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The National Basketball Players Association had some words to say about Cade Cunningham’s award eligibility.

Cunningham has played 61 games this season, but a collapsed lung might hold him from reaching the 65-game threshold required to be considered for major awards like MVP and the All-NBA team.

ESPN reported last week that the injury could sideline him for an “extended period of time” and that he’d be re-evaluated in two weeks.

He also narrowly misses the 62-game injury exception for season-ending injuries, which goes into effect if players play more than 85 percent of their team’s games before the injury and reach 62 contests.

“Cade Cunningham’s potential ineligibility for [end of] season awards after a career-defining season is a clear indictment of the 65-game rule and yet another example of why it must be abolished or reformed to create an exception for significant injuries. Since its implementation, far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors by this arbitrary and overly rigid quota.” the NBAPA’s statement read, as first reported by The AP.

Cunningham is averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game this season while shooting 46.1 percent from the floor and 34.6 percent from 3-point range

“Cade has delivered a first-team All-NBA season,” Cunningham’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, told ESPN. “If he falls just short of an arbitrary games-played threshold due to legitimate injury, it should not disqualify him from recognition he has clearly earned over the course of the season. The league should be rewarding excellence, not enforcing rigid cutoffs that ignore context. An exception needs to be made.”

His success has helped the Pistons to a 52-19 record, the best team in the Eastern Conference. Detroit sits five games ahead of the No. 2 seed Celtics in the conference and eight games ahead of the Cavaliers in the Central Division.

But Cunningham’s injury could hamper the Pistons as they finish out the regular season.

“Obviously, it’s tough,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Thursday. “Tough for Cade to go through what he’s going through now. How important he is to the team, how important being with his team is to him doesn’t make it easy. He’s a huge part of what we do from a leadership standpoint.”

Across five years with the Pistons since being drafted with the first overall pick in 2021, Cunningham has proved his worth.

He’s averaging 22.6 points for his career, including a career-high 26.1 mark last season. He also snagged his first two All-Star selections in the last two years while finishing seventh in MVP voting in 2024-25.

Now, potentially his best season yet could result in no recognition.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Even by Luka Dončić’s standards, the run he’s been on recently has been something special.

He led the Lakers on a nine-game winning streak, which included a game-winner over the Nuggets and a 60-point performance against the Heat.

Luka has been named Western Conference Player of the Week for back-to-back weeks, and with the Lakers now sitting at No. 3 in the West, he is being discussed more as an MVP candidate.

But with only a couple of weeks left, is it too late for him to make a run at the current favorite, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?

For our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we asked if you think Luka should be in the conversation for MVP and where he finishes in MVP voting.

Luka has a strong case as an MVP candidate. He’s an All-Star, the NBA’s leading scorer and undeniably the best player on a contending team.

The pushback he could face is that his defensive numbers don’t make a compelling case for him, and if the Lakers fall to fifth or sixth in the standings, critics will say he’s a great player on a mediocre team.

Still, voting hasn’t happened yet, so Dončić could still win. Also, if he keeps playing at this high a level the rest of the way, he could continue garnering support.

The KIA MVP Ladder has Luka at No. 2 in the MVP race, behind only SGA, and Nikola Jokić is third.

All three players have great cases. With the Thunder as defending champions and SGA having another great season, his individual reward might be another MVP.

Jokić remains the engine that keeps Denver running and he’s set to finish the year once again averaging a triple-double. Over the past five seasons, he’s won the MVP three times and the worst he’s finished in voting is second.

Can Luka make a push here and finish as a top vote getter in MVP voting or even win the award?

Share your opinion by voting and letting us know down below!

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Don’t look now, but the Sixers actually might have over half of their starting lineup available.

Philadelphia released their injury report ahead of their matchup with the Chicago Bulls, and there’s some potentially good news: Joel Embiid is listed as questionable. Embiid has yet to play in the month of March, suffering an oblique strain on Feb. 26 after a collision with Miami Heat center Kel’el Ware. Embiid has only played in five games since the beginning of February.

