Feb 24, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathon Kuminga (0) reacts with center Jock Landale (31) after scoring against the Washington Wizards during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Hawks were back in action on Wednesday evening to take on the Washington Wizards. Though it’s not considered a big game, the major story coming in was the return of Trae Young. He didn’t play, but he did speak to the media before the game, and also came out to put some shots up.
The other big storyline was Jonathan Kuminga being available for the first time being traded to the Hawks, and many were wondering what he would look like on the floor with hs new teammates.
The Hawks started the game off strong, turning defense into offense.
The Hawks did suffer some injury news in the quarter, as Jalen Johnson went to the locker room with a hip flexor and was listed as questionable to return. Going into the second, the Hawks led 35-20.
The Hawks maintained their lead to start the second, as they continued to get most of their points in transition. Midway through the quarter, it was announced that Johnson was ruled out for the rest of the game, which meant the rest of the team would have to step up.
Also during the quarter, Young was given his tribute video.
The Hawks didn’t shoot the ball well in the quarter, but luckily for them, the Wizards weren’t shooting any better. Going into halftime, the Hawks did have a 60-43 lead.
The Hawks found a better rhythm to start the third, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker popped it off.
With how well the Hawks played in the third quarter, they led by as much as 36 points, and went into the fourth with a 100-64 lead.
It was much of the same for the Hawks in the fourth, as they continued to maintain their large lead. Corey Kispert got on the board with a three-pointer.
The Wizards hit a few shots in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough to overcome their large deficit. It was an ugly quarter for the Hawks, as they were barely to get much offense going, but luckilu they had a big enough lead to work with.
In the end, the Hawks were able to walk away with their second straight home win.
Kuminga finished the game with 27 points and seven rebounds, Alexander-Walker finished with 16 points, and Okongwu finished with 10 points and 10 rebouds.
The Hawks will be back in action on Thursday for a rematch against the Wizards.
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 24: Will Riley #27 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on February 24, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Boatman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards lost to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, 119-98.
Again, like most games this season, the Wizards were the underdogs and it showed right away. Though neither team shot well in the first half, the Hawks were leading 60-43 thanks to better ball control and team assists. By the time the third quarter ended, Jonathan Kuminga scored 18 of his 27 points in the third quarter for the Hawks, which ended any hopes of Washington making this game competitive. The fourth quarter was garbage time.
I’m not happy watching another blowout, especially when the Wizards — even if Trae Young didn’t play tonight — just came out flat minus the fourth quarter. Will Riley scored 18 points to lead Washington.
The Wizards still play the Hawks on Thursday. Tip off is at 7:30 p.m. ET. See you then.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Nick Martinelli scored 28 points, Jake West added 16 points and Northwestern rallied to beat Indiana 72-68 on Tuesday night for its first six-game winning streak in series history.
The Wildcats have also won four consecutive road games against Indiana for the first time in program history.
Arrinten Page had 10 points off the bench for Northwestern (12-16, 4-13 Big Ten).
Lamar Wilkerson scored 18 points, reserve Tayton Conerway added 14, Sam Alexis had 13 and Tucker Devries 11 for Indiana (17-11, 8-9).
Northwestern clinched the win making 6 of 8 foul shots down the stretch.
Down 69-66, Conerway drove to the basket on the right and threw down a two-handed dunk and crashed to the floor claiming to be fouled with eight seconds to go. Conerway then intentionally fouled Jake West, who made two foul shots to push the Wildcats' lead to 71-68.
On Indiana's ensuing possession, Devries took a dribble hand-off on the right, gave a head fake and when elevating for the shot attempt, appeared to be grabbed on the left wrist by Angelo Ciaravino. The errant attempt was nowhere near the rim with 1.1 seconds left and Northwestern secured the rebound.
Indiana fouled Page, who made 1 of 2 shots to end it.
The Hoosiers missed 11 straight shots starting near the midway point of the second half until Conerway's dunk.
