Curry’s stellar shooting from the free-throw line helped Golden State get a much-needed victory against Los Angeles. This followed his incredible 52-point performance in the previous game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
These two crucial wins have placed the Warriors in contention for a high playoff seed in the Western Conference.
Since trading for Jimmy Butler, the 37-year-old has experienced a scoring renaissance, averaging 29.2 points per game and ripping long-range shots like the good old days.
With six games left in the regular season, the Warriors are one game back of the Lakers for the fourth seed in the West.
Given Curry’s resurgent play and the continued development of the rest of Golden State’s lineup, the franchise heads into the postseason with plenty of positive momentum.
Still, the road to a favorable playoff seed won’t get any easier with two of the best teams in the Western Conference up next. Curry will need to channel more of his magical shot-making in the next two games if the Warriors want to beat the Denver Nuggets (47-30) and the Houston Rockets (50-27).
From acquiring Derrick White in 2022 to swinging trades for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in 2023, Brad Stevens made a number of masterful moves that helped the Boston Celtics win their 18th championship.
But the Celtics wouldn’t have raised Banner 18 last June without Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Tatum and Brown have blossomed into superstars in Boston. The former is a six-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA First Team selection who’s one of the top five players in basketball, while the latter is a four-time All-Star who earned MVP honors in both the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals.
While the Jays have shown steady improvement since entering the league, they both took significant leaps last season — particularly in the playmaking department, where their assists per game shot up from 4.9 to 5.9 for Tatum and 3.6 to 4.6 for Brown.
In an exclusive interview with Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg, Stevens detailed how he’s seen Tatum and Brown evolve, especially over the last few seasons.
“Jayson’s been special from Day 1,” Stevens said. “I think the strength that he’s put on in the last few years has been really beneficial, not only in finishing or holding his spot — he doesn’t get knocked off his spot like he did maybe in his early years — and then also defensively in his ability to play anyone from the point guard to the center.
“A lot of times in this day and age, you’re not getting posted by centers, so you can be a little bit more creative defensively, but you still have to block them out and you still have to engage physically down in the paint, and he does a great job of that.”
That physicality has helped Tatum average 8.7 rebounds per game this season, his fourth consecutive season averaging at least eight rebounds per game after he averaged 5.0 boards per game as a rookie. Stevens also is impressed by how Tatum’s court vision has evolved.
“The experience that you go through being double-teamed, seeing different coverages — you get to the point where you’re 27 years old and you’ve pretty much seen it all,” Stevens said.
“You can see that he plays the game — we always like to say that he plays the game unconsciously competent. He doesn’t need to think about it. He sees it, he makes the right read, and he’s just gotten better and better and better.”
“He’s had great growth all the way through,” Stevens said of Brown. “Again, I go back to, if you would have told me his first year that he would have been guarding the point guard in the Finals and picking up full (court) and being able to navigate and handle all those screens and everything else, I’d say that he’s capable of doing that, but there’s a lot that goes into that. And those are things that you gain from experience, too.”
Tatum and Brown are both very gifted scorers, but earlier in their careers, they’d occasionally struggle to set up their teammates and make the right passes out of defensive pressure. They’ve both made huge strides in that department over the last two seasons, however — aided in part by an excellent supporting cast built by Stevens.
“Offensively, you just continue to see the growth and the ability to, again, when those guys draw two, just make the right play,” Stevens said. “It’s such a critical part of the game, and it’s not as easy as everybody makes it out to be.”
“There’s different ways that they have to get used to reading all this when you’re ‘the guy.’ The amount of coverages that they see and the reads they have to make are different than everyone else sees, because they’re not guarded that way.”
Check out the video above for more from Stevens on Tatum and Brown’s growth.
The Warriors have skyrocketed up the Western Conference standings after acquiring star forward Jimmy Butler in a blockbuster trade on Feb. 5.
With six games remaining in the 2024-25 NBA regular season, Golden State (45-31) currently is the West’s No. 5 playoff seed, with a handful of teams, including the Memphis Grizzlies (45-32), Minnesota Timberwolves (45-32) and Los Angeles Clippers (44-32) chasing them in the rearview mirror.
With matchups against Western Conference foes like the Denver Nuggets (47-30), Houston Rockets (50-27), Phoenix Suns (35-41) and the Clippers still remaining on the schedule, the Warriors’ playoff positioning could change drastically in the next nine days, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes Golden State truly is one of the best teams in the West, regardless of where it finishes the regular season.