During this absence, there was a slight glimmer of hope he’d get on the court earlier. Embiid was briefly listed as doubtful for their March 19 matchup against the Sacramento Kings, but was ultimately ruled out hours before tip-off.

The Sixers didn’t hold an official practice Tuesday, but Nick Nurse said in a pregame availability the day before that Embiid would go through a heavier workout and the team would go from there. Given the upgrade in status, it would seem everything is going well so far.

After being banged up for most of the month, the Sixers could suddenly get a lot of reinforcements back all at once. Regardless of if Embiid is able to go against the Bulls or not, Paul George will play in his first game back from his 25-game suspension. Despite the lack of practice, George did speak to reporters for the first time since the suspension.

Quentin Grimes, who missed the Sixers’ last game against the OKC Thunder with an illness, is only questionable against the Bulls. Dominick Barlow, who sprained an ankle two games ago in Utah, is not listed on the injury report.

Another reunion with an old friend isn’t likely for this one though. For the Bulls, Guerschon Yabusele is listed as doubtful with an ankle sprain. He didn’t play in their most recent matchup against the Houston Rockets. On top of guys they’re trying to shut down for the year, Anfernee Simons and Isaac Okoro are also doubtful for Chicago.

When the Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder face off on Wednesday night, both teams will be at relative full-strength. Everyone is available for the Celtics, except for Nikola Vucevic, who first suffered a fractured right ring finger on March 6th and remains out.

Jayson Tatum, meanwhile, will appear in his 9th game for the Celtics; so far, he’s averaged 19.1 points and 8.9 rebounds.

For the Thunder, Jalen Williams will play in his second consecutive game; he’s coming off an 18-point performance on Monday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. Williams has appeared in only 27 games this season, dealing with a myriad of wrist and hamstring injuries.

How the Celtics, Thunder stack up

Despite having an injury-riddled season, the Thunder have been the NBA’s most dominant team all season. They currently have the league’s best net rating at a +11.1. The Celtics have the league’s third-best net rating at a +7.8.

The Thunder have won 15 of their last 16 games, and 12 straight.

The Celtics, meanwhile, will look to bounce back from a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night. The Celtics have won 6 of their last 10 games, and are 6-2 with Jayson Tatum in the lineup.

Last time the two teams faced off, the Thunder came away with a 104-102 victory, thanks to game-winning free throws from Chet Holmgren off of an offensive rebound. But both teams were without key players in that March 12th game; the Thunder were without Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein, while the Celtics were without Tatum and Derrick White.

Celtics-Thunder tips off at 7:30pm at TD Garden.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Houston Rockets
Date: March 25th, 2026
Time: 8:30 PM CDT
Location: Target Center
Television Coverage: ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network – North
Radio Coverage: KFAN FM, Wolves App, iHeart Radio

When the Minnesota Timberwolves walked out of TD Garden with a victory, their first in that building since 2005, it wasn’t just another road win. It was the kind of bizarre, rollercoaster performance that perfectly encapsulates this entire Timberwolves season.

Maybe even more impressively, it was the second time in about a month they slayed a two-decade dragon. First Toronto. Now Boston. What’s next? A 37-year NBA Finals drought???

But here’s the thing. If you tuned in early, you probably weren’t thinking “professional win.” You were thinking, “Oh no, here we go again...“

The Wolves Flip the Script

The opening minutes looked exactly like a team missing its superstar playing on the road against a contender. The Wolves came out disjointed, sloppy, and unable to buy a basket. They were turning the ball over and struggling to generate any sort of offensive rhythm. Boston held a 15-point lead in the 2nd quarter, and it felt like one of those nights where the postgame write-up basically writes itself: “They fought hard, but without Edwards…”

And then, because this team refuses to follow any predictable script, they flipped it. Minnesota steadied itself. The defense tightened. The ball movement improved. Shots started to fall. And slowly but surely, that 15-point deficit disappeared… until somehow, almost unbelievably, the Wolves took the lead into halftime on a Bones Hyland buzzer beater.

