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What you need to know for Thursday’s slate

By Jim McCormick and Kyle Soppe

Drum Beat: The Nets are beginning to get consistent play from Andre Drummond (44% available). Drummond ranks 12th in the league in rebounding chances over the past 10 games and has real upside for Brooklyn. Expect some high-percentage looks in pick-and-roll sets combined with heavy minutes in a matchup against a large Milwaukee lineup.

Lake Effect: Malik Monk (74% available) has averaged 24.7 points and 3.7 3-pointers over the past three games as the primary scoring option for the Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined. James and Davis are both ruled out again ahead of tonight’s tilt against the Jazz and Monk is a strong candidate to flirt with 10 3-point attempts and a heavy usage rate for a depleted Los Angeles team.

Wing Men: Atlanta has endured some frontcourt woes with both John Collins and Danilo Gallinari injured. Collins won’t play against the Cavaliers, so if Gallinari can’t go, Bogdan Bogdanovic (26% available) and Kevin Huerter (85%) will be strong fantasy starters. Huerter has averaged 20.7 points to go with solid peripherals over the past week.

Detroit Depth: Isaiah Stewart (35% available) has made multiple 3-pointers in consecutive games for the first time in his career and has become a fun target at plus odds for hitting another tonight against the 76ers. Stewart ranks eighth in the NBA with 17.8 rebounding chances per game over the past 10 games, supporting value even as he faces Joel Embiid in the post. Marvin Bagley III (40%) struggled against Brooklyn earlier this week, but could thrive if he is matched up against Embiid’s exploitable backups.

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Punt Play: Isaiah Hartenstein is available in over 85% of leagues and checks in at just $5,100 on DraftKings tonight despite facing a below average rebounding team in the Bulls. Paul George‘s return got the headlines in Tuesday’s win, but Hartenstein quietly kept doing his thing and has averaged 14.7 points on 15-of-22 (68.1%) shooting over the past three games. The scoring bump is nice, but he has also averaged 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game over that stretch. There are plenty of appealing stars on tonight’s slate and if you want to build around two of them, Hartenstein is a savvy place to find salary relief.

Super Punt Play: It’s pretty clear that the Cavaliers believe in going big consistently and with Evan Mobley out for at least three games, Moses Brown becomes an interesting option. He posted 12 points and 9 rebounds in 21 minutes last night against the Mavericks so we know there is some upside to chase here. He also averaged 9.4 PPG and 10.3 PPG last May with the Thunder. Brown gets a below average rebounding Hawks team tonight that has allowed an average of 236.1 total points scored on them over their past 10 games. If you play your cards right and on a short slate there are reasonable DFS roster builds with both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant if you believe in that game is going to be special.

Game of the Night

Milwaukee Bucks at Brooklyn Nets
7:30 p.m. ET, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

Line: Nets (-2.0)
Moneyline: Nets (-120), Bucks (+100)
Total: 243 points
BPI Projected Total: 235.5 points
BPI Win%: Nets (50.5%)

Key players ruled out: none

Notable: Overs are 8-4 in Milwaukee’s past 12 road games.

Best bet: Bucks +2.0 points. The Bucks are peaking as they prepare for the postseason, having won 10 of the past 12 games (+7.0 scoring margin) with Giannis Antetokounmpo against a bevy of playoffs-caliber teams. The Nets have been solid, but are seemingly working through some growing pains with Kyrie Irving playing full-time again. The Nets have gone 2-2 (+0.3 scoring margin) in their past four games with Irving, and have failed to cover in three of those four games. — Andre Snellings

Fantasy streamer: Brook Lopez. Lopez’s workload continues to increase. He has averaged 12.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, and 1.0 BPG in 25.7 MPG over his last four games. With the Nets still struggling to defend consistently, Lopez (59% available) should put up solid numbers. — Eric Moody

Breaking down the rest of the slate

Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons
7 p.m. ET, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI

Line: 76ers (-10.5)
Moneyline: 76ers (-550), Pistons (+400)
Total: 223 points
BPI Projected Total: 219.5 points
BPI Win%: 76ers (70.5%)

Key players ruled out: none

Notable: Less is more? The Pistons are 7-1-1 ATS in their past nine games that have gone under the total.

