Category: Sports News

In today’s Dub Hub:

• Steve Kerr gets honest about the Warriors’ chances of reaching the sixth-seed following Saturday’s 129-101 loss against the Lakers.
• Steve Kerr walks back comments on Kristaps Porzingis’ POTS diagnosis.
• Jonathan Kuminga scores 20 points in Hawks’ 135-101 win over the Blazers.

For the past two seasons, the Golden State Warriors’ postseason path has gone through the Play-In Tournament. Last year, they finished as the seventh seed and had to survive a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies in order to reach the playoffs. The year before, their season ended early with a first-round play-in loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Entering this season, the goal was clear: avoid that path altogether.

With early momentum and a defined direction following the trade for Jimmy Butler, Golden State believed it could secure one of the Western Conference’s top six seeds. But those plans took a major hit when Butler tore his ACL, ruling him out for the remainder of the season. The situation became even more difficult once Stephen Curry began missing time with a lingering knee injury that has already sidelined him for 10 games and is expected to keep him out even longer. Together, those injuries have made a top-six push significantly harder.

The Warriors now sit eighth in the West, five games behind the current sixth-seed Los Angeles Lakers. That gap grew larger over the weekend after Golden State suffered a 129–101 loss to LA this past Saturday. With just over 20 games remaining, head coach Steve Kerr addressed whether reaching the sixth seed is still a realistic goal.

“It’s a lot to make up with 22 games left,” Kerr said during his postgame press conference. “We don’t even talk about it. It’s not anything that is worth discussing because we just have to try to go out and win and see what happens.”

That mindset reflects where the Warriors are now. Instead of chasing a specific seed, the focus has shifted to the barebones of getting healthy and giving themselves a chance to build momentum for a potential postseason run.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Monday, March 2nd:

Warriors News:

Should Warriors shut down ailing Steph Curry until NBA play-in tournament? | NBC Sports Bay Area

Going into Sunday, the Warriors are 4.5 games back of the Lakers for the No. 6 seed. That gap can rise to five games by the end of Sunday night after the Lakers’ game in Los Angeles against the Sacramento Kings. The Warriors are three games behind the No. 7-seed Phoenix Suns, who currently are down Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks. For how difficult leaping into the top six and out of the play-in tournament would be for the Warriors, it’s virtually impossible they fall out of the top 10.

The No. 10-seeded Los Angeles Clippers play the 19-win New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night. They’re four games behind the Warriors in the win column going into that game, and the Clippers also are Golden State’s next opponent Monday night. More importantly, nobody below the Clippers or the No. 9-seeded Portland Trail Blazers are going to move ahead of them. 

Kerr walks back comments on Kristaps Porzingis’ diagnosis | ESPN

“I read about the POTS diagnosis and called the Hawks [general manager] Onsi Saleh,” Kerr said. “He’s a good friend of mine and I said ‘Is this POTS story real?’ He said it’s actually not POTS. That was some misinformation that was out there.”

Kerr walked that hypothesis and assessment back on Saturday when asked to clarify.

“It was a stupid mistake by me to talk about something I’m not qualified to talk about,” Kerr said. “Even trying to discuss the diagnosis, that was a mistake. I need to leave that to professionals.”

Gui Santos describes funny family reaction after signing new deal with Warriors

NBA News:

NBA Storylines: Remaining strength of schedule rankings | NBA

The Clippers have a league-high 11 games remaining against the bottom nine teams in the league. They’re also one of two teams with a league-high seven rest-advantage games remaining on their schedule, though they’re 0-5 in rest-advantage games through February.

Hawks win 4th straight game behind Jonathan Kuminga’s 20-point performance

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Kristaps Porziņģis out for fifth straight game

Regardless of the question of whether Porziņģis still suffers from the effects of post-orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) or not — a recent controversy sparked by head coach Steve Kerr’s comments during a radio hosting — it is quite clear that Porziņģis isn’t quite 100 percent ready to see the floor for a prolonged period of time.

Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's return for the Milwaukee Bucks appears to be imminent.

The 31-year-old Bucks star is aiming to be back in the lineup when Milwaukee begins a five-game homestand on Monday, March 2 against the Boston Celtics, according to a new report. Antetokounmpo missed more than five weeks of action due to a calf injury and the Bucks have mostly floundered without him this season. They won five of six games before a recent two-game skid, but have an 11-18 record when the two-time NBA MVP isn't available this season. They own a 15-15 mark when he does play.

Antetokounmpo's latest calf ailment occurred at an awkward juncture in the season before the NBA trade deadline, with rumors swirling about his future in Milwaukee. Now, he's planning to come back for a last-ditch postseason race in what could be his final games with the Bucks before offseason trade speculation starts anew. The team currently sits in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings, three games behind the 10th-place Charlotte Hornets for the final play-in tournament spot.

