Spurs Notes: Harper, Castle, Bryant, Johnson, Kornet
With Victor Wembanyama out due to a concussion, the Spurs needed their other young players to step up against the Trail Blazers, and in Game 3 on Friday, and that’s exactly what happened.
Dylan Harper came off the bench to score 27 points, and he credited Spurs legend Manu Ginobili for helping him be ready for the moment, according to ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. Harper became the youngest player ever to score 25 or more points off the bench in a playoff game. And with his 10 rebounds, he also became the youngest guard in league history with a playoff double-double, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
“It was a moment I’ve been waiting for since I was a little kid,” Harper said. “This is the biggest stage of basketball you could ever get to.”
Stephon Castle also played a major role in the victory, scoring a game-high 33 points along with five assists. He and Harper became the first 21-and-under duo to each have 25 or more points in a playoff game since Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in 2010.
We have more notes from the Spurs:
- While Harper and Castle stole the show, rookie Carter Bryant was crucial to the victory as well, according to McDonald. “Obviously Dylan’s box score is loud,” coach Mitch Johnson said. “But I think Carter’s game was probably just as loud.” Functioning as a small-ball center, Bryant was passing up shots and hurting the team’s offense until he hit a step-back three in the third quarter. He then proceeded to shut down Blazers star Deni Avdija for the next 10 minutes, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “As much as I work on my game, for the other team, it’s demoralizing when I hit a shot like that,” Bryant said. “Just understanding what the game of basketball is. Like, they’re living with me shooting that shot. Clock is winding down, (I) look up, there’s three seconds on the shot clock. Shoot it. Let the ball fly. (I) work too hard not to trust it.”
- As Weiss notes, Spurs rookies Bryant and Harper have a long-standing friendship that dates back to their AAU days. “I told him once he hit that step-back three: I’m like, ‘Yo, this is time for you to turn it up a notch. You’ve been waiting for this,'” Harper said. ‘”Me and you always wanted to play with each other, even in college. Now, we got the opportunity to flip this game.'”
- Recently crowned Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson has struggled with his offense in the series, having not hit double-digit scoring in any of the three games. He’s confident it’s just a matter of time until he gets back to playing his game, Tom Orsborn writes for the San Antonio-Express News. “Every game is different when it comes to the playoffs, and I’m just feeling out the game and trying to find my rhythm, trying to find my groove and my niche and just continue to play hard,” Johnson said. “As long as we’re winning, that’s the most important thing. I’ll find my rhythm (offensively) as we go throughout. I’ll continue to take the same shots and I’ll make the shots.”
- Luke Kornet has been a reliable option every time the Spurs have needed him to fill in for Wembanyama, and Friday was no exception. Kornet matched or set career playoff highs in points (14), rebounds (10), assists (two), and minutes played (30) while adding a pair of blocks and knocking down his first three-pointer in two years, per Orsborn. “It’s fun to shoot one. Fun to make it. Fun to get the win,” Kornet said. No one on the team was surprised that the big man was able to provide such a spark when called upon. “I feel like he’s been consistent for us all year,” said Johnson. “Whenever we’ve been shorthanded or Vic hasn’t been able to play, he stepped up and filled that role, field that void. He’s been tremendous for us.”
Victor Wembanyama To Travel With Spurs To Portland
Less than 48 hours after being diagnosed with a concussion as the result of a hard fall in Game 2 vs. Portland, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama appears to be trending in the right direction.
Appearing on Inside The NBA late on Wednesday night (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of ESPN said that Wembanyama’s symptoms hadn’t worsened and that he was able to do some cardio work yesterday. The third-year star was back at the Spurs’ facility on Thursday, and while he isn’t permitted to fully ramp up his activity quite yet, head coach Mitch Johnson said he “looks good.”
“The update is that he is following the league’s protocol and he’s progressing and he’ll travel with the team,” Johnson said (Twitter video link via Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News).
