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2024-25 Fantasy Basketball Week 21 Schedule Breakdown

For many fantasy leagues, Week 21 is "Championship Week." And with the growing injury lists, crafting lineups is more difficult now than during winter. The good news is that every team will play at least three games during Week 21, and the schedule is evenly distributed. Let's look at the Week 21 schedule breakdown and some of its key storylines.

Week 21 Games Played

4 Games: BKN, DAL, IND, LAL, MIL, NYK, ORL, PHI, PHO, SAC, SAS, TOR, WAS

3 Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, LAC, MEM, MIA, MIN, NOR, OKC, POR, UTA

Week 21 Storylines

- There are no extremely light games during Week 21.

Week 21 should be good for fantasy basketball, as no day has fewer than six games on the schedule. And with the four busiest days all boasting eight-game slates, there should be no shortage of options available to fantasy managers. At this point in the season, targeting teams well on their way to the draft lottery is a good place to start. While the Jazz will only play three games during Week 21, San Antonio, Toronto, Washington and Philadelphia are among those who will play four.

- Philadelphia will have to navigate two back-to-backs.

The 76ers are the only team with two back-to-backs scheduled between March 23 and March 30. With Joel Embiid and Paul George officially done for the season and Tyrese Maxey still sidelined with his injuries, the door has swung wide open for Quentin Grimes. However, he's played so well that it's fair to wonder if there will come a point when Philadelphia looks to cut his playing time under the guise of an "injury." Justin Edwards, Ricky Council IV, Adem Bona (when healthy) and Jared Butler are a few players who will have added value as the 76ers look to improve their draft lottery odds.

- How many games will LeBron James (groin) play during Week 21?

James returned to the Lakers' lineup on March 22 against the Bulls, making his first appearance since March 8. His return impacts the entire Lakers' rotation, beginning with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves not taking on as much of the offensive workload. Also, Jordan Goodwin would return to the bench, where he has minimal fantasy impact. Rui Hachimura's return will also impact the rotation, as the matchup with Chicago was his first game after missing nearly one month with a left knee injury. The Lakers play four games during Week 21, including a midweek back-to-back. In addition to James' injury, Doncic and Reaves (among others) have recently been held out of a game for injury management reasons.

- Kings are expected to provide an update on Domantas Sabonis (ankle).

At the time of Sabonis' sprained right ankle, the Kings announced that he would be re-evaluated in 10 days. March 29 would be the tenth day, and the Kings are scheduled to play the Magic that night. That's the third of three games Sacramento is scheduled to play during Week 21, so fantasy managers will continue to rely on Jonas Valanciunas. However, he's rostered in over 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues, meaning fantasy managers looking to make an addition will need to focus on Keon Ellis, Trey Lyles or Jake LaRavia. The Sabonis question will be more about Week 22 than Week 21, and the Kings have a four-game schedule for Week 22.

- Will Nikola Jokic (ankle) be able to return from injury during Week 21?

The Nuggets' March 23 game against the Rockets will be the fourth Jokic has missed with a sprained ankle. With the Nuggets' three-game Week 21 beginning with a Sunday/Monday back-to-back, the three-time MVP may be available for all three games if he's cleared. And beggars can't be choosers; three games or Jokic is superior to none, given his impact on the Nuggets and fantasy basketball. The Joker's absence has raised Aaron Gordon's fantasy ceiling, and he's scored 23 points or more in three straight games.

- Can Stephen Curry (pelvis) return during the Warriors' road trip?

Before the Warriors' March 22 game against the Hawks, head coach Steve Kerr said he hoped Curry would be able to return from his injury at some point during the team's six-game road trip. The trip won't conclude until April 3 against the Lakers, and the Warriors have a home game against the Nuggets the following night. Rookie center Quentin Post returned to the starting lineup in Atlanta, but he may not be a lock to retain that role for the entire trip. Golden State can (and has) used Draymond Green at the five as part of a smaller lineup, which could be used to get Jonathan Kuminga more time on the court. Buddy Hield will be more valuable to managers needing three-point production, while Brandin Podziemski and Jimmy Butler should see their respective usages increase. The Warriors play three games during Week 21, starting with the Heat on Tuesday.