Here's the latest on Antetokounmpo's injury status moving forward, including his potential availability for the Bucks' game against the Boston Celtics on March 2:

There is an old saying that says “basketball is a game of runs.” These runs can swing momentum of a game for one team and end the hopes of the opponent. My mind jumps to the Golden State Warriors dynasty of the late 2010’s where they used passing to find a wide open shooter on the court. These dominating runs would typically come in the third quarter and put games completely out of reach for their opponents. Any team in the NBA has the ability to go on a long scoring run but the way the Celtics have done it has just felt different.

Boston has been able two long scoring runs in their last four games. One was a 50-11 run between the 6:22 mark of the second quarter to the 1:39 mark of the third quarter against the Phoenix Suns on February 24th and the other was a 51-16 scoring run against the Brooklyn Nets on February 27th from the 7:07 mark of the third quarter to the 6:56 mark of the fourth quarter. In their win over the Philadelphia 76ers on March 1st, the Celtics didn’t have any 50+ point runs to end the game, but instead were able to use smaller runs to control the lead win the ball game.

I asked Jaylen Brown postgame on what he thought about this phenomena and he credited Boston’s ability to move the basketball. He said: “Just making the right play and moving the basketball…I just think that our offense just has a good flow to it right now, where it’s going from side to side, it’s not sticking too much, and then when we need to take advantage of a matchup we will, but it’s not like we’re looking for that every time.”

Brown went on to praise his teammates saying, “A lot of our guys are playing well right now. So from my standpoint, no need to force anything. Just continue to just create an advantage and just play from there and trust the game after that.”

The Celtics 11-1 run to the end the game against the 76ers is a great example of this phenomena. Although most of the points ended in Neemias Queta put-backs, Boston was able to create the original shot with the side to side motion that Brown mentioned. This was most apparent with Baylor Scheierman’s dagger three where Brown got doubled on the wing and was able to make the pass to the corner for the silencer.

Going back to the 50-11 run against the Suns. This run erased an 11-point deficit, resulted in Boston outscoring Phoenix 30-11 in the third quarter, and Sam Hauser outscored the Suns by himself with 13 points in the quarter. I wanted to focus on when Hauser was able to score 8 straight points for the Celtics towards the end of the run.

This burst by Hauser is another example of Boston’s side to side motion. The first play results in a corner three off two passes around the perimeter and the other’s come off long passes from Derrick White that leave Hauser wide open.

Prior to the 51-16 run against the Nets, Boston was in front but Brooklyn cut the lead 6 points. With the Nets’ history this season of playing the Celtics tough, this could turn into a close game in a second. However, the Celtics were able to rattle off this run that basically ended chance for the Nets to even attempt a come back.

During this run, Boston used their side to side ball movement to completely disect Brooklyn’s defense. The play that defines it for me is when Derrick White cut hard to the basket to receive a pass and fire a bullet to Nikola Vucevic for a wide open three.

In this same run, we also got an example of how the Celtics ball movement scaring their opponent. After four plays in a row where Boston passed the ball around to find a wide open basket, Jaylen Brown was setting up the pick and roll with Vucevic to do it again. Instead of passing it, Brown sped up straight towards the basket for a wide open dunk. The Nets weren’t able to respond on defense quick enough since they feared another kick out pass.

The Celtics ability to move the ball around the court is a big reason why they are ranked number 2 in offensive rating as a team at 121.2. For as much as Boston likes to pass the ball around, they do it without turning the ball over, leading the league in that category at only 12.2 turnovers per game. Joe Mazzulla is one of the best basketball minds in the game and this offense has been a work of art for Boston this season. The players have done an incredible job at knowing where to be on the court at all times and continuing to put up elite offensive performances without Jayson Tatum. This offense is a true testament to how special this Boston Celtics team really is but at the end of the day, basketball is just a game of runs.

After being the headliner in trade rumors for much of the past two months, Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready to return to the court.

According to NBA Insider Shama Charania, the Bucks star is expected to return to action Monday night against Boston.

Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to return tonight against the Boston Celtics after missing the last 5-plus weeks with a right calf strain, sources tell ESPN.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 2, 2026

Antetokounmpo missed the past 5+ weeks while dealing with a right calf strain suffered on January 23 against Denver. He appeared to tweak the calf earlier in the game and headed to the locker room, before returning to action in the second half. However, he was pulled out for good with just a few minutes left in the game.

“At the end, I could not move no more, so I had to stop playing,” Antetokounmpo said at the time of the injury.

“After the MRI, they will tell me probably I popped something in my calf, or in my soleus or something, probably give me a protocol of four to six weeks I’ll be out,” Antetokounmpo said. “This is from my experience being around the NBA. After that, I’m going to work my butt off to come back. That will probably be end of February, beginning of March.”

