Injury Notes: Wembanyama, Cunningham, Curry, Tatum
Victor Wembanyama‘s status for the Spurs‘ penultimate game of the season remains up in the air as he works his way back from a rib injury, Tom Orsborn writes for the San Antonio-Express News.
The MVP candidate was ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Blazers, but the team is confident that Wembanyama will play at least 20 minutes in one of their two remaining games so that he will be eligible for end-of-season awards. He is considered the strong favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year.
“He’s improved quite a bit, so I don’t think it’s a long-term concern, but we’ll obviously be very cautious in the situation and circumstances we’re under,” coach Mitch Johnson said.
With the star big man’s health the priority heading into the playoffs, it’s unclear if Johnson would simply play him the minimum required minutes to hit his eligibility or if he would receive a normal workload.
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- Cade Cunningham returned from the collapsed lung that kept him out for 11 games on Wednesday, contributing 13 points and 10 assists in nearly 26 minutes as the Pistons beat the Bucks. After the game, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said that Cunningham’s playing time for the rest of the season will depend on how he feels, according to The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson (via Twitter). It’s unclear whether he will suit up for their game against the Hornets on Thursday. For his part, Cunningham said that this was a new experience for him that he’s still figuring out how to deal with, per Patterson (Twitter video link). “It was different than any injury I’ve ever had as far as how it progressed initially,” Cunningham said. “From whenever I got hit to how I felt immediately to how I started to feel as time went on. Thanks to all the staff and medical that was around and helped.”
- While Stephen Curry was supposed to be on a minutes restriction in his Monday night return from a prolonged absence due to a knee injury, he exceeded the expected playing time, scoring 29 points in 26 minutes. With the Warriors playing three times in the final four days of the regular season, Curry will likely sit out either Thursday or Friday, ESPN’s Anthony Slater reports (Twitter video link). Slater speculates that Curry will miss Friday’s matchup with the Kings as he looks to get back to as close to 100% as possible before the Warriors try to win two play-in games to advance to the playoffs.
- Jayson Tatum will return to Madison Square Garden for the first time since rupturing his Achilles there in last year’s playoffs, and once again it will be in a crucial game for the Knicks, Jared Schwartz writes for the New York Post. A Celtics win will seal their hold on the second seed, while the Knicks are fighting off the Cavaliers, who are looking to seize the third seed. Tatum admitted that the experience will likely bring up some complicated feelings. “I’m not, like, thrilled to go back and play there,” he said. “Last time I played there, obviously, it was a traumatic experience for me. Obviously, I knew at some point I would have to get over that hurdle and play there again. So, it’s going to have to be this Thursday. But it’s not like I’m thrilled about it. But it’s part of it.”
SGA, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league (Twitter links). This includes games played from March 30 through April 5.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player, averaged 31.7 points, 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in three Thunder victories as he puts the finishing touches on another MVP-caliber season. That three-game stretch included a 47-point outburst in an overtime win over the Pistons last Monday.
It’s the fourth Player of the Week award this season for Gilgeous-Alexander, who also claimed it twice in November and once in January. He and Luka Doncic are the only players to win the weekly award four times this season.
Brown earned Player of the Week honors for the third time in 2025/26 and the seventh time of his career by averaging an East-leading 31.0 points, 5.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game as Boston went 3-1. Celtics wings have now been named Player of the Week on each of the past two Mondays, as Jayson Tatum won the award last week.
Kevin Durant (Rockets), Cooper Flagg (Mavericks), Jrue Holiday (Blazers), Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (Nuggets), and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were the other Western Conference nominees, according to the NBA.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks), OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks), LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Desmond Bane (Magic), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) and Jayson Tatum (Celtics) were also nominated in the East.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Anunoby, George, Tatum
Although Karl-Anthony Towns sat out their blowout win over the Bulls on Friday due a right elbow impingement, the Knicks are nearing full health as the playoffs approach and their postseason rotation is beginning to take shape, Ian Begley of SNY writes.
On Friday, with Mitchell Robinson starting, head coach Mike Brown experimented by using Jeremy Sochan as the backup center and was pleased with the results, naming him the team’s defensive player of the game.
“It allowed us to do a lot of things like switch pick and rolls,” Brown said of using Sochan as a small-ball five. “It brought a different element to our game. Not just offensively with the speed, but defensively with switching a lot of things and just keeping the ball in front of us.”
While Robinson will take the majority of reserve center minutes in the playoffs, having Sochan as an option could allow Brown to go to the Towns-Robinson frontcourt more than he might otherwise.
Another notable change was that neither Jose Alvarado nor breakout rookie Mohamed Diawara played in the first three quarters. With Miles McBride and Landry Shamet healthy, Brown indicated that getting them back up to speed is crucial.
“Deuce is getting healthier and Landry’s getting healthy and trying to find minutes for those guys — both of those guys are capable of playing that (backup guard) spot — is going to be a priority because they’ve proven themselves this year for us,” he said.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Brown was surprised to hear that wing OG Anunoby has only made an All-Defensive team once in his career, Begley writes in the same article. The Knicks‘ head coach believes the 6’8″ forward is clearly deserving of being recognized a second time this season. “His versatility is just off the charts and you can do a lot of things with your defense because of him,” Brown said. “In my opinion, he deserves First Team All-Defense this year — and hopefully the powers that be will see it that way, too.” Anunoby agreed with his coach’s assessment: “I think I should’ve gotten it last year. I think I should get it this year. That’s definitely a goal of mine, coming into the season, especially defensively, being on the first team or second team — hopefully first.”
- Paul George is listed as probable for the Sixers‘ game against the Pistons today due to left knee injury management. Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports notes (via Twitter) that if George is able to play, this will mark his first back-to-back of the season. Since coming off his 25-game suspension, the nine-time All-Star has been rounding into form, averaging 27.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.2 steals in his past five games.
- There were concerns within the Celtics organization, including players, about trying to rebuild in-game chemistry with Jayson Tatum so soon before the playoffs, but the star wing has quickly alleviated any such concerns, Jay King writes for The Athletic. Boston is 10-2 with Tatum active and he has already been been named Player of the Week. Most importantly, King writes, Tatum hasn’t looked hesitant or uncertain about his body. He is driving at around the same rate as last season, and the defense has been elite when he’s on the floor. King notes that if the Celtics were to win the championship this season, his return could go down in history as one of the league’s all-time comebacks.
Atlantic Notes: Mazzulla, McBride, Barnes, Quickley, Nets
The Celtics reached the 50-win mark on Sunday and control the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference in what was widely viewed – as star forward Jaylen Brown recently pointed out in a tongue-in-cheek tweet – as a “gap year.” Based on how Boston has exceeded outside expectations, Joe Mazzulla is considered a frontrunner for the Coach of the Year award. How does Mazzulla feel about potentially earning that sort of recognition?
“I don’t need it. I think it’s a stupid award,” the Celtics’ coach said on Monday, per Jay King of The Athletic. “They shouldn’t have it. And it’s more about the players. It’s more about the work that the staff puts in. It’s just that simple. I really don’t ever want to be asked or talk about it again. It’s just that dumb. So, the players play. It’s about them. Staff works their ass off. I’m grateful to have them.”
While the Coach of the Year award is certainly held in higher regard by NBA observers than the Player of the Week award, which is handed out dozens of times each season, Mazzulla was more willing to assign meaning to the latter honor after Jayson Tatum claimed it on Monday. As the Celtics’ coach observes, it’s a sign of the progress Tatum has made in just a matter of weeks after returning from a torn Achilles.
“It’s a good, small affirmation that he’s continuing to chip away at just getting better and better,” Mazzulla said, according to King. “So, it’s a credit to the work that he’s put in, his team, that everybody that’s helped him get back to where he is now and what he’s doing. And so, good, small affirmation and we can keep getting better.”
We have more from around the Atlantic:
- Knicks guard Miles McBride appeared to reinjure himself on Sunday in his return from sports hernia surgery, but it doesn’t sound like he did any serious damage. He has been listed as questionable for Tuesday’s matchup with Houston, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter links), and did some work during this morning’s shootaround, tweets James L. Edwards of The Athletic.
- Although Scottie Barnes isn’t an elite scorer (18.6 PPG), his all-around impact as a rebounder, play-maker, and defender should merit an All-NBA spot for the Raptors forward, argues Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Only MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama (248) has more “stocks” (combined steals and blocks) this season than Barnes (211).
- Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley, who has missed the past four games due to right foot plantar fasciitis, accompanied the team on its brief trip to Detroit but remains out and is wearing a walking boot, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link), a boot is standard treatment for plantar fasciitis and Quickley has been wearing it off and on for more than two weeks. While it’s unlikely that Quickley will fully recover in time for the postseason, he and the Raptors hope to manage the issue and have him return at some point in the coming days or weeks, Lewenberg adds, acknowledging that the guard will likely be at less than 100% until next season.
- The Nets have been out of postseason contention for a while, but they continue to see positive signs from some of their players as the season winds down. C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required) takes a look at Ziaire Williams‘ recent strong play – including five straight games of 16-plus points – ahead of the team’s decision on his $6.25MM option this summer, while Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) observes that Drake Powell has been having some solid outings lately as his up-and-down rookie year nears its end.
NBA Announces Finalists For Sportsmanship, Teammate Of The Year Awards
The NBA announced the 2025/26 finalists for a pair of awards on Tuesday, naming the six players who are eligible to win the Sportsmanship Award for this season, as well as the 12 players who are in the running to be named Teammate of the Year.
The Sportsmanship Award honors the player who “best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court,” per the NBA. Each of the league’s 30 teams nominates one of its players for the award, then a panel of league executives narrows that group to six finalists (one from each division) and current players voted for the winner.
The trophy for the Sportsmanship Award is named after Joe Dumars, the Hall-of-Fame guard who won the inaugural award back in ’95/96. This season’s finalists are as follows (via Twitter):
Bam Adebayo (Heat)- Harrison Barnes (Spurs)
- Al Horford (Warriors)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- T.J. McConnell (Pacers)
- Derrick White (Celtics)
Gilgeous-Alexander is the only one of this year’s finalists for the Sportsmanship Award who was also nominated last season. Whoever earns the honor for 2025/26 will be a first-time winner. Jrue Holiday took home the Joe Dumars Trophy a year ago.
Meanwhile, the NBA also announced its finalists for the Teammate of the Year award for 2025/26. According to the league, the player selected for the honor is “deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.”
The voting process is similar to the Sportsmanship Award — a panel of league executives selects 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the award, then current players vote on the winner.
Holiday is a three-time Teammate of the Year, having earned the honor in 2020, 2022, and 2023. He’s the only past recipient who is among this season’s group of finalists.
Those Teammate of the Year finalists are as follows (via Twitter):
- Desmond Bane (Magic)
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Pat Connaughton (Hornets)
- De’Aaron Fox (Spurs)
- Jeff Green (Rockets)
- Jrue Holiday (Trail Blazers)
- DeAndre Jordan (Pelicans)
- Duncan Robinson (Pistons)
- Marcus Smart (Lakers)
- Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
- Garrett Temple (Raptors)
- Jaylin Williams (Thunder)
Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic Collect Player Of Week Honors
Jayson Tatum added another accomplishment to his impressive comeback from an Achilles tear. The Celtics forward has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, according to the league (Twitter links).
Boston’s star forward averaged 25.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists in three victories during the week of March 23-29. Sunday’s performance in Charlotte was his best game yet this season — he racked up 32 points on 12-of-23 shooting, contributing eight assists and five rebounds without committing a turnover.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic collected the Western Conference Player of the Week award. He had three triple-doubles in four Denver wins last week, registering impressive overall averages of 26.0 points, 17.0 rebounds, and 14.0 assists per contest, with a .563/.438/.773 shooting line.
It’s the third time this season that Jokic has been named the West’s Player of the Week. He also claimed the honor in back-to-back weeks in November.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves (Lakers), Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Alperen Sengun (Rockets) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were the other Western Conference nominees.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Jalen Duren (Pistons), James Harden (Cavaliers) and Payton Pritchard (Celtics) rounded out the nominees from the East.
Celtics Notes: Pritchard, Brown, Scheierman, Tatum
Celtics guard Payton Pritchard remained in a reserve role Friday night, even though Jaylen Brown was out of the lineup with Achilles tendinitis, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe writes in a subscriber-only story. Pritchard, who has gotten comfortable coming off the bench since coach Joe Mazzulla restructured his starting lineup in early February, helped erase a 16-point deficit and finished with 36 points in Boston’s 109-102 victory over Atlanta.
“I don’t think my role changed from any other night,” he said. “Just come out being aggressive, looking to make plays for my teammates or for myself, and just make the right reads.”
Pritchard’s willingness to move to the bench after being a regular starter for the first time in his career is emblematic of what has enabled the Celtics to vastly exceed expectations this season. While his scoring outburst was critical on Friday, Mazzulla pointed to effort plays that helped secure the win, including an important offensive rebound with just over three minutes left in the game after the Hawks cut the lead to four points.
“It’s just those big-time plays for us,” Mazzulla said. “And he’s not defined by scoring, so that helps us a lot when he does other things.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Mazzulla told reporters that Brown should be considered day-to-day, relays Brian Robb of MassLive. Brown received medical treatment earlier in the day before the decision was made to hold him out. “He was just a little banged up after Wednesday’s game,” Mazzulla said. Brown is listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest at Charlotte.
- In a season where several players have overachieved, Baylor Scheierman has been the team’s most surprising contributor, Robb states in a mailbag column. The second-year guard struggled with his shot in limited playing time as a rookie, but he’s been much more reliable this season, connecting at 45.3% from the floor and 38.5% from three-point range.
- Jayson Tatum has been putting up good numbers, but he remains frustrated that he’s not as far along in his comeback as he hoped to be, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required). Tatum discussed the process after posting 26 points, 12 rebounds and five assists on Friday. “I feel rusty,” he said. “Obviously, you probably can see the moments when it doesn’t look the same or I look rusty, but I think just the mindset of, on to the next play. I’m thankful that I’ve got teammates and a coaching staff that are patient with me in this moment as I’m trying to just figure it out.”
Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Quickley, Walter, Clarkson
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum played a season-high 35 minutes — including the entire fourth quarter — in Wednesday’s victory over Oklahoma City, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com. Tatum, who finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists (five turnovers), three steals, was making his ninth appearance in 2025/26 after missing most of the season due to a torn Achilles tendon.
“It definitely feels different,” Tatum said. “Just from the standpoint, it’s been a while since I’ve been in certain moments. And sometimes the best moments when I don’t have a chance to think, when I’ve just got to react and I got to move, whether it’s coming off a ball screen or on a close out or you get a rebound and you’ve just got to take off with the ball. And it will be moments like that and afterwards I’d be like, ‘All right, that felt good. That felt normal.’
“So these are things you can’t simulate in workouts or scrimmages or things like that. Just got to be in the moment. So just from the standpoint, it just feels like it’s been a while and each game I kind of surprise myself with encouraging things, certain plays that I just tally up in my head.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Starting point guard Immanuel Quickley will miss his third consecutive contest on Friday when the Raptors face New Orleans, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. Quickley, 26, is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Second-year guard Jamal Shead has started the past two games with Quickley out.
- In 17 games since the All-Star break, Ja’Kobe Walter is shooting 48.6% from long distance while playing strong defense, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic, who says the second-year wing seems primed to deliver a breakout performance in the playoffs — assuming the Raptors can make it in. “He’s shooting at an insane rate. He’s not gonna shoot like that forever,” RJ Barrett said. “But defensively, the things he’s doing every single night with steals and deflections (are important). And then on offense, he’s making the shots, but he’s just making the right plays. He’s taking the right shots. He plays like a player way above his years already.”
- Veteran guard Jordan Clarkson was out of the Knicks‘ rotation for a prolonged stretch earlier this season, but he wasn’t discouraged by the lack of minutes and kept working until his next opportunity arose, per Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). Clarkson has not only provided his typical scoring off the bench over the past couple weeks, he’s also been a play-maker and has improved defensively as well, Popper notes. “Yeah, for sure,” Clarkson said. “I mean, being able to get comfortable. I know everybody wanted it to click like immediately when I got here. But, you know, I’ve got to feel out a new coach, new system and everything, so, I’m getting a chance to watch the D-N-P’s and learn. It was pretty big for me and you know I continue to stay ready and just kept playing and figuring stuff out.”
Atlantic Notes: George, Embiid, McBride, Tatum, Knicks
Paul George returned for the Sixers on Wednesday after serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy, and Philadelphia came away with the 157-137 victory over the Bulls. Prior to the game, Tony Jones of The Athletic broke down five crucial aspects that the team has been missing in George’s absence.
The number one attribute George brings to the table at this point is his perimeter defense, Jones writes, given his ability to guard larger forwards due to the weight he’s added over the years. Jones also highlights his perimeter shooting and how his presence allows other plays to slot into their natural roles more smoothly.