Indiana reached its largest lead at 38-25 with 4:48 left before halftime and went to intermission up 42-33.
Up next
Northwestern: Hosts Oregon on Saturday.
Indiana: Hosts 13th-ranked Michigan State on Sunday.
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Kanye Clary scored 17 points and Oklahoma State scored the first seven points of overtime to help beat West Virginia 91-84 on Tuesday night and end the Cowboys' five-game losing streak.
Anthony Roy converted a three-point play, Parsa Fallah added a free throw and Jaylen Curry capped the extra-period surge with a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma State an 84-77 lead with 1:55 remaining. West Virginia pulled within five points twice inside the final 33 seconds but no closer.
The Mountaineers trailed by 14 points early in the second half.
Fallah and Clary each made a 3 to give Oklahoma State a 77-72 lead with 3:06 left in regulation. Chance Moore made 1 of 2 free throws, tipped in a shot and added a layup to knot it at 77. Clary missed a 3 at the buzzer to force overtime.
Fallah scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Oklahoma State (17-11, 5-10 Big 12). Curry added 15 points and Andrija Vukovic scored 12. Roy and Christian Coleman scored 10 apiece.
Honor Huff made six 3s and scored 20 points to lead West Virginia (16-12, 7-8). Treysen Eaglestaff added 18 points and Moore finished with 14 to go with 10 rebounds.
Oklahoma State scored the last nine points of the first half to take a 46-33 advantage. Two minutes into the second half, Vukovic made a pair of free throws to give the Cowboys their largest lead, 49-35.
West Virginia used a 10-0 run to take its first lead, 56-55, with 10:48 left.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 24: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers passes the ball to teammate Tyrese Maxey #0 as he is defended by Quenton Jackson #29 of the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on February 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome back, big fella — boy, were you missed.
The Sixers rolled the Indiana Pacers 135-114 Tuesday night.
After missing the last five games, Joel Embiid put up 27 points, six rebounds and five assists on 11-of-17 shooting. Tyrese Maxey looked happy to have his running mate back, leading all scorers with 32 along with nine rebounds and eight assists while getting the fourth quarter off.
VJ Edgecombe had an extremely efficient 23 points shooting 9-of-13 from the field. Andrew Nembhard and Micah Potter led Indiana with 23 as well.
With Embiid back, the Sixers were only down Paul George due to his suspension while the Pacers were without six players but most notably, Pascal Siakam.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
A quick start for both offenses, with Kam Jones, a 23% three-point shooter on the season, making his first two threes as well as his first two looks from inside the arc (in fairness, he was a 36% three-point shooter in college). On the other end, Kelly Oubre Jr. led the way with his first three shots of the night, knocking down a three and getting to the basket a couple of times as well.
Embiid’s first shift was as long as usual, but he only took three shots. He missed a long midrange jumper, but got a couple easy layups after sealing his defenders. Maxey was quite aggressive, attempting a poster for the second game in a row, but started the night 2-of-6.
The Sixers took much worse care of the ball in the quarter. They turned it over five times, three of which were steals that led directly to fast break layups. Defensively they were slow getting out to contest threes, and the Pacers shot 6-of-11 from deep in the quarter, putting the Sixers in an early eight-point hole.
Second Quarter
The second unit minutes sure do look different with Embiid back in the lineup. The Sixers ripped off a 17-0 run to open the quarter fueled by the starting backcourt. Edgecombe had a few successful drives and finished off a fast break started by an Adem Bona steal. They rewarded the big man for hustle coming out of a Pacers timeout, letting him go to work in the post for a floater.
Taking nearly five minutes to make their first field goal of the quarter, the Pacers gave the Sixers plenty of time to extend their lead. Embiid and Maxey both hit impressive circus layups before the former found a groove with a jumper. Trendon Watford returned to the rotation after being out the last two games and immediately was found by Embiid for a cutting layup.