Fantasy Streamer: Killian Hayes. Hayes has played very well over the past five games. He has averaged 11 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG. Due to his back injury, Cory Joseph is questionable and considering the Piston’s record, he may not play. Regardless, Hayes makes sense as a streaming option. — Moody

Best bet: Pistons +10.5 points. The Pistons have been a covering machine since the All-Star break, going 15-2-2 ATS during that stretch. They’re getting 10.5 points, at home, against a 76ers squad that has been decidedly average for the past month. Philadelphia sports a 7-6 record with a +0.1 scoring margin over their past 13 games. — Snellings

Best bet: Joel Embiid over 42.5 points + rebounds. Embiid has averaged 28 PPG and 11 RPG in 12 games against the Pistons in his career. He posted 40th double-double on Tuesday against the Bucks and the Pistons rank 22nd in points allowed per 100 possessions and 28th in offensive rebounds allowed. — Moody

Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks

7:30 p.m. ET, State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Line: Hawks (-5)
Moneyline: Hawks (-230), Cavaliers (+190)
Total: 222.5 points
BPI Projected Total: 228 points
BPI Win%: Hawks (73.5%)

Key players ruled out: Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Notable: The Cavaliers are 0-6-1 ATS in their past seven games on the second night of a back-to-back: they hosted the Mavericks last night.

Fantasy Streamer: Lamar Stevens. Stevens (99.0% available) is a deep sleeper for the Cavaliers. He has been productive over the past couple weeks and has averaged 13.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.7 3PG and 0.7 SPG in over his past six games. While he has been coming off the bench for the last four games after starting the previous five, with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley out he’s will get consistent minutes and opportunities. — Snellings

Fantasy streamer: Moses Brown. Evan Mobley is out with an ankle injury for the next two to three games, so Brown started on Wednesday night against the Mavericks. He finished with 12 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes. As a streamer, Brown is someone to consider in deeper formats. He is available in 98% of ESPN leagues. — Moody

Best bet: De’Andre Hunter over 14.5 points. Hunter had 18 points against the Thunder and has averaged 12 free throws and 15 points over his past nine games. He’s scored 16.4 PPG in his five career games against the Cavaliers. — Moody

LA Clippers at Chicago Bulls
8 p.m. ET, United Center, Chicago, IL

Line: Bulls (-3.5)
Moneyline: Bulls (-170), Clippers (+145)
Total: 222.5 points
BPI Projected Total: 216 points
BPI Win%: Clippers (52.7%)

Key players ruled out: none

Notable: After nine of 12 games went under the total, each of the Clippers’ past three games have gone over.

Best bet: Clippers +3.5 points. The Clippers are an entirely different team with Paul George in the lineup, as they demonstrated in his return on Tuesday with their huge comeback win over the Jazz. Meanwhile, the Bulls have struggled for more than a month, having lost 11 of their last 16 games with a -6.3 average scoring margin in that stretch. — Snellings

Best bet: Nikola Vucevic over 32.5 points + assists + rebounds. Vucevic has averaged 19 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, and 1.0 BPG over the past four games. He had a usage rate of 29% on Tuesday night against the Wizards. Billy Donovan recently mentioned publicly that the Bulls should involve him more. Centers have averaged 24.6 PPG, 16 RPG, and 3.6 APG against the Clippers this season. — Moody

Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz

10 p.m. ET, Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, UT

Line: Jazz (-12.5)
Moneyline: Jazz (-700), Lakers (+475)
Total: 225.5 points
BPI Projected Total: 226 points
BPI Win%: Jazz (83.7%)

Key players ruled out: LeBron James, Anthony Davis

Notable: The Lakers’ struggles have been well documented, but how about the Jazz having failed to cover each of their past five games?

Fantasy streamer: Malik Monk. Monk (70% available) has been one of the best offensive players for the Lakers as of late. He has averaged 24.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, and 1.0 SPG in 31 minutes over the past three games. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Monk will continue to be heavily utilized. — Moody

Analytics Edge

BPI highest projected totals

1. Utah Jazz (118.6 points)
2. Atlanta Hawks (117.8 points)
3. Brooklyn Nets (117.7 points)

BPI lowest projected totals

1. Detroit Pistons (106.9 points)
2. Chicago Bulls (107.6 points)
3. Los Angeles Lakers (107.7 points)

BPI top probability to win (straight up)

1. Utah Jazz (83.7%)
2. Atlanta Hawks (73.5%)
3. Philadelphia 76ers (70.5%)

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Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, the leading defender on the NBA’s leading defense, believes he is the Defensive Player of the Year. So, too, does Mikal Bridges, the Phoenix Suns‘ fourth-year wing and the franchise’s top NBA All-Defensive candidate.

But, based on the award’s history, it’s unlikely either of the league’s premier defensive stoppers will win it.

In the 39 times the Defensive Player of the Year has been awarded since its inception during the 1982-83 season, one point guard has won it: Hall of Famer Gary Payton, in 1996, behind a league-leading 2.9 steals per game.