- It's "Red Velvet Time" in Chicago despite the Bulls only playing three games.

Bulls backup point guard Tre Jones has played well since moving into the starting lineup, filling the void left by the injured Lonzo Ball. However, he suffered a left midfoot sprain on March 20 and will be out for at least two weeks. Jones' injury makes things simple for the Bulls, as Josh Giddey's return to the starting lineup did not bump Kevin Huerter to the bench. While a three-game schedule isn't the best, Huerter's status as a starter makes him worth holding onto for Week 21. The Bulls will play four games during Week 22.

Light Game Days

Wednesday: 6 Games

WAS vs. PHI
TOR vs. BKN
LAL vs. IND
LAC vs. NYK
MIL vs. DEN
BOS vs. PHO

Week 21 Back-to-backs

Sunday (Week 20)-Monday: BOS, DEN, NOR, PHI, TOR

Monday-Tuesday: DAL, ORL, SAC

Tuesday-Wednesday: NYK

Wednesday-Thursday: IND, LAL, WAS

Thursday-Friday: CLE, UTA

Friday-Saturday: BKN

Saturday-Sunday: PHI, SAS

Sunday-Monday (Week 22): HOU, LAC

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Cam Payne, Tyler Kolek provide Knicks with the spark they needed in win over Wizards

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.

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Knicks' offense busts out, breaks two-game skid with 122-103 win over Wizards

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

Whats next

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

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LeBron James, Rui Hachimura return from injuries for Lakers Saturday

After missing six games with a strained groin, LeBron James will return to the Lakers lineup Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls, something the team has confirmed. Rui Hachimura is set to make his return as well.

The Lakers kept their heads above water going 3-3 with LeBron out thanks to Luka Doncic powering the Lakers' offense, until he had to miss time with an ankle issue. However, in those games, it became clear how much the Lakers still rely on 40-year-old LeBron to be the glue guy who does whatever it takes to get wins. His high IQ play was missed.

What fell off without LeBron is the Lakers' defense, which was in the top 10 in the NBA after the trade deadline with LeBron in the lineup, but in the six games with him out, it fell to 18th in the league.

Hachimura's return gives Redick more size and shooting to mix and match, depending on the opponent.

The Lakers sit third in a crowded top of the Western Conference. Houston, Los Angeles, Denver and Memphis are all within three games of each other for the 2-5 seeds in the conference. The Lakers are two back of Houston for the No. 2 seed and should get a boost from LeBron's return, but they also have the toughest remaining schedule of any of those teams.

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Nets' valiant fourth-quarter comeback attempt denied in 108-103 loss to Pacers

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.

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Valančiūnas doing ‘spectacular' job at filling Kings' Sabonis void

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.”

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Troubling trends threaten Warriors' pursuit of West's No. 6 seed

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.

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What we learned as Kings' second-half collapse brings loss vs. Bucks

What we learned as Kings' second-half collapse brings loss vs. Bucks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SACRAMENTO – Keon Ellis scored 20 points in place of injured starting point guard Malik Monk, but the Kings unraveled at the end and came up short against the Milwaukee Bucks, losing 114-108 on Saturday at Golden 1 Center.

DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 22 points. Zach LaVine added 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Keegan Murray had 13 points and nine rebounds.

The Kings fell back to .500 at 35-35 following their second consecutive loss and sixth in eight games.

Sacramento once again played without center Domantas Sabonis, who is nursing a sprained right ankle he suffered earlier in the week. Monk was a late scratch due to illness.

The Kings seemed to handle playing without the two fairly well in the first half but couldn’t sustain the momentum. Milwaukee outscored Sacramento 28-19 over the final 12 minutes.

Here are the takeaways from Saturday’s game:

JV Has Varsity Night

Jonas Valančiūnas has given the Kings quality minutes off the bench since his arrival about a month ago, and he maintained that level while starting in place of Sabonis against the Bucks.

The 6-foot-11 center wasn’t flashy or spectacular, but he was effective. Despite the Bucks consistently attacking the paint, Valančiūnas kept Milwaukee from totally dominating in the middle.

