Celtics Notes: Sixers Game, Pritchard, White, Walsh
Tonight’s nationally televised game between Boston and Philadelphia will be lacking in star power. The Celtics (Twitter links) have ruled out Jaylen Brown (right knee posterior impingement), Al Horford (left big toe sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness), while Jrue Holiday remains sidelined with a broken finger on his right hand (mallet finger).
Both Jayson Tatum (right shoulder impingement) and Sam Hauser (right ankle sprain) are questionable to suit up, per the team.
The banged-up Sixers, who have already lost Joel Embiid, Jared McCain and Eric Gordon for the season, will be without Paul George this evening due to left groin soreness, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter). George, who has battled a variety of injuries in 2024/25, was previously listed as questionable.
Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain) and Kyle Lowry (right hip injury management) are also out for the 76ers, while Justin Edwards is questionable with a left ankle sprain, according to the league’s latest injury report.
Thursday is the second end of a back-to-back for Boston; Philadelphia last played on Tuesday.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- Guards Payton Pritchard and Derrick White made history in Wednesday’s 10-point victory over Portland, writes Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. In addition to becoming the first Celtics duo to score 40-plus points in the same game, they also became the first tandem in NBA history to each make at least nine three-pointers in the same contest. Both players set career highs in points and threes made, with Pritchard (43 and 10) slightly edging White (41 and nine). They were both extremely efficient — Pritchard shot 14-of-20 and chipped in 10 rebounds and five assists in 43 minutes, while White was 14-of-26 and also had three rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. Remarkably, they only combined for one turnover.
- Second-year forward Jordan Walsh was a surprise contributor in yesterday’s win, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. The 21-year-old has only averaged 8.0 minutes per game in 41 appearances this season, but he matched a season high by playing 21 minutes against the Blazers. As Robb writes, Walsh hadn’t played at all in three of the five games leading up to Wednesday’s contest, in part due to the signing of veteran Torrey Craig. However, Walsh was ahead of Craig on the depth chart yesterday and got an opportunity for playing time with Tatum, Porzingis and Holiday out.
- After the game, head coach Joe Mazzulla explained Walsh’s increased workload. He finished with three points and six rebounds. “Just with guys out, opportunity is there,” Mazzulla said, per Robb. “His ability to defend in individual defense, these guys do a great job of breaking guys down, and he’s really gotten better at that, and we needed someone who offensive rebounds. I think he got two big ones in the first half, I think he ended up with one more there, so just continuing to get better. It’s an opportunity to get him out there and make sure he continues to grow defensively and rebounding.”
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 3/6/2025
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 2:00 pm Central time (3:00 pm Eastern).
Raptors Provide Injury Updates On Ingram, Several Others
Former All-Star forward Brandon Ingram has yet to make his Raptors debut after being acquired in a trade with New Orleans ahead of last month’s deadline. He has been sidelined since December 7, when he suffered a “significant” left ankle sprain.
While Ingram has been able to increase his on-court activity in recent days, he’s still limited to solo work, with no timeline for his return to games or practices, the team announced today (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). The next update on Ingram, who signed a three-year, $120MM extension with Toronto shortly after the trade, will come in two weeks.
As Lewenberg relays (via Twitter), the Raptors also provided injury updates on several other players on Thursday afternoon. Third-year wing Ochai Agbaji, who sprained his left ankle last week vs. Chicago, is no longer in a walking boot and will ramp up his activity, but he has yet to resume practicing. Agbaji will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.
Rookie big man Jonathan Mogbo sustained a nasal fracture on Tuesday against Orlando and will miss at least one week. The former San Francisco star will wear a mask for the remainder of the 2024/25 season, tweets Lindsay Dunn of CityNews Toronto. As we noted a couple days ago, second-year guard Gradey Dick will be out at least two weeks due to a right knee injury.
On a more positive note, rookie sharpshooter Jamison Battle will be active going forward after missing the past five games with a broken nose. Veteran wing Garrett Temple is also back with the Raptors after being away from the team due to personal reasons.