After the game, George spoke about the rest of the year, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link), saying that his goal is to play in all nine remaining regular season games, assuming his body allows him to do so. He added that he felt more explosive in his return than he did prior to the suspension.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers center Joel Embiid was also back in action on Wednesday following a 13-game absence due to an oblique strain. He scored 35 points in the blowout victory over Chicago, adding seven assists and six rebounds. After the victory, he spoke to reporters about how his body felt. “My knees haven’t been an issue for a long time. That’s past me,” Embiid said, via PHLY Sports (Twitter video link). “The oblique was very tricky, and it still is tricky. Really nothing you can do about it, gotta let it ride and hope it doesn’t get worse.”
- Knicks head coach Mike Brown says key reserve Miles McBride has begun scrimmaging as he continues his rehab from sports hernia surgery, according to SNY’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). The defensive-minded guard is listed as out for Thursday’s game against the Hornets, but James L. Edwards III of The Athletic speculates (via Twitter) that Sunday’s game against the Thunder could be the day he returns to action. McBride, who had been having a career year, hasn’t played since January 27.
- Jayson Tatum‘s reintegration into the Celtics mid-season has gone as well as could be hoped, but there are still moments of frustration for the six-time All-Star, as he expressed earlier this week. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps talks to Celtics coaches and NBA insiders to get their takes on how much of his usual form Tatum will be able to regain for this year’s playoff run. “I think they’re the best team in the East,” one rival assistant coach said. “I don’t think him being back helps now, but I think it will help in the playoffs. He just doesn’t look like he has confidence in that leg yet. (But) if you let him shoot spot-up jumpers and rhythm looks, he’ll be good.”
Atlantic Notes: Fultz, George, McCain, Minott, Tatum
The Raptors were down three starters on Monday vs. Utah, with Brandon Ingram (right heel inflammation), Immanuel Quickley (plantar fasciitis), and Jakob Poeltl (injury load management) all sidelined, notes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). However, rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles returned following an 11-game absence due to a thumb injury, and newly signed point guard Markelle Fultz made his Toronto debut.
The Raptors were outscored by 15 points during Fultz’s 16 minutes of action, and he had more turnovers (3) than points (2). However, there were also some “flashes of high-level play,” according to Grange. The former No. 1 overall pick contributed five assists and pair of steals off the bench in a victory over the Jazz. Notably, it was his second game of the day, as he had also suited up in the morning for the Raptors 905 in the G League before officially being promoted to the NBA.
“He’s (a) point guard. You can see that he’s comfortable getting the team into the offense and organizing, and he had five assists,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “It was awesome to see him out there, knowing that he played a game this morning.”
While it remains to be seen whether Fultz will stick with the Raptors beyond his initial 10-day contract, he has made a positive impression on the organization with his attitude since he originally joined Toronto’s G League affiliate.
“What I’ve been most impressed about was his level of professionalism and humility,” Raptors 905 coach Drew Jones said, per Grange. “You know, a former No. 1 pick, he could come in here and have a crazy chip on his shoulder, act like he owns the place. But he walked right in and said, ‘Coach, what do you need me to do? I said, ‘Lead, defend, and be the play-maker that we know you all are.’ And he’s been awesome, just awesome.”
We have more from around the Atlantic:
- Paul George served the 25th and final game of his suspension on Monday, meaning he’s eligible to return to the Sixers‘ lineup on Wednesday vs. Chicago. Head coach Nick Nurse said on Monday that George has “conditioned hard” during his absence, adding that he has no ramp-up concerns about the veteran forward, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports.
- Former Sixers guard Jared McCain scored 13 points off the bench on Monday to help the Thunder beat his old team. As Tony Jones of The Athletic writes, McCain admitted that it felt “a little weird” to be going up against the 76ers after having been traded out of Philadelphia just last month. “It was nice to come back, but it will definitely always feel weird coming back here,” he said. “It’s like a nostalgic feeling to come back and not live here. Hopefully, there is some closure that comes soon. But I still don’t think I have closure yet.”
- Acquired at February’s trade deadline in what was essentially just a salary-dump deal for Boston, Josh Minott may be carving out a role with the Nets going forward, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). As Lewis explains, Minott’s defensive tenacity and overall competitiveness is a welcome addition to a Brooklyn team that wants to be competitive next season, and his $2.6MM option for 2026/27 is extremely team-friendly.
- With Celtics star Jayson Tatum acknowledging that he’s frustrated by not yet being able to do everything he used to on the basketball court, Jay King of The Athletic checks in on Tatum’s early progress. The veteran forward’s defensive and rebounding numbers have been strong, King notes, but he’s taking more three-pointers and fewer free throws than he typically would.