Shooting guards have won it another five times, but none since Michael Jordan in 1988, as that position claimed the award five of the first six years it was handed out.

Centers have won the award a whopping 25 times, while three power forwards who patrol the paint — Kevin Garnett, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Draymond Green — have claimed the honor. Small forward Kawhi Leonard won the award in 2015 and 2016, but he and Ron Artest in 2004 are the only non-big men to win the award in the last 25 years.

Those statistics don’t sit well for a player such as Smart, who feels the league, instead of honoring the best defensive player, rewards the best kind of defensive player.

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“I’m not taking anything from the bigs,” Smart told ESPN. “A vital part of the game is protecting the paint. But, as guards, we do a lot more before [our man] gets to the paint. … Contesting the 3, contesting pullups, making sure he doesn’t get to his spots.”

Smart is one of several contenders for this year’s award. And while Bridges is also getting consideration, most of the choices — as is the case every year — are big men, from Antetokounmpo to Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert to Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. to Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, to name a few.

All of that presents a couple of questions: Can perimeter players win Defensive Player of the Year in today’s NBA? And, more importantly, should they?

‘The most important position on the floor’

Gobert had just folded his 7-foot-1 frame into a courtside seat inside Boston’s TD Garden when his favorite topic of conversation came up.

Gobert has won Defensive Player of the Year three times in the past four seasons and, if he wins his fourth it will put him in a tie with Hall of Famers Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most all-time. So, naturally, his ears perked up when he was asked whether guards should be considered for the league’s most prestigious defensive honor.

“I think small ball impacts who has the most impact on their team,” Gobert said before his Jazz faced the Celtics on March 23.

“There’s a lot of very good guards, very good defensive guards. … It can be hard, sometimes, for people to understand, but when I come into the game, I’m worried about the team. I think sometimes we get too focused on the individual matchup.”

Another big man who has talked about his desire to win Defensive Player of the Year, Philadelphia 76ers‘ Joel Embiid, offered a similar argument.

“[Centers] call out all the coverages. They know what is going on. They call out the plays and stuff. That is the way it has always been,” Embiid said last week. “That’s why most of the Defensive Players of the Year in the past have always been big.”

Rudy Gobert is vying for his NBA record-tying fourth Defensive Player of the Year award. Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Teams with elite centers, such as Utah and Philadelphia, do funnel players toward their players in the middle. And having an effective deterrent at the rim is vital in a team’s ability to stop its opponents.

The stats back that up. According to ESPN Stats & Information research and Second Spectrum tracking, 139 players have contested at least 500 shots as the closest defender this season. Among that group, Gobert ranks second in effective field goal percentage allowed, behind Celtics center Robert Williams III, who will miss at least four weeks after surgery to repair a torn meniscus.

Gobert also ranks second in field goal percentage allowed at the rim among players to defend at least 200 shots, and opponents take 19.2% of their shots in the restricted area when Gobert is on the floor, the lowest rate in the league. When he’s on the bench, that rate jumps up to 24.3%, which would rank 19th.

Embiid, meanwhile, has been the help defender on 20.8 drives per game this season, per ESPN Stats & Information and Second Spectrum, the most in the NBA; a big part of why he thinks the center is the hub of the defense.

“That is the most important position on the floor, on defense,” Embiid said. “Because you see the whole floor.”

‘They’ll give somebody’s ass 40’

Perimeter players like Smart and Bridges have an ace up their sleeves in the Defensive Player of the Year debate: Centers aren’t chasing the NBA’s best scorers around the court.

It isn’t Gobert who is checking the Dallas Mavericks‘ Luka Doncic or the Golden State Warriors‘ Stephen Curry, the greatest 3-point shooter of all time, for 30 or 40 minutes. That responsibility primarily falls to stoppers like Smart and Bridges.

In their minds, that’s just as important as patrolling the paint.

2022 Defensive Player of the Year odds

“You just got to give more love and more recognition to on-ball defense,” Bridges said. “Guarding these tough guys like [James] Harden, [Kevin Durant], Kyrie [Irving], Steph, Luka, the list goes on.

“[Award voters] must not know how difficult it is to keep a guy in front of you and not be able to really touch him as much because they’re going to call foul, and just how talented these guards and everybody else on the wing and perimeter are.”

Bridges would know. He spends as much time guarding the elite wing players as anyone.

Bridges ranks in the league’s top five in half-court matchups on defense against 2022 All-Stars, per ESPN Stats & Information, and he also ranks in the top five in player points allowed per 100 matchups among 41 players to record 500 defensive matchups.

“You got to give [the defender] credit as much as you credit them when they’ll give somebody’s ass 40 — because they could do that every night,” Bridges said.

