Ja Morant To Miss Game 4 Due To Hip Injury
April 26: Morant won’t play on Saturday, interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo confirmed to reporters, including Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). Still, Iisalo indicated Morant’s diagnosis could’ve been much worse.
“Fortunately, he’s avoided a major injury, which is a big positive,” he said.
April 25: In addition to missing the second half of Game 3 due to the hip injury, Morant will also be sidelined for Game 4 on Saturday, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Grizzlies haven’t officially ruled out Morant yet, but have listed him as doubtful for Saturday’s contest (Twitter link).
April 24: Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant exited the team’s Thursday Game 3 matchup with the Thunder due to a hip injury and was ruled out for the rest of the night, the team announced (via Twitter).
Morant took a hard fall toward the end of the second quarter after he was fouled by Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort, Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes. Dort wasn’t called for a flagrant foul on the play (Twitter video link).
The Grizzlies point guard left the game after scoring 15 points and five assists in 16 minutes to help his team take a big lead in Game 3. After being injured, Morant went to the free throw line and shot both attempts before heading back to the locker room. Memphis led by 27 points when he exited.
The Grizzlies were down 2-0 in the series after making the playoffs out of the play-in, and obviously missing Morant for any length of time would be a blow to their already slim hopes of upsetting the team with the best record in the NBA.
With Morant out for the game, Luke Kennard took on a larger role in Game 3, starting the second half in Morant’s place and logging 33 total minutes, his highest total since March 3.
It’s unclear whether or not Morant, who was already dealing with an ankle sprain coming into the playoffs, will be able to suit up for Game 4 of the series on Saturday.
Knicks Notes: Towns, McBride, Anunoby, Brunson, Robinson
The Knicks came away with a close win in Game 3 against the Pistons facing a loud Detroit crowd. It’s no coincidence that as the Knicks played faster, Karl-Anthony Towns had his best offensive game of the series, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes.
Towns scored 31 points on 10 made field goals, including a handful that came with over 14 seconds still left on the shot clock, according to Edwards, who says Towns was purposeful and imposed his will.
“In transition, KAT is someone I’m definitely trying to look for and find while he’s flowing into the half court, where he can knock down shots trailing or able to attack,” teammate Josh Hart said.
In a separate story, Fred Katz of The Athletic notes that Jalen Brunson and Towns ran 17 pick-and-rolls in Game 3, their second-highest single-game total since January. New York was able to take advantage of Jalen Duren guarding Towns as opposed to a wing.
We have more on the Knicks:
- In the same story for The Athletic, Katz analyzes the play of both Miles McBride and OG Anunoby, opining that New York needs more from McBride in order to help secure a series win over the Pistons. McBride isn’t playing much, but New York’s reserves have only scored 39 points in the series, and that will likely need to change to keep the starters fresh. As for Anunoby, Katz explains why he’s prone to defensive ‘heat checks’ and why his attention to detail is standing out. Jared Schwartz of the New York Post observes that Anunoby helped hold Cade Cunningham to 10-of-25 shooting from the field in Game 3.
- The Knicks were able to rely on their reserves in a come-from-behind Game 1 win, with Cameron Payne in particular standing out. Like Katz, Zach Braziller of the New York Post observes that New York’s depth has been outshone in the two games since then. With the Pistons getting massive contributions from reserves like Dennis Schröder and Malik Beasley, the Knicks’ lack of depth could become an issue, Braziller suggests.
- Brunson reacted well to Detroit crowd berating him with derisive chants and responded with an impressive 30-point game to go along with nine assists and seven rebounds, Ian Begley of SNY writes. “I don’t think crowds understand, especially with pros and guys that are really good, they’re probably going to be really good when you’re chanting they’re name,” teammate P.J. Tucker said. “When you’re saying what they said, it probably gives them a little incentive to play a little better, play a little harder.”
- Knicks center Mitchell Robinson missed Saturday’s practice due to an illness, but Thibodeau believe the big man “should be fine” for Game 4 on Sunday, according to Begley (Twitter links). Thibodeau added that Robinson is no longer on a minutes restriction.
Cavs’ Darius Garland Sidelined For Game 3
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland will be unavailable for Game 3 vs. Miami due to his left great toe sprain, the team announced in its last injury report prior to Saturday afternoon’s tip-off.