Although Wembanyama is able to travel with the Spurs to Portland, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be able to suit up for Game 3 on Friday or Game 4 on Sunday. Johnson didn’t rule out that possibility, but cautioned it will depend on Wembanyama’s ability to meet certain benchmarks in the return-to-play process and showing that he’s symptom-free.
As the Spurs’ coach noted, there are strict guidelines defined by the NBA for players coming off concussions, so it won’t just be a matter of the team’s medical staff making a decision on the Defensive Player of the Year’s availability. An independent neurologist designated by the league must also sign off on Wembanyama’s return.
“Obviously, we hope he’ll be back at some point, but we’ll allow the protocol to play out, and there’s nothing more important than his health,” Johnson said.
While Wembanyama’s status remains up in the air, Johnson did share some good news on guard Dylan Harper (thumb) and forward Harrison Barnes (shoulder) on Thursday, telling Orsborn and other reporters that both players will be “available and good to go” for Game 3 on Friday (Twitter link).
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Harper, Barnes, Fox
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was diagnosed with a concussion after taking a scary fall to the court in the second quarter of Tuesday’s Game 2 loss to Portland, but there’s no indication he sustained any additional injuries on top of that. Head coach Mitch Johnson said as much during his post-game media session and a pair of team officials confirmed it, per Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News (Bluesky link).
Still, it’s little solace that Wembanyama suffered “just” a concussion, given how tricky they can be to manage. According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), the average absence for a concussion is about seven-to-10 days, per the NBA’s injury tracking data, which would mean the Defensive Player of the Year would miss at least Games 3 and 4 — and potentially more than that.
For his part, Wembanyama is hopeful of beating that timeline. Appearing on NBA Today on Wednesday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the third-year star reported to the Spurs’ facility today and is aiming to travel with the team to Portland on Thursday, though that has yet to be determined. According to Charania, the Spurs and Wembanyama are “taking this very much day by day” and his status for Friday’s Game 3 remains up in the air.
As McDonald writes, Wembanyama’s teammates know they have to be prepared to do a better job without him than they did down the stretch on Tuesday, when they blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead.
“We all got to step up,” swingman Devin Vassell said. “We know what Vic brings to the table and we’ve played without him a couple of games this year. That’s huge void to fill.”
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- Wembanyama wasn’t the only Spur to suffer an injury on Tuesday, but the expectation is that guard Dylan Harper and forward Harrison Barnes will be ready for Game 3, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). Harper aggravated the left thumb injury he suffered during the Spurs’ regular season finale, while Barnes sustained a shoulder stinger as the result of a collision with Portland center Donovan Clingan. “Usually it’s ice,” Harper said of the treatment he’ll undergo before Friday’s game. “That’s about it. You can’t really do much with the thumb. Just kind of preserve it. Not really use it as much.”
- If Wembanyama misses time, the Spurs will need more from their highest-paid player, De’Aaron Fox, McDonald writes for the Express-News (subscription required). Fox scored 17 points on Tuesday, but he had nearly as many turnovers (three) as assists (four) and was 6-of-16 from the floor, including 1-of-6 in the fourth quarter. San Antonio was outscored by 14 points during his 34 minutes of action.
- The Spurs held their own defensively after Wembanyama exited Game 2, but their offense fell apart down the stretch, going 0-for-7 with a pair of turnovers in the final 3:37, as Orsborn details (subscription required). Johnson and the Spurs suggested after the game that wasn’t just about missing Wembanyama — Johnson lauded Portland’s defense and suggested his young team learned an important lesson about the level required to win a tight playoff game. “It looked like there was a level of fatigue there that kicked in just in terms of the intensity of the game and some of the output in minutes that guys had to play,” the Spurs’ coach said. “And that’s a playoff game. That’s what it’s going to feel like. And I think there’s a lot to learn.”