“The Warriors come out with, I think, their biggest win of the season,” Windhorst said Thursday night on “SportsCenter” after Golden State’s 123-116 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
“… They are sort of the secret No. 2 seed here, because when Draymond Green, Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler play together, they’re now 19-2. The lineup that started tonight, which included Brandin Podziemski, who had one of the games of his career, they’re now 12-0. So when this team gets together, they are an absolute beast.”
It’s no secret who the West’s true No. 1 seed is, as the Oklahoma City Thunder (64-12) have held down the top spot for the entire season and will have home-court advantage throughout the postseason.
And regardless of where the Warriors finish in the conference standings, Windhorst believes they are capable of beating just about any team.
SACRAMENTO – Before he was in the NBA with the Kings, Isaac Jones worked at Puget Sound Pipe & Supply in Kent, Wash., where he packaged and sold bathroom and water pipes.
Jones had no college offers after graduating from high school and figured he’d use his free time to help his mom with the bills. So, Monday through Friday – and sometimes Saturdays – his life became routine.
“I had nothing better to do, so I said I might as well go get money to help my mom out,” Jones told NBC Sports California. “Nine to 5 every day, sometimes weekends for extra money.
“You never know where your story is going. I think it made me grow up a little fast. I was paying the bills at that age while a lot of kids were just in college doing whatever.”
Another key component of his weekly routine consisted of spending Friday nights at the YMCA, where he played pick-up basketball. That’s where Jones met Joseph Lowe, a Seattle native who hooped at West Coast Baptist College in Southern California but was looking for a new school to play at.
Lowe was interested in Wenatchee Valley College, a public community college about 150 miles east of Seattle, but joining the Knights basketball program came with a catch. WVC coach Jeramy Harden told Lowe he could join the team as a walk-on if he knew someone 6-foot-7 or taller and brought them with him.
So Lowe called Jones, who stands 6-foot-9.
The two became Knights together, and Jones spent three seasons at Wenatchee Valley College. In his final year at WVC, Jones was named the Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year after averaging 25.3 points and 13.2 rebounds per game.
Despite all the success he would find over his next two collegiate stops with big-name schools, Jones forever will be grateful for his time at Wenatchee Valley College.
“JuCo really tested how tough you are as a person,” Jones said. “A lot of nights we didn’t have money, no food. We used to split sandwiches on the road. It was tough. I fell in love with the game there. It taught me that I actually did love basketball.
“I always had said I liked basketball growing up, but I didn’t find love for it until I got there.”
Jones then transferred to the University of Idaho, where in one season with the Vandals, he posted averages of 19.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, leading to him being named the Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year and second-team All-Big Sky. He then entered the NCAA transfer portal and returned close to home at Washington State.
He averaged 15.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game with the Cougars and was named first-team All-Pac-12 Conference.
Even after standing out at Washington State, Jones went unselected in the 2024 NBA Draft. He signed a two-way contract with the Kings in July and bounced back and forth from the G League in Stockton to the NBA with Sacramento.
Jones constantly shares posts on social media about him going undrafted or reminders of how his journey began. The disrespect fuels him, but he’s grateful for how things turned out.
“Yeah, I definitely feel like I should have been [drafted],” Jones said, “but there’s a lot of people who say the same. It all worked out in God’s plan.”
Most of that love came from Jones’ coach at WVC, Jeremy Harden, who also coached him at Idaho and Washington State. Harden pushed Jones harder than anyone while instilling a new level of confidence in him that he didn’t always have.
It wasn’t until Harden told Jones he belonged in the NBA that he truly began to believe it.
“That’s where I just bought all in,” Jones said.
Harden now is an assistant coach at Stanford, about 120 miles southwest of Sacramento, and comes to as many Kings games as possible. The two talk every day.
Jones had several big games down in Stockton, including eye-popping plays that had people questioning why this large, athletic man wasn’t in the NBA full-time. In January, he had a hot stretch where he averaged 36 points on 66.2-percent shooting with 8.3 rebounds over three games.
His chemistry with players such as Kings rookie Devin Carter also was on display in the G League and gave Kings fans something to look forward to in the future, with Jones stating he’s excited to showcase that double-threat in the NBA with more reps.
