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.”
Celtics Notes: Garza, Tiebreaker, Walsh, Pritchard, Tatum, Brown
The Celtics got a huge lift from backup center Luka Garza on Friday as they pulled out a close game in Memphis, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Garza has fallen out of the rotation a couple of times this season, but an injury to Nikola Vucevic has him playing regular minutes again. Against the Grizzlies, he delivered his best game since signing with Boston last summer, contributing 22 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes.
“When you get into kind of a rhythm like that and get to the glass and make little plays, it’s a lot of fun,” Garza said. “But every night, we have a lot of guys who do that. … Guys have always stepped up. In my position, just try to make the little plays and help us win. So it’s definitely fun when you’re the guy doing that.”
Vucevic is hoping to return from a fractured finger before the regular season ends, and it’s not clear how the frontcourt minutes will be divided up if that happens. Garza said even if his playing time is cut again, he’ll be ready for whatever opportunity he’s given.
“I love being a part of this team,” he added. “We play hard every single night no matter what, and I think when you do that, you put yourself in a good position. Especially in a situation like tonight where we obviously had the talent advantage. You play hard long enough, you finally get that rhythm.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Even with the win, Boston suffered a setback on Friday in its bid to hold off New York for the No. 2 seed in the East, according to Brian Robb of MassLive. The Knicks‘ one-point victory at Brooklyn ensured that they’ll have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Celtics based on their better record against Atlantic Division teams.
- Jordan Walsh was an effective defensive force earlier in the season, but Boston’s abundance of wings has pushed him out of the rotation, Robb states in a mailbag column. Ron Harper Jr. is likely to see an expanded role in anticipation of having his two-way deal converted to a standard contract, so Walsh may have to settle for limited minutes going forward. Robb also addresses the possibility of an extension for Payton Pritchard, who will become eligible for a new deal this summer.
- Jayson Tatum has been getting help from his teammates, particularly Jaylen Brown, as he tries to rediscover his game after a long absence, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe notes in a subscriber-only piece. “Sometimes things are not going your way or you miss some shots early, you need an easy one,” Brown said. “I’ve been there. I know what that feels like. So sometimes, you overthink a little bit too. It’s his first couple of games back, so I think just trying to find him in a rhythm and help him as much as I can is something when I’m on the floor, I’m looking for.”
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, McCain, Nets, Pritchard
Sixers center Joel Embiid, who had been out since February 7 due to knee and shin injuries, returned to action on Tuesday in Indiana and didn’t miss a beat, racking up 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 26 minutes of action as Philadelphia cruised to a 135-114 victory.
“He just takes so much pressure off us offensively,” teammate Tyrese Maxey said, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). “They’ve got to pay attention to him. … And then when I’m second pass right there next to him, it’s hard to (double team) too, so there’s a lot of space out there on the court.”
While the 76ers referred to Embiid’s latest ailment as shin soreness, the big man said on Tuesday that it was actually a stress reaction in his right leg, admitting that it was initially “painful to walk.”
Embiid has dealt with his share of injuries over the years, but told reporters after the win over the Pacers that he hadn’t been familiar with the treatment or recovery process for a stress reaction. As Mizell relays, the former MVP expects to handle it going forward like he dealt with his surgically repaired knee earlier this season, with the team closely monitoring the leg and managing his workload.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Looking back at the Sixers‘ decision to trade Jared McCain at the deadline, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) explains why it was more than just a financially motivated deal to duck the luxury tax line. In what should be a stacked 2026 draft, the first-rounder Philadelphia acquired from Oklahoma City in the trade (Houston’s pick) should have real value this spring, even if it ends up in the early- to mid-20s, Gozlan writes.
- Exploring what the NBA’s anti-tanking efforts could mean for Brooklyn, Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) suggests the Nets were already planning on pivoting from a full-fledged rebuild to being more competitive in 2026/27, when they won’t control their own first-round pick. As a result, any rule changes shouldn’t have a significant impact on the front office’s approach to the 2026 offseason, Lewis says.
- Although he scored just eight points of 2-of-13 shooting vs. Phoenix on Tuesday, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is still averaging 21.6 points and 6.1 assists per game with a .504/.429/.900 shooting line in eight games since being made a reserve. Speaking earlier this week about Pritchard’s move to the bench, head coach Joe Mazzulla said the 28-year-old will “impact winning” in any role and is willing to do whatever gives the team the best chance to win (Twitter video link via Law Murray of The Athletic). Pritchard has actually increased his minutes per game from 32.6 as a starter to 34.3 as a reserve, so the move to the second unit hardly represents a demotion.
