Pacers Notes: Slawson, Zubac, Haliburton, Bell
The Pacers have been impressed by Jalen Slawson since he signed a two-way contract at the end of last month, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link). The former second-round pick had a big game on Wednesday, recording 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 37 minutes, and helped spark a fourth-quarter comeback that came up short.
“His energy and effort is really, really amazing,” center Ivica Zubac said. “That’s one of the starting things you have to have when you’re getting your chance just to get on the floor. You have to show energy, make effort plays.
“He’s blocking shots. He’s rebounding. He’s making the right reads, cutting to the right spots, taking open shots, taking good shots. He doesn’t really force it. He’s been great, defending his tail off. He’s been doing everything we want him to do and playing with a lot of energy and force. We all gotta play like that.”
Head coach Rick Carlisle also praised Slawson’s defensive activity, and noted that the 26-year-old forward has grown increasingly comfortable on the other end as well.
“He’s making better reads the more he plays,” Carlisle said. “You can see he has good feel. He can drive it. He’s got ball skills. He can throw late lobs and see things. Guys that can do a lot of different things like that sometimes are challenged with decisiveness, but he’s becoming more decisive the more he plays. … We all like what we see.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Zubac was forced out of Wednesday’s loss in the fourth quarter after being elbowed in the head by Donovan Clingan when the Blazers big man was trying to dunk a lob (Twitter video link). As Dopirak writes in another subscriber-only story, Zubac had a sizeable lump on the right side of his head in the locker room, but he said he wasn’t experiencing headaches and didn’t have to enter the concussion protocol. “It’s not like that,” Zubac said. “I just got popped in the head and it swelled up, but no headaches or anything. I feel good.“
- In an interview with DJ Siddiqi of Casino.org, star point guard Tyrese Haliburton discussed his rehab from a torn Achilles tendon, his confidence in the team’s ability to bounce back next season, and more. Haliburton said he doesn’t have any specific goals for 2026/27. “None that I’ve thought through yet,” he said. “For me, it’s just about coming back and being the best version of myself. As far as giving myself an objective or anything, I haven’t really thought about it. Obviously I want to get exactly back to where I was and beyond. And win a championship of course. I just really want to get back to full health and get back to attacking every day as hard as I can being away from the court.”
- Indiana’s G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom, has officially reacquired ex-NBA big man Jordan Bell, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. As Agness notes, the Boom already held Bell’s returning player rights — he was on the roster in ’24/25 prior to suffering a season-ending left knee injury that required surgery.
Bulls Notes: Dillingham, Ivey, McClung, Essengue
Former Timberwolves lottery pick Rob Dillingham continues to settle in with his new team, the Bulls. In his last three games, Dillingham has averaged 13 points and five assists while shooting 6-of-15 (40%) from three-point range, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes.
Dillingham has received steady playing time after getting traded last month, unlike his experience with Minnesota.
“I’m just thankful for Coach (Billy Donovan), honestly,” Dillingham said. “Giving me that leash, it’s like I’m renewed. I’ve been able to play freely. My mental when I’ve been out on the court has been bad like for the last couple months, so I’m just thankful that I’m able to play, able to add confidence, able to help us win, and really, I’m just thankful to learn and keep growing.”
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Another trade deadline acquisition, Jaden Ivey, will be a restricted free agent after the season if the Bulls issue a qualifying offer. Though he’s only played four games with Chicago due to left knee soreness, the organization continues to signal that it intends to retain him, Cowley reports. “The unfortunate part was that when he got here, you’re dealing with him coming into a completely new situation after the trade deadline and then trying to get acclimated,” Donovan said. “I mean, the intention when [made the trade] is this could be somebody that would be here for a while. How all this plays out with the contract in July and the free agency part of it, understanding he’s restricted, I don’t know. But our intention organizationally was, this is a guy we feel could be a very, very good player, and this guy’s got a pretty long runway of being somewhat youthful and young.” Ivey, currently sidelined, will be reevaluated next week.