After averaging 20.9 points on 55.5 percent shooting, with 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks in 32.2 minutes through 11 games with Stockton, Sacramento converted his two-way contract to a standard NBA deal.
Everything – from Puget Sound Pipe & Supply to three different colleges to the G League – finally paid off for Jones.
“It was a lot of fun,” Jones said of his G League tenure. “I learned that a lot of people were really good and don’t have the opportunity. And I was blessed to have my opportunity, so I didn’t want to take it for granted.
“I feel like I grew a lot. My skillset changed up a little bit, and I knew I could compete at this level.”
So did his teammates.
Kings guard Keon Ellis, who had a similar NBA rise last season, was the perfect motivation for Jones. Ellis advised Jones to stay patient and eventually his time would come.
He was right.
“He’s definitely my best friend on the team,” Jones said. “We play games, we do whatever together, go to the mall. But I definitely try to follow in his footsteps, because he did it the right way. So I wanted to do it like him.”
Now Jones has the opportunity to do what he’s long wanted: prove he belongs in the NBA.
Jones said he realized he could have an impact on an NBA team during his first or second year at WVC, again, after Harden injected that belief in him. But he knew he could fit in specifically with the Kings as soon as he arrived in the organization last summer.
During training camp, he realized he was better than he had thought and understood he could compete with the best guys on the team.
“I thought I was, like, a normal athlete,” Jones said. “But then they’re telling me I’m one of the more athletic guys. I had that one put-back against the [San Antonio] Spurs and I was like, ‘Man, maybe they’re right.’
“And I just realized, I think I’m pretty good at using my athleticism, and a lot of people don’t do that.”
Off the hardwood last summer, Jones married his longtime girlfriend, Melia Jones, who has been his rock through an adverse road to the top.
When NBC Sports California asked what Melia’s support means to him, Jones shared a heartfelt response as he tried to find the right words.
“Everything,” Jones said. “As I said, when we were struggling for meals and stuff, she would help me out.”
Jones paused for a moment, fighting back his emotions, before he continued.
“She would take care of me a lot,” he said. “Her grandparents would help, too. She just made my time easier. So I’m glad I can repay and just take care of her for the rest of her life.”
Malia has eased Jones’ transition to professional basketball. So have Kings fans. Even 700 miles away from where he grew up in Washington, Kings fans have helped Jones make Sacramento feel like home.
He described the passionate fanbase as “amazing” and shared that he feels the love wherever he goes in Sacramento, a city he quickly has grown to love.
As far as what’s next for Jones?
“Just keep building,” Jones said. “I’m keeping the mindset that I haven’t done nothing yet. I got more to prove so I’m just going to keep you my head down and act like I don’t got it and keep going.”
The calendar the Warriors posted last summer to chart Jonathan Kuminga’s future has dwindled to a timer that could hit zeroes in as little as two weeks. He wants to delay it through April and May and deep into June.
The more meaningful games the Warriors play, the closer they and other NBA teams will inspect Kuminga, who is in the waiting room for restricted free agency this summer.
Kuminga’s desire to show his virtues was evident Thursday night against the Lakers in Los Angeles. Listed on the injury report as “questionable” with a pelvic contusion, Kuminga completed a pregame workout and was cleared to play about 40 minutes before tipoff at Crypto.com Arena.
In an intraconference game with significant consequences, against an opponent chasing the same goal, Kuminga submitted perhaps the most nuanced performance of his career as the Warriors carved out a 123-116 victory.
“He played the role that we really needed from him,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters in Los Angeles. “His defense was good. He had nine rebounds, took care of the ball, no turnovers, four assists.
“It was a switching game. We switched a lot, and he was great defensively, staying in front (of ballhandlers) and just played a really solid game. He did exactly what we needed to help us win the game.”
Kuminga scored an efficient 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds, recorded four assists – without a turnover – and blocked a shot. He was plus-9 over 25 minutes off the bench. To put a finer point on it, Kuminga had 11 more points, three more assists and only two fewer rebounds than LA’s entire four-man bench crew.
The fourth-year forward showed higher degrees of wisdom, and generally was more alert to his surroundings. His offensive judgment was impeccable, his effort commendable. He flipped dimes that he could not summon a year ago. Maybe even three months ago.
This is the “JK” that will earn a lot of money in the NBA.