Celtics Notes: Brown, Pritchard, Gonzalez, Tatum
After the Celtics pummeled the Lakers on Sunday, LeBron James told reporters that Jaylen Brown is being overlooked in the MVP race, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Brown had 32 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals in the 22-point victory as Boston continued its surprising season by improving to 37-19, the fourth-best record in the league.
“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well,” James said. “Like, nobody gave them a shot to start the season. And he’s averaging what, 30? Just under 30? It’s a popularity contest sometimes, I tell you.”
Brown is posting career highs of 29.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 51 games and has looked extremely comfortable as the team’s primary scoring option while Jayson Tatum recovers from a torn Achilles. Brown thanked James for his assessment and offered his own case for the award.
“I feel like I’m the best two-way player in the world,” he said. “I play both ends on the court. Night to night, I’m available, which is hard to do. I’m a leader. I help lead my team, empower my team to come out and play confidently, stuff that doesn’t always show up on the analytics. And I’m a winner. I come out and try to win every single night. So I’m grateful. It’s an honor to play the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. It’s an honor for LeBron, who’s arguably the best player to ever play the game, giving me some high praise.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Moving into a reserve role after the trade deadline hasn’t affected Payton Pritchard‘s productivity, notes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (subscription required). Pritchard scored 30 points in 38 minutes on Sunday and said he was inspired by the Boston-L.A. rivalry. “Felt like I’m back in my college days [at Oregon] where I’m playing Washington or Arizona or something,” he said. “Rivalry will bring that out of you.”
- Luka Doncic and Hugo Gonzalez have a connection through their Real Madrid background, and the Lakers star believes the Celtics rookie has a bright NBA future, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. “We all know he’s a very high-effort player,” Doncic said. “He’s all around the court. It’s only his first year. He’ll have time to learn. But I think he’s going to be a very important piece for every team he plays for.”
- Lakers guard Marcus Smart has stayed in touch with Tatum throughout his recovery process and dropped the latest clue on whether his longtime teammate might return this season, Terada relays in a separate story. “He’s doing real well as you guys know,” Smart said. “That’s all you can ask for. That’s something you never want to see from anybody, but especially for a guy you’ve been to battle with and you got a good relationship with. So it was tough to see that but I’m glad he’s in good spirits and his process is going very well.”
Celtics Notes: Vucevic, Tatum, Roster Openings, Pritchard
Nikola Vucevic only had one practice to get acclimated to the Celtics before making his debut with the team Friday night, but he had no trouble fitting into the new system, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Vucevic played 28 minutes — the most of any Boston center — finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds while helping to erase a 22-point deficit in a win over Miami.
“I thought he did a great job from the day he got to Boston right to tip off preparing,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Preparing for everything — our language, our coverages, what we needed to do. I thought he put himself in position to help us. And then I think credit to the guys for having a quick understanding about why we acquired him and how he can make us better, and how we can help to make him better.”
Vucevic has been connected to the Celtics in trade rumors in the past, notes Souichi Terada of MassLive, and he believes he can help the team as a floor-spacing big man. None of the centers that Boston has been using this season have the offensive capabilities that Vucevic brings.
“I look at it as it motivates me to try to get to a higher level,” he said of the trade from Chicago at Thursday’s deadline. “I am 35 but I still feel like I have a lot left in the tank and can still play at a high level. So having an opportunity to play in the playoffs and play for something big, I think it’s extra motivation for everybody. I’m just excited to have the opportunity. I never really had it in my career.”
There’s more from Boston:
- It’s possible Jayson Tatum could return at some point this season, but president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said that had “very little impact” on the moves he made at the deadline, per Jay King of The Athletic. Stevens targeted Vucevic to upgrade the frontcourt and was able to dump the salaries of Xavier Tillman, Chris Boucher and Josh Minott to move below the tax deadline. “The best time for Jayson Tatum to come back is when he’s 110 percent healthy, he’s fully cleared by everybody that matters in that decision, and he’s got great peace of mind and he’s ready to do it. That’s it,” Stevens said. “That’s the objective, and that’s what we’re going to stick with.”