- Mac McClung has been thriving in the NBA G League with the Windy City Bulls. Under a two-way contract with Chicago, the three-time dunk champion was named the G League’s Player of the Week (March 9-15) by averaging 38.3 points and 12.3 assists in three games, according to the league office (Twitter link). McClung was recognized as the G League’s Player of the Month for February.
- Rookie Noa Essengue was declared out for the season in early December due to a shoulder injury. However, he’s still working diligently on his comeback. Essengue was shooting and undergoing a full, non-contact workout after Bulls practice on Tuesday, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network tweets.
Atlantic Notes: Nelson, Sharpe, Edgecombe, Embiid
Rookie forward Grant Nelson has returned to the Nets‘ G League affiliate in Long Island, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post (via Twitter).
However, Nelson won’t play for the Long Island Nets again this season, according to Lewis, who says the 24-year-old has patellar tendinitis, colloquially known as jumper’s knee.
Nelson’s injury explains why Brooklyn decided not to re-sign him to a second 10-day contract earlier this week after he played pretty well during his first 10-day deal with the Nets, Lewis notes.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left thumb on Thursday and requires season-ending surgery. Head coach Jordi Fernandez was pleased with the strides Sharpe made during his fifth NBA season, as Lewis tweets. “I’m very happy with what I’ve seen from Day’Ron, the hard work he put in and how much better he’s gotten,” Fernandez said. “Obviously we wouldn’t want to see that (injury); but we know it’s fixable. And we’ll go and do surgery, then we’ll have a timetable.” Sharpe could be a free agent this summer if the Nets decline his $6.25MM team option.
- Philadelphia was missing six players (Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond and Adem Bona) who account for approximately $160MM in payroll on Thursday. The team predictably lost to the top-seeded Pistons in Detroit. As Tony Jones of The Athletic writes, VJ Edgecombe has flashed star-level upside as a rookie, but the Sixers need last year’s No. 3 overall pick to become a primary offensive option in the next few weeks if they hope to make the playoffs. A week ago, the 76ers were the No. 6 seed in the East, but they’ve fallen to No. 9 with the Magic (six straight wins), Heat (seven straight) and Hawks (eight straight) surging past them in the standings. “I just want to win, and I just want to do the things that allow my team to win,” Edgecombe told The Athletic. “If that means my team needs me to take more shots, I’m ready for that. But, mainly, I just need to do the things that my team needs me to do.”
- Embiid (oblique strain), who has missed seven consecutive games, is set to be reevaluated on Friday. While the Sixers haven’t issued a formal update yet, the former league MVP has already been ruled out of Saturday’s game vs. Brooklyn, per Jones (Twitter link).
Malaki Branham To Join Cavaliers’ G League Affiliate
Malaki Branham has signed a G League contract and will join the Cavaliers’ affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports (via Twitter).
Branham became a free agent when the Hornets waived him shortly after the February trade deadline. The Wizards initially agreed to send the 22-year-old guard to Dallas as part of the eight-player Anthony Davis deal, but the Mavericks expanded the trade to reroute him to Charlotte in exchange for Tyus Jones.
Branham had a limited role with the Wizards this season, appearing in 28 games, all as a reserve. He averaged 4.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per night with .473/.378/.824 shooting splits. He had a guaranteed $4,962,033 in the final year of his rookie contract.
Branham was selected by San Antonio with the 20th pick in the 2022 draft after a strong freshman year at Ohio State. He was a part-time starter with the Spurs during his first two NBA seasons, but fell out of the rotation last year and was shipped to Washington in July.
Raptors 905 Claim Markelle Fultz
Toronto’s G League affiliate – the Raptors 905 – has claimed guard Markelle Fultz off the waiver wire after the former No. 1 overall pick signed an NBAGL contract, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet tweets.
Fultz, who was selected with the first pick in the 2017 NBA draft, had his career derailed by injuries and has played in just 255 regular season games across eight seasons for the Sixers, Magic, and Kings. He made 21 appearances for Sacramento in 2024/25, averaging 2.9 points and 1.3 assists in 8.8 minutes per contest.