Kuminga’s performance was a response to pleas from teammates, specifically regarding his defense against a team featuring LeBron James, Luka Doncić and Austin Reaves. Kuminga took turns on James and Reeves but did his best work against Doncić, who had a forgettable evening: 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting from the field, including 0-of-6 from distance.
“He was asking for those mashups,” Draymond Green said. “That says a lot. We challenged him in private, we challenged him publicly to step up on the defensive end. And he did that. He was great offensively, but he was even better defensively.”
Golden State’s defense was exceptional in the first half, at one point holding LA to one field goal over a 10-minute span from late in the first quarter to midway through the second. That was the source of leads as high as 16 points. The Lakers threatened late, but did not have enough to complete a comeback.
The Warriors got their usual brilliance from Stephen Curry, who finished with a game-high 37 points and added six assists. They got tremendous production from Brandin Podziemski, who scored 22 first-half points and finished with 28, with six assists. On a night when Moses Moody (13 points) and Jimmy Butler III (11) were relatively quiet on offense, a third scorer/playmaker was needed.
Kuminga raised his hand.
“I just think that with his talent, his ability to get us some easy baskets, and if you can rebound like he did tonight it’s huge for us,” Kerr said.
Kuminga, 22, is the wild card in Golden State’s increasingly imposing deck. His downhill forays crack defenses. His speed dazzles. His athleticism sets him apart from his teammates. The Warriors know all of this, and really like Kuminga, yet they declined to offer a big-money contract extension to Kuminga last summer.
Kuminga watched four players in his NBA draft class (2021) – Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley, Toronto’s Scottie Barnes and Orlando’s Franz Wagner – receive maximum extensions worth $224 million over five years. Five others – Houston’s Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, Orlando’s Jalen Suggs, New Orleans’ Trey Murphy III and Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson – received nine-figure extensions.
The only player selected in the top 12 picks that failed to get an extension and remains with his original team is Kuminga. The Warriors chose to wait. To give him another season to prove worthy of a deal that could soar beyond $35 million annually.
Kuminga showed signs of being such a player Thursday night.
“It’s just good to see that nice level of growth from him,” Green said. “We need him to continue playing the way he played tonight.”
The timer on Kuminga’s NBA future is ticking loudly. Golden State’s front office is observing his season with a powerful microscope that is stronger now than it was in November. And about to get even stronger.
Golden State star Stephen Curry scores over Lakers star LeBron James, left, and forward Dorian Finney-Smith in the first half of the Warriors' 123-116 win Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers couldn’t miss. And then they couldn’t make anything.
Eleven times in a row they got a mismatch they liked and found themselves in spots on the court they wanted, only to see their shots fail.
For the first four minutes, the Lakers’ offense was perfect. For the next eight, it was problematic.
For the first time in a long time since the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic, his magic disappeared, the team’s offensive engine frustrated by a combination of Golden State’s defense, wasted offensive opportunities and whistles that didn’t come.
The tone had been set, the Lakers playing a big game against Golden State without the necessary rhythm, without the necessary toughness, without the necessary smarts.
The first-quarter famine meant the Lakers had to play from behind, only briefly getting within striking distance of the lead before losing 123-116 on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Things got better in the second half, but the hole was too big and the momentum too fleeting.
It wasn’t for lack of fight — the Lakers have had plenty all season. They got within five points in the final five minutes and within five in the final 60 seconds, but never within a single possession.
Lakers star LeBron James, left, steals the ball from Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler in the closing seconds Thursday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
A wild scramble after a Golden State turnover could’ve cut it to one possession, but the Lakers turned over the ball.
It was the story all night. Whenever the Lakers briefly flurried, disaster was there to strike.
Brandin Podziemski, who scored 19 points in the first half, stole the briefest sliver of momentum by making a running half-court shot to end the second quarter.
With the Lakers (46-30) putting some positive possessions together at the end of the third, Austin Reaves got caught reaching in on Stephen Curry and sent him to the line for three free throws.
“I thought we still did a good job trying to fight out of those situations,” Reaves said. “It’s just, we didn't have enough time to get it all back.”
In between all of it, the Lakers spent plenty of energy directed at the officials, some with good cause. The team used and won a pair of challenges but had none left by the third quarter, leaving it helpless when a replay showed Curry, not the Lakers, kicked the ball out of bounds. Instead of a turnover, Curry scored on a layup on the next possession.
The Lakers often overreacted to missed calls, missed shots and missed chances.
The game also offered an interesting look at where the teams stand with just six games left in the regular season, the Lakers unable to solve Golden State (45-31) and its defense in the first meeting since both rosters were overhauled.
Curry finished with 37 points on 10-for-21 shooting and Podziemski had 28 points and eight rebounds. Jimmy Butler had 11 points.
In the tightly contested West playoff picture, the teams could end up meeting in the first round. If the season ended Thursday, the Lakers and the Warriors would be the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds, respectively.
“That's part of the process of becoming a really good team. You gotta go through those up-and-down battles of going through situations where you have to figure it out,” Reaves said. “If everything is always smooth sailing, if at any point in the future it doesn't get there, if it's a little rocky, then you don't know what to turn to. Once you go through things like this, you have to adapt and adjust. And that's what we'll do."
LeBron James scored 33 points and Reaves had 31, but Doncic made just six of 17 from the field for 19 points. It was Doncic’s worst-scoring game since Feb. 25 and his first without a three-pointer since the 2022-23 season.
"That performance from me is unacceptable," Doncic said.
Doncic banged his left elbow late in the Lakers’ win Monday against Houston but said it wasn’t a factor in his play.
"It's fine. That's my left so it's fine,” Doncic said. “I shoot them with the right."
The Lakers host New Orleans on Friday night before playing their next three games on the road, including two against the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder.
NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Edwards shook off an injury scare and finished with 28 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Brooklyn Nets 105-90 on Thursday night for their fourth straight win.
Edwards, who also added five rebounds, appeared to avoid serious injury when he briefly left the game after he stepped backward onto the foot of Nets coach Jordi Fernandez while making a 3-pointer late in the second quarter. Edwards was helped off the court, but returned for the start of the second half.
Rudy Gobert added 21 points for Minnesota while shooting 9 of 10 from the field and adding 18 rebounds.
Nic Claxton had 18 points for Brooklyn and Dariq Whitehead scored 17.
Key moment
The Timberwolves took the lead with 8:26 left in the second quarter and never looked back. Edwards led his team in scoring with 15 points in the first half to help put them up 49-37 at the break.
Key stat
The Timberwolves shot 31.0% — 13 of 42 — from 3-point range, led by Edwards’ 5 of 10.
Up next
Timberwolves: Take on the 76ers in Philadelphia on Saturday night.
Dillon Brooks will sit out Friday night when his Rockets take on the Thunder, serving a one-game suspension for reaching his 16th technical foul of the season.
Brooks is a defensive catalyst for the Rockets also averaging 13.9 points and 3.7 rebounds a game. He will be missed against OKC.
That 16th technical came against the Jazz Wednesday, when he tried to back down guard Collin Sexton, and when Brooks spun to shoot Sexton stripped the ball out of his hands. As part of Brooks' motion, he extended his right leg, which kicked Sexton in the groin area. That earned Brooks a technical, and while he had hoped the league would rescind it Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations, did not.
Once any player reaches 16 technical fouls he faces a suspension. He will face an additional one-game suspension for every two technicals he picks up after the 16th.
Brooks is the second player to reach 16 technical fouls and have to serve a suspension this season, Anthony Edwards was the other.
Jalen Brunson would be a lock to make All-NBA again this year and likely get some bottom-of-the-ballot MVP votes, except he is still four games short of the NBA's 65-game threshold to be eligible for awards. Brunson has been out since March 7 due to a right ankle sprain.
It looks like he will be back as soon as Saturday, which would give him enough games to reach the 65-game number (the Knicks have six remaining games).
Brunson has been "cleared for basketball activities," coach Tom Thibodeau said Wednesday, according to Stephan Bondy of the New York Post, among others. Brunson is expected to practice with the Knicks on Friday and is questionable to play against the Hawks on Saturday, but the Knicks also face the Suns on Sunday. Brunson likely plays in at least one of those games.
Brunson is averaging 26.3 points and 7.4 assists a game this season with an impressive 60.6% true shooting percentage. He needs to play at least 20 minutes in four more games this season to qualify for postseason awards (he has cleared the required 20-minute mark in all 61 he has played so far).
The Knicks are solidly in the No. 3 seed in the East and have held on to that spot by going 8-6 without their All-Star point guard Brunson. Things are lining up for New York to play Milwaukee in the first round of the playoffs, and the Knicks are 3-0 in that series during the regular season.