- The Celtics dropped down to 11 players after the deadline and have until February 19 to get back to the league minimum of 14. One of those openings was filled by promoting two-way big man Amari Williams, and his new minimum-salary contract includes a team option for next season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
- Stevens offered some insight into his plans for filling the other two slots, Robb adds in a separate story. The team will take a close look at its remaining two-way players, including John Tonje, who was acquired from Utah on Thursday.
- Payton Pritchard returned to a sixth-man role in the revamped lineup after starting in his first 48 appearances this season, King notes in another piece. “That benefits our team more,” Pritchard said. “It puts another ball-handler off the bench. At the end of the day, it’s about, do you play starter minutes, do you finish games? I don’t really care about starting. If you want me to start, I’ll start. If you want me to come off the bench, it doesn’t matter. So it’s just about, when you get in, what do you do with your minutes? So that’s what I was focused on today.”
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (subscription required) examines the financial impact of the Celtics’ moves and how they’ll affect the future.
Injury Notes: Garland, Merrill, Heat, Coulibaly, Pritchard
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland has been ruled out of Friday’s game at Philadelphia due to right great toe soreness, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. As Fedor notes, Garland’s injury is not a recurrence of the toe ailment that required offseason surgery and has bothered him for several months — the injury is impacting a different toe on the opposite foot.
Cleveland will also be without sharpshooter Sam Merrill on Friday, per Fedor (Twitter link). Merrill is dealing with a right hand sprain, the same injury that caused him to miss 14 games earlier in the season. Both players were injured in Wednesday’s win in Philadelphia.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Heat will be down two key rotation members for Saturday’s game against Oklahoma City, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter links). Starting point guard Davion Mitchell will miss his second straight game with a left shoulder contusion, while sixth man Jaime Jaquez Jr. will be out for the second consecutive contest due to a left knee sprain. As Chiang writes for The Miami Herald, Jaquez underwent an MRI on Thursday which revealed irritation in his knee. Mitchell had not received an MRI as of Thursday. Guard Tyler Herro is questionable for tomorrow’s game due to contusions on his toe and rib.
- Forward Bilal Coulibaly, who exited Wednesday’s loss at the Clippers early due to a back injury, will miss the final two games of the Wizards‘ West Coast road trip with what the team is calling lower back stiffness, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). Head coach Brian Keefe said the former lottery pick has returned to D.C. to receive treatment for his back.
- Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is doubtful to suit up for Saturday’s game at Atlanta due to left ankle soreness, per John Karalis of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Pritchard, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, has appeared in all 40 of Boston’s games thus far in 2025/26. Forward Josh Minott will miss his seventh straight contest due to a left ankle sprain, Karalis adds.
Celtics Notes: Pritchard, Queta, White, Brown, Tillman
After a subpar performance in Saturday’s loss at Minnesota, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard was thankful to have a chance to redeem himself the next day, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Pritchard responded with one of his best shooting nights of the season, finishing with 42 points while connecting at 15-of-22 from the field and sinking six three-pointers in a victory at Cleveland.
“I just wanted to come out tonight after a disappointing night before and kind of redeem myself and help the team win,” he said. “Hopefully I can continue this and catch a rhythm. I’m not saying every night’s going to be scoring, but be efficient and help the team win.”
Pritchard carried the offense despite being in foul trouble for much of the game. He made an early statement by drilling his first three-pointer nine seconds into the contest, then contributed 15 points in the fourth quarter as Boston held off a late Cavaliers rally. He helped to secure the 117-115 victory with a pair of late free throws.
“I’m a competitor and sitting in my room last night and this morning, you can either fold and give into it,” Pritchard told reporters before the game. “But for me, today I’m going to come out and give everything I’ve got and not second guess anything. I’m going to treat it like it’s a summer day in the gym, just me.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Neemias Queta and Derrick White were both given the night off to recover from injuries with Boston playing the second game of a back-to-back and entering a busy part of its schedule, Washburn states in a separate story. Queta has a sprained left ankle, and White is dealing with a right calf contusion. The Celtics have games Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and coach Joe Mazzulla indicated that more rotation players could be rested during that stretch. “I think that’s where we talk about playing everybody comes into play and, you know, just relying on the depth of those, especially the young guys,” he said. “So that’s why I think it’s important everyone comes into the game ready to impact. And so that’s the case (Sunday). I think it will be over the next week or so, and points in time throughout the season. So trying to make that a strength of ours, just, you know, by the guys that we have available.”
- Jaylen Brown has been frustrated by a lack of free throw attempts, Washburn adds. Brown entered Sunday’s game eighth in the league in scoring at 28.8 PPG, but he was 27th in free throw rate at 6.3 per night. Mazzulla said he supports Brown’s position, but won’t be submitting tape to the league to show examples of non-calls.