Southwest Notes: Durant, Rockets, Harper, Grizzlies, Pelicans
The Rockets were playing without Kevin Durant, who’s dealing with a right knee contusion, in Saturday’s loss at the Lakers. “Several people” who watched the 37-year-old forward work out a couple hours before Saturday’s game said Durant wasn’t moving well and appeared to be in a good deal of pain, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Whether or not Durant is active for the second game of the series on Tuesday, the Rockets need a much better performance from Alperen Sengun, writes William Guillory of The Athletic. The All-Star center finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but shot just 6-of-19 from the field and made several “uncharacteristic mistakes” which negatively impacted the team’s offense, per Guillory.
“I missed a lot of shots, the shots I was making (in the past),” Sengun said. “It happens. It’s the first game — the first away game. It’s going to come back. I’m not upset about it. Of course, I’m upset about the loss, but I’m going to bounce back next game and come stronger. I’m going to have a different mentality.”
Second-year guard Reed Sheppard (17 points on 6-of-20 shooting) is another player who needs to step up for Houston in Game 2, Guillory adds.
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- Spurs guard Dylan Harper jammed his left thumb in last Sunday’s regular season finale, but he’s confident the injury to his shooting hand won’t be an issue as the playoffs get underway, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Last year’s No. 2 overall pick isn’t on the injury report and was a full participant in all three of San Antonio’s practices over the last week. “Rested it for a little bit, got back, felt fine,” Harper said at shootaround. “Felt like myself, so it’s all good. … The wrap shouldn’t affect me. I think that it’s more of a mental game, a mind game and just not trying to feed into that.”
- Deciding whether to trade or keep Ja Morant, drafting the best players available, and adding future assets are among the priorities for the Grizzlies this offseason, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscriber link).
- While head of basketball operations Joe Dumars expressed optimism about the Pelicans‘ future at his exit interview, the team’s fans are frustrated with being a “bottom feeder” and Dumars needs to improve the roster and hire the right head coach ahead of 2026/27, says Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “For the most part, we have some pretty good contracts set up with those guys,” Dumars said. “Between the age (of our roster) and the contracts, it gives us flexibility to do what you need to do going forward. If there is something you need to do going forward, you’re in a pretty position to improve your team.”
And-Ones: Rivers, Awards, Playoff X-Factors, Wemby, Morant
In a podcast appearance with Bill Simmons of The Ringer (Twitter video link), Doc Rivers suggested his coaching career might be finished. The 64-year-old stepped down as head coach of the Bucks earlier this week.
“We met about seven weeks ago, me and (Bucks) ownership,” Rivers said (hat tip to Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports). “We had a great meeting. They asked me what I wanted to do. One of the owners says one plan is, ‘If we do this, you can hang in there for a year or two.’ I literally said, ‘Oh, no, no, no.’
“I told my coaches, I’m done. I loved coaching. Loved it. I had a lot of success at it, had way more ups than downs. But at the end of the day, I’ve given 47 years or whatever, I don’t even know how old I am … with no off time. I just wanted a break. I want to get away. The grandkids and just life in general, man. Right now, I can tell you, Bill, I think it was time, so I’d be surprised if I coached another game, I’ll put it that way.”
Rivers, who will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later this year, compiled a 1194-866 regular season mark (.580) over the course of 27 seasons as an NBA head coach.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports and Tim Bontemps of ESPN have released their full 2026 NBA awards ballots. While both media members have the same top-five finishers for Most Valuable Player, with Luka Doncic fourth and Cade Cunningham fifth, the order of the three finalists are different. O’Connor has Victor Wembanyama as his MVP, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, whereas Bontemps had SGA winning his second straight MVP award, with Jokic the runner-up and Wembanyama in third.
- In another story for Yahoo Sports, O’Connor lists his playoff X-factors for every team competing in the postseason. Celtics center Neemias Queta, Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson and Spurs guard Dylan Harper are a few of the players mentioned.
- The Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA) has named Spurs center Wembanyama the winner of the Magic Johnson award for the 2025/26 season, per a press release. The award “honors the NBA player who best combines excellence on the court with cooperation and grace in dealing with the media and fans.” Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) was the runner-up for the second straight season, while Stephen Curry (Warriors), Jaylen Brown (Celtics) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) were the other finalists.
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has purchased a stake in the Metropolitans 92, Wembanyama’s former team in France, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “I’m excited about how this first season with the Metros is going,” Morant told ClutchPoints. “They represent the culture, just like we do. I like what we are building and hopefully we get to take it into NBA Europe.” Morant made the investment alongside his media and business venture company, Catch12.
Injury Notes: Jackson, Watson, Jones, Harper, Wemby
Clippers center Isaiah Jackson has been upgraded from questionable to probable for Wednesday’s play-in game vs. Golden State, the team announced today.
Acquired in February’s Ivica Zubac trade, Jackson didn’t initially have a role with L.A., but began to play regular minutes behind starter Brook Lopez in early March after Yanic Konan Niederhauser went down with a season-ending foot injury. However, Jackson suffered a right high ankle sprain on March 27 and missed the final eight games of the regular season.
Assuming Jackson is active on Wednesday, it’s unclear whether the Clippers plan to immediately reinsert him into their rotation or if the team will continue to rely on big man John Collins and smaller lineups when Lopez isn’t on the floor.
Let’s round up a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA…
- Nuggets wings Peyton Watson (right hamstring strain) and Spencer Jones (right hamstring strain) didn’t take contact during Wednesday’s practice, but they took part in all non-contact work, according to head coach David Adelman (Twitter link via Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette). Although Watson has been out since April 1 and Jones hasn’t played since March 29, Adelman believes both players could be available on Saturday vs. Minnesota. “My hope is they’ll play in Game 1,” he said. “If not, we’ll play the group that’s fully healthy.”
- Spurs guard Dylan Harper exited Sunday’s regular season finale after injuring his left thumb, but he’s trending toward being available for Game 1 against Portland, reports Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). “We expect him to play Sunday,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “He just got it hit and there’s going to be some pain there … He’s got to work his way through that, but we expect him to play.”
- While Victor Wembanyama sat out two of the Spurs‘ final three games of the regular season due to a rib contusion, he indicated after Wednesday’s practice that he’ll be ready for Sunday’s contest, per Orsborn. “I’m very close, but we never really go back to 100%, except before your season (in) the offseason,” Wembanyama said when asked how close he is to 100%. “… There’s always something going on. In terms of regular season shape, I’m very close.”
And-Ones: NBA Awards Picks, G League Awards
Reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander claims two awards on the unofficial ballot of Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports: MVP and Clutch Player of the Year.
To be clear, Devine does have an official vote for year-end awards, but those ballots aren’t sent out until the regular season concludes on April 12. Devine also notes that he may be forced to change some of his picks, depending on which players are eligible.
Victor Wembanyama, for example, needs to play at least 20 minutes in one of San Antonio’s remaining two games to be eligible for awards consideration. The French big man is Devine’s choice for Defensive Player of the Year and is his runner-up for MVP, ahead of Nikola Jokic.
Kon Knueppel (Rookie of the Year) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Most Improved Player) are a couple of Devine’s other awards picks.
Here are a few more awards-related stories and announcements:
- There’s quite a bit of overlap between Devine’s awards picks and the tentative selections of Zach Harper of The Athletic. Both writers have Joe Mazzulla, J.B. Bickerstaff and Mitch Johnson as the three finalists, in order of how they finish, for Coach of the Year, and Keldon Johnson, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tim Hardaway Jr. as their top three picks for Sixth Man of the Year.
- Michael Pina of The Ringer lists his three All-NBA, two All-Defensive, and two All-Rookie teams. Pina’s first-team All-NBA picks are Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown, Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama and Jokic; his All-Defensive First Team selections are Wembanyama, Derrick White, Scottie Barnes, Ausar Thompson and Chet Holmgren; and his top-five rookies are Knueppel, Cooper Flagg, VJ Edgecombe, Dylan Harper and Derik Queen.
