Category: NBA

Report: Steph to join Warriors in Miami, status vs. Heat uncertain originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors won’t be without Steph Curry for long.

Curry will join the Warriors in Miami, with his status for Tuesday’s matchup against the Heat dependent on treatment response for his pelvic bruise over the next two days, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday, citing sources.

Stephen Curry is traveling to join the Warriors in Miami, and his status for Tuesday's game against the Heat depends on treatment response for his pelvic bruise over next two days, sources tell ESPN. Golden State is on game two of a six-game trip. https://t.co/SA3Tsrz51A

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 23, 2025

Curry exited the Warriors’ 117-114 win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday after suffering a pelvic contusion in the third quarter. An MRI on Friday revealed that Curry sustained no structural damage, with the Warriors announcing the superstar point guard would be re-evaluated Monday.

It appears there’s optimism Curry could be available Tuesday after Golden State struggled without the two-time NBA MVP in a 124-115 loss to the Atlanta Hawks Saturday.

Golden State is in the midst of a crucial six-game road trip as the Warriors cling to the Western Conference’s No. 6 playoff seed in a jam-packed postseason race.

The Warriors have been able to tread water without Curry during the 2024-25 NBA season, posting a 7-4 record when the superstar guard isn’t active.

However, it’s clear how critical Curry is to the Warriors’ pursuit of avoiding the NBA Play-In Tournament, and with little room for error it seems Golden State will do everything possible to get its franchise cornerstone back on the court as soon as possible.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

The Washington Wizards' defense was the perfect remedy for a struggling Knicks offense. After scoring 105 or fewer points in three of the last four games, New York (44-26) was able to find an offensive rhythm in a 122-103 win against the lowly Wizards on Saturday.

Despite the victory, New York’s offense has hit a rough patch this season. In the last 15 games, the Knicks are ranked 25th in offensive efficiency, scoring 109.7 points per 100 possessions. Once the top-ranked offense earlier in the season, the Knicks have dropped to fifth in the category. A part of the recent slide can be attributed to the absence of Jalen Brunson, who has missed the last eight games due to an ankle injury. But some of New York’s nadir in the category happened with the All-Star point guard in the lineup.

The three-point line has recently proven to be a significant concern for New York. The Knicks are struggling to get up threes, ranking 21st in attempts per 100 possessions. When the Knicks are able to hoist shots from deep regularly, they are not converting. New York is 24th in three-point percentage (34.6 percent) during this time span. The corner three has been a weapon for Knicks teams under the Tom Thibodeau era. The club is shooting a league-worst 30.2 percent on corner threes during this span of games.

Where the Knicks miss Brunson the most is his ability to drive in the paint and kick out to open shooters. New York’s other core players, such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, often drive into the teeth of the defense with blinders on. They are primarily looking to score rather than set up teammates. Per NBA Stats, the Knicks have the third-lowest rate in assists on drives in the last 15 games.

One of New York’s weaknesses this season and last has been a lack of secondary creation from a perimeter player. Even when Brunson returns, some teams have discovered ways to slow down the Knicks' offense effectively. Strategies such as having a center guard Josh Hart, while putting a wing on Towns, have been effective. Also, teams trapping Brunson in the pick-and-roll has worked at times too.

Ways to solve the scoring woes

The easiest solution for the Knicks is to shoot better. Several players have been in slumps. Cam Payne is shooting just 30.3 percent over the last 20 games after a hot start earlier in the season. Hart has cooled down considerably and is often reluctant to shoot now.

One strategy that has worked for the Knicks is turning defense into offense. During this offensive stupor, the Knicks’ defense has ranked 10th, much better than earlier this season. New York has found scoring opportunities in transition off of misses and forcing opponents into turnovers.

Also, the team is going to need internal improvements in playmaking. Bridges has stepped into a bigger role amid Brunson’s absence. He’s averaging 5.0 assists in eight games without Brunson in the lineup. Though Bridges has shown an effective pull-up shooting game out of the pick-and-roll, he’s lagged as a passer and playmaker for most of the season.