He finished the night with 18 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes.

Keon Making Things Happen

Whether he’s in his usual role coming off the bench or making an occasional start like he did in place of Monk, Ellis brings an infectious energy to the court every time he’s out there.

Making his second start in the last three games, Ellis displayed the type of skills that have made him a fan favorite in Sacramento. If he wasn’t helping effectively on defense against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ellis was racing down the court to keep the Kings’ offense flowing.

He got a breakaway dunk after a DeRozan steal in the second quarter, then later snagged a defensive board and fed it to LaVine, resulting in a four-point play.

It’s the ninth time in 16 starts this season that Ellis has scored in double figures.

Shut Giannis Down

Although Antetokounmpo is enjoying another spectacular season, the Kings showed no fear in trying to stop him.

Antetokounmpo, who dropped 33 on Sacramento when the two teams squared off in January, didn’t break double figures until the second half in the rematch. He shot just 12 of 20 and was minus-six.

Murray had the bulk of work defending Antetokounmpo and did a solid job despite a three-inch, 45-pound difference between the two. Not surprising since Murray has been one of the Kings’ most reliable defenders all season.

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Frustrated Draymond chides Warriors for ‘terrible' loss to Hawks

Frustrated Draymond chides Warriors for ‘terrible' loss to Hawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Every remaining game on the Warriors’ schedule should be considered an NBA playoff game.

The stakes are that high right now.

That’s why Golden State’s 124-115 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night at State Farm Arena feels so consequential.

No one knows that better than star forward Draymond Green.

“Bad loss,” Green told reporters after the game. “It’s a terrible loss. When you’re in a position we’re in, we’ve got a chance to compete for something. Eleven games left with everything to play for, you shouldn’t have a loss like this. Too much on the line. Got to win the games you’re supposed to win. Obviously Steph’s out. Still a game we should win. So, it’s a terrible loss.”

The loss to open a six-game road trip drops the Warriors to 41-30 and cuts their lead over the Los Angeles Clippers (40-30) and Minnesota Timberwolves (41-31) for the Western Conference’s No. 6 seed to half a game.

A win in Atlanta would have moved Golden State within one game of the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 5 seed. Instead, the Warriors fell two games behind Ja Morant and Co.

“We just 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 and from that point on, you’re fighting an uphill battle. So everybody’s comfortable and they took it to us. We’ve got to be better. That starts with me. We were terrible defensively. It’s the NBA. Once guys get into a rhythm, it’s hard and they got into a rhythm and had it rolling. It’s tough to stop that, so we got to come out ready to play.”

The Warriors began the road trip without Steph Curry, who is back in the Bay Area receiving treatment for a pelvic contusion sustained in their win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday at Chase Center.

Curry will be re-evaluated Monday, but it’s unclear when he will play. Coach Steve Kerr stated pregame that he believes the two-time NBA MVP will rejoin the team during the road trip.

The Warriors’ next game looks easy on paper, but emotions will be running high for both sides.

Jimmy Butler makes his highly anticipated return to Miami, while Heat forward Andrew Wiggins faces the team he helped guide to the 2022 NBA championship.

Green is aware of those storylines, and he knows what the Warriors must do against a Heat team that has lost 10 consecutive games.

“Got to come to play,” Green said. “Come out and play defensively, come out and play hard. We got Jimmy over here. I know this is a big game for him. They got Wiggs over there. I know it’s a huge game for him. Just like we want to win for Jimmy, they’re going to want to win for Wiggs. We got to come out ready to play.

“They’ve lost, what, 10 games in a row? Six or seven of those games come down to four- or five-point games, last couple of possessions. So, it’s a little fool’s gold that they’ve lost 10 in a row. We know who the Miami Heat are. They play hard and are disciplined. So we’ve got to come out and play our brand of basketball.”

The good news for the Warriors is that the Clippers play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday and the Timberwolves face the Indiana Pacers on Monday.

But Green and Golden State can’t afford “terrible” performances over their final 11 regular-season games.

Each loss could be the difference between being the No. 6 seed and earning a week off before the playoffs begin, and having to participate in the NBA play-in tournament.

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Anthony Davis reportedly to return to Mavericks during upcoming East Coast road trip

Anthony Davis is "very eager" to get back on the court for the Dallas Mavericks, which could happen next week.

Davis has been sidelined since straining his adductor on Feb. 8 — his one game as a Maverick since the shocking trade that sent him to Dallas for Luka Doncic — and has been working to get back on the court. However, with Davis out and Kyrie Irving since tearing his ACL, the Mavericks have slid down the Western Conference standings. Davis is still pushing to return, he has had two 5-on-5 practices with the Texas Legends of the G-League, the most recent one with fellow injured centers Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford.

Davis hopes to return to the Mavericks' lineup during Dallas' upcoming Eastern road trip starting Monday, reports NBA insider Marc Stein. No timetable for Davis to play has been set, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said (the same is true of the other centers). This road trip starts Monday in Brooklyn and then heads to New York (Tuesday), Orlando (Thursday), and Chicago (Saturday).

There is disagreement within the Mavericks organization about whether Davis should return, Stein has reported. The Mavericks are tied with the suddenly surging Phoenix Suns for the No. 10 seed and final play-in spot in the West. The question the Mavericks should be asking: "Is the risk of another injury Davis worth the reward of maybe making the No. 10 seed, then having to win two play-in games on the road to make the playoffs, where No. 1 seed Oklahoma City will be waiting? Many people would look at that scenario and suggest Dallas is better off focusing on improving this year's draft position and bringing everyone back healthy next season.

Davis, however, wants to return, and all the noise about how Dallas blew the Doncic trade likely plays into that. (To be fair, those complaints were less about Davis and more about trading a fan favorite about to enter his prime for a player six years older, and for not a large enough return. The anger wasn't aimed at Davis but at management.) It appears Davis will get his way this week, but whether that is enough to get Dallas into the postseason remains to be seen.

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What we learned as Steph-less Warriors struggle in bad loss to Hawks

What we learned as Steph-less Warriors struggle in bad loss to Hawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

The last time the Warriors beat the Hawks in Atlanta, Steph Curry (30 points), Kevin Durant (28 points) and Klay Thompson (27 points) combined to score 85 points in a 128-111 win at State Farm Arena. 

It was Dec. 3, 2018, six seasons ago. The Warriors now have lost their last six games in Atlanta after falling to the Hawks 124-115 on Saturday without Steph Curry to start a six-game road trip.

In the final three quarters, the Warriors outscored the Hawks by eight points. But they fell behind by as many as 20 points in the first quarter, and swimming upstream the rest of the way was too hard to overcome. 

Jimmy Butler led the Warriors with 25 points on 7-of-15 shooting and was 10 of 14 on free throws. Butler, plus-11, was the only Warriors starter with a positive plus/minus. Gary Payton II (plus-6) joined Butler as the only two Warriors to have a positive plus/minus. 

Trae Young had a 25-point, 10-assist double-double, but he wasn’t the only Hawk to star offensively. They had three players score at least 20 points, including 23 off the bench from Georges Niang.

The Hawks ended up shooting 57 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from deep. They dished 37 assists and outscored the Warriors 60-44 in the paint.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors losing once again in Atlanta.

DPOY Battle

As the Cleveland Cavaliers have lost four consecutive games, Draymond Green has risen to a neck-and-neck race with Evan Mobley as the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. Hawks defensive ace Dyson Daniels is right there, too.

Daniels came into the day leading the NBA in total steals (194) and steals per game (3.0). Halfway through the first quarter, Daniels snuck from behind to steal the ball away from Green, drove down the court and finished with a tough layup over him. 

Green roamed as he always does in Golden State’s defense. Daniels began the game guarding Butler, and also spent time on Brandin Podziemski and others. Both were effective in their own ways.

Each player had three steals, and Green added one blocked shot. Awards season is creeping closer, and both stated their case to hoist the DPOY trophy.

Hawks Slice Dubs’ Defense 

Offense isn’t an issue for Atlanta. The Hawks since the start of February are top five in points per game, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. There was no slowing them down Saturday on their home court. 