LOS ANGELES — Moses Moody sent the perfect response late Thursday morning when reminded later that night would be the first time the Warriors play a Los Angeles Lakers team with Luka Dončić.
“First time the Lakers are playing us with Jimmy [Butler],” Moody said.
Battling for playoff position with 10 days remaining in the regular season, the Warriors beat the Lakers 123-116, earning their first win over their Southern California foes this season.
Steph Curry scored a game-high 37 points, went 13 of 14 on free throws and received MVP chants late in the fourth quarter. Butler only totaled 11 points. LeBron James scored 33 points and fell one assist shy of a double-double, and Dončić dropped an inefficient 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting and missed all six tries behind the 3-point line.
With the win, the Warriors still are the Western Conference’s No. 5 seed, half a game ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies. Golden State now is one game behind Los Angeles for the No. 4 seed.
The Warriors outrebounded the Lakers, dished more assists than them and also beat their bigger opponent down low in the paint.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ win in what was nothing short of a playoff atmosphere.
Podz Steals The Show
The hype was real, the headlines wrote themself and the spotlight was obvious. This was going to be all about Steph vs. LeBron and Jimmy vs. Luka. Podziemski had other plans.
Responding to Austin Reaves’ 3-pointer to open the game, Podziemski immediately buried a triple of his own. His 3-point shot was falling early, going a perfect 3 of 3 from deep in the first quarter. Podziemski kept it up in the second quarter, too.
Giving the Warriors a 13-point halftime lead, Podziemski made three more 3-pointers in the second quarter, including a runner from halfcourt at the buzzer. Podziemski in the first half scored 22 points – a new career high for a half – on 8-of-11 shooting, was 6 of 7 on threes and added six rebounds, two assists and one steal.
Podziemski didn’t make another shot until a little over two minutes into the fourth quarter, hitting a three from the left corner to give him 25 points. His career-high eighth three with a minute-plus left gave the Warriors a 10-point lead. The second-year pro certainly wasn’t scared of the big stage.
It took until the 7:36 mark of the second quarter for Butler to record a single stat. His first quarter box score was all zeroes: No points, no shots, no assists, no rebounds – nothing. By then, Dončić had already taken seven shots.
But a little under halfway through the second quarter, Butler beat his man for back-to-back layups. Still, Butler had a quiet first half (four points, two rebounds and one steal) while Dončić struggled to find his shot.
Butler left the game and went to the Warriors’ locker room for a long stretch in the third quarter. Earlier in the game, he was seen wincing as he opened and closed his left hand. Butler returned to begin the fourth quarter, where he scored seven points and attempted his first free throws with one minute and seven seconds still on the clock.
Neither player put on a show, especially to their standards. Everyone wants to argue which trade deadline move, Butler to the Warriors or Dončić to the Lakers, was the bigger deal. The coming weeks will reveal the real answer.
Kuminga’s Impact
After exiting Sunday’s win against the Spurs in San Antonio early from a hard fall that first was deemed right ankle soreness and then was changed to a right pelvic contusion, Jonathan Kuminga returned from a one-game absence, missing Golden State’s road win over the Grizzlies. Health didn’t appear to be a concern for the 22-year-old to conclude a two-week road trip.
Kuminga, along with Gui Santos, was the Warriors’ first player off the bench with seven minutes left in the first quarter. In the first quarter alone, Kuminga was a plus-9 while playing the rest of the quarter. He scored six efficient points, was active on the glass with four rebounds and took on the challenge of guarding Dončić.
By halftime, Kuminga was up to 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and grabbed six rebounds. He was a plus-11 in 12 minutes, all while Dončić was a minus-11 as he was 3 of 11 from the field and missed all four of his 3-point attempts.
The fourth-year forward badly wants to prove he should have a big role in the playoffs, showing why against the Lakers. Kuminga won with power and smarts, finishing with 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes off the bench. Kuminga was a game-high plus-9.
He moved the ball and consistently made the right play. Not once did Kuminga drop his head or look like he was floating on the floor, instead having purpose behind every decision and making Steve Kerr close with him.
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo had a huge night with 35 points, 20 assists and 17 rebounds.
The Sixers remained highly shorthanded. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday that Tyrese Maxey (right finger sprain) is expected to miss the rest of the season. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said pregame that the team’s medical team had only told him Maxey was out vs. Milwaukee.