Mavs’ Alex Jensen To Become Univ. Of Utah’s Head Coach
Veteran NBA assistant coach Alex Jensen, who is currently employed by the Mavericks, has agreed to a contract to become the new men’s head coach at the University of Utah, sources tell Jeff Borzello and Pete Thamel of ESPN.
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported a couple days ago that Jensen had emerged as one of the top candidates for the school’s head coaching vacancy. He will replace Craig Smith, who was fired last month after nearly four seasons at the helm.
Jensen, 46, is a Utah native who starred in college for the Utes, having been named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year back in 1999/2000. He was a starter for the team that advanced to the final of the 1998 NCAA Tournament, ultimately losing to Kentucky.
Jensen got his first coaching job under his former head coach, Rick Majerus, at the University of Saint Louis. After four seasons with the Billikens, Jensen transitioned to the NBA, spending 10 years as an assistant with the Jazz. He has been with the Mavericks since 2023.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link), Jensen is “well-liked” by the Mavericks and will likely have an opportunity to finish out the ’24/25 season in Dallas. Either way, Jensen will be joining the Utes at some point in the near future.
Wizards Notes: Smart, Sarr, Poole, Holmes, Middleton
Marcus Smart finds himself on one of the league’s worst teams. The veteran guard was dealt by Memphis to the Wizards last month and is attempting to make the best of it, he told Candace Buckner of the Washington Post.
“Controlling what I can control is my motto now as I’ve gotten older and I think that helps a lot because we are put to the test,” he said. “When you’re such a competitor and you’re so passionate, [then] to come to a team that’s young, rebuilding in a sense, you know, trying to figure it out. You know, it is frustrating, but the older you get, that experience, I went through it. So now I can see, sit down and understand by looking from 2017 till now, what can I do differently? And that is the way I respond.”
Smart, who is signed through next season, is trying to give his new teammates some tough love.
“They know I’m not here to hold your hand. I’m here to help you get better,” he said. “This group is very young but they have some talented guys who can be defensive players of the year, or all-star candidates, all-NBA candidates with some work. A little bit of experience, a little bit of guidance, and that’s what I’m here for.”
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- Alex Sarr has struggled to score at the rim in his rookie season but he was an inside force against Utah on Wednesday, racking up 21 points and making all but one of his seven attempts in the lane. “Definitely just trying to be aggressive. Get some easy ones around the rim before spacing out,” he said, per Varun Shankar of the Washington Post.
- Jordan Poole missed his third straight game with a right elbow hyperextension, Shankar notes. Coach Brian Keefe indicated that Poole did some on-court work, including shooting, on Wednesday. Big man Richaun Holmes missed his first game since late January with a left knee contusion, Shankar adds.
- While Smart and Khris Middleton, another trade-deadline acquisition, are playing key roles as mentors for the younger players, it’s quite possible – or perhaps likely – the Wizards will attempt to trade them after this season or before the 2026 trade deadline, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes in his latest mailbag. Robbins also fields questions on the draft and the organization’s player development program.
Raptors Sign Colin Castleton To 10-Day Contract
March 6: The signing is official, according to the NBA transactions log.
March 5: The Raptors intend to sign center Colin Castleton to a 10-day contract, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).
Castleton, who went undrafted out of Florida in 2023, spent his rookie year on a two-way contract with the Lakers and was on a two-way deal with the Grizzlies for most of the first half of this season. The 6’10” big man appeared in 26 combined games for the two NBA clubs, compiling 38 points and 21 rebounds in 105 total minutes.
Although Castleton’s playing time at the NBA level has been limited, he has performed well for the Lakers’, Grizzlies’, and Magic’s G League affiliates since going pro.
The 24-year-old, who has been playing for the Osceola Magic since being waived by the Grizzlies in January, has made 26 total G League appearances this season, averaging 17.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 30.2 minutes per game for Osceola and the Memphis Hustle.
Even after promoting center Orlando Robinson to a standard contract on Tuesday, Toronto has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Castleton. His 10-day contract will pay him $107,027 and will carry an identical cap hit on the Raptors’ books.
