Jason Kidd: Kyrie Irving’s Injury Was ‘Freak Accident’
Kyrie Irving had been taking on a larger workload since Luka Doncic was injured on Christmas Day and ultimately traded, so there was speculation that the increased stress on his body contributed to the season-ending ACL tear he suffered Monday night. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd strongly disagreed with that theory during a session with reporters prior to Wednesday’s game at Milwaukee, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
“The load didn’t have anything to do with the injury,” Kidd said. “We’re talking about one play. It’s a freak accident. That’s how it should be reported, but we’re not reporting it right. We’re reporting on conspiracy theories.
“We want our stars to play as many minutes [as possible],” Kidd continued. “This isn’t supposed to be a ‘rest’ league. Kai is our leader. Kai was playing [high] minutes. He also was playing at a high level, maybe some of the best basketball that he’s played in his career. And it’s all right to play 40 minutes. We can’t talk from both sides and say that our stars don’t play enough minutes or guys don’t play enough.”
The “freak accident” that Kidd referenced came in the first quarter of Monday’s game against Sacramento when Irving tried to split defenders DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas. He landed awkwardly on his left leg before falling to the ground and grabbing his knee. He was fouled on the play and managed to make two free throws before being helped to the locker room.
With only eight healthy players on the roster, Dallas lost by 30 points to the Bucks after falling by 24 points against the Kings. The Mavericks are now 32-31, and their hold on the West’s final play-in spot looks increasingly shaky.
Kidd added that Irving embraced the idea of taking on extra minutes in light of the injuries.
“He’s well conditioned and he invited that,” Kidd said. “He wanted that. Are we reporting that? No, we’re not reporting that. We’re reporting that we’re running someone into the ground. That’s not true. That’s his job, it’s to play. He loves to play. It’s all right to play 40 minutes at the age of 32 in a month’s span. This isn’t the whole season.”
Irving certainly seemed capable of handling the increased minutes, averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 50 games this season. He made his ninth All-Star appearance last month and has rehabilitated his image after a series of controversial incidents in Brooklyn.
That was among the points Bucks coach Doc Rivers made in his pregame press conference, Curtis adds in a separate story.
“Kyrie’s a massive loss,” Rivers said. “I feel awful about that. He’s done a lot for Dallas, the team. He has really changed the perception of him. He’s always been one of the more likable guys in the league. Always the first to talk to the other players. Just watching [the injury] was sad, watching him shoot free throws. … Just a tough blow.”
Lakers Notes: Doncic, LeBron, Reaves, Buss, Davis
Luka Doncic‘s elite play-making skills can take time to get used to, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Doncic has brought a new dynamic to the Lakers‘ offense since being acquired from Dallas last month, but it took a while for his new teammates to adjust to the unexpected passes he sometimes delivers.
“There’s a non-cadence to the way Luka plays, if that makes sense,” coach J.J. Redick explained. “A lot of offensive players have pre-programmed reads. He just does [expletive] that you’re like, ‘What, why did you do that?’ There was a blitz against our bench in the second half. Could have made one read, could have made another read, made the read that I would have picked last and we ended up getting the layup on it.”
The Lakers have scored 122.8 points per 100 possessions over their last three games as the team gets more comfortable with Doncic in charge of the offense. The biggest beneficiary has been LeBron James, who has averaged a team-high 27.2 PPG in the 10 games he has played alongside Doncic.
“In order for us to be the team ultimately we need to be, the ball needs to be in Luka’s hands,” James said. “And then when Luka sits down, the ball can be in my hands or be (Austin Reaves’) hands when he gets back. But I’m very comfortable playing off the ball and finding my spots, running the floor, getting the outlet pass from Luka, being on the backside of the defense if he’s either being blitzed in pick-and-rolls or switched in pick-and-rolls. He attracts so many eyes and bodies. I’ve been very blessed to be able to be adaptable to whatever team I’ve been on throughout my career, to be able to change. And this is another instance and I’m looking forward to that.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- James reached another career milestone Tuesday night, becoming the first player in league history to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and playoffs, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James accomplished the feat on his first shot of the night and went on to score 34 points in a victory over New Orleans. “It’s a hell of a lot of points, and I’m super blessed to be able to put that many points up in the best league in the world with the best players in the world over my career,” James said in a post-game interview with Spectrum SportsNet. “It’s pretty special.”
- Reaves is listed as probable for Thursday’s matchup with New York after missing the last two games with a right calf strain, McMenamin tweets. After leaving Friday’s game early due to the injury, Reaves underwent an MRI on Saturday that didn’t reveal any serious damage.
- In a discussion of the Doncic trade during an NPR interview, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss referenced Anthony Davis‘ distaste for playing center and the team’s recent playoff frustrations as reasons for the deal. “We gave up a lot to get Luka Doncic. We’re happy we have him,” Buss said. “We have lost the last three years in a row to the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, and we really didn’t have anything that was going to look different going into the playoffs again. Anthony Davis was complaining about where he was being played and he wasn’t happy. So I think this was a positive for both teams. They got what they were looking for; we got what we were looking for. And I didn’t realize it was going to be international news like it was, but that’s the power of the Laker brand and its ability to draw big names who want to write their own chapter in Lakers history.”
Atlantic Notes: Poeltl, Ingram, Brunson, Towns, Robinson, Embiid
Raptors center Jakob Poeltl sees last month’s trade for Brandon Ingram as proof that the organization expects to be competitive next season, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Although Ingram hasn’t played since suffering a sprained ankle November 22 while he was still with New Orleans, he has started working out before games. Even if he has to wait until next season to see Ingram in action, Poeltl is excited about the core group that has been put together.
“(The trade) just kind of followed up on what they’ve been talking about, well, really, for the past year, year and a half, which is like, ‘No, we don’t want to tank and go through the draft.’ They wanted to get back to winning quickly. Obviously,” he said. “Yes, you got to try and build up a new team. You got to build on some young guys, and you got to go through some more difficult times, but they’ve always communicated that they want to be aggressive, making moves like that. And so, yeah, I think it’s really good, and it’s good for us as a team.”
The Raptors are also being careful with Poeltl, who is operating under a minutes restriction due to a hip injury he suffered last month and frequently doesn’t play beyond the third quarter. He would prefer to be challenging for a playoff spot, but he understands why the team has dedicated the final few weeks of the season to developing its young talent.
“Obviously, you want to win games, like there’s no way around it,” he said. “I want to win games now, and sometimes it’s frustrating to lose games when you’re in that learning process. But I think, like you said, I’m one of those guys. I can see the big picture. I can understand the process, and bought into it, so I know what to expect, and then I’m OK with that.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Knicks saw Tuesday’s game slip away when Golden State started double-teaming Jalen Brunson in the fourth quarter and taking the ball out of his hands, observes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. That strategy led to five straight empty possessions, which allowed the Warriors to pull away. Brunson called it “something we can learn from,” but the Knicks still haven’t shown their offense can be effective without Karl-Anthony Towns, who missed the game due to personal reasons. Towns is expected back on Thursday when New York starts a five-game West Coast swing, sources tell Bondy (Twitter link).
- Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is only averaging 13.7 minutes in three games since returning from ankle surgery, but his playing time is expected to increase on the road trip, Bondy adds. Bondy also questions coach Tom Thibodeau’s decision to remove Precious Achiuwa from the rotation now that Robinson is playing again.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac examines the Sixers‘ options with Joel Embiid, concluding that there’s no easy way to cut ties with the injured center if he’s unable to regain his All-NBA form. Embiid has four years and a projected $248MM left on his contract after this season, leading to him, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey taking up nearly the team’s entire salary cap over the next three years. Unless Philadelphia can find someone willing to trade for Embiid’s hefty contract, the only options are a waive-and-stretch procedure, which wouldn’t be possible until after the 2026/27 season, or a medical retirement, which would have to be approved by the Fitness to Play panel or by a doctor jointly selected by the NBA and the players union.
Southwest Notes: K. Jones, Whitmore, Sheppard, J. Green, Wembanyama
It only took one game for Kai Jones to join the Mavericks‘ long injured list, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Jones, who signed a two-way contract on Monday, was ruled out of tonight’s game at Milwaukee about an hour before tipoff due to a quad strain.
Jones had a productive debut with Dallas Monday night, coming off the bench to score 21 points and grab eight rebounds in 34 minutes. He provides a much-needed addition to the front court with Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively sidelined by injuries. All three are set to be reevaluated on Thursday, but it’s possible none of them will be close to returning.
Even without the injury, Jones’ availability would have been limited because of the restrictions that come with his two-way contract. His 50-game limit is pro-rated, so he can only be active 11 more times for the rest of the season unless the Mavs convert him to a standard deal, which they can’t do until April 10 because of their hard cap situation.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Cam Whitmore and Reed Sheppard were both outstanding on Monday at Oklahoma City as the Rockets were missing five rotation players, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Whitmore had 27 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks, while Sheppard contributed 25 points and five assists. Both players have been on the fringe of Houston’s rotation lately and were happy to get the opportunity. “It felt great,” Sheppard said. “Just getting the chance to be out there and play. It was a lot of fun getting a rhythm and flow, up and down. Being able to knock down some shots and get some assists. Really fun game. We didn’t win and that part sucks, but being out there with the guys and battling was fun.”
- Rockets guard Jalen Green has gotten better at protecting the ball while improving his play-making skills, Iko adds. Green averaged 4.4 assists per game in February, the best one-month performance of his career, and he’s in the 54th percentile in turnover percentage while being in the 99th percentile in usage rate. “It’s a process that he improved on last year,” coach Ime Udoka said. “But understanding — especially on a night where guys are missing — he’s going to be the focal point of a defense. Continue to work on it, improve in that area. It’s something we’ve really stressed to him and he’s gotten better at.”
- Mark Medina of Sportskeeda talked with several doctors who specialize in blood clots about their prognosis for Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. Those medical experts are guardedly optimistic that Wembanyama will be able to recover and return to a normal playing schedule next season.
Heat Notes: Larsson, Mitchell, Rotation, Starting Lineup
Before Monday, Pelle Larsson had logged less than a minute of playing time since the All-Star break, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. The rookie shooting guard had to find other ways to stay game-ready while he waited for an opportunity, which often came in the form of one-on-one and two-on-two contests involving Heat teammates Terry Rozier, Haywood Highsmith and Jaime Jaquez.
Those efforts paid off when Miami was down to nine players for Monday’s contest against Washington. Larsson played nearly 28 minutes and contributed a career-high 16 points in the victory, along with four rebounds and five assists.
“We needed some kind of energy, spark from somebody and we talked about it, that’s a challenge, and we definitely felt Pelle,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He brought energy. He brought that extra oomph that carried over to everybody else. And some swing moments of the game he just seemed to have his imprint with the deflections, the steals, the timely cuts, all of that.”
Larsson’s expanded role may continue until the Heat are closer to full strength. The organization has emphasized development for the 44th pick in last year’s draft, and the increased playing time could help speed up that process.
“He understands what his role is,” Spoelstra added. “He came in as a role player, an elite role player in college, on a very good basketball team. And some people view that as a negative. We view it as a real positive and somebody who also has upside still, because of his work ethic. He’s tenacious behind the scenes. That’s why he’s able to stay ready. He puts in so much time, it’s two, three workouts a day. You have to kick him out of the gym. But he wants to continue to improve. He wants to find ways he can help.”
There’s more on the Heat:
- Davion Mitchell will return tonight at Cleveland after sitting out Monday’s contest due to a quadriceps contusion, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Mitchell said the injury occurred in Sunday’s game when he ran into a screen set by Mitchell Robinson. It bothered him for a day, but it’s feeling better now.
- Even though the Heat were missing several players on Monday, Spoelstra kept Highsmith, Kyle Anderson and Duncan Robinson in reserve roles, Jackson adds. Spoelstra explained that “rotation continuity” was behind his decision. “Whenever Duncan plays well, it has a massive impact on our team,” he said. “I want him feeling comfort. He has played really well. That spark, that energy off the bench is important. and Kyle is a plug and play guy. I’m really impressed with his IQ and feel for the game. You put the ball in his hands and he can do a lot of stuff that Bam (Adebayo) does at the top of the floor. He can run offense.”
- With Tyler Herro sidelined by a head cold, the Heat are once again using a starting lineup tonight that has never played together before, Jackson tweets. Adebayo, Mitchell and Rozier will be joined by Kevin Love and Alec Burks.
Kevin Love Talks About Adjusting To Reduced Role With Heat
As Kevin Love returns to Cleveland tonight for the first time since agreeing a buyout in 2023, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald points out that he’s filling a role with the Heat that he wasn’t willing to accept with the Cavaliers two years ago. Love has become an elder statesman in Miami, dispensing knowledge more often than taking the court. He told Jackson that he “wasn’t ready yet” to be a part-time player at age 34, but that has changed now that he’s 36.
“I’m certainly understanding of where I’m at,” Love said. “It’s one of the things I told coach (Erik Spoelstra). I get it. I want to keep pouring into this team and doing whatever I can. Stay ready, and if I do or do not get time, I’m going to keep being a mentor or sounding board for (teammates).”
Love has appeared in 20 games this season, averaging 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 11 minutes per night. Jackson notes that he has only gotten onto the court in five of the past 27 games when he’s been on the active roster and has played just 36 combined minutes since January 1.
However, Love occasionally shows flashes of the talent that earned him five All-Star appearances and has enabled him to remain in the league for 17 years. With the Heat short-handed Monday against Washington, Love came off the bench to grab nine rebounds in 12 minutes.
Love inherited the veteran leadership role that Udonis Haslem used to fill before he retired. He uses a mix of humor and serious discussions to keep his teammates focused, adding that the conversations often spin off into other directions.
With one season left on his contract at $4.2MM, it’s a role that Love figures to occupy for at least another year.
“I let Tyler (Herro) come to me about stuff non-basketball related,” he said. “I’m trying to create a really great ecosystem here where we can celebrate each other, celebrate small wins, and build guys up. I know how this thing goes. It’s monotonous. Guys can get into a situation (where they’re wondering), ‘Are we headed for the play-in again? Or what are we doing?”
Love told Jackson that returning to Cleveland will be meaningful after missing both games last season — one due to injury and another for personal reasons. Tonight is Miami’s only trip to Rocket Arena this season, although the teams could meet in the playoffs if Miami winds up with the No. 8 seed.
“I have so much love for that organization and city and Ohio,” Love said. “When you go on a Finals run with special players, that will always be a part of you. I’ll probably go home and look at my ring and reflect a little bit.”
Community Shootaround: Phoenix Suns’ Outlook
The Suns gave fans in Phoenix something to cheer about on Tuesday night as they rallied from a 23-point second-half deficit against the Clippers to get back in the win column.
But it has been has still been a miserable stretch for the team — since the start of February, the Suns have lost 11 of 15 games and have fallen from eighth place in the Western Conference to 11th, three games out of a play-in spot.
Even Tuesday’s comeback victory wasn’t without some drama, as star forward Kevin Durant had to answer questions after the game about a heated exchange with head coach Mike Budenholzer that occurred during the first quarter.
A slew of injuries in Dallas have opened the door for the Suns to potentially catch the Mavericks for the No. 10 seed and make the play-in tournament. But accomplishing that feat won’t be easy, given that they have the most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA, per Tankathon. And even if they can get to No. 10, nothing the Suns have shown this season suggests they’re capable of winning two play-in games on the road, then upsetting the top-seeded Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
As Zach Harper of The Athletic writes, the Suns have the NBA’s most expensive roster ($214MM+) and project to have the fourth-highest luxury tax bill in league history ($152MM+). Their defense is one of the league’s worst, ranking ahead of only Utah, New Orleans, and Washington. They have a -2.5 net rating when their “big three” of Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal share the court together.
It all points to a roster in desperate need of a shake-up, and it certainly seemed as if the Suns were aware of that fact ahead of last month’s trade deadline, though the team’s second-apron position made it difficult to navigate the trade market. The front office spent weeks trying to find a way to acquire Jimmy Butler using Beal as an outgoing piece, but found no takers for the guard’s unwieldy maximum-salary contract.
In the days leading up to the deadline, Phoenix pivoted to exploring the trade market for Durant, which “blindsided” the team’s top scorer. Back in the fall, Suns owner Mat Ishbia expressed confidence about signing Durant to an extension during the 2025 offseason, but a summer divorce now seems to be a far more likely outcome, given how irked the 36-year-old was to be put on the trade block without his knowledge.
Appearing on ESPN Countdown on Sunday (Twitter video link), Shams Charania suggested it will be an eventful offseason in Phoenix.
“Unless there’s a significant run here into the playoffs for the Phoenix Suns, league sources believe that there will be real changes in Phoenix coming to the Suns,” Charania said. “From a roster standpoint, that likely starts with Kevin Durant.
“… From my understanding, what it would look like is the Suns and Durant would work together on any potential trade to a contender. I would expect four to six contending teams with some serious involvement in Durant. He’s still playing at a really high level. He is extension-eligible in the offseason too, and as we know with the Jimmy Butler situation, the extension plays a big factor.”
As Charania points out, we may not get clarity on what the group of suitors for Durant would look like until later in the spring, since early postseason exits or deep playoff runs could make certain clubs more or less inclined to pursue a maximum-salary star entering his age-37 season.
Of course, if major changes are afoot in Phoenix, we shouldn’t necessary assume that Durant will be the only key player the team makes available. Beal figures to be back on the trade block, though his contract and his no-trade clause will continue to make it difficult for the Suns to find a taker.
The belief is that Booker will remain off the table, with Phoenix looking to build around him going forward, but Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) wonders if the Suns might reconsider that stance in the summer, arguing that the franchise would be better off with a full reset.
We want to know what you think. What should the Suns be looking to get back in a trade for Durant? Will it be possible to move Beal? Should Booker be made available? Having traded away control of all of their own draft picks for the next seven years, does a rebuild make any sense for the Suns or should they be looking to quickly retool and remain in the playoff hunt?
Head to the comment section below to share your two cents!
Central Notes: Dosunmu, Walker, Jerome, Pistons
Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, who was scheduled to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday, said on Tuesday that he’s still not sure when the initial injury – a fracture along the back side of his left shoulder – occurred, according to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.
“It is kind of bizarre just knowing that there was a fracture there,” Dosunmu said. “It was something that I played on — and I think I could have continued to play on. But I don’t know, for whatever reason the last time (he aggravated the injury), it probably knocked it out in a different way, because it was a different pain than I previously felt.”
Dosunmu will be entering the final year of his current contract in 2025/26 as he comes back from his procedure on his shoulder. As Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times observes, that would be a stressful situation for many NBA players, but the Bulls guard welcomes the challenge of returning from this injury, having a big contract year, and helping the team take a step forward.
“I thrive in situations like that,” Dosunmu said. “I thrive in adversity, proving people wrong, wherever the doubters may be. . . . I’m excited for the rehab process. Like I said, taking it one day at a time. Just looking at it as a blessing in disguise.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Pacers forward Jarace Walker, who hasn’t been part of the rotation for the past month, continues to handle his demotion admirably, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. As Dopirak details, the former eighth overall pick hadn’t been assigned to the G League all season before this week, but welcomed the opportunity to suit up for the Indiana Mad Ants and see legitimate game action on Monday. “I’m not gonna lie, I was excited,” said Walker, who ended up posting a triple-double (20 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists) for the Pacers’ G League affiliate. “Any time I can work on my game, hoop, have fun, still be with the guys, it’s a good experience for me. I had a great time. It was kind of a no-brainer.”