Bridges’ recent increase in reps as a creator on offense could be an important development for the Knicks offense once Brunson returns.

New York’s offense has largely been a success this season, but this recent slide has highlighted some weaknesses, like the team’s overreliance on Brunson. But it does give the team an opportunity to put players in different positions and figure out different solutions.

Warriors' Butler shrugs off Heat return as just ‘another game' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

For Jimmy Butler, the Warriors’ upcoming matchup with the Miami Heat on Tuesday is just another game. On just another day that ends in -y.

And while that might be the sentiment that Golden State’s veteran forward coveys publicly, the first game against his former team since the blockbuster Feb. 5 trade is one Butler likely has had circled for quite some time.

However, you wouldn’t know that based on his comments about the upcoming matchup after the Warriors’ 124-115 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

“Yeah, I was traded from there, yada, yada, yada,” Butler said after Saturday’s loss about his return to Miami. “Yeah, it didn’t end the way that people wanted to, yada yada yada.

“But that’s so far behind me now. I don’t even think about it. I don’t pay attention to nothing except for the trajectory of this squad.”

Butler led the Heat on two NBA Finals runs in four years, and as he prepares to return to the arena where he played five-plus seasons and created countless memories, he is not worried about the reception he will receive from Heat fans on Tuesday night.

“Not really, don’t make no difference,” Butler said. “I’m a member of the Golden State Warriors. I love that fan base. They showed me a lot of love while I was there. But I’m there to win now. I’m on the opposing team.”

While Butler had plenty of success during his time in Miami, he and the Heat ultimately fell short of their ultimate goal.

“We were alright,” Butler shared. “We didn’t win nothing like we were supposed to. So I don’t know. We made some cool runs. We had some fun. I think that’s all we did.”

Despite Butler’s subdued reaction to the Warriors’ upcoming game, the weight of the reunion is not lost on his new teammates.

“We got Jimmy over here, I know this is a big game for him,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said. “They got [Andrew Wiggins] over there. I know it’s a huge game for him. We want to win for Jimmy, they’re going to want to win for Wiggs. We got to come out ready to play.”

After a frustrating loss to the Hawks without injured superstar Steph Curry, the Warriors (41-30) will look to bounce back against the Heat (29-41) on Tuesday in a game that probably means more to Butler than he is willing to admit.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

The returns of LeBron James and Rui Hachimura could not save the Los Angeles Lakers from a sixth defeat in nine NBA games as they were well beaten by the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

James made his Lakers comeback after seven games out with a groin injury while Hachimura had missed 12 matches with a knee problem.

But they could not prevent the Lakers losing 146-115 - with Chicago running up their highest score of the season to improve their record to 31-40.

Coby White had 36 points for the Bulls and rookie Matas Buzelis added 31, while 22-year-old Australian Josh Giddey claimed his 15th triple-double - 15 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds.

Luka Doncic led Los Angeles (43-27) with 34 points - 29 in the first half - while James scored 17, and they cut the score to 65-64 at the start of the third quarter, but the Bulls had racked up a 104-89 lead going into the fourth.

• Antetokounmpo stars as Bucks beat injury-hit Lakers

Antetokounmpo inspires Bucks fightback

Elsewhere in Saturday's match-ups, Giannis Antetokounmpo notched 32 points and 17 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from a 14-point deficit to win 114-108 at the Sacramento Kings.

The Golden State Warriors remained without leading scorer Stephen Curry, because of a pelvis injury, as they lost 124-115 at the Atlanta Hawks, with Trae Young scoring 25 points in his his 41st double-double of the season.

Tyrese Haliburton returned from a three-game absence to help the Indiana Pacers beat the Brooklyn Nets 108-103, with team-mate Pascal Siakam scoring a game-high 26 points.

Karl-Anthony Towns claimed 31 points and 11 rebounds to help the New York Knicks win 122-103 at home to the Washington Wizards.

• NBA champions Boston Celtics in record $6.1bn sale

There was less than a second left in the first quarter when LeBron James went to the sideline to inbound the ball. Sensing a moment to get the hottest player in the building, Luka Doncic, one more shot, the Lakers rushed their new star into the game.

Doncic hustled to the scorer’s table, unwrapping the heat pack from his lower back, unsnapping his warmup pants and zipping off his jacket.

James then fired the ball down the floor. But instead of it finding Doncic or any Lakers player, it badly curved toward the courtside seats, a screwball turnover in a game littered with mistakes.

Doncic, the player the Lakers acquired to fix their narrow operating margins, scored with ease Saturday night, making three-pointers from all over the court. He finished with 34 points, a carryover from a multi-week stretch of dominant offense.

Read more:Bronny James credits focus on his game for career-best 17 points during loss to Bucks

But everyone else? Back at full strength with James and Rui Hachimura playing for the first time in two weeks, the team looked like a group of strangers, badly beaten 146-115 by a Chicago team nine games under .500.

It was the most points the Lakers allowed this season.

And Doncic was far from perfect, all of his shot-making undone by seven turnovers and a disengaged defensive performance that helped the Bulls run away.

In the first half, the Lakers (43-27) were slow-footed, maybe a tax they needed to pay playing in their seventh game in 10 days. Their effort against Coby White in the first quarter was lacking, the Bulls guard quickly catching fire and matching Doncic bucket for bucket.

The Bulls (31-40) made 78.6% of their two-point shots in the first half, the Lakers' defense providing no resistance. They didn’t stop Chicago at the rim. They didn't stay in front of them on the perimeter. And once they got caught in rotations after switching, the Lakers moved like they had cement in their sneakers.

The Lakers' overall effort ticked up in the second half. The bad news? Somehow the defense was even worse, the Bulls scoring 81 points as they began to make shots from all over the court.

White finished with 36 and rookie Matas Buzelis had 31 points for Chicago. Josh Giddey nearly recorded a quadruple-double for the Bulls, finishing with 15 points, 17 assists, 10 rebounds and eight steals. The Bulls had seven players with at least 12 points and an eighth who scored nine.

James, in his first game after missing two weeks with a groin strain, looked badly out of rhythm on both sides of the court. He scored 17 but turned it over five times. Austin Reaves had 25 but couldn’t help the Lakers get stops. And Hachimura, limited to 18 minutes, looked out of sorts off the bench and only scored five points.

The Lakers play the Orlando Magic on the road Monday.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Knicks’ guard depth is really being put to the test. 

New York is already without All-Star captain Jalen Brunson as he missed his eight consecutive game with a right ankle sprain -- and on Saturday night his replacement was sidelined as well, as Miles McBride was ruled out pregame due to a lingering groin injury. 

Insert Cam Payne and Tyler Kolek. 

The veteran Payne jumped into the starting lineup for just the second time this season and he provided an immediate boost on both ends of the floor -- leading the way for New York with 10 first quarter points, four assists, and three points to open an early advantage. 

“Shout out to Cam,” Karl-Anthony Towns said postgame. “He stepped in like a true professional and led us. He gave us the spark we needed, without that kind of start from him I don’t know how this game goes -- shoutout to him for real.”

Even with that big spark, Tom Thibodeau elected to turn to Kolek to play the entire second quarter as the Knicks held a big lead and he provided a boost of his own -- recording four points while dishing a career-high eight assists. 

The 23-year-old has been bouncing back-and-forth between the pros and the G League throughout his rookie campaign, but he was certainly impressive in what was his first first-half action since January 1. 

“Tyler gave us great minutes,” Thibodeau said postgame. “We built the lead which allowed  Cam to get some rest there. It was more how the team was functioning. We stayed organized and he was making the right reads — it was good to see, he’s done a good job for us.”

And later on, it was Payne again, who provided one of the biggest shots of the night. 

New York led by as many as 33 points early in the third quarter, but a tremendous Wizards run enabled them to cut that all the way back down to four -- before the veteran guard knocked down a massive three to get the Knicks back on track. 

They ended up holding on from their to snap their two-game losing skid with a 122-103 win. 

“We have to play tougher with the lead,” Thibodeau said. “But that was a big shot for us. Cam ins’t afraid to let it fly in those spots, which is what we like about him. He stepped up and gave us some really good minutes tonight.”

It remains to be seen if McBride will miss any more time with the injury, but with Brunson still only participating in controlled activities, the Knicks will certainly need their guards to build off this strong showing. 

New York plays again on Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Knicks snapped their two-game losing streak with a much-needed 122-103 win over the league-worst Washington Wizards on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

Here are some takeaways...

- The Knicks' offense has struggled mightily with captain clutch Jalen Brunson sidelined for the past eight games due to his right ankle injury, but they were finally able to receive the big-time shooting performance that they've been looking for to pull out a much-needed win in this one.

One of the biggest reasons behind their back-to-back losses in San Antonio and Charolette was slow offensive starts. New York finally came out flying in this one, shooting an even 50 percent from the field (four threes) to open an early advantage, which they barely held onto.

- New York's lineup did take another big hit coming into the night, as Miles McBride was ruled out with a groin injury after attempting to go through pregame warmups, so Cameron Payne was inserted into the starting five and he provided a nice boost on both ends of the floor.

The veteran guard led the way in the first quarter, knocking down a pair of threes to help the Knicks open an early advantage. He went on to finish with 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field (all threes) while dishing six assists and reeling in four rebounds in his second start of the year.

- Mikal Bridges put together one of his best halves of the season. After a quiet showing in the first, he was lights out during the second quarter, picking up 20 of his 27 points on the night -- including a stretch where he knocked down four consecutive threes to help put the game out of reach.

- Rookie point guard Tyler Kolek took advantage of that stretch, as he picked up four points and a career-high seven assists while playing the whole second quarter. The youngster has been back-and-forth between the pros and Westchester this season, and this was his first time seeing first half minutes since the beginning of the new year.

- Karl-Anthony Towns was quiet during the first half, but he made his mark early and often in the second, scoring or assisting on five of the Knicks' first six buckets in the third quarter. The big man made some clutch buckets down the stretch and finished with 31 points and 11 rebounds.

- OG Anunoby sat during the second quarter after picking up three early fouls, but he was also tremendous offensively, picking up 23 points while knocking down four of five threes. Josh Hart had just nine points but he topped the double-digit mark in rebounds again, bringing in 11.

- The Knicks did have a little bit of a scare late in the third quarter and early in the fourth, as Washington was able to cut a 33-point deficit all the way back down to four, but they locked in during the final frame and held on to pick up their 44th win of the season.

- MSG broke out in PJ Tucker chants for the second straight home blowout, but the veteran didn't see the floor.

Game MVP: Mikal Bridges

Bridges simply couldn't miss during the second quarter, and it helped the Knicks put this one out of reach.

Highlights

Double figures in the first quarter for Cam Payne ♨️

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/LJSvuLMtvj

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 23, 2025

OG lighting it up from outside!

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/oxWF0BiLxN

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 23, 2025

Tyler Kolek dimes! pic.twitter.com/XEqe9hqHkd

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 23, 2025

MIKAL BRIDGES CAN'T MISS pic.twitter.com/D90oc6R8am

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 23, 2025

Whats next

The Knicks have two days off before they host the Dallas Mavericks at MSG on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored eight of his 26 points over the final 3 1/2 minutes Saturday and Myles Turner made five three-pointers and finished with 22 points to help the Indiana Pacers hold off the charging Brooklyn Nets, 108-103.

Indiana swept its two home games against Brooklyn this week. The Pacers have won four straight and six of seven.

Turner also had eight rebounds and three blocks after his sister left the court on a stretcher during pregame warmups. All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton returned from an injured back that kept him out of Indiana’s previous three games and recorded his 10th straight double-double with 16 points and 12 assists to go with eight rebounds.

Trendon Watford scored a season-high 26 points to lead the Nets, who have lost three straight and 13 of 15. Cam Johnson added 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

The Pacers closed the third quarter on an 11-0 run to take a 90-70 lead, but allowed Brooklyn to open the fourth quarter on a 13-0 run. Then after giving up a dunk, the Nets scored eight straight to get within 92-91 with 4:30 to play.

But Siakam’s late scoring flurry helped seal the win.

Takeaways

Nets: It has been a tough season for Brooklyn and losing twice at Indiana only added to the woes as the Nets continued their late season fade.

Pacers: Indiana entered with a one-game lead over Milwaukee for the No. 4 seed and three games behind New York for the No. 3 seed. They’re trying to earn their first home-court series since 2013-14 — aside from the 2019-20 playoffs that were played in Florida.

Key moment

Brooklyn made only three baskets over the final 4 1/2 minutes after closing it to 92-91.

Key stats

Indiana had 32 assists on 40 baskets and a 21-8 advantage in fast-break points.

Up next

The Nets open a three-game homestand Monday against Dallas. Indiana hosts Minnesota on Monday.

Valančiūnas doing ‘spectacular' job at filling Kings' Sabonis void originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – The Kings acquired Jonas Valančiūnas nearly seven weeks ago to provide some protection and back-up for center Domantas Sabonis, a job that the 32-year-old Lithuanian handled fairly well during his first six weeks in Sacramento.

With Sabonis unable to play for at least the next week due to a severely sprained right ankle, Valančiūnas has had to shoulder more of the work load on both ends of the court.

While his role with the team has changed Valančiūnas sees no reason to change anything.

“It’s still basketball. You gotta take the ball and put it in the basket,” Valančiūnas said. “Yeah, you have more responsibilities as a starter, but one thing, no matter what, starting or come off the bench, you want to win the game. Whatever your contribution is, you got to put it on.”

The Kings weren’t successful in chasing that goal down against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday at Golden 1 Center, losing 114-108 in a game that had ramifications to their NBA playoff hopes.

With 12 games remaining in the 2024-25 NBA regular season, the Kings are trying to hold onto the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Saturday’s loss trimmed Sacramento’s lead to 1 1/2 games over the Phoenix Suns, who are in the final spot for the NBA play-in tournament.

It’ll be anything but an easy stroll to the finish for interim coach Doug Christie’s squad. Sacramento has games next week against the defending champion Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who current reside atop the West standings.

Sabonis is almost certain to sit that game out, and it’s possible, if not probable, that starting point guard Malik Monk might miss that game, too.

Valančiūnas will be there and said it doesn’t matter who suits up for the Kings.

“Every game matters for us big time,” he said. “Yeah we got a tough schedule, but that’s no excuse. We got to man up and do it. There’s no other way.”

Valančiūnas has been manning up just fine as far as Christie is concerned.

Before Sabonis sustained a cut over his left eye and rolled his right ankle against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, Valančiūnas was averaging 11 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 54.6 percent.

In the three games since then, his number have risen slightly. He had 18 points and seven rebounds against the Bucks while logging 27 minutes, his most in more than two weeks.

“Jonas has been spectacular for us,” Christie said. “He adds a physical presence, his size, protection at the rim. We try to keep him in coverage and not play him outside of the things that we know that he’s comfortable in doing. He has just been a consummate teammate and professional. ‘Whatever you need coach, two minutes, four minutes, whatever it is.’

“For a coach, you can’t ask for anything more.”

All because Valančiūnas has maintained the same focus that he has had all season when coming off the bench.

“I’m just playing the game,” he said. “I’m not trying to do something special, not trying to take over the world. I’m just doing my stuff, setting good screens, rolling, fighting for the rebounds, playing defense. All my life I did that stuff and I’m going to keep doing it.”

Download and follow The Deuce & Mo Podcast

Troubling trends threaten Warriors' pursuit of West's No. 6 seed originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

In climbing up the Western Conference standings after the arrival of Jimmy Butler III, the Warriors generated enough positive energy to believe in Draymond Green’s audacious NBA All-Star break declaration that a championship was three months away.

And now, after one middling week, the Warriors have a loose grip on sixth place in the Western Conference and look nothing like a team capable of making a deep playoff run, much less winning the NBA Finals.

So much of what they had repaired with the addition of Butler came apart this week, which was punctuated Saturday night in Atlanta, where the Warriors fell behind early and were thoroughly outplayed in a 124-115 loss to a Hawks team missing two starters.

“Yeah, 40 points in the first quarter,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters at State Farm Arena. “We were swimming upstream the rest of the way. I love the way the guys fought after that, but it was a layup line in the first quarter. Transition defense was awful.

“Give them credit. They were ready. They came out smoking hot, but at halftime, they had 23 assists or three turnovers. We didn’t impact the game defensively until it was far too late.”

The Warriors (41-30) were without Stephen Curry, but that doesn’t explain their languid start, or their porous defense.

“It’s a bad loss,” Green said. “It’s a terrible loss. When you’re in the position we’re in, we’ve we got a chance to compete for something. Eleven games left, with everything to play for, you shouldn’t have a loss like this. There’s too much on the line. You’ve got to win the games you’re supposed to win.

“Obviously, Steph is out. It’s still a game we should win. Terrible loss.”

After winning several games in recent weeks that they concede they probably would have lost earlier this season – pre-Jimmy – the Warriors lost two such games this week and flirted with dropping a third.

Losing to the Denver Nuggets, without Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, on Monday at Chase Center was a sign of caution. Needing all 48 minutes to beat the lottery-bound Toronto Raptors on Thursday at Chase was a wake-up call.

Falling to the sub-mediocre Hawks (34-36) missing two starters, commences the sounds of wailing sirens, blaring alarms and the skidding of brakes on Golden State’s post-Jimmy momentum.

“We didn’t come out ready to play,” Green said. “We came out like we were just going to win the game, and we got diced up defensively in the first quarter. From that point on, you’re fighting an uphill battle. Everybody’s comfortable, and they took it to us.

“We’ve got to be better, and that starts with me. We were terrible defensively. This is the NBA. Once guys get into a rhythm, it’s hard. They got into a rhythm, had it rolling. It’s tough to stop that so we’ve got to come out ready to play.”

Green had a forgettable performance largely because he is as essential to Golden State’s defense as Curry to its offense. Atlanta shot 65.4 percent in the first quarter, 60 percent for the half and outscored the Warriors 60-44 in the paint.

One place not to look is toward Butler. He scored a team-high 25 points, recorded a team-high eight assists and finished plus-11 (also a team-best) in 38 minutes. The only other Warriors with a positive plus/minus was Gary Payton II, who was plus-6 while scoring 11 points in 17 minutes.

The Warriors were minus-15 in bench scoring, were dramatically outshot (57 percent to 46.4) for the second consecutive game, outrebounded (46-38) for the third time in four games and out-assisted (37-28) for the third time in four games.

Any recovery must begin with defense.

“I didn’t feel good about it tonight,” Kerr said. “But we were the second-ranked defense in the league since we traded for Jimmy. So overall, the defense has been really good. We’re right at the top of the league and deflections for some turnovers. “But didn’t happen tonight. So, the biggest thing is, we got to respond, bounce back.”

This loss derails the Warriors, at least temporarily. The first step to getting back on track, with or without Curry, comes Tuesday in Miami. If the first quarter looks anything like it did on Saturday, they could find themselves in the Play-In Tournament box.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast