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.
And-Ones: Lottery Reform, Awards, 65-Game Rule, Extensions
The three lottery reform ideas that the NBA presented at last week’s Board of Governors meetings should be viewed as “concepts” rather than fully formed proposals, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The expectation, Stein and Fischer say, is that each concept will undergo some changes between now and the May meetings in which team governors will vote on anti-tanking measures — the end product may even end up being a combination of two or more of those ideas.
Interestingly, the idea of flattening the lottery odds, which is an aspect of two of those three concepts, has received plenty of support from general managers and ownership groups even before last week’s Board of Governors meeting, per Stein and Fischer, so it sounds as if flattened odds will be incorporated into the eventual solution.
For what it’s worth, in evaluating the three concepts reported last week, Zach Harper of The Athletic expressed strong support for the idea that would expand the lottery to 18 teams and then give each of the bottom 10 clubs an 8% chance at the No. 1 overall pick.
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- With award season around the corner, The Athletic is taking a closer look at several of the races for end-of-season hardware. Christian Clark and Mike Vorkunov debate Cooper Flagg vs. Kon Knueppel for Rookie of the Year; Joel Lorenzi, Jared Weiss, and Dan Woike consider how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic stack up in the MVP race (all three had SGA first); and Fred Katz outlines the decisions that are causing him the most stress, including his Sixth Man of the Year pick, the No. 5 spot on his MVP ballot, and his All-NBA third team.
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps solicited feedback from league insiders about several hot-button NBA topics, including the 65-game rule and expansion. Notably, Adam Silver‘s belief that the 65-game rule has been effective at curbing load management is shared by a number of executives across the NBA, Bontemps writes.“I think the 65-game rule has obviously had unintended consequences and needs to be looked at,” one Eastern Conference executive said. “But can we stop acting like it wasn’t collectively bargained for? It works to dissuade otherwise healthy rest.”
- Keith Smith of Spotrac explores which players still eligible for veteran contract extensions are the best candidates to sign new deals before June 30, while Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report looks ahead to this year’s rookie scale extension candidates and makes predictions about how those negotiations will play out.
Southeast Notes: Snyder, Hawks, Hornets, Wizards, Hardy
Quin Snyder became the 41st head coach in NBA history to record 500 victories as the Hawks won Saturday for the 15th time in 17 games, writes Maura Carey of The Associated Press. Atlanta is currently 42-33, the No. 6 seed in an extremely tight Eastern Conference playoff race.
“It was special,” Snyder said after the game. “When you’ve been in this league for a while, you realize that coaches, they keep your record, but it’s really the players and the other people that allow for that to happen. I’ve been really lucky to be able to coach some not just really good players, but just really quality people.”
As Carey notes, multiple Hawks players are having career years in 2025/26 under Synder, who holds a career record of 500-396 (.558) across 12 seasons with Utah and Atlanta.
Trade deadline acquisition Jock Landale, who recorded 19 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two blocks as a fill-in starter in Saturday’s win over Sacramento, praised his new coach after the game.
“Quin’s incredible, honestly, and I don’t say that lightly. He’s been instrumental in just kind of getting me up to speed with exactly what’s going on,” Landale said. “He’s a great coach to play for, and I think that all 17 of us would say the exact same thing about him.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- The Hornets entered Saturday having won five straight games and 23 of their last 29. They led the 76ers by five points entering the fourth quarter in Saturday’s critical matchup for postseason positioning, but went 0-4 on twos and 5-of-18 on threes in the fourth quarter and their cold offensive spell trickled over to the other end, according to head coach Charles Lee. “In that fourth quarter especially, just our defensive focus started to wane a little bit as we were missing shots,” Lee said (story via Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer). “The guys did a good job the last few games of just not letting that be the case ever. Our shot-making can’t affect our defense and I thought I did a little bit. Too many guys just driving without that physicality piece. Too many back doors, too many offensive rebounds and clutch moments. Offensively, I thought that our pace started to slow down a little bit. And we were able to really put them in some compromising situations, created a lot of advantages when we played fast and played with great ball movement.”
- Hornets wing Kon Knueppel has been incredibly productive and efficient as a rookie this season. He has only missed one game in 2025/26, averaging 19.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists on .485/.434/.864 shooting splits in 73 appearances (31.6 minutes per game). The Sixers had the third pick in last year’s draft and used it to take VJ Edgecombe, who has also been excellent as a rookie, one pick ahead of Knuppel. Head coach Nick Nurse praised the former Duke standout on Saturday, Boone writes in the same story. “Lots of people really liked him in the draft for sure, and he’s proved those people right and the people that didn’t, he’s proved those people wrong,” Nurse said. “For me, I just think he was a hooper, man. You just knew he was a competitor, and knew how to play and had lots of pieces to the game as well. He’s again one of those guys that he’ll rebound, he’ll block out, he’ll set screens — he knows how to play all parts of the game. And then, of course, he throws on that elite shooting skill … His elite skill is the shooting, and I think that’s what makes him so good, so valuable.” Knueppel pulled down 11 rebounds on Saturday but had his third-worst shooting game of the season (3-for-14 from the field).
- Forward Bilal Coulibaly had 21 points and six rebounds in the Wizards‘ close loss to Golden State on Friday but only played 19 minutes, including zero in the fourth quarter. Guard Bub Carrington (16 points and five assists in 26 minutes) also didn’t play in the fourth quarter, while second year-big man Alex Sarr was allowed to foul out of the game in the third quarter. Head coach Brian Keefe was asked about those decisions after the game, according to Nate Duncan (Twitter link), and said all three players had hit their minutes limits. As for not playing in the fourth quarter, Keefe said the team was prioritizing its players’ health and that the Wizards didn’t want to disrupt their rotations.
- Jaden Hardy has been on fire from three-point range since the Wizards acquired him from Dallas in last month’s Anthony Davis trade, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. The 23-year-old guard is averaging 13.3 PPG while shooting 43.9% from long distance in 18 games with Washington (20.4 MPG). “There’s a bunch of players out there who haven’t gotten their opportunity, but they have game. If you get the opportunity, you have to just try to take full advantage of it and that’s what I’m trying to do… I feel like it’s a great opportunity for me over here. It’s a young team, so I feel like I fit in,” Hardy said.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Larsson, Knueppel, White, Vukcevic
Mired in a five-game losing streak, the Heat made a starting lineup change on Wednesday in Cleveland, bringing forward Pelle Larsson off the bench for the first time since January 13. The early returns on the adjustment were positive, as Miami snapped its losing streak with a 120-103 road victory over the Cavaliers.
As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays, head coach Erik Spoelstra suggested the new starting five – Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, and Bam Adebayo – is his preferred group when everyone’s healthy, which often hasn’t been the case this season.
“There really wasn’t a lot of thought to it. It’s just now we have finally everybody available,” Spoelstra said. “So we’re able to get to the normal plan. Sometimes you can’t necessarily get to what you want to do based on injuries.”
Although Larsson was moved to the second unit, he still played just over 34 minutes in Wednesday’s win, which was easily his highest mark in a reserve role this season. After the game, Spoelstra praised Larsson for the energy he brought off the bench and made it clear the second-year forward will continue to be featured prominently even if he’s not starting.
“Pelle is undeniable, you can’t take him off the floor,” Spoelstra said. “So I didn’t think anything of (the role change), he didn’t think anything of it that we made the change. Because I know, and I know that he knows that I know that he’s going to play. He led us in minutes tonight. … I just love the way he competes, how he impacts the game, and his teammates really appreciate him as well.”
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Hornets wing Kon Knueppel is battling through some back soreness, but he nearly had the first triple-double of his NBA career in a win over New York on Thursday. Knueppel had 26 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, and became the youngest player in league history to make at least 250 three-pointers in a single season, notes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “I think sometimes he gets labeled as just a shooter, but we feel his impact in so many different ways,” head coach Charles Lee said of the rookie standout.
- Speaking to Boone for a separate Charlotte Observer story, new Hornets guard Coby White suggests the three weeks he spent recovering from a calf strain following his trade from Chicago to Charlotte last month allowed him to adjust to his new NBA home without getting thrown into the deep end right away. “I think what helped me was just – when I was out – picking up a lot of stuff, learning stuff, and then so I didn’t really have to learn it on the fly,” White said. “So it’s been good for me, just breaking down the film when I was out. It’s going to take time, but I feel like I’m getting accustomed to it for sure.” White has averaged 16.0 points in just 20.0 minutes per game in his first 13 outings for the Hornets.
- When he was promoted from his two-way contract to the standard roster last month, Wizards center Tristan Vukcevic signed a three-year, $8.86MM contract that is fully guaranteed through the 2026/27 season. The next step for the young big man will be proving he deserves a place in Washington’s long-term plans, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “I’m obviously happy for my deal, but it doesn’t stop here,” Vukcevic said. “I’m still (only 23), I have a whole career in front of me. I think the contract is more motivation for me to work harder this summer and just get better. I don’t think I’m perfect. Everybody says I’m a shooter, but I have a lot of work there. This year, I haven’t shot the ball the way I’m supposed to.”
Eastern Notes: Knueppel, McCain, Edgecombe, Suggs, Carter
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg appeared to be the frontrunner for this season’s Rookie of the Year award after he scored 49 points against Charlotte on January 29 in his first NBA meeting with Kon Knueppel. However, that was no longer the case by the time the two teams faced one another again on Tuesday, writes Christian Clark of The Athletic.
Flagg’s extended absence due to a foot injury, combined with a 15-3 stretch for the Hornets, has given his former Duke teammate the upper hand back in the Rookie of the Year race. At least, that’s how Charlotte head coach Charles Lee feels.
“I don’t even think it’s close,” Lee said, per Clark. “(Knueppel) probably would be mad at me for saying something like that, because he just wants to focus on our team winning games and impacting games any way he possibly can.”
While Knueppel slightly lags behind Flagg in points (20.4 to 19.2), rebounds (6.6 to 5.5), and assists (4.1 to 3.5) per game, he has been the far more efficient scorer, with an effective field goal percentage of 61.6% compared to Flagg 51.5%. The Hornets wing has also appeared in more games (61 to 49), plays for the better team, and has been arguably the best outside shooter in the NBA — he has knocked down his three-pointers at a 43.5% clip and has made a total of 212, 15 more than second-place Tyrese Maxey.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- With Jared McCain thriving for the Thunder, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports each revisit the Sixers‘ surprising decision to trade the second-year guard at last month’s deadline, exploring whether Philadelphia’s front office was really “selling high” like president of basketball operations Daryl Morey suggested at the time. “I don’t think he meant any harm from it,” McCain said of Morey’s “selling high” comment, per Fischer. “I just kind of take it as: That’s his job. And if he feels that’s the best decision (for the organization), then that’s his decision. But obviously I’m gonna have confidence in myself.”
- Sixers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe, who left Tuesday’s game early due to a back injury, underwent an MRI and has been diagnosed with a lumbar contusion, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. While Edgecombe has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Utah, he’ll be reevaluated ahead of Saturday’s contest in Atlanta, per the team.
- Recently signed Magic point guard Jevon Carter, an eight-year NBA veteran, is having a positive impact on 24-year-old Jalen Suggs, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “My favorite part about (him) is, he’s held me accountable on multiple occasions,” Suggs said of his new teammate. “Just raw, uncut comms, not trying to sugarcoat, not trying to make me feel good. He’s just sharing real truth with me and I’ve appreciated that. It’s been nice having him around.”
Kon Knueppel, Dylan Harper Named Rookies Of The Month
Hornets wing Kon Knueppel has won a fourth consecutive Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). No other Eastern rookie has earned the honor in 2025/26, as Knueppel has now claimed the award in October/November, December, January, and February.
Knueppel continued to solidify his case for Rookie of the Year recognition by leading Charlotte to an 8-3 record in 11 games in February. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 31.5 minutes per game while knocking down more than half of his field goal attempts (50.3%).
Perhaps most impressively, Knueppel made 49-of-101 three-pointers, averaging 4.5 makes per game at a 48.5% clip.
Knueppel had shared Rookie of the Month honors with his former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg three times in a row, but with Flagg sidelined for much of February due to a foot injury, Spurs guard Dylan Harper became the first non-Blue Devil to break through this season, earning the Rookie of the Month award in the West.
Harper’s Spurs didn’t lose a single game in February, going 10-0 when he was active. The No. 2 overall pick registered 12.5 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 3.9 RPG in 25.1 MPG while shooting 55.4% from the floor. San Antonio had a +21.0 net rating during Harper’s 252 minutes on the court in February.
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe, Wizards forward Will Riley, and Nets guard Nolan Traore were also nominated for Rookie of the Month in the Eastern Conference, while Jazz forward Ace Bailey, Grizzlies guard Javon Small, Kings big man Maxime Raynaud, and Mavericks forward Flagg were the other nominees in the West, per the league (Twitter link).
Southeast Notes: Knueppel, Hornets, Heat Bigs, Kispert
On Thursday night, Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel set the rookie record for made three pointers when he hit his 207th of the season against the Pacers, per ESPN. He managed to achieve the feat in just 59 games, shattering the mark previously set by Keegan Murray, who needed 80 games to establish that record in 2023. Knueppel, who leads the entire NBA in threes, claimed he wasn’t hunting for the record during the game.
“It’s really just about making the right basketball play,” Knueppel said. “My teammates are setting good screens and setting me up in good spots. The coaches as well. I’m just out there looking to make the right play for my team.”
The rookie’s shooting display caught the attention of the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry, who holds the single-season record with 402 made threes.
“He can obviously shoot the ball at a high level,” Curry said after playing the Hornets. “You can’t really leave him open at all as he has such a quick release and shoots with confidence. And his play-making is very underrated. His game just suits the NBA style, whether it’s fast-paced or a slowed-down possession game.”
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- While Knueppel’s individual play has caught fans’ attention, it’s just one of many reasons for optimism in Charlotte this season, Roderick Boone writes for the Charlotte Observer. The Hornets are currently one of the hottest teams in the league, having gone 17-6 in their last 23 games. After years of struggles to put a competitive team together, there is a palpable sense of excitement from the team and fanbase as Charlotte looks to keep climbing the Eastern Conference standings. “It’s a different vibe,” said Miles Bridges. “We’ll go to away games, their teams be loud, cheering along. And we didn’t have the same at home. Some people showed up, but now it’s like everybody’s showing up, showing us love… Shout out to the fans that’s been down with us before and shout out to the fans now.”
- Heat big men Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware want to play more minutes together, but they know the numbers need to justify it, Anthony Chiang writes for the Miami Herald. For much of the season, Adebayo/Ware duo has been one of the team’s worst two-man groups statistically, but that has started to turn around recently, Chiang notes. Against the Rockets, the pair was unleashed and the Heat won the 16 minutes they played together by 21 points. “I mean, it felt good,” Ware said. “It felt like the days when I’ve played alongside him recently. So, I mean, it felt good.” One wrinkle coach Erik Spoelstra introduced to make the pairing more effective was to use them in a zone defensive scheme, Ira Winderman writes for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Both of those guys were really good in our zone,” Spoelstra said. “Kel’el, that was one of his better jobs in the zone, just communicating, and protecting in that inner circle… Bam was super dynamic at the center position in the zone, and when you play him in the wing (in the zone), he’s our best wing defender, as well.”
- Corey Kispert recorded his career high in points in his first time playing against his former Wizards as a member of the Hawks, Lauren Williams writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Kispert had 33 points and six rebounds as Atlanta won the game without ever trailing. “This game meant more to him. He’d been there for a long time,” teammate CJ McCollum said. “For me, I had a cup of coffee, some tea there. I just figured out my directions on how to get the facility without a GPS when I got traded. He spent some real time there, so I’m glad he’s doing that.”
And-Ones: Durant, Olympics, U.S. Roster, Parker, Brooks
Four-time gold medalist Kevin Durant tells Vincent Goodwill of ESPN he wants to represent Team USA again at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The 37-year-old Rockets forward, who is the U.S men’s team’s all-time leading scorer in Olympic competition, did add a caveat, however.
“Hell yeah, I want to play,” Durant said. “I would love to, but I’ve got to stay on top of my game. I’m not expecting, I want to produce on the floor and make (managing director) Grant (Hill) and whoever is making the decisions, want to put me on the team. I don’t want — not just for seniority. I want to still prove I can help the team win.
“Today, yeah I feel like I’ll put my name in that hat.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Speaking of the 2028 Olympics and USA Basketball, Zach Kram of ESPN takes an early look at potential candidates for the Americans’ roster. Kram predicts that Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Jalen Duren, Amen Thompson, Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Tyrese Haliburton, Bam Adebayo and Jayson Tatum will be the 12 players selected (they’re listed by age). Durant could take the final wing spot on the roster, according to Kram, but only if he’s still “engaged and deserving” two-plus years from now.
- Partizan Belgrade is expected to loan former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker to Spanish club Joventut Badalona for the rest of the season, according to a report from Mozzart Sport (hat tip to Sportando). Parker been away from the Serbian club for several weeks, last playing on January 9. The veteran power forward is still under contract with Partizan through 2026/27, though his future with the team is uncertain.
- Shooting guard Armoni Brooks, who played parts of three NBA seasons from 2020-24, has been named MVP of the Italian Cup after helping lead Olimpia Milano to a title in the domestic tournament, per Fabio Cavagnera of RealOlimpiaMilano.com (hat tip to Sportando). The 27-year-old said he “100%” wants to re-sign with the Italian squad.
Hornets Notes: Ball, Bridges, Diabate, White, Knueppel
LaMelo Ball has been a polarizing figure throughout his career, with critics arguing that his flashy style will never lead to winning basketball. That may be changing as Ball is showing signs of maturity in his sixth NBA season, including an efficient 37-point performance on Sunday as the Hornets defeated Washington, Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes in a subscriber-only story. Ball explained that he was “finding the best looks” rather than forcing the offense, which is just what coach Charles Lee wants to hear.
“I love it,” Lee said. “I think it just shows the continued growth and maturity that he’s proven all year. He has helped impact winning in a lot of different ways. It’s been his defensive activity. It’s been moments like that where he’s able to just keep making the right play no matter if he’s got it going, no matter if somebody else has got it going. He just has a better feel for the game. I feel like this year he’s trusting his teammates (more). I’m really proud of him for how he kind of handled himself and had the hot hand maturity in that moment.”
Ball has more weapons to work with this season with Brandon Miller healthy and Kon Knueppel in the midst of an outstanding rookie season. Ball’s percentages (40.1% from the floor and 36.7% from three-point range) haven’t changed much from his career averages, but he’s been shooting less frequently and making a greater effort to set up his teammates.
There’s more on the Hornets:
- The team is looking forward to bringing back Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate for Tuesday’s game at Chicago, Boone states in the same piece. Both players were given four-game suspensions for their roles in a February 9 fight against Detroit, forcing Grant Williams and Ryan Kalkbrenner into the starting lineup. “It’ll be very nice to get two very good players back into the lineup,” Lee said. “But I’m also really proud of the guys that stepped up in their absence and gave us some really big minutes.”
- Coby White hasn’t played since being acquired at the trade deadline, but the team is hopeful that he can return from a left calf strain during the current road trip, Boone adds. There’s a chance his Hornets debut could happen in Chicago, where White spent his first six-plus NBA seasons. “I guess the update would be that he’s made some great strides,” Lee said. “He’s been able to go through some contact portions of practice and during his rehab sessions. As long as he can continue to show up every day after a little bit more intensity on the court and the evaluations go well, he’s getting closer to being able to play.”
- Knueppel was surprised to learn that former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg spent $7,000 on a collection of his trading cards over the weekend (Twitter link). “He called me and I didn’t really realize … Like I’m not big into that stuff, so he was showing me the cards,” Knueppel told Boone. “… I didn’t realize cards were doing what they’re doing now, so I guess I’m not tapped in.”
Damian Lillard Wins Three-Point Contest
Damian Lillard isn’t playing this season while recovering from a torn Achilles, but his jumper was still sharp enough to win Saturday’s three-point contest at All-Star Weekend, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. Appearing on an NBA court for the first time since he suffered the injury last April 27, the Trail Blazers guard sank 10 straight shots at one point during the final round to defeat Devin Booker and rookie Kon Knueppel.
It’s Lillard’s third victory in the past four years and it ties him with Larry Bird and Craig Hodges, the only other three-time champs in the history of the contest, which began in 1986.
“Every day I’m up early in the morning warming up and shooting the ball, off the dribble, catch-and-shoot, every style of shot you can shoot. I’m shooting them every day, hundreds of ’em,” Lillard said. “So I knew that this would not be an issue for me. I can’t say I knew that I would win ’cause you just never know. But I knew I would be able to be strong out there and have a chance. I came in confident.”
Lillard was a surprise inclusion in the field of eight contestants because of the injury and his long layoff. He jokingly told a league official that he was ready to go, and he later got the opportunity when another competitor dropped out.
“It felt like a game for me,” Lillard said. “Coming into it, I was like, I don’t know if you can compete harder at a three-point shootout, but I definitely cared more. I didn’t come in, ‘Oh, it is what it is.’ I was like, ‘No, I’m trying to win.’”
Woike notes that the favorite of the L.A. crowd was Heat guard Norman Powell, who spent three years with the Clippers before being traded last summer. Powell scored 23 points in the first round before being eliminated along with Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray, Tyrese Maxey and Bobby Portis.
“I just ran a little bit of time,” Powell said, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (subscription required). “I slowed myself down a little too much, because last year I was sped up and going through the course too fast, so kind of said I’m gonna calm down, relax. and take my time with my shots. But, in the end, I ran a little bit of time.”
Second-year Heat forward Keshad Johnson won the Slam Dunk Contest, defeating Carter Bryant in the finals. Jaxson Hayes and Jase Richardson were eliminated in the first round.
The Shooting Stars competition went to the Knicks‘ contingent of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Allan Houston, along with their celebrity passer, assistant coach Rick Brunson.