Southeast Notes: Hornets, Bitadze, T. Young
Head coach Charles Lee had a simple explanation for why the red-hot Hornets have been the best team in the NBA since January 22, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The Hornets have gone 16-3 since that date and have won six straight games, with each of those victories coming by at least 16 points.
“It’s been cool to have a healthy roster,” Lee said. “That has definitely played into some of the shifts that we’ve had going along. But I think that our guys have just embraced the process even more. It started in the offseason, I thought everyone elevated their work habits, their work standards, their togetherness of how we can elevate each other. We’ve gotten stronger through all of it.”
Charlotte’s latest victory was one of its most impressive of the season. Playing on the second night of a home-road back-to-back, the Hornets dominated the 41-21 Celtics in Boston, winning by 29 points.
“They are a great team, we also believe we are a great team,” starting center Moussa Diabate said, per Boone. “At the end of the day, we are not trying to focus too much on them. Obviously we want to win the game but it’s going to take care of itself if we focus on what we have to do. For us, it’s a great thing, it’s a great message to the league as well — understand that the Hornets are here.”
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets were 4-14 at one point, but they are now over .500 (32-31) in March for the first time since 2021/22, notes James Jackson of The Athletic. Prior to that campaign, when Charlotte finished 43-39, the last time the team was over .500 this late in the season was ’15/16, which is also the last time the Hornets made the playoffs. A prolonged stretch of strong play is proof that Charlotte is no longer rebuilding and the club’s young core looks promising for years to come, Jackson adds.
- Reserve center Goga Bitadze had been out of the Magic‘s rotation in recent weeks, only making one appearance over the team’s last nine games heading into Tuesday. However, with Wendell Carter Jr. sidelined due to a left ankle injury, Bitadze was placed into the starting lineup against Washington and the Georgian big man delivered nine points, six rebounds, two assists and a block in 21 minutes, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “Goga’s the best,” Jalen Suggs said about Bitadze. “He’s just in the right spots, sets good screens, rolls (and) has so much gravity when he rolls. And then he’s always behind you ready to block a shot. So, shout out to Goga (for) staying ready.”
- Trae Young was on a restriction of approximately 17-to-20 minutes on Thursday in his Wizards debut, head coach Brian Keefe said before the game (Twitter links via Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network). “I think our guys are going to enjoy playing with him and I think he’s going to enjoy playing with our guys because they’re similar in mindset,” Keefe said. “It’s just another step on our process… and someone who’s going to help us get better.” The four-time All-Star point guard finished with 12 points, six assists, two rebounds and two steals in 19 minutes.
Checking In On 10-Days, Pending Deals, Open Roster Spots
Two important roster-related dates for the 2025/26 NBA season are now behind us — teams can no longer sign players to two-way contracts and players who are waived by their current clubs from here on out won’t be playoff-eligible for a new team.
That certainly doesn’t mean there won’t be any players signed or waived in the coming weeks, but the NBA’s transaction wire should be a little less busy going forward. That makes it a good time to step back and take stock of where things stand with rosters and contract situations around the league as we enter the home stretch of the season.
10-day contracts
After Killian Hayes‘ 10-day contract with the Kings expired on Wednesday night, there are currently just two active 10-day deals around the NBA, as our tracker shows. Those deals are as follows:
- Utah Jazz: Mo Bamba (runs through March 7)
- Brooklyn Nets: Grant Nelson (runs through March 8)
Following a flurry of 10-day signings during and after the All-Star break, no team has finalized a 10-day deal in nearly a week, but I’d expect action to pick up on that front shortly.
A year ago, a total of 23 10-day contracts were signed between March 6 and the end of the season, with a handful of players receiving multiple deals – and, in some cases, rest-of-season commitments – from their respective teams. There are still a number of clubs across the league with open roster spots, and many of those openings figure to be temporarily filled with 10-day signees in the coming days and weeks.
Pending deals
Before we take a look at exactly which teams have roster spots to fill, it’s worth noting that there’s still one reported transaction that hasn’t been officially completed. The Nuggets reached an agreement with point guard Tyus Jones on Monday but have yet to formally announce his new deal.
No corresponding roster move will be needed for Denver, since the team already has an open spot on its 15-man roster, and it shouldn’t be long before Jones officially joins the roster. As Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets, the 29-year-old was at the Nuggets’ practice facility on Wednesday and is expected to be available for the club’s game against the Lakers on Thursday.
[UPDATE: Jones has officially signed with the Nuggets.]
Open roster spots
As our tracker shows, the following teams currently have one spot available on their 15-man standard rosters:
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Orlando Magic
- Sacramento Kings
- Toronto Raptors
The Nuggets technically belong on this list too, but they’ll have a full roster once they officially sign Jones. The Jazz and Nets could also join this group if they don’t re-sign Bamba and Nelson, respectively, after their 10-day contracts expire.
The Warriors and Rockets are operating in luxury tax territory, and while they have plenty of room below their hard caps to add a 15th man, they’re probably not all that eager to increase their projected tax bills by bringing in someone who won’t play at all.
The Magic, Kings, and Raptors are all operating less than $1MM away from the tax line, but each team has enough room to bring in a minimum-salary veteran on a rest-of-season contract without becoming a taxpayer, so if there’s someone out there they like, they don’t necessarily have to wait.
Finally, there’s one notable team not mentioned in the list above because they technically have three open 15-man roster spots, not just one. That’s the Celtics. Boston is in the midst of executing an intricately timed plan to meet the NBA’s rules related to roster minimums for the rest of the season while narrowly staying out of the tax.
After 10-day deals for Dalano Banton and John Tonje expired over the weekend, it’s a safe bet that Boston will stick with just 12 players for the maximum allowable 14 days before making a couple roster additions in mid-March. Current two-way player Max Shulga will likely get a promotion at that time for financial reasons (his rookie minimum salary wouldn’t be subject to “tax variance“). If all goes according to plan, the Celtics will be able to sign a 15th man on the last day of the regular season without surpassing the tax threshold.
Eastern Notes: Knueppel, McCain, Edgecombe, Suggs, Carter
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg appeared to be the frontrunner for this season’s Rookie of the Year award after he scored 49 points against Charlotte on January 29 in his first NBA meeting with Kon Knueppel. However, that was no longer the case by the time the two teams faced one another again on Tuesday, writes Christian Clark of The Athletic.
Flagg’s extended absence due to a foot injury, combined with a 15-3 stretch for the Hornets, has given his former Duke teammate the upper hand back in the Rookie of the Year race. At least, that’s how Charlotte head coach Charles Lee feels.
“I don’t even think it’s close,” Lee said, per Clark. “(Knueppel) probably would be mad at me for saying something like that, because he just wants to focus on our team winning games and impacting games any way he possibly can.”
While Knueppel slightly lags behind Flagg in points (20.4 to 19.2), rebounds (6.6 to 5.5), and assists (4.1 to 3.5) per game, he has been the far more efficient scorer, with an effective field goal percentage of 61.6% compared to Flagg 51.5%. The Hornets wing has also appeared in more games (61 to 49), plays for the better team, and has been arguably the best outside shooter in the NBA — he has knocked down his three-pointers at a 43.5% clip and has made a total of 212, 15 more than second-place Tyrese Maxey.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- With Jared McCain thriving for the Thunder, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports each revisit the Sixers‘ surprising decision to trade the second-year guard at last month’s deadline, exploring whether Philadelphia’s front office was really “selling high” like president of basketball operations Daryl Morey suggested at the time. “I don’t think he meant any harm from it,” McCain said of Morey’s “selling high” comment, per Fischer. “I just kind of take it as: That’s his job. And if he feels that’s the best decision (for the organization), then that’s his decision. But obviously I’m gonna have confidence in myself.”
- Sixers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe, who left Tuesday’s game early due to a back injury, underwent an MRI and has been diagnosed with a lumbar contusion, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. While Edgecombe has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Utah, he’ll be reevaluated ahead of Saturday’s contest in Atlanta, per the team.
- Recently signed Magic point guard Jevon Carter, an eight-year NBA veteran, is having a positive impact on 24-year-old Jalen Suggs, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “My favorite part about (him) is, he’s held me accountable on multiple occasions,” Suggs said of his new teammate. “Just raw, uncut comms, not trying to sugarcoat, not trying to make me feel good. He’s just sharing real truth with me and I’ve appreciated that. It’s been nice having him around.”
Cunningham, Wembanyama Earn Player Of The Month Honors
Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham has become the first player to be named Player of the Month twice this season, earning the Eastern Conference award for February after also having done so in October/November, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
Cunningham’s Pistons maintained their comfortable lead atop the Eastern Conference standings by going 9-2 in March. The former No. 1 overall pick led the way, averaging 25.4 points, 9.9 assists, 6.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks in 33.5 minutes per contest, with a .472/.373/.769 shooting line.
Cunningham’s biggest game of the month came after the All-Star break when he racked up 42 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds in a victory over the Knicks in New York. That was one of six double-doubles he recorded in February.
Cunningham beat out fellow nominees Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers), Desmond Bane (Magic), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks), Brandon Ingram (Raptors), Brandon Miller (Hornets), and Ryan Rollins (Bucks) to claim the monthly award in the Eastern Conference, according to the league (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama – another former first overall pick – was recognized for the second time this afternoon, earning Player of the Month recognition in the Western Conference after also having won the Defensive Player of the Month award.
In addition to anchoring the West’s best defense in February, Wembanyama put up big offensive numbers, contributing 22.5 points and 3.5 assists to go along with his 11.3 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game. It was enough to earn the 22-year-old the first Player of the Month award of his career.
San Antonio has dominated the Western Conference’s monthly awards after enjoying an 11-0 February — while Wembanyama took home Player of the Month and Defensive Player of the Month, his teammate Dylan Harper was named Rookie of the Month.
The other nominees for Player of the Month in the West were Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan, Lakers guard Luka Doncic, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, and Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard.
NBA Fines Magic’s Desmond Bane $25K
The NBA has fined Magic guard Desmond Bane $25K for “throwing the game ball with force into the spectator stands,” the league announced in a press release (Twitter link).
Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel has a video (Twitter link) of the incident, which occurred at the conclusion of Orlando’s one-point victory at the Lakers on Tuesday. After the final buzzer, Bane threw a full-court heave and the ball went over the opposite hoop, ricocheted off the shot clock, and hit a few fans behind the basket.
As Beede notes in a full story, this is the second time Bane has been fined by the league this season — he was docked $35K in December for throwing the game ball at Knicks forward OG Anunoby with force and in an “unsportsmanlike manner.” He also received a technical foul for that incident and has been penalized for five other technicals as well, per Spotrac (a total of $12K for the six technical fouls).
Bane is in his first season with the Magic, who acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Grizzlies over the summer. The 27-year-old is earning $36.7MM this season, so his latest fine won’t impact him much financially.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Suggs, Magic, Vukcevic, L. Black
The Heat remain likely to waive Terry Rozier at some point before the end of the regular season, but they’re in no rush to do so right away, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
With Rozier still on leave after being arrested on federal gambling charges back in the fall, he’s not expected to play again this season. That means there’s probably no need for Miami to cut him by March 1 to ensure he retains his playoff eligibility for another team.
Additionally, as Jackson explains, the Heat don’t have their eye on any specific players on the buyout market and would be reluctant to bring in a veteran free agent who is comparable to what the team already has on its roster. Miami wants to make sure there are plenty of minutes available for its young players down the stretch and may ultimately use Rozier’s roster spot to sign a developmental prospect to a multiyear deal late in the season, Jackson continues.
Putting off that decision until the season’s final weeks would also give the Heat the roster flexibility to see if a new hole opens up on their depth chart due to injuries (or any other factors), which could necessitate signing a veteran at a specific position ahead of the postseason, Jackson concludes.
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who has missed the past three games with a back strain, has been upgraded to questionable to play on Thursday vs. Houston, notes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Suggs has appeared in just 34 of the team’s 57 games this season due to various health issues.
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) takes a look at the Magic‘s challenging cap situation going forward, speculating that Goga Bitadze and Jonathan Isaac will be trade candidates this summer and noting that Paolo Banchero‘s up-and-down year is something of a double-edged sword. Banchero won’t increase the value of his maximum-salary rookie scale extension from 25% of the cap to 30% by making an All-NBA team, but Orlando would probably prefer him to be performing closer to an All-NBA level. We also covered the Magic’s upcoming roster decisions in a story last week for Front Office subscribers.
- The Wizards gave Tristan Vukcevic a rest-of-season salary of $2,857,143 using their non-taxpayer mid-level exception when they promoted the big man to their standard roster over the weekend, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Vukcevic’s three-year deal also includes a guaranteed $3MM salary for 2026/27, with a team option worth $3MM for ’27/28.
- Meanwhile, Leaky Black‘s new two-way contract with the Wizards covers two seasons, as Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets. That means if the 26-year-old forward sticks with the team for the full deal, he wouldn’t be eligible for restricted free agency until the 2027 offseason.
Community Shootaround: Who Will Come Out Of The East?
The Pistons have held the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference since early November and have maintained a firm grip on that spot. At 42-14, Detroit has a 4.5-game lead on its next-closest competitor in the conference and has a 10-2 record against the other Eastern teams currently in playoff (ie. top-six) position.
However, there are still questions about the Pistons’ ability to win three consecutive playoff series and represent the Eastern Conference in the 2026 NBA Finals. A relative lack of postseason experience is one potential concern. Detroit’s first-round exit last spring represented the team’s first playoff appearance since 2019 and the only taste of the postseason that young stars like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren have gotten so far.
A lack of offensive firepower is another possible red flag for the Pistons. The team leans heavily on Cunningham for scoring and shot creation and lacks reliable play-makers and knock-down shooters alongside him. Detroit ranks 28th in the NBA in three-point makes per game (11.1).
Monday’s loss to San Antonio exposed those flaws and cast a spotlight on Trajan Langdon‘s decision not to be more aggressive at this month’s trade deadline, notes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). The Pistons’ only real pre-deadline acquisition was wing Kevin Huerter, who has struggled with his outside shot this season and fallen out of the team’s rotation in the past three games.
If not the Pistons, who else could come out of the East this spring? Well, the Celtics hold the No. 2 seed despite being without Jayson Tatum all season as the All-NBA forward recovers from an Achilles tear. With Jaylen Brown taking on the primary role, Boston has built the best offense in the conference without its usual leading scorer, writes Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic, posting a 120.0 offensive rating that exceeds the team’s mark from 2024/25.
Still, there’s no guarantee Tatum will be able to return to action before the end of this season, and the Celtics would miss him more in big postseason moments than they do in a typical regular season game. And even if Tatum does make it back in the coming weeks, is it realistic to expect him to be back to his old self in time for the playoffs after such a lengthy layoff and challenging rehab process?
The Knicks, who have the NBA’s third-best offensive rating, hold the No. 3 spot in the East at 37-22 and are coming off a conference finals appearance in 2025. New York is a good team, but under new head coach Mike Brown, the club has also looked “like a world beater one quarter and a bottom-feeder the next,” according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, who suggests we may not know for sure until the playoffs how good the Knicks really are.
Interestingly, none of those three teams are currently the betting favorites to win the East, according to most sportsbooks. That honor belongs to the Cavaliers, who have looked resurgent in recent weeks after a shaky start to the season and have pulled into a tie with the Knicks at 37-22. The Cavs, winners of 13 of their past 15 games, have “renewed confidence” following the deadline acquisition of James Harden, head coach Kenny Atkinson said following his team’s victory over New York on Tuesday (story via Jamal Collier of ESPN).
“We understand we’re a better team,” Atkinson said. “That spirit, that confidence for some strange reason, it makes you play harder, compete harder, compete harder defensively. I felt like we were kind of missing that edge, that belief. I feel like we’re regaining that. A lot of it has to do with who we added in the trade.”
The Cavaliers were widely viewed as a favorite to win the East in the fall after winning 64 regular season games in 2024/25 and being derailed by injuries in the playoffs. Enthusiasm about their ceiling waned as they hovered around .500 through Christmas, but it has been building again as of late. For what it’s worth, the Cavs are also the only one of the East’s projected playoff teams that doesn’t have a losing record against the Pistons so far in ’25/26 — the teams have split their two matchups.
The Raptors, Sixers, Magic, Heat, Hawks, and Hornets are all lurking in the Eastern Conference playoff picture as potential threats.
A Philadelphia team that has Joel Embiid and Paul George wouldn’t be an easy out. The same is true of a fully healthy Orlando squad, though we haven’t seen that very often in the past year or two. Charlotte still has a ways to go to even make the playoffs and would be an underdog in a first-round series, but few teams have been hotter in recent weeks — since January 22, only the Cavs (12-2) and Spurs (11-2) have a better record than the Hornets (12-3).
We want to know what you think. Which team do you expect to represent the East in the NBA Finals this season? Is Tatum’s potential return the wild card that could swing your decision or are there other factors you think will ultimately determine how the postseason plays out in the Eastern Conference?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Southeast Notes: Bane, Davis, Gardner, Heat, Giannis
It continues to be an up-and-down season for the Magic, who hold a 30-26 record and the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference standings. However, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required) writes, they’ve gotten all they could’ve hoped for out of veteran wing Desmond Bane after surrendering a package that included four first-round picks to acquire him last summer.
Bane is one of just two Magic players to appear in all 56 games so far. And after scoring 34 and 36 points in the team’s back-to-back set in Phoenix and L.A. over the weekend, his scoring average is up to 20.1 points per game on .483/.388/.913 shooting. The 27-year-old is also chipping in 4.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per night.
“He reminds me of a lot of older guys in this league,” teammate Wendell Carter Jr. said of Bane, per Beede. “Guys who have established themselves and have a mindset of, he’s going to play his game no matter what. His process is going to remain the same.
“Early on (in the season), he was struggling a little bit but one thing about it, he stuck to what he knows he’s good at. And now we’re seeing the benefits of what trading for a guy like that does. His continued elevation just shows he’s one of the best in this league in terms of his position, shooting the 3-ball, getting downhill, facilitating, play-making … He’s exactly what we need.”
The Magic have Bane under team control through the 2028/29 season. He’s owed $126.5MM on the final three years of his contract.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Wizards big man Anthony Davis has yet to debut for his new team as he recovers from a hand injury, but he expressed excitement about his fit on the roster in a conversation with Wes Hall of Monumental Sports Network (YouTube link). Davis said he believes he and Trae Young can be a “dynamic duo” on offense and that he’s looking forward to teaming up with former No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr on the other side of the ball. “On the defensive end, it’s going to be insane,” Davis said, lauding the young Frenchman for his versatility and ability to protect the rim.
- Less than a week after signing his first standard NBA contract, Heat swingman Myron Gardner was forced to give up a chunk of his salary, having been fined $35K by the league for his role in an altercation with Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, Gardner insists he didn’t mean to bump Pippen from behind, while head coach Erik Spoelstra said he thinks the NBA is “making a point” with the fine, since the altercation spilled into the crowd. “We disagree with (Gardner’s fine),” Spoelstra said. “Pippen is the one that pushed it into the stands, and Myron didn’t really retaliate. Once he was on the ground, he was laughing. So if it was somebody else, I don’t think it would have been (a) $35,000 fine. But we’ll move on.”
- With the Heat set to visit Milwaukee on Tuesday, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald checks in on where things stand with Miami’s pursuit of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, which was put on hold after the trade deadline passed without a deal. The Heat will be able to offer up to four first-round picks for Antetokounmpo this summer, Jackson notes, though it remains to be seen whether or not they’ll get the opportunity to seriously reengage the Bucks in trade talks, since Giannis could decide to stay in Milwaukee or the Bucks could get another offer they like more.
Injury Notes: Avdija, White, Porzingis, Suggs
After a 54-point drubbing at the hands of the Nuggets, the Trail Blazers bounced back with a win over the shorthanded Suns on Sunday in Phoenix, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Portland’s victory came at a cost, however, as Deni Avdija was forced to exit the game after 59 seconds when he tweaked his lower back — he was questionable entering the contest because of the injury.
As Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (subscriber link) writes, Avdija first injured his back on January 11 and he has experienced multiple flare-ups since. The All-Star forward has missed 10 games over the past six weeks due to the injury and was clearly was less than 100% in some of his seven appearances over that stretch, Highkin adds.
“I’m not a doctor, but yeah, we’ve got to see what’s going on,” interim head coach Tiago Splitter said. “Dive deep and see what’s really happening.”
The Blazers would be better off resting their leading scorer for an extended period rather than having him constantly be in and out of the lineup, according to Highkin, who notes that Portland has the easiest remaining schedule (by opponent winning percentage) in the league and the team is likely locked into the play-in tournament regardless of whether Avdija plays or not.
Having the 25-year-old healthy for the stretch run and postseason should be the Blazers’ top priority, says Highkin.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Coby White is expected to make his debut for Charlotte on Tuesday in Chicago, as the Hornets have listed the impending free agent as probable to suit up against his former team (Twitter link). White has been sidelined since Feb. 3 due to a left calf strain, but head coach Charles Lee said the 26-year-old guard has made “great strides” in his recovery.