The Sixers will host the Timberwolves on Saturday night. Here are observations on their loss to the Bucks:
Bright Bona start
With a Bona dunk and a pair of Jared Butler corner three-pointers, the Sixers jumped out to an 8-0 lead.
Bona guarded Antetokounmpo and played a stellar first quarter on both ends. Defensively, he was solid across the board — in isolation on Antetokounmpo’s powerful, long-striding drives; on post-ups; as a rim protector.
Offensively, Bona scored efficiently and with impressive variety. He finished a lefty layup out of the pick-and-roll; sunk a short jump hook; faked a dribble handoff and then drove in for an and-one bucket; drop stepped into a simple lay-in over Kevin Porter Jr.
All told, Bona racked up 12 points in the first quarter on 6-for-7 shooting. The Sixers went up 39-22 late in the first on a Lonnie Walker IV mid-range jumper.
Bona obviously enjoyed matching up against Antetokounmpo and did excellent work with the opportunity. Back on Jan. 9, he was asked whether he’d had a favorite NBA moment involving an opposing star.
“There’s a couple guys that I really looked up to coming into the league,” Bona said. “Playing against Giannis. I didn’t have the opportunity to do anything against him (on opening night). He got subbed out right away, but I shared the court with him, so I can say that.”
He did much more than technically share the floor with Antetokounmpo on Thursday.
Antetokounmpo takes control
The Bucks eventually woke up, storming in front with an 18-0 run that began in the final minutes of the first quarter.
The Sixers recovered before the Bucks could build a sizable lead, but Antetokounmpo had a dominant second quarter. His driving layup on Bona with 5.3 seconds left in the second gave Milwaukee a 61-59 edge and put Antetokounmpo at 20 points.
The Bucks need Antetokounmpo to run the show even more than usual with Damian Lillard out indefinitely because of deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. As the nine-time All-Star showed against the Sixers, he’s comfortable doing it all.
Nurse tossed as Sixers’ skid hits 10 games
Bona walked back to the locker room with Sixers head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson at the 10:10 mark of the third quarter.
Whatever the issue, he came back a few minutes later and played fantastic basketball as soon as he re-entered. Bona helped the Sixers quickly wipe out a 10-point deficit. He flexed and shouted in celebration after a put-back, and-one layup.
Another Sixer headed down the tunnel late in the third quarter. Walker walked off very gingerly after appearing to grab in pain at the area around his right ankle and asking to be subbed out. He did not return, although Nurse told reporters postgame Walker was diagnosed with a heel contusion and cleared to play.
The Bucks restored a double-digit lead on an AJ Green three early in the fourth quarter. Shortly after, Nurse got ejected.
He seemed to pick up a technical foul for voicing his disagreement about a goaltending call on Bona. Nurse’s second tech came just 18 seconds later.
Assistant coach Bryan Gates took charge for the rest of the game, the Bucks maintained their lead, and the Sixers ultimately set a new season high with 10 straight losses.
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo had a huge night with 35 points, 20 assists and 17 rebounds.
The Sixers remained highly shorthanded. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday that Tyrese Maxey (right finger sprain) is expected to miss the rest of the season. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said pregame that the team’s medical team had only told him Maxey was out vs. Milwaukee.
The Sixers will host the Timberwolves on Saturday night. Here are observations on their loss to the Bucks:
Bright Bona start
With a Bona dunk and a pair of Jared Butler corner three-pointers, the Sixers jumped out to an 8-0 lead.
Bona guarded Antetokounmpo and played a stellar first quarter on both ends. Defensively, he was solid across the board — in isolation on Antetokounmpo’s powerful, long-striding drives; on post-ups; as a rim protector.
Offensively, Bona scored efficiently and with impressive variety. He finished a lefty layup out of the pick-and-roll; sunk a short jump hook; faked a dribble handoff and then drove in for an and-one bucket; drop stepped into a simple lay-in over Kevin Porter Jr.
All told, Bona racked up 12 points in the first quarter on 6-for-7 shooting. The Sixers went up 39-22 late in the first on a Lonnie Walker IV mid-range jumper.
Bona obviously enjoyed matching up against Antetokounmpo and did excellent work with the opportunity. Back on Jan. 9, he was asked whether he’d had a favorite NBA moment involving an opposing star.