The Warriors in the first quarter fell into a 17-point deficit they couldn’t fully climb back out of. Simply put, the Hawks got whatever they wanted. Atlanta tallied 40 points on 64-percent shooting, going 16 of 25 overall and 4 of 9 on 3-pointers. Everybody put up points. 

Quin Snyder used nine players in the first quarter, and all nine scored. At halftime, the Hawks held a 12-point lead from shooting 60 percent (30 of 50) while handing out 23 assists and turning the ball over only three times. Onyeka Okongwu scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half.

Through three quarters, six Hawks had scored in double figures, giving them a 17-point lead entering the fourth quarter.

This was supposed to be all about containing Young. It wound up being about so much more. 

Podz’s Up-And-Down Performance

Without Curry, the ball was going to be in Podziemski’s hands, and his 3-point shot was going to be needed. Well, Podziemski did bring the long ball to Atlanta. 

He made two 3-pointers in the first quarter and another two in the third quarter. Podziemski made a fifth three in the fourth quarter, giving him a season high. He struggled scoring elsewhere.

Podziemski missed numerous chances right around the rim. Whether it was a layup, tip shot, floater or getting stuck in the paint, Podziemski found himself in more trouble the closer he was to the hoop. Podziemski was 5 of 8 on threes, but 1 of 6 on 2-pointers. 

Ending with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists is a strong stat line. Podziemski also was a minus-8 in 36 minus, and every opportunity for points becomes amplified when the Warriors don’t have Curry.

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Young gets away with blatantly obvious travel in Warriors-Hawks

Young gets away with blatantly obvious travel in Warriors-Hawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Hawks star Trae Young, looking like Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. evading the pass rush, got away with a blatant travel at the end of the first quarter against the Warriors on Saturday night at State Farm Arena.

With the Hawks holding a commanding 38-23 lead, Young was double-teamed by forward Jimmy Butler and center Kevon Looney.

Young picked up his dribble at the edge of the Hawks’ center-court logo and shuffled both feet until he was at the mid-court line.

By the time Young passed the ball to teammate Georges Niang, he was holding the ball at least a foot over the mid-court line.

The missed call came back to bite the Warriors as Niang found guard Caris LeVert, who hit a jumper at the first-quarter buzzer to give the Hawks a 40-23 lead.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr has been demanding the NBA train referees to call traveling more, and he might need to make another plea to the league after Young’s shuffle across the court.

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Kings convert Isaac Jones to reported standard two-year contract

Kings convert Isaac Jones to reported standard two-year contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Isaac Jones has continued to grind and stay patient, and on Saturday, he was rewarded.

The Kings converted the young center’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal, the team announced two hours before tip-off against the Milwaukee Bucks.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported, citing sources, that Jones’ new contract is a two-year pact.

On Wednesday, Jones reached the NBA’s maximum 50-game active limit during Sacramento’s 123-119 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Jones has appeared in 31 games this season for Sacramento, averaging 8.3 minutes and 3.7 points in such contests.

In 11 games with the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate, Jones averaged 20.9 points on 55.5 percent shooting, with 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks in 32.2 minutes.

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NBA fines Pacers' Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard and Nets Trendon Watford for altercation

The Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers play again on Saturday night, but before that happens, the league handed down fines from when these teams played on Thursday night.

The Pacers' Andrew Nembhard was fined $20,000 for "initiating the altercation," while his teammate Myles Turner, as well as the Nets' Trendon Watford, were fined $35,000 for escalating the situation, the league announced.

The fourth-quarter altercation started away from the play as Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin drove for a layup.

Watford began to run back up court and bumped into Nembhard, and those two engaged in some relatively mild pushing and shoving. That's when Turner jumped in and escalated everything by shoving Watford, who pushed back, and things quickly escalated.

Nembhard and Watford were handed double technical fouls for their exchange, and the same is true for Turner and Watford for their escalation. That was two technicals for Watford, so he was ejected from the game.

Tonight's officials for the Pacers and Nets know what happened and may end up calling a tighter game to keep a lid on things.