The Raptors don’t play again until Friday, so it’s unclear when exactly Castleton will sign his contract. The 10-day deal will run through at least Toronto’s next five games and could cover as many as six if it’s not officially completed until Friday.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Kokoskov, Heat, Adebayo, Banchero
Have the Hornets already gone into tank mode? It might seem that way, considering they’ve lost 17 of their 19 games. Head coach Charles Lee denies that’s the case.
“I think it would be very easy to sometimes lay down when you are in the position that you are, but we are obsessed with daily improvement,” Lee told Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “Part of daily improvement is going into every game and facing a different type of opponent, different strategy, different coverages, different matchups, and adjusting and adapting. And they’ve done a really good job of doing that.”
Miles Bridges says the players aren’t giving up, even as the losses pile up.
“We’ve got to play with pride — we’re in the NBA,” Bridges said. “We are blessed to be in the NBA. That’s my mindset coming into a game. I’m blessed to be here in the NBA, so I want to go out and give 100% and I try to give that to the other guys. Just going out and playing with pride. Being on a losing streak sucks for everybody. If we can get a win next game against the best team in the league (Cleveland on Friday), that will probably turn us up.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Igor Kokoskov became an NBA head coach again — at least for one night. The Hawks assistant filled in on Tuesday for Quin Snyder, who was battling an illness. Atlanta lost to Milwaukee, 127-121. Kokoskov was Phoenix’s head coach during the 2018/19 season. “None of us knew until right before tipoff,” point guard Trae Young told Charles Odum of the Associated Press. “He was here early. It kind of surprised us but we still had a game to go play. It sucks we couldn’t get him the win.”
- As things stand, the Heat could wind up with two first-round picks in this year’s rich draft. The Heat will keep its own pick if it misses the opening round of the playoffs, most likely by losing in the play-in tournament. The Heat will receive the Warriors first-round pick if it falls between 11-30, which is becoming an increasing likely outcome. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald takes a look at some of the players who might be available in the middle of the first round, including UConn’s Liam McNeeley, Duke’s Kon Knueppel and Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears.
- Bam Adebayo‘s offensive production has increased since rookie Heat center Kel’el Ware was inserted into the starting lineup. That’s no coincidence, he told Jackson. “It gave me more energy to play offense,” he said. “I’m not in every pick-and-roll. Obviously, he’s guarding the five [the center]. A lot of four men [power forwards] don’t and do the things that fives do. For me, it definitely let a load off me where I definitely could focus more on scoring.” Adebayo averaged 15.7 PPG in the first 40 games and 21.3 PPG in the past 19 games, including 17 with Ware starting.
- The Magic anticipated they’d be on the upswing once Paolo Banchero started producing at his usual levels again. It hasn’t worked out that way. Banchero, who was sidelined for two-and-a-half months with an abdominal injury, has averaged 29.6 points on 47.8% shooting, 6.3 rebounds, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 34.7 minutes over the past seven games. However, Orlando has lost four straight, including twice to the Raptors. “We’ve got to do some soul-searching,” Banchero told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “The good thing about a time like this is that, really, the only way you can go is up.”
Ja Morant Continues To Battle Shoulder Issues
After sitting out games on Saturday and Monday due to right shoulder soreness, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant returned to action on Wednesday vs. the Thunder. However, speaking to reporters after the game, Morant suggested that he probably should have taken more time off to recover from the injury.
“Terrible,” Morant said when asked how he felt being back out on the court (Twitter video link via Matt Infield of Action News 5). “I should’ve been out, but I was out there. Regardless of out, in — there’s going to be something said.”
Morant has repeatedly missed time due to right shoulder issues this season after having that shoulder surgically repaired in January 2024. When one reporter began to point out that this isn’t the first time this season Morant has acknowledged playing through pain, the Grizzlies guard cut him off and said, “I’ve played like this all season honestly, but is what it is.”
Morant has appeared in 38 games this season for Memphis, averaging 20.9 points per game on .431/.284/.839 shooting. Those numbers are down from the ones he was putting up prior to tearing his labrum last season.
That dip in production is partly by design — Morant’s 29.4 minutes per game represents the fewest he has ever averaged, and his 31.4% usage rate has declined from where it was in 2021/22 and ’22/23. He has spoken about cutting back on high-flying dunk attempts and prioritizing his health over making highlight-reel plays.