“There’s a couple guys that I really looked up to coming into the league,” Bona said. “Playing against Giannis. I didn’t have the opportunity to do anything against him (on opening night). He got subbed out right away, but I shared the court with him, so I can say that.”
He did much more than technically share the floor with Antetokounmpo on Thursday.
Antetokounmpo takes control
The Bucks eventually woke up, storming in front with an 18-0 run that began in the final minutes of the first quarter.
The Sixers recovered before the Bucks could build a sizable lead, but Antetokounmpo had a dominant second quarter. His driving layup on Bona with 5.3 seconds left in the second gave Milwaukee a 61-59 edge and put Antetokounmpo at 20 points.
The Bucks need Antetokounmpo to run the show even more than usual with Damian Lillard out indefinitely because of deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. As the nine-time All-Star showed against the Sixers, he’s comfortable doing it all.
Nurse tossed as Sixers’ skid hits 10 games
Bona walked back to the locker room with Sixers head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson at the 10:10 mark of the third quarter.
Whatever the issue, he came back a few minutes later and played fantastic basketball as soon as he re-entered. Bona helped the Sixers quickly wipe out a 10-point deficit. He flexed and shouted in celebration after a put-back, and-one layup.
Another Sixer headed down the tunnel late in the third quarter. Walker walked off very gingerly after appearing to grab in pain at the area around his right ankle and asking to be subbed out. He did not return, although Nurse told reporters postgame Walker was diagnosed with a heel contusion and cleared to play.
The Bucks restored a double-digit lead on an AJ Green three early in the fourth quarter. Shortly after, Nurse got ejected when he was called for two technical fouls in a span of 18 seconds.
“Bona blocked a shot,” Nurse told reporters. “They called a goaltend. I looked up at the screen and then right after I saw it, I did a wave. And the ref at the other end, JB (DeRosa), I guess saw me do the wave. That was the first one. And then when (crew chief Mitchell Ervin) walked by me for the second time, I said, ‘Open your eyes.’ … I kind of mumbled it. I didn’t really say it very loud. I didn’t raise my voice all night, actually. Kind of quick.”
Ervin said in a postgame pool report that Nurse’s first technical was for “profanity directed at the game official” and the second was for “derogatory comments directed at the game official.”
Assistant coach Bryan Gates took charge for the rest of the game, the Bucks maintained their lead, and the Sixers ultimately set a new season high with 10 straight losses.
Ja Morant and Buddy Hield, as well as the Grizzlies and Warriors organizations, are getting warnings for using a finger gun celebration but will face no other penalties or punishments, something confirmed by NBC Sports (Shams Charania was first).
However, don't be surprised if the NBA takes up the issue and implements some kind of rule banning the gesture in the offseason.
Morant made multiple finger gun celebrations during his team's loss to Golden State. The Warriors' Hield mocked Morant, doing it back to him when Golden State was in control of the game.
Ja Morant appeared to make a gun gesture at the Warriors' bench late in the game pic.twitter.com/fTvFA0wpit
The league determined that, while the gestures were inappropriate, there was no intention for them to be violent in nature, so the league settled on just a warning for everyone involved.
The challenge for the NBA, as Morant's teammate Desmond Bane pointed out, is that a number of players from around the league have been doing variations of finger gun celebrations for years. When and where do they want to draw the line? The NBA has no rule explicitly banning this gesture, but it has fined players for things such as a throat-slashing gesture or the big balls celebration in the past (players know if they do those things they get a fine). Expect the topic to come up again this offseason.
This gun gesture took on a larger-than-it-deserved part of the NBA discussion because of Morant's history. He was suspended for eight games near the end of the 2022-23 season after he showed off a gun on Instagram Live while at a strip club in Colorado. Morant served a 25-game suspension at the start of last season after Morant was seen again on Instagram Live with a gun while riding in a friend's car.
Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski had the half of his life against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The second-year guard dropped in 22 points — the most he has scored in a half in his brief NBA career — and capped it in epic fashion, with a running half-court buzzer-beater.
Moody threw down a dunk of the year candidate in the first quarter of the Warriors’ game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Upon replay review, the officials determined that the fourth-year guard committed an offensive foul.
Reaves had his feet set outside the restricted area, leading to the overturned call.
Moody, starting his 28th game of the season, has played an instrumental part in the Warriors’ midseason turnaround and he almost had his moment of the season.
