our engine,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “He was getting us organized, he was touching the paint, he was scoring. He did a lot for us there and he was really efficient, everything came on the move, everything came with a minimum number of dribbles and when he plays that way, efficiently, it’s good for the whole team.”
Here’s more from around the East:
- Veteran guard Jrue Holiday has missed the Celtics‘ past two games due to an injury known as mallet finger. Although his right pinky finger is technically broken, Holiday won’t require surgery and will aim to eventually play through the injury, which is keeping him on the shelf for now, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “Trying to figure out — I’m going to be in a splint for a minute but figuring that out since it’s on my shooting hand,” Holiday said. “… I mean, I’m shooting, dribbling, catching, it’s probably all pretty weird or, I mean, honestly, inconvenient. I haven’t tried so far to catch a ball because of the pain, but I will soon.”
- Nets point guard D’Angelo Russell, who has missed the past five games due to a sprained right ankle, is no longer on the team’s injury report, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. That’s an indication Russell will be active on Tuesday in San Antonio.
- Pistons forward Tobias Harris is unavailable for personal reasons as Detroit opens a four-game road trip in Utah on Monday, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link).
- Ayo Dosunmu‘s shoulder issue, which will require season-ending surgery, is an old injury that was discovered via imaging, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. Although the Bulls guard aggravated it when he sustained a shoulder stinger vs. New York on Feb. 20, he’s not sure when the initial injury occurred, Johnson adds (Twitter link).
Pistons Notes: Duren, Thompson, Cunningham, Turnaround
Jalen Duren, who can sign a rookie scale extension this offseason, has become a steady force inside for the Pistons. Duren is averaging a double-double this season thanks to a strong February in which he posted 13.6 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. In his first March game on Saturday, Duren powered for 18 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high six blocks against the Nets.
“Consistency. We are seeing the talent we believe has always been there. But now he’s found a way and it’s the most difficult thing to do in this league,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The separator in this league is, do you have 10 good games a year, do you have 30 good games a year, can you do it all the way to 82 games or whatever it may be? He’s put a run together where he’s been dominant on both ends of the floor.”
We have more on the Pistons:
- Detroit has continued to thrive despite the loss of starting guard Jaden Ivey in early January. Ausar Thompson has stepped into the lineup and given the club a different dimension. In 28 starts, the second-year wing is averaging 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.2 steals in 23.3 minutes per game. Thompson’s defensive prowess is a product of preparation. “He does a great job of watching film and studying guys, understanding our system, how he can be most impactful,” Bickerstaff said. “But with a guy like him, you just kind of unleash him. You don’t give him too many rules. We’re so confident in what he’s able to do naturally. We just tell him to go eliminate guys, and so far, he’s done a great job of being able to do that.”
- In a lengthy feature, The Ringer’s Mirin Fader examines how Cade Cunningham has bounced back from the worst season in franchise history to engineering the league’s biggest surprise. His leadership qualities have shined through, according to his teammates. “There’s been games at halftime where he’s come in and said, ‘I got to be better’ when you don’t even think he does need to be better,” Malik Beasley said.
- The Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa examines five reasons for the team’s stunning turnaround, including the hirings of general manager Trajan Langdon and Bickerstaff, the firing of Monty Williams, their success in free agency, and key momentum-building victories.
Central Notes: Pistons, Beasley, Haliburton, Giannis, Jackson
The Pistons delivered a statement victory on Wednesday, defeating the Celtics — who entered with a six-game winning streak — by 20 points. Detroit has won eight straight, its longest streak since the 2007/08 season.
“We knew this was going to be a tough challenge for us, but we’re just focused on the process of it all,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “We’re not looking past tonight or at what we’ve done in the past. The only thing we’re focusing on is every single night trying to be the best version of ourselves and tonight I think we were pretty close.”
Malik Beasley, a free agent after the season, continued to provide a huge boost off the bench with 26 points in 22 minutes.
“That shot-making ability just lifts people up,” Bickerstaff said. “When he’s hot and that ball’s in the air, you can tell when the ball leaves his hands and is taking the crowd’s breath away.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Tyrese Haliburton looks rejuvenated after some rest and relaxation during the All-Star break, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star notes. Over the last four games, the Pacers guard is averaging 25.8 points per game on 63.2% shooting, including 52.6% of his 3-point attempts. He’s also averaging 11.8 assists during that stretch, compared to just 1.0 turnover per game. “I’m just playing free, having fun,” Haliburton said. “It always helps to see the first one go in. You just kind of react from there. I just thought I did a good job of staying aggressive all night, doing what was needed.”
- Giannis Antetokounmpo was yanked to the floor via a hard foul by Houston’s Amen Thompson Tuesday night but the Bucks superstar said he had “no hard feelings” toward the Rockets‘ wing, according to Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press. Thompson was ejected after an officials’ review. “At the end of the day like you don’t wanna have a league that’s soft,” Antetokounmpo said. “I love guys that play hard. I love guys that they’re great competitors. I’m one of those guys. Sometimes your competitive nature gets in the way (of) making the best decision, the best judgment at the time. And I feel like he wanted to make it a hard foul, but he grabbed my neck.”
- Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. has seen his minutes shrink this month and coach Doc Rivers indicated that roster moves are the reason, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. “Midseason trade. We brought in other guys that I think fill his role,” Rivers said. “His numbers were not great, with Giannis on the floor, those two guys together.”