It was the second calf strain Antetokounmpo suffered this season, missing three weeks earlier in the year.

When healthy, Antetokounmpo is still in the running for best player in the NBA alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. He’s averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists while shooting career-highs from the field (64.5 percent) and three-point territory (39.5 percent).

Antetokounmpo’s return couldn’t come at a better time as the Bucks are floundering away.

Milwaukee sits in 11th place in the East with a record of 26-33, three games behind the Bulls for the 10th and final spot in the play-in standings.

The Bucks got the news they’ve been waiting for, as per Shams Charania, Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to return to the court from a right calf strain tonight against the Celtics. Giannis has been out since January 23, after sustaining the injury late in the fourth quarter against the Nuggets. This calf injury took much longer for Giannis to recover from, with a five-week absence, compared to his December calf injury, which kept him out for approximately three-and-a-half weeks. 

His return couldn’t have come at a better time. Despite playing their best ball this season, winning eight of 10 games at one point, they’ve stumbled in their last two. After a blowout loss to the Knicks last Friday, Milwaukee blew a 16-point lead to the Bulls yesterday, losing 120-97. The Bucks went 8-7 in this stretch without Giannis, but on the season, they are 11-18 when he doesn’t suit up. Milwaukee is also trying to chase the 10th seed in the East, and with 23 games to go, they sit three games back of the Charlotte Hornets. 

It’s been an injury-riddled season for Giannis, who’s missed 29 games due to these two calf injuries and a groin strain back in mid-November. Doc Rivers had been playing it close to the vest when it came to updates on Giannis, saying he was progressing from three-on-threes to four-on-fours without any setbacks, yet never gave a definitive date for his return. Even prior to the Bulls game, Doc trotted out the same line: that Giannis was close, but didn’t know when he would be back. 

When Giannis has played, he’s been his normal MVP-level self, averaging 28.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 5.6 APG, and shooting 64.5% from the field. We’ll likely see him on a minutes restriction tonight, as he’s been on a limit in the other times he’s come back. Whatever the rest of the season holds for the Bucks, I’m sure they’re happy no. 34 is back in the lineup.

BOSTON — The Celtics will be without Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta when they face the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night. Brown is dealing with an illness, while Queta is getting a rest night, per the team’s official injury report.

For the Bucks, meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo will make his return from a calf injury that’s sidelined him for five weeks, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Brown has routinely been avoiding back-to-back games this season, so it’s no surprise he’s out Monday after logging 38 minutes in Sunday’s 114-98 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Queta is coming off one of the best games of the season on Sunday; he erupted for 27 points and 17 rebounds in the victory. Both Celtics players had offseason knee surgery, so it’s no surprise the Celtics are more cautiously managing their minutes.

Last month, Ron Harper Jr. started in place of Brown both times he was sidelined, so he may once again get the nod. It’s also possible that Jordan Walsh, who started 20 straight games earlier this season, could get the nod.

With Queta out, one of either Nikola Vucevic or Luka Garza will slot into the starting lineup, with Vucevic appearing to be a more likely candidate. Garza, who has mostly fallen out of the rotation since the trade deadline, should see the floor more with Queta out.

It’s also notable that Baylor Scheierman, who is playing through a fractured left thumb, is off the injury report. Scheierman had a productive game on Sunday despite playing through the hand injury that he was initially listed as questionable for.

“I got some shots in this morning, this afternoon, and I feel ready to go,” Scheierman said ahead of Sunday’s game. “We’re just kind of evaluating it as it goes, but I feel good enough to be out there, and that’s how it’s going to be. I’m not going to sit out.”

Both the Celtics and Bucks are on the second night of a back-to-back

The Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-98 on Sunday night, while the Bucks fell to the Chicago Bulls 120-97.

Outside of Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have been led by Kevin Porter Jr (17.8 points, 7.5 assists per game), Ryan Rollins (17 points, 5.4 assists), and, more recently, Cam Thomas (14.1 points per game since being acquired at the trade deadline). Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner, and AJ Green all also average double-figures.

The Celtics, meanwhile, have been led by Jaylen Brown (29 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5 assists), Derrick White (17.1 points, 5.7 assists), and Payton Pritchard (17 points, 5.4 assists).

Neemias Queta (10.1 points, 8.4 rebounds) has anchored the frontcourt as the team’s starting center, but Nikola Vucevic has also been productive since being acquired by the Celtics, averaging 12 points and 8.6 rebounds in 23.9 minutes off the bench.

The Celtics have the East’s second-best record at 40-20, while the Bucks have the East’s 11th-best record at 26-33. The Celtics have the second-best net rating in the NBA (+8.3), while the Bucks have the 23rd-best (-3.7).

Celtics-Bucks tips off at 7:30pm ET in Milwaukee.