‘Rudy can’t guard all five spots’

When Smart was informed of Gobert’s pro-big man argument, the 28-year-old who has made the All-Defensive First Team in 2019 and 2020 and has been open about his desire to be considered the league’s top defensive player, immediately countered.

For Smart, the NBA’s best defender needs to have versatility.

“Let’s think about it,” Smart said. “As a guard, especially on the team that switches a lot, especially on the No. 1 defensive team, you are worried about every single player. And here’s the thing: When you see Defensive Player of the Year, that means he can guard all five spots.

“Nothing against Rudy, but Rudy can’t guard all five spots. I can guard all five spots and I have been doing it. I’ve done it very well.”

Can Marcus Smart become the first point guard to win Defensive Player of the Year since 1996? David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Per ESPN Stats & Information, Smart has switched 409 times as the ballhandler defender against on-ball screens this season, the third most in the NBA. On those plays, the Celtics have allowed 0.87 points per chance on these plays — well below the league average of 0.94 points per chance.

“Look at what he’s been doing since I’ve been in the league,” Williams said of Smart last week. “Played with him my whole career in the league. My energy, I base it off of his defensive presence. When I see him attack the other team, I wanna follow that. I wanna follow that routine.

“So he’s got my vote, 100 percent.”

Smart also received praise from Jazz coach Quin Snyder when presented with the question of whether a perimeter is capable of winning the award.

Snyder, who knows the impact Gobert has on a team and has helmed a Utah team built around the Frenchman’s singular strengths — including having a roster full of offense-first players and leaning into Gobert’s ability to clean up the ensuing mistakes as a result — said the award should be given to who impacts the game “most consistently and effectively.”

And he said a player like Smart, while seven inches shorter and nearly 40 pounds lighter than Gobert, is more than capable of impacting the game in a similar way.

Wednesday, March 30
Heat at Celtics, 7:30 p.m.
Suns at Warriors, 10 p.m.

Sunday, April 3
Mavs at Bucks, 1 p.m. (ABC)
Nuggets at Lakers, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

All times Eastern

“You look at [Smart’s] strength, his size, his quickness,” Snyder said last week. “He’s not a shot-blocker, but in some kind of ironic way, he’s able to do things off the ball that are equivalent because he’s a deterrent.

“It’s almost like [Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen] Ramsey in the Super Bowl. You don’t want to throw to that side of the field. … So his versatility is really what makes him unique.”

Ultimately, whether Smart, Bridges or another perimeter player snaps the center and power forward stranglehold on the Defensive Player of the Year award, or Gobert or another big carries on the tradition, it won’t change the fundamental disagreement on both sides.

“As a big,” Gobert said, “you can impact multiple players at a time. As a guard, it’s harder to do that.”

Said Smart: “I mean, if we’re looking at just simple impact, [perimeter players] definitely should be in any kind of conversation when it comes to that award.”

ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this story.

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PORTLAND, Ore. — For the first time in his career, CJ McCollum knows what the opposing locker room inside the Moda Center looks like.

McCollum was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers for the first 8 1/2 seasons he was in the NBA. After being dealt at the deadline, he’s now a member of the New Orleans Pelicans and with his new team in town to face his old one, things were a little different Wednesday morning.

“It’s weird, man,” McCollum said of being in Portland as a visitor. “Some of the setting in which you operate is just unique. … It’s a part of the game. I’m looking forward to getting to the game tonight.”

McCollum said he was able to sleep in his own bed last night. Although his wife, Elise, and his young son were in New Orleans last week, it was the first time he was able to see his dog since the trade.

It was all a touch of home, even though he’s about to try and defeat his former squad. And that squad will look a little different with former teammates like Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic out for the game.

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“Yeah, not as fun,” McCollum said about not having to face those guys. “Won’t be as fun. They’ll be back eventually though.”

Since the trade, McCollum has thrived in his role as lead guard with the Pelicans. In 19 games, McCollum is averaging 25.9 points, 6.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds — all of which would be career highs if they were over the course of the season.

McCollum said the situation in New Orleans is “exactly how I thought it would be.”

“It was a team I kind of zeroed in on and they obviously zeroed in on me,” McCollum said. “I knew what I signed up for and what I was going to be asked to do, and I’m doing it. They held up their end of the bargain as well. I’m happy to be in this situation.”

McCollum said he’s looking at Wednesday’s game as the “final closure” for the this chapter. He said while he had some closure when he first left after talking with teammates, tonight will help.