- The NBA G League has announced its All-Defensive and All-Rookie teams, which are each comprised of five players (Twitter links via the NBA). The All-Defensive selections are Jamarion Sharp (Texas Legends), Chris Manon (South Bay Lakers), Alijah Martin (Raptors 905), Andersson Garcia (Mexico City Capitanes) and Jalen Slawson (Noblesville Boom), while the All-Rookie team consists of Raptors 905 standout Martin, Norchad Omier and Sean Pedulla of the San Diego Clippers, Keshon Gilbert (College Park Skyhawks) and RJ Davis (South Bay Lakers). Martin, Manon, Slawson (Pacers), Omier and Pedulla are on two-way contracts with their respective NBA teams.
Sixers’ Edgecombe, Kings’ Raynaud Named Rookies Of The Month
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe has been named the Eastern Conference’s Rookie of the Month for March, while Kings big man Maxime Raynaud has won the award for the Western Conference, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
Edgecombe’s win prevents Hornets wing Kon Knueppel from achieving a clean sweep of Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards this season. Knueppel earned the honor for October/November, December, January, and February. He was among this month’s nominees in the East, along with Wizards forward Will Riley, per the league (Twitter link).
But it’s Edgecombe that claimed the honor after an impressive March in which he averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 32.7 minutes per game across 13 outings. He posted a solid .454/.361/.895 shooting line for the month, strengthening his case for a spot on this season’s All-Rookie first team.
Over in the West, Raynaud is the third player to receive Rookie of the Month recognition this season, joining Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (Oct./Nov., Dec., and Jan.) and Spurs guard Dylan Harper (Feb.), both of whom were nominated for the March award along with Jazz forward Ace Bailey.
Injuries to Kings centers Domantas Sabonis and Drew Eubanks have cleared the way for Raynaud to play a significant role in Sacramento’s frontcourt since the All-Star break. In 15 March appearances (all starts), he put up 17.9 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 1.8 APG on .595/.444/.784 shooting. His most impressive individual stretch came when he had back-to-back 30-point games on March 17 vs. San Antonio and March 19 vs. Philadelphia.
Southwest Notes: Wemby, Harper, Zion, Rockets
In recent days, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lakers guard Luka Doncic have each declined when given the opportunity to campaign for Most Valuable Players honors. However, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama doesn’t regret arguing his own case for MVP last week. In fact, he doubled down on Wednesday night after a monster game in Golden State in which he had 41 points, 18 rebounds, and three blocks on 16-of-22 shooting in just 29 minutes.
“I do care deeply about (the MVP award),” Wembanyama told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt (story via Anthony Slater of ESPN.com). “I think that of the greats that are in the Hall of Fame — or the best of all time — they have fought and grabbed everything they could grab early on in their career. If I want to make my spot among the greats, I got to try to not miss any occasion to put my name up there.”
The Spurs have gone 26-2 since the start of February and Wembanyama has played some of his best basketball as of late, including averaging 30.0 points and 15.8 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game in his past five outings. However, the Thunder – winners of 15 of their last 16 games – and Gilgeous-Alexander (three 40-point games in his last eight contests) have been just as hot, so the OKC guard remains the betting favorite for MVP.
Still, as Slater writes, even if he isn’t named MVP, Wembanyama is a lock to claim the Defensive Player of the Year award. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr referred to the Spurs star on Wednesday as “obviously the best defensive player in the league.”
“He’s got unbelievable confidence now,” Kerr said. “He looks like he knows exactly what to do on both ends. His first couple years, he looked young at times. He doesn’t look young anymore. He just looks like he knows exactly what he’s doing. Dominated the glass. There’s plays you can’t do anything. Several lobs where it looked like a Nerf hoop. He’s brilliant.”
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Last year’s No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper is averaging just 22.3 minutes per game this season, far below what fellow top-five picks like Cooper Flagg, VJ Edgecombe, and Kon Knueppel are playing. However, the Spurs guard tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape that playing rotation minutes for a team with the potential to make a deep playoff run makes the trade-off well worth it. “That’s every kid’s dream, to play on the big stages,” Harper said. “I might come off the bench, but in a month or so, I will be playing in the playoffs. Not many rookies can say that they can do that at a high level and play meaningful minutes.”