- In a subscriber-only story for Cleveland.com, Chris Fedor considers whether the Cavaliers can – and will – re-sign Ty Jerome when he reaches free agency this summer following a breakout season. As Fedor writes, the Cavs are headed into apron territory next season, but will have the ability to make Jerome a competitive offer using his Early Bird rights if they’re comfortable further increasing their team salary.
- The Pistons‘ decision to bring in Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. as veteran leaders last summer has paid major dividends. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press takes a closer look at the positive impact the “Uncle T’s” have had in Detroit’s locker room this season.
Clippers’ Powell Out At Least 10 Days With Hamstring Strain
After missing five games due to a left knee injury (patellar tendinopathy), Clippers wing Norman Powell lasted just nine minutes in his return on Sunday before exiting the game due to a right leg injury.
As Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints tweets, Powell has been diagnosed with a hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in 10 days, according to the Clippers.
The team technically made that announcement on Tuesday night, so Powell’s evaluation date is set for March 14. Even if he’s able to return to action that night, he’ll have missed at least six games due to the injury, including yesterday’s loss to Phoenix.
Powell has had a career year in Los Angeles in 2024/25, with averages of 23.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game and a .494/.424/.821 shooting line across 46 outings (33.0 MPG).
However, injuries have impacted his availability in recent weeks and it’s hurting the Clippers, who have gone just 1-6 since the All-Star break and now sit ninth in the Western Conference at 32-29 after having held a top-six seed for most of the season.
Powell’s latest injury will also make him ineligible for Most Improved Player consideration. He had been one of the leading candidates for the award, but will no longer be able to meet the 65-game minimum necessary to qualify.
Newcomers Bogdan Bogdanovic and Ben Simmons have played regular rotation roles with Powell sidelined, while Kawhi Leonard, Kris Dunn, and Amir Coffey have all seen minute bumps.
D’Angelo Russell Interested In Re-Signing With Nets?
When the Nets acquired D’Angelo Russell from the Lakers in the Dorian Finney-Smith trade in December, the veteran point guard was included primarily because of his $18.7MM expiring contract, not because Brooklyn was specifically looking to reunite with the former Net.
However, Russell has been a stabilizing force in Brooklyn’s backcourt for the last two-plus months. While his individual numbers – 13.7 points and 5.7 assists in 24.1 minutes per game on .380/.313/.887 shooting – aren’t great, the Nets are 8-10 in games he has played and 1-10 in the ones he has missed.
The team also has a -1.2 net rating in D-Lo’s 434 minutes on the court, compared to a -13.2 mark in the 963 minutes he hasn’t played since the trade.
Russell, who expressed enthusiasm in the wake of the December trade about returning to an organization he was familiar with, is believed to have told people around him that he’d like to stick with the Nets beyond this season, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
While there’s no guarantee that will happen, it seems more viable now than it did when he was first acquired, according to Lewis, who notes that it remains unclear how Nets general manager Sean Marks plans to use his cap room this summer with so few top-tier free agents on track to reach the open market.
If Brooklyn doesn’t need all $60MM+ of its cap room for trades or outside free agents, or if the front office decides to roll that room over to the 2026 offseason, it could make sense for the team to offer a one-year contract or a two-year deal with a team option to Russell, Lewis writes.
That may appeal to Russell too, Lewis adds, given that there are so few teams projected to have cap room — the veteran point guard seems unlikely to receive a substantial offer from another suitor.
How the Nets use Russell over the season’s final weeks could provide a hint at their offseason plans. One subplot to watch, Lewis suggests, will be how the 29-year-old meshes in the backcourt with Cam Thomas. The two guards, neither of whom are known for their defense, have missed time with injuries since Russell’s arrival and played together for just the second time on Tuesday.
Like Russell, Thomas is on an expiring contract. The fourth-year shooting guard will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.