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

By Adam King, RotoWire

Special to Yahoo Sports

The majority of names on this list were likely not even on the radar for you a month ago. However, as is the experience at this time every year, deep-diving is a skill in itself. All five teams featured here have well and truly packed their bags for this season and are marching proudly toward the 2025 NBA Draft. If you are lucky enough to have made it this far, your season could very well come down to quantity over quality.

Whether it's targeting an offensive threat capable of delivering points and threes or a defensive-minded player who can help boost your blocks and steals, narrowing your focus can prove vital as you battle for seedings. Let's dive into five players who are currently rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues.

Adem Bona, Philadelphia 76ers (31% rostered)

It's been a meteoric rise for Bona over the past week, putting up top-30 value in that time. Across four games, he is averaging 16.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 3.5 blocks in 30.8 minutes, shooting 80.6% from the floor and 69.2% from the line. He had built some momentum earlier in the month before an injury ended up costing him five games. However, he has well and truly established himself as the starting center and, honestly, should serve as the primary backup behind Joel Embiid next season. Andre Drummond, despite still being an elite rebounder, is very limited offensively, and speed is certainly not a strength. As for the remainder of this campaign, Bona is someone who simply needs to be rostered in all formats.

Carlton "Bub" Carrington, Washington Wizards (15% rostered)

Carrington's rookie season has been a mixed bag, despite playing a relatively consistent role. Fresh off a career-high 32 points in a loss to the Magic, Carrington has now played at least 35 minutes in three straight games. He has scored double-digits in five of the past seven fixtures, seemingly becoming more comfortable on an NBA court. In nine games over the past two weeks, he is averaging 12.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.3 3-pointers in 29.8 minutes per game. While his offensive output will likely fluctuate from one game to the next, he is a reliable source of assists and 3s, while also providing above-average rebounding numbers from the guard position.

Jamal Shead, Toronto Raptors (10% rostered)

Although his role is typically dependent on whether Immanuel Quickley is resting or not, Shead has done enough over the past two weeks to warrant a roster spot in most formats. Across seven games during that time, he is averaging 12.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.4 3-pointers in just 23.8 minutes per game. The Raptors appear to have settled into a rhythm in which they give Quickley every second game off. This means Shead should be viewed as a part-time starter, at least for now. However, with a floor of 24 minutes per game, managers should seriously consider grabbing him, especially if in need of assists and steals.

Matisse Thybulle, Portland Trail Blazers (5% rostered)

Thybulle was basically a forgotten man this season due to an ankle injury, which prevented him from making his season debut until mid-March. However, since making his debut, Thybulle has played in 10 straight games, logging at least 25 minutes in each of the past two contests. The Trail Blazers are in no hurry to rush anyone back onto the court, meaning Thybulle should be able to hold down a relatively solid role for the remainder of the season. His fantasy value is quite clearly tied up in just one category, that being steals. Across his 10-game span, Thybulle is averaging 2.4 thefts per game. For anyone battling in their playoffs, 8-10 steals across a seven-day period could mean the difference between winning and losing, making him a viable streaming candidate, assuming he fills a need on your squad.

KJ Simpson, Charlotte Hornets (2% rostered)

With LaMelo Ball undergoing surgery on his wrist and ankle, Simpson has seemingly supplanted him as the starting point guard for the remainder of the season. He has assumed that role in four straight games, averaging 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.8 3-pointers in 30.8 minutes per contest. His offensive game leaves a lot to be desired, but he is going to be given every opportunity to demonstrate what he can do down the stretch. Player development is the top priority for the Hornets at this point, and Simpson should be near the top of that list. Much like Shead, Simpson offers upside in assists and steals, while history would tell us that he could get hot at some point in the next two weeks, providing managers with a sneaky points boost.

Drop Candidates:

• Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns (96% rostered)

• Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers (92% rostered)

• Anfernee Simons, Portland Trail Blazers (89% rostered)

• Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans (86% rostered)

Why LeBron likens Warriors' Butler trade to KD acquisition originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LeBron James had plenty of praise for the new-look Warriors with Jimmy Butler, likening the mid-season trade to Golden State’s signing of Kevin Durant in 2016.

In the aftermath of Golden State’s 123-116 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, James gave his thoughts on facing the Warriors with Butler.

“I’ve been a part of them making big acquisitions that changed the dynamic of their team before,” James told reporters. “I had to go against them when they added Kevin Durant. So, Jimmy Butler is great. He adds toughness to them, and he adds championship DNA. It’s always the same; they always figure it out, and they always add someone that makes them dynamic.”

The Warriors sputtered through the first half of the NBA schedule, well on their way to another mediocre season, until making the trade deadline move for Butler on Feb. 5. Since then, Golden State is 20-5 and surging up the Western Conference standings.

Just like those golden years with Durant, Golden State now is brimming with swagger and confidence. Steph Curry continued his late-season scoring barrage, dropping 37 points on Los Angeles, who had no answer for the Warriors’ sharpshooter. The offensive explosion was enough to give Golden State its first win over Los Angeles this season.

With six games left in the regular season, the Warriors are one game back of the Lakers for the West’s No. 4 playoff seed. Moreover, the organization has a renewed sense that it can make a deep postseason run.

Still, challenges await in the next two games as they face the Denver Nuggets (47-30) and the Houston Rockets (50-27), two of the elite teams in the Western Conference.

Expect plenty of dynamic performances from Butler, Curry and the rest of the Golden State squad as they make their playoff push.

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Podziemski reveals season-long half-court competition with Steph originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Over the course of an 82-game NBA season, Warriors teammates Steph Curry and Brandin Podziemski have found a fun yet competitive way to keep things light.

The sharpshooters are partaking in a friendly half-court shooting competition that began at the start of the season and will continue for the six remaining regular-season contests.