Garland was affected by the toe issue earlier this month, missing two of Cleveland’s final three regular season games as a result of the injury. According to Jared Weis of The Athletic (Twitter link), the 25-year-old aggravated the injury during Game 2 on Wednesday and wasn’t able to take part in a pregame warm-up on Saturday after initially being listed as questionable.
The hope, a team source tells Weiss, is that sitting out today will allow Garland to heal up and return on Monday for Game 4 in Miami.
Garland’s absence comes on the heels of an eventful media cycle involving him and Heat guard Tyler Herro. Following Wednesday’s Cavs victory, Garland told reporters that “pick on Herro” was a central facet of the team’s offensive game plan, prompting Herro to fire back two days later to criticize Garland’s defense.
Heat big man Bam Adebayo told the media that Herro’s teammates took Garland’s comments “personal,” adding that the Cavs guard “cannot hide,” but Miami won’t get the opportunity to go after him on the court for at least a couple more days.
Sharpshooter Sam Merrill will start in Garland’s place, Weiss notes.
Lakers Notes: James, Game 3, Doncic, Wolves’ Crowd
LeBron James recorded one of his highest-scoring playoff performances in a Laker uniform in Game 3 against the Timberwolves on Friday, scoring 38 points and 10 rebounds. The Lakers also knocked down 17 of their 40 three-point attempts after making just 21 combined in the first two games. Still, as Khobi Price of The Orange County Register writes, these positive developments didn’t help the Lakers overcome the Wolves in Game 3.
Los Angeles still committed too many turnovers that led to a significant shot disparity and ultimately, those downfalls cost them the game.
“They’re big, they’re long, they’re athletic, they pressure the basketball, they make everything tough,” head coach JJ Redick said of the Timberwolves. “We’re gonna have some turnovers. Sometimes they force you into turnovers, which they did. But we also had some unforced turnovers: over-dribbling, trying to draw fouls, dribbling into traffic, trying to do a little bit too much with the basketball. We generated a lot of really good shots when we didn’t turn [the ball] over.”
We have more from the Lakers:
- Another reason the Lakers couldn’t pull out a victory on Friday is that Luka Doncic wasn’t playing at 100%, Price adds in the same piece. Doncic has been battling a stomach illness since Thursday and Redick said he was vomiting through Friday afternoon. He battled through the injury and recorded 17 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, but it was clear he wasn’t feeling like his usual self. He underwent thorough post-game treatment and didn’t speak to the media following the loss. As Price notes, Gabe Vincent started the second half in his place, though Doncic returned less than a minute into the third quarter. “I didn’t think he was going to come out [out of the locker room for the] second half,” teammate Dorian Finney-Smith said.
- The Minnesota crowd was tough on the Lakers in Game 3, with the noise from fans having a direct impact on the game. At one point, officials had to address the crowd and tell them to stop whistling, as it was getting confused with the refs’ actual whistle. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link), Jordan Goodwin said he and other teammates heard a whistle come from the stands a handful of times before the officiating crew addressed it.
- In a subscriber-only story, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times details how the Lakers’ investment in player development is providing benefits in the postseason. Goodwin is a prime example of the Lakers’ development system working, as he went from a training camp player to the G League to a two-way deal to a standard contract and is now earning playoff minutes.
Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Frustrated After Physical Game 3 Against Magic
At least one Celtics player has suffered a minor injury in each of the team’s three playoff games against the Magic so far. As Souichi Terada of MassLive writes, Jayson Tatum sustained a bone bruise in his right wrist in Game 1 that forced him to miss Game 2. In that second game, Kristaps Porzingis received stitches after a cut on his head. And after Friday’s game, Jaylen Brown told reporters that he dislocated his left index finger in Game 3.
Brown said his injury came after a flagrant foul from Cole Anthony, leaving the All-Star frustrated after the Celtics’ first loss of the series.
“There might be a fight break out or something because it’s starting to feel like it’s not even basketball and the refs are not controlling their environment,” Brown said. “So it is what it is. If you want to fight it out, we can do that. We can fight to see who goes to the second round.”
As Terada observes, the Celtics had expected a physical series against Orlando, but it was taken up another level in Game 3 on the Magic’s home court. Turnovers and poor execution led to the Celtics’ loss, though they still maintain a 2-1 series lead.
“I don’t have a problem with the game being physical, but it seems like when I use my physicality, I get called in the opposite direction,” Brown said. “That’s what my frustration was. It was just a tough whistle tonight. Maybe next game will be better, but it started in the third quarter with those two offensive fouls. I feel like the physicality, you are allowing guys to hand check and let it go on both sides then. Other than that, it was just a tough whistle for me tonight and we just got to be ready for Game 4.”
The two teams will square off again on Sunday evening. Tatum was able to return on Friday after missing Game 2, but guard Jrue Holiday was forced to sit out Game 3 due to a hamstring strain.
Nuggets Notes: Rotation, Westbrook, Porter, Murray, Gordon, More
The Nuggets are banged up, but they don’t have much time to adjust as they find themselves facing a 2-1 hole against the Clippers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes, interim coach David Adelman has hinted at rotation changes.
Denver used an eight-man rotation to open the series, with Jalen Pickett playing sparingly as the eighth man. DeAndre Jordan and Julian Strawther have also seen a little action, while Hunter Tyson and Zeke Nnaji have been limited to garbage time and Vlatko Cancar and Dario Saric haven’t played.
Key reserve Russell Westbrook is questionable for Game 4 on Saturday due to left foot inflammation, Durando adds. He exited Game 3 after just nine minutes.
“They checked him out this morning. … So we’ll kind of gauge that as we go,” Adelman said on Friday. “And if Russ plays or doesn’t play, we’re gonna take a look at our rotation. We may play different people. See who can impact the game with how [the Clippers] are guarding and how we’re trying to guard.”
We have more on the Nuggets:
- As we noted on Friday, Michael Porter Jr. was able to play the duration of Game 3 but was clearly struggling through a left shoulder injury he suffered in Game 2. According to DNVR Nuggets (Twitter link), Porter is officially considered questionable to play in Game 4.
- The players on the injury report aren’t the only ones hurting. In an appearance on NBA on ESPN (Twitter link), Andscape’s Marc J. Spears said Jamal Murray is working through an injury and that Aaron Gordon told him he could barely jump. “No one’s 100% right now,” Adelman said, per Durando. “Aaron’s not 100%. Nikola [Jokic]’s not 100%. Just like the Clippers. All their guys have ailments at this part of the season. Michael is one of our guys. He’s a mainstay here. If he’s available to play, he will play.”
- With their backs seemingly against the wall, Denver will need to get creative in how it attacks Los Angeles, Durando writes in another Denver Post story. “We got embarrassed today,” Adelman said after a 34-point loss in Game 3. “It happens in the playoffs. I’ve been a part of it before. I’ve been a part of the other side of it. The bottom line is, it’s one game.” As Durando writes, the Clippers have multiple lengthy defenders while the Nuggets don’t have many top-caliber shooters, allowing L.A. to at times triple-team Jokic.
Draft Notes: Gwath, Fland, Niang, M’Madi
Magoon Gwath won’t be going through the 2025 NBA draft process after all, having announced this week on Instagram that he’ll withdraw his name from the draft pool and will return to San Diego State for the 2025/26 season.
As Mark Ziegler of The San Diego Union Tribune (subscription required) writes, Gwath’s announcement omitted an important detail — the big man underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee earlier in the week and will face a lengthy recovery period, though head coach Brian Dutcher expects him to be ready for the start of next season.
Gwath, who injured the knee in February and played through it, had a strong freshman season for the Aztecs, averaging 8.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game across 26 outings (all starts). The seven-footer was named the Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year for the Mountain West Conference.
Here are a few more draft-related updates:
- Arkansas freshman Boogie Fland entered the NCAA’s transfer portal prior to this week’s deadline, as Jeff Borzello of ESPN writes. However, Fland remains likely to go pro after declaring for the draft several weeks ago, as ESPN’s Jonathan Givony confirms after interviewing the 18-year-old in New York (Twitter video link)
- Senegalese wing Saliou Niang, who has been playing for Aquila Basket Trento in Italy, is declaring for the NBA draft, he announced on Instagram. Niang, 21 next month, has averaged 8.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 20.3 minutes per game with a .525/.350/.725 shooting line in 27 domestic league appearances this season.
- Mathias M’Madi, a 6’5″ guard born in 2005, has filed early entry paperwork for the 2025 draft, reports Jon Chepkevich of Rookie Scale (Twitter link). M’Madi has been playing for the Spanish club CB Morón.
Western Notes: Brooks, Thompson, Green, Kuminga, Pelicans, Grizzlies
Rockets forward Dillon Brooks took exception to the idea that teammate Amen Thompson could be viewed as a dirty player for the play that injured Warriors star Jimmy Butler in Game 2 of the Houston/Golden State series. Asked about the subject on Friday, Brooks suggested that Butler’s teammate Draymond Green was more to blame, as Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press relays.
“I think the dirty player is Draymond, giving him a little push as regular basketball players do,” Brooks said. “And Jimmy’s fighting in the air for a rebound and stuff happens. Amen’s not a dirty player. He has (nothing) to do with being a dirty player.”
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after Game 2 that he and the Warriors “didn’t think there was anything wrong with the play,” suggesting that it was unfortunate but unintentional. Kerr and his players didn’t think much of Brooks’ claim about Green, given the reputation that the Rockets forward has earned himself over the years.
“Dillon said that? Interesting,” Kerr replied when informed of Brooks’ remarks.
“It’s a little ironic, isn’t it?” Moses Moody said of Brooks’ comments, per ESPN.
We have more from around the Western Conference:
- If Butler is forced to miss Game 3 as a result of his pelvic injury, will the Warriors lean on Jonathan Kuminga as his primary replacement? Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle weighs that question, given that Kuminga had been out of the rotation for three games and made just 4-of-12 shots from the field in his return to action on Wednesday. Anthony Slater of The Athletic also touches on that topic in a story with Kelly Iko of The Athletic that explores the keys to the series going forward.
- In addition to the front office members reported earlier this week to be departing the Pelicans amid a basketball operations shake-up, veteran scout Chico Averbuck, who has been with the team since 2020, is leaving the organization, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Averbuck had strong ties to former head of basketball operations David Griffin, Scotto notes, having also worked with Griffin in Cleveland.
- The Grizzlies were left searching for answers after blowing a 29-point first half lead and losing Game 3 to Oklahoma City on Thursday. Scotty Pippen Jr. said the game – which also included a Ja Morant hip injury – was “definitely frustrating,” while Santi Aldama, asked if it was the worst loss he has ever experienced, replied, “It would be hard to find another one like this.” William Guillory of The Athletic has the full story, with more quotes.
Super-Max/Rose Rule Candidates To Watch After Mobley Cashed In
As we detailed on Thursday within our story about Evan Mobley earning Defensive Player of the Year honors, the award represented a major financial boon for the Cavaliers big man, who significantly increased the value of his contract extension by virtue of being named this season’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Mobley signed a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension last summer that included Rose Rule language. The Rose Rule allows a player and team to negotiate a maximum salary worth up to 30% of the cap (instead of the usual 25%) for a player with just four years of NBA experience if he makes an All-NBA team or wins the MVP or DPOY award.
Interestingly, Mobley’s rookie scale extension would’ve started at 27.5% of the cap in 2025/26 if he had made the All-NBA third team (instead of one of the first two teams) and hadn’t won Defensive Player of the Year.
Now that he has received DPOY recognition, it will instead start at 30%.
Here are the three scenarios that had been in play for Mobley, based on a projected 10% cap increase:
| Year | 25% of cap | 27.5% of cap | 30% of cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | $38,661,750 | $42,527,925 | $46,394,100 |
| 2026/27 | $41,754,690 | $45,930,159 | $50,105,628 |
| 2027/28 | $44,847,630 | $49,332,393 | $53,817,156 |
| 2028/29 | $47,940,570 | $52,734,627 | $57,528,684 |
| 2029/30 | $51,033,510 | $56,136,861 | $61,240,212 |
| Total | $224,238,150 | $246,661,965 | $269,085,780 |
Mobley cashed in with his DPOY win, locking in a contract that projects to be worth in excess of $269MM over the next five seasons. Are there any other players who could join him by earning All-NBA nods this spring?
There’s only really one other guy who entered award season in the same boat as Mobley, waiting to see if his rookie scale extension worth 25% of the cap will increase to 30% of the cap. That player is Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham.
Cunningham looks like a pretty safe bet to be included on one of the All-NBA teams for 2024/25, and unlike Mobley, his contract doesn’t include any variable rates between 25% and 30% depending on which All-NBA team he makes. If Cunningham is a third-teamer, that would still be enough to bump his ’25/26 salary to 30% of the cap, matching Mobley’s deal.
Two other players signed Rose Rule extensions last offseason, but Magic forward Franz Wagner didn’t appear in enough games to qualify for All-NBA consideration and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes isn’t a serious candidate for the honor — their new contracts will start at 25% of next season’s cap.
There’s one other player to watch for potential super-max candidacy though — Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. would become eligible for a super-max (ie. “designated veteran“) contract extension worth up to 35% of the cap if he’s one of this season’s 15 All-NBA players. He looks like a solid bet to make the cut after serving as Memphis’ most reliable offensive weapon and earning DPOY votes.
If Jackson earns an All-NBA spot, the Grizzlies would have three options when they enter extension talks with him this offseason:
- They could offer him a raise of up to 40% off his current contract, but that likely wouldn’t be enough to get a deal done, since his salary in the final year of his current deal in 2025/26 is just $23.4MM, a relatively modest figure for an All-NBA caliber player.
- They could use cap room to renegotiate his ’25/26 salary in order to give him a raise and then extend him off of that figure. This is a legitimate option, given that the Grizzlies are in position to potentially carve out a little cap room.
- They could sign him to a super-max extension that starts anywhere between 30% and 35% of the cap. Although it’s typical for players who sign super-max deals to get the full 35%, a team doesn’t necessarily need to go that high — when Utah extended Rudy Gobert after he became super-max eligible with a Defensive Player of the Year win, for instance, his deal started at a little over 31% of the cap.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will also be eligible to sign a super-max contract extension this offseason — that would still be the case even if he doesn’t win this season’s MVP award or make an All-NBA team (he’ll almost certainly do both), since he achieved the performance criteria a year ago.
The Rose Rule and super-max performance criteria call for a player to earn All-NBA, MVP, or DPOY recognition in either the preceding season or in two of the three preceding seasons, so Gilgeous-Alexander got there by making All-NBA teams in 2023 and 2024, even though he wouldn’t have enough years of service to sign his new deal until 2025.
No other stars are in position to meet that two-in-three-years criteria early this spring, like Gilgeous-Alexander did last year.
A player like Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, for example, is on track to make his second straight All-NBA team, but won’t meet the years-of-service criteria for a super-max extension until 2027. That means that even if he earns an All-NBA spot this year, Edwards will have to do so again in either 2026 or 2027 to be eligible to sign that deal in ’27, since the 2024 nod won’t be counted within the preceding three seasons at that time.
We’re likely still a few weeks away from learning this year’s full All-NBA results. A year ago, the league announced those teams on May 22.
Heat’s Herro Fires Back At Cavs’ Garland After Jab About Defense
The Cavaliers made it fairly clear based on their offensive strategy in the first two games of their series vs. the Heat that they were targeting a perceived weak link on Miami’s defense. Asked about the Cavs’ game plan after Wednesday’s Game 2 victory, point guard Darius Garland confirmed as much, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required).
“Pick on Tyler Herro,” Garland said. “Don’t play in tight spaces and pick on their weak defenders. Go at them.”
According to NBA.com’s data, the Cavaliers have attempted 33 shots through two games with Herro as the primary defender, making 21 of them (63.6%). No other Heat player has a higher number of field goals against (in terms of both makes and attempts) in the series.
Herro and the Heat didn’t have a media session on Thursday, but when the team spoke to reporters on Friday, the All-Star guard knew he’d be asked about Garland’s comments and didn’t hold back his feelings about them.
“To go to the media to talk about the game plan and this and that says a lot about him. I’m not worried about Darius Garland,” Herro said, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “Somebody that doesn’t play defense shouldn’t be talking, either. He don’t play any defense and we’ll see that tomorrow. He don’t play no D.”
To Herro’s point, Heat players have made 12-of-18 shots (66.7%) in the first two games of the series with Garland as their primary defender, per NBA.com.
As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes, Herro downplayed the idea that Garland’s comments would further motivate him, telling reporters that he has “enough fuel in me” and doesn’t need any more from “that guy over there.” However, teammate Bam Adebayo, who came to his teammate’s defense, suggested Garland’s remarks would make for good bulletin-board material for the rest of the Heat.
“(He) cannot hide,” Adebayo said. “He said what he said. We all take that personal.”
Both Garland and Herro told Joe Vardon of The Athletic that they have a good relationship, but as Vardon writes, that doesn’t mean the trash talk between them isn’t real.
“I mean, I’m not f—ing around. I don’t think there’s anything to f— around about,” Herro told The Athletic on Friday. “But we had said some words to each other on the court and then looked like he was in his feelings to go to the media to say that after the game. I mean, that kind of says everything right there.”
As we relayed earlier on Friday, Garland is listed as questionable to play in Game 3 due to a left big toe sprain.