- With Queta unavailable, Xavier Tillman delivered nine points, six rebounds, three steals and a block in his first start of the season, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. It was a rare appearance for Tillman, who had only played one five-minute stint during the previous 11 games. “X is the ultimate professional,” Mazzulla said. “Whether he plays every game or he misses 10 games, I have a level of trust that he’s going to go out there and he’s going to execute and he’s going to do exactly what we want. That’s really hard to do in this league. You can’t take a guy like that for granted. He works. He’s always ready.”
Atlantic Notes: Robinson, Pritchard, Barnes, Poeltl
The Knicks and veteran center Mitchell Robinson did not engage in any advanced discussions about a potential contract extension prior to 2025/26, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link), who is skeptical that a deal will come together during the regular season.
Still, assuming he’s healthy, Robinson should have plenty of suitors if he hits free agency next summer, Begley reported on The Putback.
“The most likely path here is Mitchell Robinson … hitting free agency and then seeing what the market is like,” Begley said. “There’s going to be teams with cap space. If he’s healthy, he’s going to be very attractive on that open market.
“Maybe the Knicks surprise me, and they do get a deal done in-season. … If he has this impact on the floor when he’s healthy, even though the Knicks are limiting him, teams know what he can do and he’s continuing to show it.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- In an extensive interview with Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard discusses his “relentless” desire to constantly improve his game. “I look at the word ‘relentless’ as a means to define who I am,” Pritchard told ClutchPoints. “It is an undying hunger to always keep getting better and better. Always striving for more. I am obviously very grateful for everything I have and will never take it for granted, but that relentlessness in me is always pushing for more. It’s always about getting to that next step in your career, life, or whatever it may be. Every day is a new opportunity to get better, and I live by that mindset. It’s a major reason why I’ve found so much success in my role with the Celtics.”
- Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is off to a strong start to the season, particularly on the defensive end of the court, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. As Koreen details, Barnes is at his best when he’s wreaking havoc as a weak side roamer — he is currently the only player in the league averaging at least 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game (he’s at 1.6 in both categories). “He’s been doing it for a long time, so there’s not much new there on the defensive end,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “He’s just getting even more experienced. He’s getting to know the league and tendencies of the players even better. Scottie is a big part of our scouting preparation.”
- Raptors center Jakob Poeltl will miss Saturday’s game in Philadelphia due to lower back injury management, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. It’s the second night of a back-to-back for Toronto, which won on the road in Atlanta on Friday for the team’s fourth consecutive victory following a four-game losing streak. The Raptors are currently 5-4.
And-Ones: Payne, Fernando, Free Agents, Breakout Candidates
After being waived by the Pacers earlier this month, veteran point guard Cameron Payne reportedly received strong interest from KK Partizan, a EuroLeague-team based in Belgrade, Serbia. However, according to veteran NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link), Payne has opted to forgo overseas opportunities for now and will remain stateside in order to seek out his next NBA opportunity.
A 10-year NBA veteran who has earned regular playing time in Phoenix, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and New York in recent years, Payne appeared in 72 games for the Knicks last season, averaging 6.9 points and 2.8 assists in 15.1 minutes per night while shooting 40.1% from the floor, including 36.3% from beyond the three-point line.
Payne received a training camp invitation from Indiana this fall but didn’t make a strong case in the preseason for a regular season roster spot, shooting just 28.6% from the field and registering nearly as many turnovers (six) as assists (seven).
We have more from around the basketball world:
- While Payne apparently won’t be headed to Belgrade, another NBA veteran is set to join KK Partizan. As Javier Molero of Eurohoops relays, big man Bruno Fernando is signing with the Serbian club to fortify its frontcourt. Fernando, whose last stop was Real Madrid, made 220 regular season appearances in the NBA for four teams from 2019-25. He played in 17 games last season for the Raptors, but has been out of the league since being waived by Toronto in January.
- Even though the 2025/26 season is now underway, there are still several notable players who finished last season on NBA rosters and remain unsigned. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report ranks the top 10 players who fit that bill, with Malik Beasley, Ben Simmons, and Precious Achiuwa topping his list.
- Jeremy Woo of ESPN identifies his top five breakout candidates for the 2025/26 season, including Celtics wing Payton Pritchard, Pistons center Jalen Duren, and Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard.