Stephen Curry Exits Thursday Game Due To Pelvic Contusion
March 21: Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Curry underwent an MRI after the game, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter video link).
“He thought he might be able to come back (into the game),” Kerr said. “We just decided not to risk anything. So hopefully it’s not bad.”
March 20: Warriors superstar Stephen Curry suffered a hard fall on his back following a drive on Thursday vs. Toronto, grabbing his tailbone and staying down on the ground in pain, The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II relays (Twitter link).
Curry headed to the locker room, with general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. later following him. He was then quickly ruled out for the rest of the game due to a pelvic contusion, according to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears (Twitter link).
It’s an obviously unfortunate turn of events for the streaking Warriors, who have won 15 of their last 18 games. During that stretch, Curry is averaging 28.1 point and 6.1 assists per game while making 40.5% of his 12.5 three-point attempts.
The Warriors have increasingly looked like formidable Western Conference contenders since acquiring Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline. Entering Thursday night’s game, they were 2.5 games behind the fifth-seeded Grizzlies.
It’s not clear how many games, if any, the injury will force Curry to miss beyond Thursday. Any missed time would be a blow to Golden State. The Warriors held on to defeat the Raptors on Thursday for their 41st win of the season.
Atlantic Notes: Scheierman, Brunson, Knicks, Walker
Celtics rookie Baylor Scheierman scored a career-high 20 points against the Nets on Tuesday, giving the Celtics their 50th win. As Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe notes, 17 of Scheierman’s 20 came in the second half and he only missed one garbage-time shot.
“Obviously it’s a lot of fun when [the game] slows down and it feels like you’re just out there playing free, playing loose,” Scheierman said. “Coach [Joe Mazzulla] has got a lot of confidence in you, players have got a lot of confidence in you. That’s what the game is all about, and that’s how I enjoy playing.”
Scheierman hasn’t played much at the NBA level this year, but he’s contributed to a pair of wins in the past couple weeks. The 2024 No. 30 overall pick is getting more comfortable by the day.
“Confidence is kind of an overused term,” Mazzulla said. “I think in reality, it’s like, this kid just got here. He’s been here for three months. Like, what do you expect him to look like 10 games in playing sporadically? He’s always had that confidence. I think a lot of it is a matter of timing. A lot of it’s a matter of opportunity. And a lot of it is the moments that you get, you’ve got to deliver and you’ve got to impact winning.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said Jalen Brunson was out of his walking boot and has progressed to doing “light shooting,” according to Newsday’s Steve Popper (Twitter link). New York is hoping to get him into some game action before the playoffs begin. He hasn’t played since March 6 due to an ankle injury.
- New York wing Josh Hart ripped the Knicks after they lost to the 18-win Hornets on Thursday, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “The way we’re losing games is embarrassing,” Hart said, “… It’s extra effort, and we’re not doing that, and that’s what’s embarrassing, especially for this team, especially for a Thibs-coached team, a New York-based team. That’s not what we should be doing. That’s not what we’re supposed to be built on.” New York is 3-4 without Brunson during this stretch.
- Sixers guard Lonnie Walker IV hasn’t played since March 12 after suffering a concussion. He’s probable for Friday’s game against the Spurs, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Walker is averaging 8.2 points and 3.3 rebounds this season.
Pacific Notes: Butler, Zubac, Lue, Van Gundy, LaVine, LeBron, Hachimura
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. became one of the few top executives in recent history to trade for a former teammate when acquiring Jimmy Butler at this year’s deadline. Dunleavy, who played with Butler in Chicago, wasn’t deterred by the fact that some of the forward’s stints with prior teams had ended poorly, nor by Butler’s apparent willingness to hit free agency in 2025 (he wound up extending with the Warriors). Now, as NBA insider Jake Fischer writes, the move is paying dividends for surging Golden State.
“There’s nobody who could explain the intricacies of Jimmy Butler better than Mike Dunleavy,” a league source said to Fischer.
The Warriors knew they needed top-end talent, having reportedly pursued Lauri Markkanen and Paul George in the offseason and Kevin Durant at the deadline. In Butler, they acquired the impact player they sought. The Warriors are now 15-3 since the trade, and by extending Butler, they’re hoping to show him how much they value what he adds to the organization.
“This is a commitment to each other,” Dunleavy said. “I didn’t want this to be a temporary thing or a rental or anything like that. I think he feels the same way, on the backside of his career and doesn’t want to be jumping around.”
The Warriors signed Butler to a two-year, $110.9MM extension when he arrived in Golden State.
