Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau asked to meet with Mikal Bridges before Wednesday's overtime win against the Trail Blazers, looking to clear the air over the small forward's comments regarding starters' minutes, sources familiar with the situation told SNY's Ian Begley.

Sources described the meeting as "productive."

Bridges is averaging a career-high 37.8 minutes per night in his first season since being acquired from the Nets.

He is one of three Knicks who currently sit in the top-10 in the league in total minutes on the year with Jalen Brunson (2,162; 10th) and Josh Hart (2,307; 2nd) joining him.

The 28-year-old argued that giving the bench unit more playing time could help keep them fresh.

“Sometimes it’s not fun on the body,” he told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. "We’ve got a lot of good guys on this team that can take away minutes. Which helps the defense, helps the offense, helps tired bodies being out there and giving up all these points. It helps just keeping fresh bodies out there."

The head coach countered that a conversation with Bridges did not take place and defended his minutes distribution.

“We never had a conversation about it,” Thibodeau said. “The facts are the facts. When you look at our team, and the way it works, Jalen plays 35 minutes, and I think he’s 20th or 21st in average minutes played. [Karl-Anthony Towns], who is a primary scorer, plays less than Jalen. He’s like 25th in the league in average minutes."

MSG Network's Mike Breen first noted on Wednesday night's broadcast that the two had talked before the game, and cameras caught the two chatting during the matchup.

Union, Chick-Fil-A pair up for promotion: ‘Corner Kicken for Chicken' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Piggybacking on the popularity of the Sixers’ wildly popular “Bricken for Chicken,” the Philadelphia Union has partnered with restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A for a promotion of their own.

The current top team in the Eastern Conference (3-0-0) today announced “Corner Kicken for Chicken,” which will continue through the 2027 MLS season.

https://twitter.com/PhilaUnion/status/1900216396497227841

For those unfamiliar with “Bricken for Chicken,” Sixers fans were rewarded with chicken nuggets when a Sixers’ opponent misses two free throws during the second half of every home game. If it happens multiple times in the same game, the amount of nuggets increases: Five for one instance, then eight, then an even dozen.

Similarly, for the Union’s “Corner Kicken for Chicken,” (as you could probably guess by now) fans score nugs if the Union score from a corner kick. And just like the Sixers, the more they score, the more nuggets for fans.

Fans can claim the offer on the Chick-Fil-A app until 10:30 a.m. the day after the Union’s game, and one claimed, they have three days to redeem.

Watch Steph make his 4,000th 3-pointer in Warriors-Kings game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry once again etched his name in the NBA record books.

Curry became the first player in NBA history to record 4,000 made 3-pointers Thursday after draining a triple in the third quarter of the Warriors’ matchup with the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center. After the bucket, the home crowd rained down “MVP” chants upon the 3-point king.

Steph is the first player in NBA history with 4,000 3-pointers 🙌

pic.twitter.com/9VHHDnsunJ

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 14, 2025

Curry’s first NBA 3-pointer came on Oct. 30, 2009, against the Phoenix Suns in his second professional game, and nearly 16 years later the Warriors superstar stands alone in the record books.

Another historic milestone for Steph 🐐 pic.twitter.com/EvdmgFZFTp

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 14, 2025

Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden is the only other player in NBA history to eclipse 3,000 made 3-pointers, but still sits nearly 1,000 behind Curry despite the two entering the league in the same 2009 draft class.

Curry also eclipsed the 25,000-career point mark this past Saturday against the Detroit Pistons, further adding to his already cemented status as one of the greatest players ever to step on an NBA court.

Curry always will be synonymous with the 3-point shot, and while his current mark of 4,000 and counting might already be insurmountable, it appears the two-time NBA MVP is showing no signs of slowing down and could add even more triples to his gaudy count.

Could 5,000 ultimately be in play before Curry decides to retire? He’s under contract with the Warriors through the 2026-27 NBA season, with his basketball future beyond that undetermined

Time will tell, but one thing is certain — no basketball fan would be surprised to see Curry finish on a number never to be matched by another NBA player.

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Lonnie Walker IV enters concussion protocol after hard fall in Toronto   originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Lonnie Walker IV is the latest sidelined Sixer in the team’s injury-packed season.

A Sixers official said Walker was diagnosed with a concussion Thursday morning, has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol and will be evaluated daily. 

Walker rose for a defensive rebound Wednesday night, got fouled by the Raptors’ Colin Castleton and hit the back of his head on the floor. He exited the game with 6:24 left in the first quarter and did not return for the rest of the Sixers’ loss in Toronto.

Under the NBA’s concussion protocol, a player must have no concussion-related symptoms at rest and then complete a multi-step return process monitored by a member of a team’s medical staff. 

Before his 20-second stint Wednesday, Walker had played nine times since signing with the Sixers and averaged 9.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists. 

On top of Walker, the 22-43 Sixers listed the following players as out for their Friday night meeting with the 36-28 Pacers:

• Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain and right finger sprain)
• Paul George (left groin soreness) 
• Kyle Lowry (right hip injury management) 
• Joel Embiid (season-ending left knee injury)
• Eric Gordon (season-ending right wrist surgery)
• Jared McCain (season-ending left lateral meniscus surgery)

Andre Drummond (left toe sprain), Justin Edwards (left ankle sprain) and Alex Reese (left shoulder contusion) were questionable.

Sabonis out for Kings vs. Warriors game with hamstring injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings are ready to bounce back from an ugly home loss Monday night, but they’ll have to do so without their star center.

Domantas Sabonis, who originally was questionable for Sacramento’s NorCal showdown Thursday night against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center, will miss his sixth consecutive game with a Grade 1 hamstring strain.

Sabonis was cleared for on-court activity Saturday and practiced with the team Wednesday, but the team likely is being cautious with his return.

Kings backup big man Jonas Valančiūnas, who has stepped up in that starting role in Sabonis’ absence, likely will get the start against the Warriors.

Before his injury, Sabonis was averaging 19.5 points on 59.6-percent shooting from the field and 43.2 percent from 3-point range, with a league-leading 14.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 56 games this season.

In five games without Sabonis, Valančiūnas, who the Kings acquired at this year’s trade deadline, is averaging 13.4 points on 50.9 percent shooting, with 12.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in five games.

Kings forward/center Trey Lyles is questionable with left leg soreness, and Jake LaRavia was upgraded from questionable to available for Thursday’s game.

For Golden State, Jonathan Kuminga, who has missed the last 31 games with a nagging ankle sprain, is listed as probable. Gary Payton II was upgraded to available, and Brandin Pódziemski is out with a bilateral back strain.

The Warriors (37-28), who have won five consecutive games and 10 of their last 11, sit in the Western Conference’s No. 6 playoff seed entering Thursday’s contest.

The Kings (33-31), who are coming off a 133-104 blowout home loss to the New York Knicks, currently are ninth in the West.

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George consulting with doctors on injuries, procedure possible  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Paul George is weighing his injury treatment options. 

On Monday, a Sixers official said George (left groin soreness) was “receiving treatment and continuing to consult with physicians.” The official said George would be re-evaluated before the Sixers’ game Friday night vs. the Pacers. 

Three days later, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported George is “consulting with doctors this week on treatment options for his groin and knee injuries, including a possible procedure.” NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark confirmed that report. 

George’s first season with the Sixers has been highly disappointing and injury-checkered. He hyperextended his left knee during the preseason and re-injured it on Nov. 20. He’s also dealt with a “lingering” groin problem and a left pinkie finger injury. The 34-year-old confirmed on Feb. 20 that he’d recently been taking injections to play through pain and said he was “just trying to give this team everything I have.” 

George hasn’t played since the Sixers’ March 4 loss to the Timberwolves. He had seven points on 3-for-11 shooting, seven rebounds and six assists that night.

Overall, he’s averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 41 appearances.

The Sixers are 22-43 and draft lottery odds now appear far more pertinent than the postseason. The team has ruled Joel Embiid (left knee injury), Eric Gordon (right wrist surgery) and Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery) out for the season. 

Along with those players, George, Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain and right finger sprain), Kyle Lowry (right hip injury management) and Lonnie Walker IV (concussion) were listed as out on the Sixers’ injury report going into their matchup with Indiana.

How Post can unlock Kuminga upon long-awaited Warriors return originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors’ season shifted from mid and mediocre to an exciting, dangerous team once they added Jimmy Butler at the NBA trade deadline. More than a month after his team debut, the Warriors are bringing in another piece that should increase their odds for the playoffs and more with one month left in the regular season. 

Jonathan Kuminga, after missing the last 31 games to a badly sprained right ankle, is expected to make his return Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center. Steve Kerr isn’t going to mess with momentum, meaning Kuminga will come off the bench in short spurts. In his return, and especially as he gets his legs back under him, everybody will want to see how Butler and Kuminga fit together as part of a potential closing lineup. 

Coaches have shown Kuminga film of how he can learn from Butler. Clips highlight the many ways Butler makes the game easier for himself and his teammates, keeping the ball moving but also using his strength and smarts to get to the free-throw line. Those are all traits Kuminga can learn from and continue to grow as an overall player. 

Yet somebody else who Kuminga hasn’t played with outside of a few seconds might be just as important. Can rookie center Quinten Post help unlock the best of Kuminga? 

Kerr tried going big to begin the season, starting Kuminga, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis together with Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins in the backcourt. Despite the Warriors’ record, Kuminga at small forward didn’t work. The three-man grouping of Kuminga, Green and Jackson-Davis played seven games together and had a -0.8 net rating with a 112.6 offensive rating and 113.5 defensive rating in 38 minutes. That’s where Post, who has overtaken Jackson-Davis’ spot in the rotation, comes into play. 

“I think me and JK will be a great fit together,” Post said to reporters Wednesday at Warriors practice. “Just adds another athletic guy out there with size, length. I think he’s going to help us out on defense, adding another body to the mix. And then offensively he’s just somebody who puts a lot of pressure on the rim.

“Hopefully that leads to a lot of open shots for me.” 

Butler’s ability to use his playmaking skills and brute strength in getting to the paint has been huge for Post. The two have played 157 minutes together in Butler’s 13 games and have a 13.0 net rating – 119.6 offensive rating and 106.5 defensive rating. 

The best strategy for Kuminga has always been surrounding him with shooters and connectors like Post and Butler. There’s a reason why the players Kuminga has shared the floor with most this season has been Buddy Hield, Brandin Podziemski, Green and Curry. Last season, he played the most minutes with Curry and Klay Thompson. The year before that, Kuminga’s second season, he spent his most minutes alongside Jordan Poole, Donte DiVincenzo and Thompson. 

But as a rookie, Kuminga played 460 minutes sharing the floor with Nemanja Bjelica, perhaps the closest comparison to Post since the Warriors drafted Kuminga in 2021. Bjelica shot 36.2 percent on 2.1 3-point attempts in his only season playing for the Warriors, at 33 years old in what was his final NBA season. 

Post through his first 27 NBA games is taking four 3-pointers per game and shooting 41.7 percent from deep. 

“In theory, they should be pretty good together on offense, because you have the spacing of QP and the slashing of JK,” Kerr said. “I imagine we’ll find some lineup where those guys are together, too.”

Back in training camp, Kuminga declared himself a small forward. Kerr made it known he believes he’s a power forward. The caveat was putting Kuminga next to a stretch big. It’s part of what made a possible trade for Lauri Markkanen or Nikola Vučević so intriguing. 

The Warriors now have an in-house option to pair him next to. 

Podziemski’s lower back soreness will keep him out of the Warriors’ game Thursday night against the Kings. Post likely will start, joining Curry, Butler, Green and Moses Moody. Whether it’s early in the game, the middle or end, the duo to pay close attention to will be a rookie and the re-emergence of what Kuminga can bring to a team that now views themselves as contenders.

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Perkins claims T-wolves ‘more serious' than Warriors as threat in West originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The red-hot Warriors (37-28) aren’t the only ones surging in the Western Conference at the right time.

The Minnesota Timberwolves (38-29) have won six games in a row and are neck-and-neck with Golden State for the Western Conference’s No. 6 playoff seed. While both teams are undoubtedly playing their best basketball of the season, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins is convinced by only one of them.

“Oh, right now. Right now we have to start taking them serious,” Perkins said Wednesday night on “Sports Center” of the Timberwolves after Minnesota’s 115-95 win over the Denver Nuggets. “They’re more serious than the Golden State Warriors to me when it comes to being a threat in the Western Conference. And now what we’re watching is a Minnesota Timberwolves team that has found their identity again, and that’s getting it done defensively.

“We have them lock up the Denver Nuggets tonight, holding them to 40-percent shooting, 20 percent from 3-point range. But again, it comes down to Anthony Edwards leading the charge. We know he’s going to put up points and put up buckets, but when you watch Anthony Edwards engaged on the defensive side of things, picking up 94 feet, the rest will follow their best player.”

Like the Timberwolves, the Warriors have been on a hot stretch of their own.

Since their big trade deadline acquisition of six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, Golden State is 12-2 and winners of its last five contests and 10 of its last 11.

With Butler in the mix, Curry is averaging 29.9 points on 49.6-percent shooting from the field and 42.4 percent from 3-point range, with 4.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.9 minutes in 14 games.

For the Timberwolves, Edwards is averaging 25.8 points on 51.3-percent shooting from the field and 41.3 percent from long range, with 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.0 steals in 34.7 minutes in his last five games.

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Oklahoma City Thunder sealed a spot in the NBA play-offs with 16 games of the season remaining following an impressive 118-112 win over reigning champions the Boston Celtics.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander strengthened his case for the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award by putting up 34 points, five rebounds and seven assists in 39 minutes.

The victory means the Thunder, who are 12 games clear at the top of the standings in the Western Conference, have joined the Cleveland Cavaliers from the Eastern Conference in the play-offs.

And beating 18-time champions Boston was an important "test" to overcome for the Thunder, who are looking to win the NBA title for the first time.

"It's huge," Gilgeous-Alexander said after the Thunder improved to 54 wins and just 12 defeats.

"Because [the Celtics have] have done what we're trying to do, the games against them are always going to be heightened. They're always going to be a little bit more exciting.

"There's no better test in the NBA."

The Celtics, who have now won 49 and lost 17 games, are second behind the Cavaliers (won 55 lost 10) and remain on course for a play-off spot.

Jayson Tatum, who scored 33 points in 41 minutes, says his side need to improve their form if they are to win back-to-back championships.

"Everybody has to play a little bit better," said Tatum.

"Better at the margins, the little things. You're playing against contending teams that are not really going to beat themselves.

"And the little things, not fouling jump shooters at the end of the clock, live ball turnovers, things like that, [we] just got to be a little bit better on."