Watford’s shift was rather up-and-down defensively, as he was getting shredded by Jarace Walker and Potter in the pick-and-roll. Just as the Pacers were putting together a run, he rotated over to block a Jones’ layup attempt. He picked Nembhard’s pocket on the next possession and that eventually led to points as well. Edgecombe looked to cap off a 7-0 run heading into the half, but Watford committed a really silly foul on the inbound with 0.5 left, and the ensuing free throws cut the Sixers’ lead to 10 at the break.
Third Quarter
Edgecombe was having a lot of success off the dribble in the first half and picked that right back up, barreling into Ben Sheppard for a layup to start the second. He and Oubre chipped in a couple more transition buckets as both teams started the half rather slow.
With Embiid, Edgecombe and Maxey all able to get to their spots with relative ease they were able to stay in front on cruise control. That did let the Pacers keep themselves within striking distance, with Nembhard being the latest to go on a flurry.
Credit to Bona, because it felt like the Sixers’ intensity on defense went up a notch every time he checked in. Both he and Maxey were both able to get their hands on the ball to create more fast breaks, helping to create a 9-0 Sixers run. That was a much needed spurt to end the quarter to put the Sixers up by 21.
Fourth Quarter
The only question remaining was whether the Sixers could keep the lead big enough to give their stars an early night. They probably wanted Embiid to get some extra minutes for conditioning as he did return a couple minutes into the fourth. He picked up a couple more easy baskets in the post, able to seal off Jay Huff nearly every time down the floor.
The benches started to empty a little less than halfway through the quarter with Justin Edwards and Andre Drummond checking in for the first time, and Dalen Terry shortly followed. Watford took advantage of the extra touches, his post-ups keeping the Sixers on the board and not allowing the Pacers any chance of a miraculous comeback.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Denzel Aberdeen scored 19 points, Mouhamed Dioubate had 12 points and a key block down the stretch, and Kentucky beat South Carolina 72-63 on Tuesday night to end a three-game skid.
Kentucky (18-10, 9-6 SEC) secured its first win at South Carolina since the 2021-22 season.
The Wildcats had their lead trimmed to 59-57 with 2:43 left when Mike Sharavjamts made a wide open 3-pointer, off a nice drive and pass from Meechie Johnson. But Kentucky scored the next 10 points to pull away.
Malachi Moreno made a driving layup to give Kentucky a 61-57 lead and a block by Dioubate led to a Collin Chandler 3-pointer for a seven-point lead. South Carolina was off on a 3-pointer and Aberdeen added two free throws with 1:29 left for a nine-point advantage.
Andrija Jelavic added 11 points, Chandler finished with 10 points and Moreno had 11 rebounds for Kentucky. The Wildcats outrebounded South Carolina 48-28, including an 18-5 edge on the offensive end.
Johnson led South Carolina (12-16, 3-12) with 18 points. Sharavjamts added 12 points and Elijah Strong scored 11.
South Carolina was just 7-of-28 shooting in the first half (25%) to trail 28-21. But the Gamecocks made 10 of their first 16 shots of the second half to tie it at 48-all with eight minutes left.
Up next
Kentucky: Returns home to play No. 25 Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Earlier this month, the NBA fined the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for "violating the Player Participation Policy in connection with the team's game against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 3." On the second night of a back-to-back, Indiana sat All-Star Pascal Siakam as well as Bennedict Mathurin (who was traded within days), T.J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith for the game (a loss to the Jazz). The league said that, in consultation with an independent physician, it determined that Siakam and two others could have played, although possibly in reduced roles.
"I didn't agree with it. There was a league lawyer that was doing the interview that kind of unilaterally decided that Aaron Nesmith, who had been injured the night before and couldn't hold the ball, should have played in the game, which just seems ridiculous.
"During the interview process – I was not on it, but I heard details – we asked them if they wanted to talk to the doctors, our doctors, about it because it was something that was documented by our doctors and trainers. They said no, they didn't need to. They talked to their doctors, who did not examine Aaron Nesmith. And we asked them if they wanted to talk to (Nesmith), and they said, no, they didn't need to.
"This was shocking to me. And during the interview, they also asked if we considered medicating him to play in a game when we were 30 games under .500. So I was very surprised. Obviously didn't agree with it."
"Coach Carlisle's description of the process that went into the decision to fine the Indiana Pacers is inaccurate. An independent physician led the medical review. In addition, the Pacers' general manager and the team's senior vice president (of) sports medicine and performance were interviewed as part of the process. The Pacers confirmed that it had provided all of the information requested by the league and the team reported that an interview with Coach Carlisle or a team physician wasn't necessary."
Two thoughts on this.
First, what Carlise accurately sums up is the vibe around the NBA — the league's approach to limiting tanking is random. Scattershot. Utah and Indiana (and likely a couple of teams in the future) will be hit with fines, while other teams sit out stars — with what seems, from the outside, to be very slow-healing injuries (to be generous) — and go unpunished. I have no doubt that the league feels there is an internal logic and they are following the CBA, but outside the New York NBA HQ, the feeling is Utah in particular (because they played stars but sat them in the fourth quarter), but Indiana as well, were singled out for things a whole bunch of other teams are doing. Utah basically said, "Okay, we'll play your game," and came up with surgeries for Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic that will sit two key rotation players for the remainder of the year.
Second, if the price for Indiana of a top-four pick is a $100,000 fine, they will pay it with a smile. That is the price of doing business. Utah will feel the same way about a $500,000 fine.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe was diagnosed with a stress reaction of the left fibula and will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks, the team said Tuesday.
Sharpe had already missed the past six games because of a left calf strain. Follow-up imaging revealed the stress reaction.
The four-to-six week time frame for Sharpe will allow for healing “before beginning a progressive return to full basketball activity," the team said in a statement.
The 22-year-old Sharpe ranks second on the team with an average of 21.4 points this season. He also averages 4.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
He injured his calf earlier this month in the first half of the Trail Blazers' 135-115 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies that snapped a six-game losing streak.
Sharpe, in his fourth season, was the seventh overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Tuesday that the NBA's investigators did not speak with team doctors or players before issuing a recent $100,000 fine for violating the league’s player participation policy.
Carlisle made the comments during his weekly appearance on local radio station 107.5 The Fan.
“The league lawyer that was doing the interview kind of unilaterally decided Aaron Nesmith, who had been injured the night before and couldn't hold the ball, should have played in the game, which just seems ridiculous,” Carlisle said in his most extensive comments about the situation since the Feb. 3 game. "And during the interview process — I was not in on it but I heard the details — we asked them if they wanted to talk to the doctors, our doctors about it because it was something documented by our doctors and trainers. They said no, they didn't need to. They talked to their doctors, who did not examine Aaron Nesmith.
“And we asked them if they wanted to talk to the kids and they said they didn't need to, which was shocking to me, and during the interview they also asked if we considered medicating him to play in a game when were 30 games under .500, so I was very surprised.”
The NBA had a different view about what happened.
“Coach Carlisle’s description of the process that went into the decision to fine the Indiana Pacers is inaccurate,” a statement from the league read. “An independent physician led the medical review. In addition, the Pacers’ general manager and the team’s senior vice president, sports medicine and performance were interviewed as part of the process. The Pacers confirmed that it had provided all of the information requested by the league and the team reported that an interview with coach Carlisle or a team physician wasn’t necessary.”
The 66-year-old Carlisle is in his 24th season as a head coach in the league and ranks 11th in victories while compiling a record of 1,008-903. He won an NBA title as a player with the Boston Celtics in 1985-86, as coach of the Dallas Mavericks in 2010-11 and was selected as the league's 2001-02 Coach of the Year. He recently announced he would be stepping down from his long tenure as president of the National Basketball Coaches Association.
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 25: The Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the game against the New York Knicks on December 25, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers face the New York Knicks for the final time this season. We’ll see how they stack up in what could be a playoff preview.
I’ll be in the comments throughout the game sharing my thoughts. Come talk with me and the rest of your fellow Cavs fans there.
DALLAS, TEXAS - JANUARY 12: Terance Mann #14 of the Brooklyn Nets controls the ball in front of Ryan Nembhard #9 of the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at American Airlines Center on January 12, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (20-36) visit the Brooklyn Nets (15-41) to participate in a Tuesday evening basketball contest for the ages. Or not. We’ll see. Dallas finally won a game after losing 10 straight, beating the shameless Indiana Pacers. Brooklyn is no better though; they’ve lost four straight and are really not good at basketball. In these games between teams without incentive, the team with the least talent usually loses. That is the Nets
Here’s the main things you need to know:
WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Brooklyn Nets
WHAT: Road trippin’, still
WHERE: Barclay’s Center, Brooklyn, New York
WHEN: 6:30 pm CST
HOW: KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, NBA League Pass
The injury report for our Dallas Mavericks is not surprising. Cooper Flagg is out, the foot sprain lingers and they should take their time here. Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively are of course still out. Mousa Cisse and Ryan Nembhard are doubtful, but this means out. They don’t have a lot of eligibility left and Dallas should’ve done a much better job managing that. Daniel Gafford is questionable but that’s been his whole season, so expect him to play.
The Brooklyn Nets have five guys on the injury report, but they are all on G-League assignments.
This all goes to explain how the Nets are organically awful as much as any team in the NBA, so while they’re capable of winning, I do not expect them to offer much resistance. The Mavericks have the “problem” of having functional NBA-level veteran talent. Even without Flagg, they fight each game. So expect more of that and one more win in the column for the Mavericks.
Be sure to chime in with your predictions in the comments!
Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 27: Jalen Johnson #1 and Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks react during the third quarter against the New York Knicks at State Farm Arena on December 27, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks (28-31) both welcome the return of Trae Young and unveil new acquisition Jonathan Kuminga in a game against the Washington Wizards (16-40) tonight.
Starting lineup:
G CJ McCollum
G Nickeil Alexander-Walker
F Dyson Daniels
F Jalen Johnson
C Onyeka Okongwu
Please join in the comments below as you follow along.
Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Start Time: 7:30 PM EDT
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)
Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)
Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)
Dillon Brooks, whose energy and unexpected shot creation have been at the heart of the Phoenix Suns this season, will miss 4-6 weeks after having surgery to repair a fractured left hand, Phoenix announced Tuesday.
Brooks has been a culture setter for the organization and, on the court, a needed secondary shot creator, averaging 21.2 points per game. Not that there was a good time for an injury, but this hits the Suns particularly hard this week with Devin Booker missing time with a hip injury and Grayson Allen out with knee and ankle issues. The Suns lost to the Trail Blazers over the weekend without either of their two leading scorers.
Phoenix, 33-25, sits as the No. 7 seed in the West, just two games out of getting into the top six and avoiding the play-in, but it's going to be tough to make up that gap without the team being healthy.
The Suns also announced that guard Jordan Goodwin is out for at least a week or two due to a left calf strain. Goodwin is averaging 8.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 26: Derrick White #9 of the Boston Celtics looks to pass the ball during the game against the Phoenix Suns on March 26, 2025 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Boston Celtics (37-19) at Phoenix Suns (33-25) Tuesday, February 24, 2026 9:00 PM ET Regular Season Game #57, Road Game #30 TV: ESPN, NBCSB, 3TV Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 98.7 AZ Sports Radio, Sirius XM Mortgage Matchup Center
The Celtics continue their western road trip with a stop in Phoenix to take on the Suns. They won the first 2 games of the trip by beating the Warriors and the Lakers. They will face the Nuggets on Wednesday to close out the trip. This is the first of 2 games between these two teams this season. They will meet for the 2nd, and final, time on March 16.
The Celtics won the series 2-0 last season and have won 4 straight against the Suns. They are 79-60 overall all time against the Suns and they are 33-36 in games played in Phoenix. The Celtics are playing in the first of back to back games and will travel to Denver to complete the back to back set on Wednesday. The Celtics are 6-3 in the first of back to back games this season.
Like the Celtics, the Suns have changed quite a bit since last season. In the offseason, they traded Kevin Durant to Houston for Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. They traded Vasilije Micic to Charlotte for Mark Williams. They claimed Jordan Goodwin off waivers from the Lakers. They bought out Bradley Beal. and they drafted Khaman Maluach (10th), Rasheer Fleming (31st) and Koby Brea (41st. Tyus Jones and Mason Plumlee both left in free agency. At the trade deadline, they traded Nigel Hayes-Davis and Nick Richards for Amir Coffey and Cole Anthony.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 1 game ahead of 3rd place New York, 2 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 3.5 games ahead of 5th place Toronto, 6.5 games ahead of 6th place Philadelphia and 7 games ahead of 7th place Orlando. The Celtics are 13-6 against Western Conference opponents. They are 19-10 on the road and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 3 games.
The Suns are 7th in the West, 11 games behind 1st place OKC, 3 games behind 3rd place Denver, 2.5 games behind 4th place Houston, and 2 games behind the 5th place Lakers and 6th place Minnesota. They are 2.5 games ahead of 8th place Golden Stat and 5 games ahead of 9th place Portland. The Suns are 11-7 against Eastern Conference opponents and 19-11 at home. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and are coming off a loss in their last game.
The Celtics are playing in the 3rd game of a 4 game Western road trip. They beat Golden State 121-110 on Thursday and beat the Lakers 111-89 on Sunday. They will play Denver on Wednesday to close out the trip. They will then return home for games against Brooklyn and Philadelphia before a game at Milwaukee. Then they are back home for games against Charlotte and Dallas before a tough 3 game road trip through Cleveland, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City. Then they host Washington, Phoenix and Golden State.
The Suns are playing in the 3rd game of a 4 game home stand. They beat Orlando and lost to Portland in the first two games and will face the Lakers to close out the home stand. They will then play at Sacramento before three more games at home against Chicago, New Orleans and Charlotte. They will then head out on a 6 game road trip through Milwaukee, Indiana, Toronto, Boston, Minnesota and San Antonio.
Jayson Tatum remains out for the Celtics as he rehabs from the Achilles injury, although rumblings of his return seem to be getting louder. Jaylen Brown has been added to the injury report with a knee contusion. They may be cautious with him due to the back to back games with Denver being the tougher team. He was originally questionable but has been downgraded to out. I’m going to take a wild guess that Hugo Gonzalez starts but I’m usually wrong.
The Suns have 5 players out and one player questionable on their injury report. Grayson Allen is questionable due to right knee and ankle injury management. He will be a game time decision. Cole Anthony has not reported to the team as yet after his trade from Orlando. Devin Booker (hip), Dillon Brooks (hand), Jordan Goodwin (calf) and Haywood Highsmith (knee) are all listed as out. I’ve listed their starting lineup from their last game.
Probable Starting Matchups PG: Derrick White vs Collin Gillespie
Derrick White | NBAE via Getty ImagesCollin Gillespie | Getty Images
SG: Baylor Scheierman vs Jalen Green
Baylor Scheierman | Getty ImagesJalen Green | NBAE via Getty Images
SF: Hugo Gonzalez vs Ryan Dunn
Hugo Gonzalez | Getty ImagesRyan Dunn | NBAE via Getty Images
Sam Hauser vs Royce O’Neale
Sam Hauser | NBAE via Getty ImagesRoyce O’Neale | NBAE via Getty Images
C: Neemias Queta vs Mark Williams
Neemias Queta | NBAE via Getty ImagesMark Williams | Getty Images
Celtics Reserves Payton Pritchard Luka Garza Amare Williams Nikola Vucevic Jordan Walsh Delano Banton (10-day) John Tonje (10-day) 2-Way Players Ron Harper, Jr Max Shulga Injuries/Out Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out Jaylen Brown (knee) out
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Suns Reserves Amir Coffey Rasheer Fleming Oso Ighodaro Khaman Maluach 2-Way Players Jamaree Bouyea Koby Brea Isaiah Livers
Injuries/Out Grayson Allen (ankle) questionable Cole Anthony (not with team) out Devin Booker (hip) out Dillon Brooks (hand) out Jordan Goodwin (calf) out Haywood Highsmith (knee) out
Head Coach Jordan Ott
Key Matchups Derrick White vs Collin Gillespie Gillespie is averaging 13.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists,and 1.4 steals per game. He is shooting 42.9% from the field and 42.8% from beyond the arc. He is one of their best 3 point shooters and so the Celtics need to especially defend him on the perimeter.