“I am wanted here,” Butler said. “I’m appreciated here. I’m grateful that [Dunleavy] saw what I could bring to this organization and this team.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers‘ confidence in Ivica Zubac continues to grow, Janis Carr of The Orange County Register writes. Zubac is averaging career highs of 16.4 points and 12.6 rebounds per game this season. He had a 28-point, 20-rebound game on Tuesday after having nearly recorded a triple-double (17 points, 14 boards and eight assists) on Sunday. “He’s doing a good job of taking his time, making the right pass and making the right play and so he’s only going to keep getting better,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “Give him credit for what he’s doing.”
- Lue missed Tuesday’s game due to back pain, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Broderick Turner. He previously missed four of the past six Clippers‘ games due to the injury. Assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy also missed Tuesday’s game due to personal reasons.
- Kings guard Zach LaVine was unavailable on Wednesday due to personal reasons, but was active for their Thursday matchup against the Bulls, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports (Twitter link). He’s averaging 22.7 points per game on .527/.441/.894 splits in his first 18 outings with Sacramento.
- Lakers coach JJ Redick said he’s “hopeful” both LeBron James and Rui Hachimura will be able to return this Saturday, according to Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina (Twitter link). A report on Sunday indicated that James was expected to miss at least another week, so if he does indeed return on Saturday, he’d narrowly beat that timeline. Hachimura’s Saturday return seems more likely, since that original report suggested he would be able to come back within the week.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Thompson, Grizzlies, Pelicans
The Rockets are guaranteed to at least make the play-in tournament this season after defeating the Magic on Wednesday. It’ll be the first time the team has made any form of postseason appearance since 2020. The Rockets still haven’t clinched a top-six seed, which would allow them to avoid the play-in, but they’re close, with a 5.5-game lead on the seventh-seeded Clippers.
Houston has now won eight games in a row and climbed to second in the West. According to Houston Chronicle’s Danielle Lerner, the Rockets’ energy is high nearing the postseason.
“We’re just hooping,” forward Tari Eason said. “The overall motto that I say is, ‘Just have fun.’ You know, basketball is fun. Sometimes we get caught up in this or that or just narratives, or whatever the case may be, but I think we’re out there having fun. When you’re out there having fun, you play free. You play better.”
Several veterans and young players are helping the Rockets make the push.
“We don’t have one guy,” Alperen Sengun said. “Jalen [Green] is scoring guy, but we have every day, some different guys. So we don’t really care who scores. Everybody do their job. I get my rebounds. Tari, you have to rebound, Jabari [Smith], you have to get the rebounds. You know, we just all make each other’s job easy and I think that’s the really important thing about us, and I think that’s being helping us to win.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Rockets guard Amen Thompson was upgraded to probable ahead of Friday’s game against the Heat, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Thompson hasn’t played since March 8 as he works his way back from a foot injury. He’s averaging 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in 60 games (33 starts) this season.
- The Grizzlies are still seeking late-game continuity, Michael Wallace of Grind City Media writes. When complete, Memphis is one of the most complete contenders. However, Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane have only played 30 games together this season. “We’ve been a resilient team all season; that’s just been part of this team’s journey,” coach Taylor Jenkins said. “But there has to be an urgency that we play with on both sides of the floor.“
- Even though the Pelicans are eliminated from playoff contention, they haven’t called it quits on the season, Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes. That was evident after their impressive road win over Minnesota on Wednesday followed a 46-point loss to Detroit earlier in the week.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Wiggins, Da Silva, Wizards
The Heat are on pace to finish with one of their worst seasons in franchise history (their .420 win percentage would be seventh-worst). Their struggles this season stem in part from their inability to close games in the fourth quarter, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.
Miami owns the third-worst record in clutch games at 13-23 this season. As a result, the Heat have dropped nine games in a row and are 11 games under .500 with only 13 contests left to play.
“That’s the thing that we’ve been racking our time, our brains, everything, trying to find solutions for that,” coach Erik Spoelstra said about the late-game issues. “We have not come up with solutions, and we’ve pretty much tried everything. This has been one of the biggest challenges of a regular season that I’ve been a part of.”
Miami has blown a double-digit lead in 19 of their losses and have squandered a fourth-quarter lead in 17 losses, a league high. One key difference between the Heat’s performance in the clutch this season versus the last few is the absence of Jimmy Butler, Chiang writes.
“I think that’s part of it,” forward Duncan Robinson said. “But that’s not necessarily new to the deadline. We’ve kind of been dealing with that for a while. So I don’t know if it’s as much adjusting to that. I think it’s been different things in different games. Good teams find a way to win, so we got to just start figuring out ways. It’s going to look different on different nights. But it’s more so just about building that resolve on both ends of the floor. These are painful steps, but there have been steps in the right direction.”