Still, Morant has missed 24 games and hasn’t looked quite right even when he’s played, raising questions about how his health and availability will affect the Grizzlies’ ceiling in this year’s postseason, notes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Asked after Wednesday’s loss if he expects to have to deal with the shoulder injury for the rest of the season, Morant simply replied, “I don’t know.”
Western Notes: Harden, Kuminga, Hawkins, Nuggets
The Clippers had lost six of their last seven games and had fallen to ninth in the Western Conference standings entering Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit. They were also missing top scorer Norman Powell. So James Harden‘s 50-point outburst, which helped the team snap a three-game losing streak, was a welcome sight.
As Law Murray of The Athletic writes, it was Harden’s first 50-point game since December 2019 and the first time a Clipper had achieved the feat since Lou Williams in January 2018.
“To see him come out and score 50 on (the second night of) a back-to-back at the age of 35 just says a lot about him and competing every night,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said after the victory. “Playing 38 minutes again on a back-to-back, but we needed every bit of it.”
It was a vintage performance for Harden, who set new personal season highs by making 14 field goals and getting to the free throw line 20 times. After leading the NBA in points per game for three straight years during his time in Houston, Harden has become more of a facilitator and a secondary scoring option in his mid-30s, but he made it clear on Wednesday he’s still capable of big scoring nights.
“I can do it, you know,” Harden said. “It’s not my first time. So somebody who has done it for the first time, it probably takes a lot of energy. For me, it’s just understanding the game. That’s the game within the game.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga won’t return on the team’s current road trip after all, having been ruled out for Thursday’s game in Brooklyn, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kuminga, who has been out since January 4 due to a right ankle sprain, has been scrimmaging and there was a sense he might return at some point during Golden State’s five-game trip. But with the team on a tear, having won of seven of eight games, there’s certainly no need to rush him back.
- Pelicans second-year guard Jordan Hawkins is still bothered by the back pain that sidelined him earlier this season, but he has adjusted to playing through it and has been more effective as of late, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. Hawkins put up 14.8 points per game on 47.9% shooting (36.7% on three-pointers) during the team’s recent four-game road trip, well above his season-long averages. “He’s playing more consistent where he has more consistent minutes,” head coach Willie Green said. “He understands what his role is when he steps on the floor. This is a part of his growth.”
- One month removed from the February 6 trade deadline, a panel of writers for The Athletic – Jovan Buha, Sam Amick, Christian Clark, and Anthony Slater – check in on where things stand in the Western Conference. The group largely agrees that the Warriors have improved most in the short term and the Lakers have improved most in the long term as a result of their deadline moves. However, three of the four panelists still view the Nuggets as the best bet to knock off the Thunder for a spot in the NBA Finals this spring.
Cavaliers Become First Team To Clinch Playoff Berth
The Cavaliers clinched a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday with a 112-107 win over the Heat (Twitter link). Even if Cleveland loses all of its remaining 20 games, the club would be guaranteed a playoff spot.
While the Cavs were projected to be a playoff team in the East this season, no one expected them to be quite this good. As Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes, their 52-10 record is the best in franchise history through 62 games and they’re one of two teams in NBA history to register three separate winning streaks of at least 12 games in a single season, joining the 2006/07 Mavericks.
The Cavaliers, who have held the East’s No. 1 seed since October 30, opened the season with 15 consecutive wins. They also won 12 in a row from December 13 to January 9 and are currently riding another 12-game winning streak, which they’ll look to extend on Friday in Charlotte.
“Everything’s kind of gone our way, right?” head coach Kenny Atkinson said on Wednesday. “We have great talent, great continuity, great togetherness. … There’s luck when you do that. There has to be because it’s so hard to win in the NBA. It’s special. It’s really special. We know what we’re going to be judged on, but we enjoy this.”
Although the Cavaliers are now assured of a playoff spot, they’ve maintained the same message all season after being eliminated in the second round of the 2024 postseason: their goal is a championship, not just regular season success.
“This was an expectation,” Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell said of clinching a playoff spot, per Vardon. “Is it great that we did it in March? Yeah, but this is the bare minimum for us.”