- While Zion Williamson‘s camp hasn’t been given any indication that the Pelicans will look to trade him this summer, many outside observers are expecting it to happen, given the forward’s injury history and his awkward fit alongside new cornerstone Derik Queen, writes Yaron Weitzman of Yahoo Sports. For his part, Williamson recognizes his long-term future in New Orleans is far from assured. “New Orleans is home for me. It’s where I want to be,” he told Weitzman. “But at the end of the day, if we’re going to be realistic about it, the NBA is a business. I could be traded in the offseason, or I could be traded before (next season’s) trade deadline. Not that I want that to happen, but that’s just the realism of it.”
- Rockets head coach Ime Udoka inserted Tari Eason into his starting five on Tuesday vs. New York for matchup purposes before Reed Sheppard reclaimed his starting role on Wednesday vs. Milwaukee, as Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle details in a pair of subscriber-only stories. The moves paid dividends — the starting lineup with Eason outscored the Knicks 43-25 in 14 minutes in Tuesday’s win, while the same group with Sheppard outscored the Bucks 39-21 in just under 13 minutes in Wednesday’s victory. “(We) want to formulate what we want to go to this late in the season and getting into the playoffs,” Udoka said of his lineup tweaks. “Got five, six more games to figure that out.”
Spurs Notes: Harper, Vassell, Castle, M. Johnson, Wemby
With Devin Vassell (sore right hamstring) a late scratch for precautionary reasons and Stephon Castle (right hip tightness) sidelined for the second consecutive time, Spurs guard Dylan Harper received the first start of his career in Saturday’s win over Indiana, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
Harper, last year’s No. 2 overall pick, overcame some pregame jitters to finish with 24 points (on 9-of-13 shooting), four rebounds, three assists and no turnovers in 28 minutes, Orsborn notes. Head coach Mitch Johnson praised Harper’s upside while pointing out that he committed four fouls and gave up a couple of backdoor layups to Andrew Nembhard.
“I think he can be sharper,” Johnson said. “I think he can continue to get in better shape. Those are nitpicking criticisms when you look at the production, but that’s how good he can be. … His upside and path is whatever he wants it to be. And I’m not trying to shine you on. I’m being dead serious. I just want him to be better at transition defense.”
As Orsborn observes, Harper almost certainly would have put up gaudier stats in his rookie season if he were playing on a lesser team, but Johnson and Harper’s teammates have praised the former Rutgers star for his maturity and willingness to accept a bench role for the betterment of the Spurs.
“We’re number two in the West,” said Harper, who turned 20 years old earlier this month. “To me, we’re the best team in the NBA. So for me to get drafted by an organization that’s so family oriented, I think any rookie would want to come here. From top to bottom, everyone is very professional and everyone is just so giving and so hands-on with everything.”
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- Johnson said after the victory that the Spurs don’t have any “long-term” concerns about Vassell’s injury, adding that the team was just being “super mindful” in regards to the sixth-year wing’s health (Twitter link via Orsborn). Johnson also said the Spurs weren’t worried about Castle’s hip issue, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News, who says more players might get days off down the stretch in preparation for the playoffs.
- McDonald wonders if Keldon Johnson is being overlooked as a Sixth Man of the Year contender. The veteran forward had 24 points (on 10-of-12 shooting), four rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes on Saturday, and has led the team in scoring five times this season. Johnson also has not yet missed a game in 2025/26.
- In another story for The Express-News, McDonald takes a look at the relationship of Mitch Johnson and Victor Wembanyama, who is making a late push for MVP consideration with his elite two-way play. Johnson used to help Wembanyama warm up before each game, but ceded those duties before the season began after being promoted to the full-time head coach. “There’s a level of accountability I have to hold him to,” Johnson said. “When you get to know somebody and then hopefully build trust with that person, it allows you to work with them, partner with them, push them in ways that I think probably could be a little bit deeper than just a coach trying to talk to a player.”