Shoulder issues affected Fultz’s shooting motion early in his professional career, which is one reason why he has struggled to establish himself as an NBA regular. After making 41.3% of his three-point shots during his lone college season at Washington, the 27-year-old has converted just 83-of-296 attempts (28.0%) at the NBA level.
For now, Fultz figures to simply provide reinforcements for a Raptors 905 team that saw its depth decimated by NBA call-ups in the past week as Julian Reese, Olivier Sarr, and David Roddy all signed two-way contracts with rival NBA organizations.
Still, Fultz’s play for the 905 is worth monitoring, according to Grange, who reports at Sportsnet.ca that Toronto would like to add a guard with NBA experience to fill its open 15th roster spot, if possible. Lester Quinones is another player who has been on the Raptors’ radar, Grange adds.
Toronto is operating nearly $900K below the luxury tax line and could sign a player to a rest-of-season contract at any time without going into tax territory. However, Immanuel Quickley would receive a $500K bonus if the team makes the Eastern Conference Finals this spring, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, so the Raptors will likely wait until mid-March to add a 15th man in order to avoid a scenario in which getting to the third round of the playoffs makes them a taxpayer.
If they don’t end up finding a veteran guard they like to fill their open roster spot, promoting one of their two-way players would be a backup option for the Raptors, Grange writes.
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Ayton, Doncic, Smart, Marciulionis
Lakers star LeBron James set another NBA record on Thursday night vs. Denver, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the list of players with the most made field goals in league history, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
While James repeatedly referred to the achievement as “pretty cool” after the game, it was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing night. LeBron, who wasn’t able to lead the Lakers to a victory over the shorthanded Nuggets, injured his left elbow with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter and had to sit out for several crunch-time possessions, as McMenamin notes in a separate article.
“It’s pretty sore right now,” James said after the game, admitting that he’s unsure about his status for Friday’s matchup with Indiana. “It felt like one of those funny bone situations, but like, super more intense. … We’ll see what happens over the next couple of days. Hopefully, I’ll wake up (Friday) and it doesn’t feel too much worse than it is now. Or, if it feels better, that would be great. So, it’s day-to-day, we’ll see what happens.”
James wasn’t the only Lakers starter to suffer an injury in Thursday’s loss. Center Deandre Ayton exited the game in the first quarter due to left knee soreness, per McMenamin.
“For him, it sucked for him not to be out there in the game,” Marcus Smart said of his teammate. “He tried to go, and it just didn’t feel right for him, and it sucks. We definitely could have used him.
“I know as of lately he’s been getting a lot of backlash for his effort and his play. He understands it. I know it might not seem like it, but he does, and he wants to do, good, and he wants to help this team, and I think that’s what’s more frustrating for him because he’s trying. But the way he’s trying is not working, and he’s still trying to figure it out. But he definitely was down tonight.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Lakers star Luka Doncic was assessed his 15th technical foul of the season on Thursday, moving him within one tech of an automatic suspension, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. Crew chief Ed Malloy explained after the game that the technical was a result of Doncic directing profanity toward an official, but the All-Star guard is hoping it’s rescinded. “I yelled at him, I guess. That’s what he said. But I heard three other players say the exact same sentence and didn’t get a tech,” Doncic said. “And that’s my problem, you know, I was trying not to talk at all. This is the first thing I said, no warning or nothing. But I heard three other players say the exact same thing and nothing. So it’s just, you know… I don’t know what to say.”
- After a pair of injury-plagued seasons in Memphis and Washington, Smart has enjoyed a bounce-back year with the Lakers, according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports, who points out that many of Smart’s advanced defensive statistics are in the same ballpark as the ones he posted in his Defensive Player of the Year campaign in 2021/22. “Smart has starred in his role for what we need consistently from him throughout the year,” head coach JJ Redick said earlier this week. “He’s played great basketball for the last five or six weeks and that starts on the defensive end. He’s been tremendous for us defensively.” Smart holds a $5.39MM player option for the 2026/27 season.