Right on cue, the third quarter began with Boston ripping off an 11–0 run, part of a brutal trend where Minnesota was outscored 22–2 to start the first and third quarters combined. That’s the kind of stat that usually ends games. That’s the moment where most teams, especially shorthanded ones, fold.

But not this group. Not on this night. Instead of spiraling, they regrouped again. The defense locked back in. The offense found its footing. And from that point forward, Minnesota outplayed Boston on its home floor, grinding out a win that had no business existing based on how the game started.

That’s the paradox of this team in a nutshell. They can look completely lost… and then turn around and beat a contender in its own building.

The Bones and Ayo Show

Without Anthony Edwards, this game needed someone, or multiple someones, to step into the vacuum. And once again, it was the backcourt duo of Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Highland who answered the call.

Ayo continues to look like one of the most important midseason additions this team has made in years. He plays with control, makes smart reads, and most importantly, shoots with confidence and efficiency. When he’s knocking down threes and keeping the offense moving, the Wolves feel organized, which is something that hasn’t always been the case this season.

Bones, meanwhile, brought exactly what Bones always brings: instant offense. The kind of microwave scoring that can swing a quarter in a matter of minutes. His ability to heat up quickly has become invaluable in this stretch without Edwards.

Together, they provided the offensive spark Minnesota needed, continuing a trend that’s quietly become one of the most important storylines of the Edwards absence.

The Bigger Picture

Here’s what makes this win both encouraging and frustrating at the same time. The Wolves have now shown they can beat elite teams, even on the road, without Anthony Edwards. And yet, against the teams they’re directly battling in the standings? They’re 2–9 against the Lakers, Nuggets, Suns, and Rockets.

That’s not bad luck. That’s a pattern.

Which is why what comes next matters more than what just happened.

Houston and a Season-Altering Opportunity

Wednesday’s matchup against Houston isn’t just another game.

It’s the game.

The Wolves are tied in the standings with the Rockets, and unlike with the Lakers or Nuggets, this is one of the few scenarios where Minnesota can still flip the tiebreaker in its favor.

Win this game, and suddenly you’re talking about climbing into the top four. Lose it, and you’re once again chasing ground you’ve already given away too many times this season.

And the Wolves will likely have to do it, again, without Anthony Edwards.

Which means everything we saw in Boston needs to carry over.

Keys to the Game

#1. Lean into connected, disciplined team defense.
What worked in Boston wasn’t just effort. It was structure. The Wolves stayed connected, rotated properly, and forced the Celtics into difficult looks while limiting the damage from secondary options. Against Houston, that same formula has to apply. You’re not stopping Kevin Durant. You’re trying to contain him, and that requires five-man defensive cohesion, not just individual matchups.

#2. Win the rebounding battle and control the paint.
Houston is a physical team that thrives on second-chance opportunities. If Gobert and Randle don’t show up on the glass, this game will tilt quickly. Minnesota has to treat every missed shot like a 50/50 ball and put forth pure effort on the boards. This is a game where Gobert needs to feel like a vacuum.

#3. Continue the backcourt production without Edwards.
Ayo and Bones don’t need to replicate Edwards individually. but collectively, they need to continue filling that scoring and playmaking gap. If they can combine for another strong offensive performance, it gives Minnesota a legitimate pathway to generating enough offense against a tough Houston defense.

#4. Demand more from Randle and McDaniels as offensive initiators.
Without Edwards, the burden shifts. Randle needs to be both a scorer and facilitator, while McDaniels has to remain aggressive and attack mismatches. Passive play from either one will stall the offense and allow Houston to dictate the game.

#5. Stay composed when the game tightens.
This is where the Wolves have failed repeatedly this season. In big moments of big games with big stakes, things have unraveled. Against Houston, that cannot happen. The Wolves need to stay within themselves, avoid the careless turnovers, play settled and focused basketball, and trust the system that worked in Boston.

A Chance to Change the Narrative

Beating Boston was impressive. Beating Houston would be meaningful.

Because this season, more than anything, has been defined by missed opportunities in games that matter most.

This is one of those games.

The Wolves have shown they can rise to the occasion. Now they have to prove they can do it when it actually changes something.