Baylor Scheierman vs Jalen Green Green is averaging 13.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 38.2% from the field and 31.3% from beyond the arc. In his last game, he finished with 13 points to go along with 3 rebounds and 3 steals. He hit a game winning 3 to beat the Magic on Saturday and so can be dangerous if not defended well.
Honorable Mention Neemias Queta vs Mark Williams Williams is averaging 11.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. He is shooting 64.2% from the field but is not a threat from beyond the arc. Williams ranks 4th in the NBA in FG% (64.2%) and is 1-of-5 players in the NBA this season averaging 11+ points on 67+ TS% and 11+ rebounds per game. The Celtics need to keep him out of the paint and off the boards.
Keys to the Game Defense – Defense is always a key to winning. The Celtics have a defensive rating of 112.2 (7th) and the Suns have a defensive rating of 112.5 (8th). The Suns take 40.4 threes per game (6th) and make 14.5 threes per game (8th). The Celtics take 42.3 threes per game and make 15.4 (3rd). The Suns are a good shooting team and the Celtics will need to up their defense, especially on the perimeter, if they want to beat the Suns at home.
Rebound – The Celtics need to rebound on the offensive end to give themselves extra possessions and to prevent the Suns from racking up fast break points. They also have to crash the boards on the defensive end to prevent the Suns from getting tip ins and second chance points. The Celtics are 8th with 45.7 rebounds per game while the Suns are 18th with 43.4 rebounds per game. Rebounding is all about effort and the Celtics are going to have to put out extra effort to win the battle of the boards.
Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics need to move the ball in order to find the best shot on each possession. When the ball sticks and players try to do too much, the Celtics struggle. They are at their best when they pass the ball and keep it moving. ISO ball is not usually winning ball. The Celtics are 29-4 when they have at least 25 assists. They need to keep the ball moving and find the open man. However, they need to be careful with their passes and ball handling since the Suns are 3rd with 20.8 points per game off turnovers.
Be Aggressive – The Celtics have to come out and be aggressive right from the opening tip. They have to be aggressive on defense, driving to the basket, rebounding, diving for loose balls and just playing harder in general. They need to get off to a strong start and play hard right up until the final buzzer. They can’t let the Suns outwork them for any period of time because even the best team in the league can lose to the worst if they don’t play with effort. The Celtics tend to take it easy when a team is bad or missing key players. The Suns are missing several key players but are still capable of beating the Celtics if they don’t play aggressively throughout the game.
X-Factors Road Fatigue – The Celtics are playing in the 3rd game of a 4 game road trip. They have had a lot of travel and had to sleep in hotels and play in hostile arenas. They may be gettng somewhat road weary. They have also changed time zones and may have a bit of jet lag. They may be short handed if Jaylen Brown is out and so they all need to pick up the slack and that could also add to fatigue in the game.
Officiating – I know that I say this every game, but the officiating always has the possibility to be an x-factor in every game. Every crew calls the game differently, whether they call every little ticky tack foul or they let a lot of contact go and let the teams play. Some refs favor the home team and some call for both teams evenly. The Celtics have got to adjust to the way the game is being called and not allow the officiating to take away from their focus.