- Warriors big man Kristaps Porzingis, who woke up sick on Sunday and didn’t play in the comeback victory vs. Denver, didn’t travel with the team for Golden State’s two-game road trip and isn’t expected to play on Tuesday at New Orleans or on Wednesday at Memphis, tweets Anthony Slater of ESPN. Porzingis has formally been ruled out of Tuesday’s contest.
- Magic guard Jalen Suggs is questionable to suit up for Tuesday’s game at the Lakers due to a back strain, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Suggs experienced back spasms last week in Thursday’s win in Sacramento and missed Orlando’s back-to-back road games over the weekend because of the issue.
Southeast Notes: McCollum, Herro, Carter, Penda
CJ McCollum replaced Zaccharie Risacher in the Hawks‘ starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Nets, a move that shifts the former No. 1 overall pick to the bench for the first time since the second game of his NBA career. Previously, Risacher had started in 117 of his first 119 games.
This decision to promote McCollum to the starting five reflects Quin Snyder‘s trust in the veteran guard. Recently, the Hawks’ head coach discussed closing games with McCollum over Risacher.
“That is, by far, our best lineup from a plus-minus standpoint,” Snyder said of the group that features McCollum alongside Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Onyeka Okongwu, per Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com (Twitter link). “You could make an argument that we should start that lineup … How can we best use CJ?”
According to Lauren L. Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes (via Twitter), people around the league believe Risacher puts a lot of pressure on himself and that this move could help relieve some of that pressure.
The Hawks fell behind against the Nets but completed a fourth-quarter comeback, winning 115-104. McCollum had 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while Risacher scored seven points off the bench.
We have more from around the Southeast:
- After missing over a month with a rib injury, Tyler Herro has come off the bench for the Heat‘s last two games, both of which were wins. It’s a role the former Sixth Man of the Year is very familiar with, Ira Winderman writes for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “It doesn’t really feel like I’m out of place, because we got guys that can start and I’m comfortable in my role and in myself,” Herro said. “So I’m happy where I’m at.” Herro scored 24 points in 23 minutes as a reserve in his return to action against the Hawks, and 14 points on 15 shots against the Grizzlies. His role and minutes will likely be determined by how his body reacts to returning to play. “We are going to manage the minutes. I’m not overthinking it. I’m not putting anything in cement. I don’t have a timeline for anything,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’re how many ever games into the season right now and we finally have our full roster. We’re just going to try to maximize these next 25 games as much as possible and we just want everybody just to pour into the team, pour into the role, don’t overthink things at this point.”
- In his third game with his new team, Jevon Carter hit a massive three-pointer in double overtime for the Magic before a Jalen Green shot won it for the Suns. After the game, Paolo Banchero spoke about Carter’s impact. “Just coming in here and taking advantage of his opportunity, just fitting in, playing both sides of the ball,” Banchero said, per Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). “He hit a big shot, I wish we could have pulled the win out for him, because that was a huge shot.” While Carter’s late-game shot was his biggest moment of the game, it’s his defense that has most impressed coach Jamahl Mosely, Beede writes. “As soon as he stepped on the court, it was pick-up full-court, talking in the huddles, getting guys in the right spots, stepping in with confidence to his shot,” Mosley said. “He’s about all the right things. He’s about winning. He’s about toughness. He fits exactly what we do here with the Magic, just being able to (play) hard-nose defense, creating your offense on the other end.”
- When the Magic drafted Noah Penda 32nd overall last June, they likely didn’t expect him to become a crucial piece in year one, but amidst an injury-plagued season, he has become an important factor in keeping the team afloat, Spencer Davies writes for RG. Davies adds that Penda has maintained the same mindset and effectiveness whether coming in for a four-minute run off the bench or closing games as a starter. Penda’s rebounding has been a crucial part of his impact — when the rookie goes to the bench, the team’s offensive rebounding rate drops by nine percent, Davies notes. The rookie forward says the entire team has helped him learn the ropes in his first NBA season, but cites Tyus Jones, who was traded at the deadline, as a veteran who really took Penda under his wing when he wasn’t playing and helped him focus on what he needed to do to be ready when his number was called.