And the standings are closer than some might have guessed — as in tied.

“Me and Steph have shooting competitions, half-court competitions all the time,” Podziemski told reporters Thursday night in Los Angeles after the Warriors’ big 123-116 win over the Lakers. “We’re actually tied, 24-24, right now on the half-court competition.

“Just a few shootarounds left, but I think we just try to have fun with it and understand that Steph’s the best shooter that’s stepped foot on Earth so to pick his brain, not only with shooting but that flow state that he gets into when he’s shooting lights out like he did in Memphis, just trying to pick his brain on that and try to get in that type of rhythm yourself. I’ve had two good shooting games on this trip, so just continuing to lean on that.”

Podziemski wowed the crowd at Crypto.com Arena after banking in a half-court shot as the shot clock expired just before halftime. But no one was as impressed as the Warriors’ bench.

PODZ FROM THE LOGO TO BEAT THE BUZZER 🚨 🚨🚨

pic.twitter.com/hvC61QT4UC

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 4, 2025

And per usual, leading that reaction was veteran teammate Draymond Green, who got on Podziemski for passing up a buzzer-beater opportunity against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

“Him and Steph shoot half-court shots against each other every day,” Green told reporters in LA postgame. “I know you’d imagine the standings is Steph [winning]. I’m not sure what their count is but BP could be possibly leading. He hits those shots very frequently. So we get in the game in San Antonio and he’s at the buzzer and he threw it to Jimmy [Butler]. And we’re all like, ‘What’re you doing? No, you have to take that shot.’

“He took it tonight and he made it. So that’s why you seen everyone’s reaction from the bench going crazy. And he’s running off yelling, ‘Get me my money,’ because we shoot half-court shots when someone’s late for money and he’s yelling and running, ‘Get me my money, get me my money.’ So it was a great moment. It’s good to see him make that shot. It was a huge shot. Completely shifted the momentum going into the half back to us.”

Podziemski finished with 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field and a career-best 8 of 10 from 3-point range, with eight rebounds, six assists and one steal in 36 minutes.

After struggling early in the 2024-25 NBA season, the second-year guard appears to have turned things around. And it all starts with the good vibes behind the scenes with his star teammates.

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Draymond vs. Jokić is matchup to watch in Warriors-Nuggets game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green’s 2025 Defensive Player of the Year campaign, moribund before the All-Star break, now is conspicuous and impressive, gliding across the NBA sky like a comet.

Now that Green is close enough to almost touch the award, he faces a threat that can interfere with his flight. Denver’s redoubtable Nikola Jokić, three-time MVP and perhaps the league’s most skilled offensive player, is coming to town Friday night.

This is the daunting welcome-home greeting that awaits Draymond and the Warriors after a stirring two-week road trip. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins with “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m., followed by tipoff from Chase Center shortly after 7.

The Green-Jokić matchup is the backdrop of a game with serious implications. Golden State (45-31) is fifth in the Western Conference standings, 1.5 games behind the third-place Nuggets (47-30). Both teams are eager to remain in the top six, thereby avoiding the play-in tournament.

Jokić simply presents more problems for a defense than any other player in the NBA. He’s third in scoring (29.7 points per game), second in rebounding (12.8), second in assists (10.2) and is shooting a career-high 41.6 percent beyond the arc.

“I feel very confident that most centers in the NBA, I can outthink – maybe not Joker,” Green, who gives away five inches and about 50 pounds, said a few weeks ago.

Jokić is the exception to most every rule. Nobody “stops” him, but Draymond approaches the task by trying to bother the 6-foot-11, 280-pound superstar enough to disrupt rhythm. He’s averaging 21.6 points per game over his last 10 matchups with Green.

Considering Jokić in his last game produced 61 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds, Draymond – and the Warriors – would gladly take a 22-point night at Chase.

If the Nuggets prevail with Jokić dominating the action on Friday – he obviously has the capacity to do so – it could slow the momentum of Green’s DPOY campaign. One game, however, should not have a massive impact on voters.

But a Golden State victory, coupled with a defensively impactful game from Draymond, surely would impress voters still studying the work of other candidates, such as Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort.

This is a night on which the Warriors have a chance to accomplish two important goals. Winning would snap a nine-game losing streak against the Nuggets that dates to March 10, 2022. And Green has a chance to clinch the second DPOY award of his 13-year career.

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How Steph made NBA history in Warriors' huge win over Lakers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry made more NBA history in Thursday’s 123-116 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

With his 37-point outburst, the Warriors superstar became the oldest point guard to record back-to-back games of 35 points or more.

Steph Curry is the oldest point guard in NBA history to record back-to-back 35-PT games. pic.twitter.com/wfZtZqFEui

— StatMamba (@StatMamba) April 4, 2025

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).

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Stevens details how Tatum and Brown's growth has reached a new level originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

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.”

As for Brown, Stevens marveled at the athletic wing’s ability to guard Luka Doncic full-court during the 2024 NBA Finals, all while averaging 20.8 points per game on the offensive end.

“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.

Why Windhorst claims Warriors are West's ‘secret No. 2 seed' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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.

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From water pipes to slam dunks: Isaac Jones' inspiring journey to NBA originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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.

Devin Carter off the glass to Isaac Jones 😳pic.twitter.com/Hr6mQMXUjW

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) February 26, 2025

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.” 

Isaac Jones with an insane putback 💪💥 pic.twitter.com/gnQG8KHuLf

— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 2, 2024

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.”

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Kuminga puts on show for Warriors, rest of NBA in win vs. Lakers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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.

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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.

Read more:Stephen Curry passes Lakers' Jerry West on NBA scoring list: 'That’s The Logo, so very special'

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.

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.

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“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.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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.

Nets: Host the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.