- Lithuanian point guard Augustas Marciulionis spent most of last summer and fall with the Lakers and has been playing for Los Angeles’ G League team this season after going undrafted. However, he finalized a buyout of his NBAGL contract this week in order to pursue an opportunity overseas, the South Bay Lakers announced (Twitter link). As BasketNews.com relays, Marciulionis has joined Rytas Vilnius, his hometown club, and explained in an interview this week that he decided to make the move after recognizing that he wouldn’t be called up to the NBA this season. “In Vilnius, I could play for a team that truly cares,” he added (YouTube link). “I missed that feeling – the shivers and excitement the night before a game. When you care, you feel it. In the G League, the priorities are different. So, when Rytas offered me a contract, I didn’t hesitate.”
And-Ones: Yurtseven, Metu, KD, Wiseman, Dybantsa
A pair of former NBA big men have signed new contracts and are set to resume their playing careers.
Former Heat and Jazz center Omer Yurtseven, who averaged 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 113 NBA regular season appearances from 2021-24, has signed a G League deal and will join the Rockets‘ affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The Turkish big man has spent most of the past two years overseas playing for Panathinaikos, but recently parted ways with the Greek team.
Meanwhile, former NBA forward/center Chimezie Metu is headed to Europe, having agreed to join Gran Canaria in Spain for the rest of the 2025/26 season, according to an announcement from the team. Metu made 260 NBA appearances from 2018-24 for Sacramento, San Antonio, Phoenix, and Detroit, but signed with Barcelona for the 2024/25 season and then suffered a torn Achilles last March.
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Rockets star Kevin Durant spoke recently about his desire to play for Team USA at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, and head coach Erik Spoelstra appears to be on board with the idea, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “Just him saying that is incredible,” Spoelstra said over the weekend. “You know, that’s the culture of USA Basketball. You just want the best American players to raise their hand and say, ‘I want to do this.'”
- Speaking of USA Basketball, Joe Vardon of The Athletic checked in this weekend with former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, who was representing the U.S. in a pair of World Cup qualifying games against the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Wiseman viewed the games as “a test to see where I was at” following last season’s Achilles tear and an opportunity to show he deserves a spot on an NBA roster. Team USA head coach Stephen Silas believes he made a strong case. “He’s long, he can play pick-and-roll defense,” Silas said. “… He rebounds, he blocks shots. He’s a little rusty; scoring around the hoop was a little bit tough for him. But he belongs on the NBA roster.”
- Asked by McKay Coppins in an episode of Deseret Voices (YouTube link) if he thinks he’ll be the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa suggested it’s not a sure thing that he goes pro this spring. “I might not leave college,” Dybantsa said (Twitter video link via The Deseret News). “… My mom wants me to graduate, so I might not leave.” It’s not uncommon for top prospects to make that sort of declaration during the college season – Cooper Flagg did the same thing a year ago – but it would be virtually unprecedented in recent draft history for a potential top pick like Dybantsa to actually follow through on the idea.
- Former Morgan Stanley investment advisor Darryl Cohen, who advised current Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday and other NBA players, was convicted by a Manhattan jury on Tuesday of wire fraud and investment advisor fraud, reports Michael McCann of Sportico. Cohen, who was charged for leading a scheme to defraud Holiday and former NBA players Chandler Parsons and Courtney Lee, arranged for those players to buy insurance policies at “massive markups” and moved money from their financial accounts into a fraudulent nonprofit organization under the guise that they were making charitable donations, as McCann details.
Eastern Notes: Young, Ellis, Jackson, Nets, G League Awards
His Wizards debut won’t happen until Thursday, but Trae Young has already earned his first ejection as a member of his new team. As Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes, Young was lobbying for referees in Monday’s game to make a call on Tari Eason after the Rockets forward shoved Wizards wing Jamir Watkins multiple times. Young was initially called for a technical foul before officials conferred and ejected him for walking onto the court.
Head coach Brian Keefe explained to reporters after the game why he didn’t mind the ejection.
“I think he was just sticking up for his teammates, which I thought was great,” Keefe said. “Obviously, the refs missed a call, (in) which our guy got knocked down, and I loved how our teammates stuck with him. So, whatever happened in that moment, I was actually proud of him, because he stuck up for us teammates, and I really care about that type of stuff.”
Young didn’t speak to reporters about the incident, but tweeted a laughing emoji accompanied by the message, “Don’t expect me to get ejected too many more times, D.C. But I’m definitely bringing that energy and competitiveness when I’m back for my brothers!”
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link), Young isn’t expected to face any additional discipline from the league office for coming onto the court from the bench.
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- While he was somewhat overshadowed at the deadline because the Cavaliers also acquired James Harden and Dennis Schröder, guard Keon Ellis has impressed his new teammates and head coach with his tenacity on defense, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). A potential 2026 unrestricted free agent who is currently eligible for a contract extension, Ellis had an incredible five blocks and three steals in Sunday’s win in Brooklyn. “He never gives up on a play,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I’ve never quite seen a player like him defensively. He’s not a massive guy but he plays way bigger than he looks. Length counts. Activity counts. He makes up for probably the strength deficit with his activity.”
- Quenton Jackson‘s new three-year deal with the Pacers will pay him $601,553 – his minimum – for the rest of the season and includes a partial guarantee of $275K on his minimum salary ($2,584,539) for 2026/27, Hoops Rumors has learned. Indiana used a portion of its mid-level exception to complete the signing, which includes a fully non-guaranteed third year.
- The Nets have lost eight straight games to drop to 15-45 on the season, but they’re seeing positive development from rookies like Nolan Traore and Danny Wolf. Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) takes a look at the strides Traore is making, while Peter Botte of The New York Post examines Wolf’s growth.
- Although MarJon Beauchamp has only appeared in two NBA games since signing a two-way contract with the Sixers in December, he’s putting up some big numbers for the Delaware Blue Coats. Beauchamp was named the G League’s latest Player of the Week for averaging 32.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in a pair of Blue Coats victories (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Bulls two-way guard Mac McClung was named the league’s Player of the Month for February after averaging 33.0 PPG and scoring no fewer than 24 points in any of his seven games last month for the Windy City Bulls (Twitter link).
Pacers Notes: Toppin, Q. Jackson, Slawson, Two-Ways, More
In a season in which the Pacers have been decimated by injuries, the team got a morale boost on Thursday when Obi Toppin returned to action after missing nearly all of 2025/26 following foot surgery, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). The popular sixth-year forward received a “thunderous standing ovation” from the home crowd when he was introduced as a starter.
“He’s our engine,” veteran point guard T.J. McConnell said. “He brings energy on both ends of the floor. To have him back, it’s just such a positive for our team. We’ve missed him dearly. He’s worked tirelessly to come back. … It just didn’t look like he missed a beat. It looked like he was having fun out there and I was just really happy for him.”
According to Dopirak, Toppin said he initially felt something in his right hamstring on October 26, when he exited Indiana’s third game of the season. Doctors determined that his hamstring was OK, but he was also experiencing discomfort in his right foot and underwent an MRI, which revealed a fracture in his fifth metatarsal bone. Toppin, who turns 28 years old in a few days, said he was determined to return this season.
“I always want to be out there on the floor,” Toppin said. “I wasn’t rushing to come back, but I definitely want to go out there. We’re still a team. We still want to find that rhythm. We’re not having the greatest year this year, but to find that rhythm and connectivity with the team. We have standards, we have things that we go by, so going out there and playing the right way for the team, whether that’s for this year or next year, we still have a lot of games coming up. Just continue to play the right way and show the younger guys how this goes.”
Toppin was limited to eight minutes and 29 seconds of playing time in Thursday’s loss and head coach Rick Carlisle indicated he would be on a minutes restriction for the rest of the season, Dopirak writes. Carlisle also praised Toppin’s versatility and fit with Indiana.
“Just the reaction of the crowd was heartwarming,” Carlisle said. “He’s a guy that brings energy to our team and our situation. … We need him.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Most of the roster was in attendance on Friday for a Pascal Siakam fundraiser when the team surprised Quenton Jackson with the news that he being converted to a three-year standard contract, per Dopirak (subscriber link). The Pacers released a video of the interaction (Twitter link). “He’s really earned it,” Carlisle said of the fourth-year guard. “… He’s a culture enhancer. That’s really the starting point with him. His game is something that is really helped us. He’s versatile. He can play two guard positions. He defends. He can run a team. He can play off the ball. A lot of good stuff. Our fans love him. When he comes in the game he just energizes things.” Jackson said he was grateful for the promotion but remains determined to keep improving his game.
- Jalen Slawson‘s two-way contract covers the rest of the 2025/26 season, reports Forbes contributor Tony East. The Pacers called up Slawson from their G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom, when they converted Jackson. “I think he’s an NBA player,” Carlisle said. “He’s had a good year with the Boom and this will be a great opportunity for him to play some games.” Slawson, a former second-round pick, will be a restricted free agent this summer if the Pacers give him a two-way qualifying offer.
- The Pacers will have to carefully manage their two-way players for the rest of the season, as each player has a limited amount of games in which he can be active, East writes for Forbes. Taelon Peter can be active for 14 more games, Slawson can be active for up to 13 and Ethan Thompson has 10 games of eligibility left. Indiana has 22 games remaining in ’25/26.
- A pair of Boom players have season-ending injuries, the team announced in a press release. Forward Gabe McGlothan suffered multiple rib fractures in a game on February 22, while forward Ray Spalding will undergo surgery on his right middle finger. Both players are expected to make full recoveries, per the Boom.
Southwest Notes: J. Smith, Borrego, Marshall, Ingram
The Rockets pulled off a comeback victory in Orlando on Thursday night, their fourth win in five games since the All-Star break, but they lost forward Jabari Smith Jr. late in the game. Smith suffered an ankle injury with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter (NBA.com video link), though head coach Ime Udoka expressed optimism after the game that it wasn’t serious.
“He stepped on Alperen (Sengun)‘s foot and rolled his ankle,” Udoka said (Twitter video link via Space City Home Network). “I think it’s a game-to-game thing, day-to-day. It doesn’t look too terrible.”
Smith has been playing some of the best basketball of his NBA career in recent weeks and has started 57 of Houston’s 58 games this season, so if he has to miss some time, it would require the team to tweak its starting five and rely more on reserve wings and bigs like Josh Okogie, Clint Capela, and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- James Borrego hasn’t played it safe as the Pelicans‘ interim head coach since he took over for Willie Green, says Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required). Walker praises Borrego for his willing to make bold lineup decisions, including starting rookie Derik Queen and bringing highly paid veteran Jordan Poole off the bench for most of the season. “There are no egos,” said Dejounte Murray, who has replaced Queen in the starting five in his first two games back from an Achilles tear. “Nobody is pouting. We have young guys who were starting. They went to the bench and took it like they should take it. I give a lot of credit to them for that. We are all here to win and longevity is the key for everybody.”
- Mavericks forward Naji Marshall showed on Thursday why the team had no interest in moving him at this month’s trade deadline. As Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal details, Marshall became just the third undrafted player since the 1983/84 season to record at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a game — he got to 36, 10, and six vs. Sacramento and was a +3 in 42 minutes in a game Dallas lost by nine points. “If healthy, I don’t know if he’s gonna play 42 minutes,” head coach Jason Kidd said, lauding Marshall for maintaining his compete level in an expanded role. “But shorthanded, he’s taken full advantage of his minutes. His ability to get into the paint and finish, get to the free throw line — he led the team in rebounds. He’s doing it all.”
- Spurs two-way player Harrison Ingram has only appeared in five games at the NBA level this season, but he’s thriving with the team’s G League affiliate in Austin. Ingram earned NBAGL Player of the Week honors after averaging 22.2 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in five games last week (Twitter link).