The Heat are still likely to make the play-in tournament, as they maintain a five-game lead on the Raptors for 10th in the East.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Heat forward Andrew Wiggins has missed two straight games and five of the last 12, but he’s no longer dealing with the lower leg contusion that was ailing him, according to the Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman (Twitter link). However, Wiggins is now questionable for the team’s Friday game against Houston with an ankle impingement.
- Magic rookie Tristan Da Silva has played more than anticipated in his rookie season with Orlando dealing with numerous injuries. Head coach Jamahl Mosley believes he has filled in well, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes. “He’s still continuing to take that all in,” Mosley said. “It’s a lot for a young rookie in this situation, but he’s taken it all in stride, and he continues to learn as the games go on … Just understanding the speed, the intensity, the physicality of the game, but also understanding the game plan within that game.“
- The Wizards‘ Wednesday loss to the Jazz put them in a tie for the worst record in the league and for the best overall odds at the best draft pick positioning in the 2025 draft, Varun Shankar of The Washington Post writes. While the bottom three teams have the same probability of getting the top overall pick, the team with the worst overall record can fall no lower than fifth, while the second- and third-worst can fall to sixth and seventh, respectively. According to Shankar, the team is using the rest of the season to determine fits on the roster and gauge youth development.
Robert Williams III To Miss 4-6 Weeks After Arthroscopic Procedure
Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III will miss at least four-to-six weeks after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Williams had been dealing with inflammation in the knee.
Given that there are just over three weeks of games remaining on the Trail Blazers’ schedule, Williams will almost certainly miss the rest of the regular season.
Portland is only two games back of the No. 10 seed, so if they were to qualify for the play-in and then earn a playoff berth, there’s technically a chance Williams could return at some point in the postseason during that four-to-six week timeline. However, that’s no certainty even in the unlikely event the Blazers advance that far.
Williams hasn’t played since Feb. 20 and has been limited to 20 games (three starts) with Portland this season. He’s averaging 5.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per night. Williams has appeared in just 26 total games since being traded to the Trail Blazers prior to the start of the 2023/24 season.
At full health, Williams is one of the premier defenders in the league. He averaged 10.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 2.2 blocks in the 2021/22 season, finishing seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He has appeared in 235 career games.
With Williams and fellow big man Deandre Ayton dealing with injuries this year, rookie center Donovan Clingan has filled in as Portland’s starting center in recent weeks and is performing admirably.
Lakers Notes: Luka, Reaves, Goodwin, Bronny, More
The Lakers will be shorthanded for Thursday’s matchup with Milwaukee, which is the second end of a back-to-back, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
In addition to LeBron James, who remains sidelined with a left groin strain, the Lakers will also be without superstar guard Luka Doncic, who continues to manage a sprained right ankle, sources tell McMenamin.
Austin Reaves will also be out tonight with his own right ankle sprain, the team announced, and Rui Hachimura will miss his 10th straight game due to left knee tendinopathy. Forwards Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle injury management) and Jarred Vanderbilt (right groin strain) are listed as doubtful.
As McMenamin notes, Thursday will mark Los Angeles’ sixth game in eight days, including a recent makeup contest against San Antonio from January that was postponed due to the L.A. wildfires. Other than trying to secure a favorable seed entering the playoffs, Vanderbilt said the team is focused on its health.
“Getting healthy,” Vanderbilt said. “S–t, that would be No. 1. Getting healthy. Getting rest with this stretch. And try to get some reps together. The main thing is getting healthy so we can try to keep building our chemistry.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- The acquisition of Doncic has transformed L.A.’s offense in numerous ways, as Jovan Buha of The Athletic details. The 25-year-old has been developing burgeoning chemistry with both Reaves and Jaxson Hayes. “He creates such havoc for teams’ defenses that 90 percent of the time people are blitzing him, as you can probably see, and he makes the right play out of the blitz,” Reaves said. “He doesn’t try to force it too much in those situations, and he makes the right play. So therefore you’re playing four-on-three, and it just comes down to playing the game the right way and passing it to the open person, because three people can’t guard four.“
- In another story for ESPN.com, McMenamin outlines how the Lakers have improved over the course of the season on the defensive end. Having Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent healthy and trading for Finney-Smith helped, but L.A.’s supposed liabilities have also been punching above their weight. “Even their biggest defensive liabilities in Reaves, LeBron and Luka, who is only so-so, are playing well above their defensive standards,” a Western Conference scout told ESPN.
- Two-way guard Jordan Goodwin has been another impact defender for the Lakers. As we noted this morning, he only has four active games remaining. “I’m just trying to find any way possible just to keep the job, keep being here. It’s going to be doing the little things,” Goodwin told McMenamin. “We already got our stars so we need guys to come in and be the role players, do the dirty work. So, I’m cool with doing that if that’s what’s going to keep me in the NBA.”
- Although all three of the Lakers’ two-way players are nearing their active game limits, a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking told McMenamin that the Lakers aren’t in a rush to make decisions on the back end of their roster.
- In an interview with Joe Vardon of The Athletic, guard Bronny James says he’s confident in the progress he’s made during his rookie campaign, particularly at the G League level with South Bay. “I definitely think I’ve improved, not only as a player, but just having a different mindset as a player to go out and play my game and play the game that I know how to play,” James said. “I feel really good about it — I see the progress.”
Spurs’ Mamukelashvili Makes NBA History In Career Night
Spurs big man Sandro Mamukelashvili put on a show in Wednesday’s victory over New York, setting an NBA record by scoring the most points in a game when playing fewer than 20 minutes, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com.
In 19 minutes and 26 seconds of action, which came exclusively in the second and fourth quarters, Mamukelashvili scored a career-best 34 points while chipping in nine rebounds and three assists. His efficiency was absolutely remarkable — he was 13-of-14 from the floor, including 7-of-7 from three-point range, and made his only free throw.
“I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” Mamukelashvili said. “I just can’t explain how I feel right now. I feel like I’m in a dream. I manifested and prayed for it. I just waited for this day. I really had an out-of-body experience for a little bit there. I was like, ‘Is this really happening?’”
According to Wright, Mamukelashvili became just the fourth player in league history to convert at least 90% of his field goal attempts while making all of his threes and free throws, joining Tyrese Haliburton, Gary Payton and Charles Barkley.
While the 25-year-old forward/center had scored in double figures in each of the three games preceding Wednesday’s eruption, his season-high entering the game was 14 points. That’s partly due to opportunity, or lack thereof — he had only been averaging 8.9 minutes per contest (now 9.1).
“It would be ridiculous to say that was expected in 19 minutes and 26 seconds of opportunity,” acting head coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s a really good shooter, and you’re just waiting for him to have one of those games. I think that probably exceeded some of the thought of having one of those games. But he comes to work every day. He’s the most consistent person, especially when you talk about the role that he has. That’s why you can hear a little bit of the guys [in the locker room] and their feeling for him.”
A former second-round pick (54th overall in 2021), Mamukelashvili has signed one-year, minimum-salary contracts with San Antonio each of the past two offseasons. The 25-year-old’s career night came at a great time, as he flew in his father to watch the game with other family members, Wright notes. Mamukelashvili will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
“I’m trying to get better. I’m trying to establish myself,” Mamukelashvili said. “I’m trying to show everybody that I belong. I’ll just keep taking strides towards that. I’m just so happy I have a support team behind me: my girl, my friends, my teammates, my family. Once it sinks in, you’re kind of like, ‘OK, I really worked for this and it’s happening.’ It was an unbelievable feeling.”
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 3/20/2025
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 2:00 pm Central time (3:00 pm Eastern).
Click here to read the transcript.
An early heads-up: next Thursday’s live chat is expected to take place at 12:00 pm CT instead of the usual 2:00 pm.
P.J. Tucker Signs Another 10-Day Deal With Knicks
2:00pm: Tucker’s second 10-day deal is now official, the Knicks confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).
10:22am: Veteran forward P.J. Tucker is signing a second 10-day contract with the Knicks, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports (via Twitter).
Tucker made his season debut on Wednesday with a two-minute cameo in a loss to San Antonio. He signed his initial 10-day contract with the anticipation that the Knicks would retain him for the remainder of the season. Another 10-day deal doesn’t guarantee that — he’ll have to be signed to a standard contract after this 10-day deal expires to attain that goal.
Tucker started off with the Clippers after picking up his $11.54MM player option over the summer. An agreement was reached in early October that he would remain away from the team while his agent worked with the front office to find a trade.
Nothing materialized until February 1 when the 39-year-old forward was sent to Utah as part of a four-player deal. He was traded again five days later, being shipped to Toronto as part of the five-team Jimmy Butler deal. He remained inactive with the Raptors until he was waived February 28.
Tucker will earn $189,872 over the course of his 10-day deal, while the Knicks carry a cap hit of $119,972. No roster move is necessary, as he’ll continue to hold the 15th spot on New York’s standard roster.