“I had conversations and was able to talk to some of my teammates and obviously I still talk to them to this day,” McCollum said. “I talked with the staff. It’ll be good to see Chauncey, talk about our teams. Talk about our football teams. Just kind of catch up and get back to business. Get the win and get outta here.

“This is the final step. You know this is going to happen at some point. But it’s good that it’s happy emotions opposed to the opposite. I like to call it a happy breakup. One where you’re not bitter at your ex.”

The game comes at an important time for New Orleans, which is battling with the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers in the play-in race in the West.

The Pelicans are one game up on both teams and in ninth place. New Orleans has the eighth-easiest schedule over the last seven games, including two against fading Portland and one against the Lakers on Friday in Los Angeles.

The Lakers have the third-hardest schedule and the Spurs have the fifth-hardest schedule over their last seven games.

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PORTLAND, Ore. — For the first time in his career, CJ McCollum knows what the opposing locker room inside the Moda Center looks like.

McCollum was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers for the first 8 1/2 seasons he was in the NBA. After being dealt at the deadline, he’s now a member of the New Orleans Pelicans and with his new team in town to face his old one, things were a little different Wednesday morning.

“It’s weird, man,” McCollum said of being in Portland as a visitor. “Some of the setting in which you operate is just unique. … It’s a part of the game. I’m looking forward to getting to the game tonight.”

McCollum said he was able to sleep in his own bed last night. Although his wife, Elise, and his young son were in New Orleans last week, it was the first time he was able to see his dog since the trade.

It was all a touch of home, even though he’s about to try and defeat his former squad. And that squad will look a little different with former teammates like Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic out for the game.

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“Yeah, not as fun,” McCollum said about not having to face those guys. “Won’t be as fun. They’ll be back eventually though.”

Since the trade, McCollum has thrived in his role as lead guard with the Pelicans. In 19 games, McCollum is averaging 25.9 points, 6.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds — all of which would be career highs if they were over the course of the season.

McCollum said the situation in New Orleans is “exactly how I thought it would be.”

“It was a team I kind of zeroed in on and they obviously zeroed in on me,” McCollum said. “I knew what I signed up for and what I was going to be asked to do, and I’m doing it. They held up their end of the bargain as well. I’m happy to be in this situation.”

McCollum said he’s looking at Wednesday’s game as the “final closure” for the this chapter. He said while he had some closure when he first left after talking with teammates, tonight will help.

“I had conversations and was able to talk to some of my teammates and obviously I still talk to them to this day,” McCollum said. “I talked with the staff. It’ll be good to see Chauncey, talk about our teams. Talk about our football teams. Just kind of catch up and get back to business. Get the win and get outta here.

“This is the final step. You know this is going to happen at some point. But it’s good that it’s happy emotions opposed to the opposite. I like to call it a happy breakup. One where you’re not bitter at your ex.”

The game comes at an important time for New Orleans, which is battling with the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers in the play-in race in the West.

The Pelicans are one game up on both teams and in ninth place. New Orleans has the eighth-easiest schedule over the last seven games, including two against fading Portland and one against the Lakers on Friday in Los Angeles.

The Lakers have the third-hardest schedule and the Spurs have the fifth-hardest schedule over their last seven games.

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The top of the NBA’s Eastern Conference couldn’t be much more compact.

Entering Tuesday’s action, four teams — the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers — were within a single loss of one another.

And, in serendipitous timing, all four were set to face off, with the Bucks playing in Philadelphia on Tuesday, followed by the Heat and Celtics squaring off in Boston on Wednesday — a 24-hour span that could have delivered a pair of Eastern Conference semifinal previews.

Let’s look at one key question surrounding each of the conference’s top four teams as they prepare for the playoffs, and how each storyline played out in two high-level matchups.

The results — a pair of close, competitive games with Milwaukee and Miami both winning on the road — only whet the appetite for what should be a scintillating spring full of playoff action in the East.

NBA Future Power Rankings: Predicting best, worst franchises

Is Lowry Miami’s playoff X factor?

When Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was asked whether Kyle Lowry‘s do-it-all performance in Miami’s win against the Celtics on Wednesday night was indicative of the kind of performances the Heat expected when they signed him last summer, Spoelstra smiled.

“Look, we’ve been on the other side of it,” Spoelstra said. “There were many years that I just really did not like Kyle Lowry, because he was such a thorn in our side.”

Spoelstra pointed to the seven-game series between the Toronto Raptors and Miami in the first round of the 2016 playoffs, which Lowry’s Raptors won.

“As that series got deeper, the better he played in clutch moments,” Spoelstra said. “You can’t define it by an analytic or a number or a playcall … he just knows how to make winning plays.”

Lowry made all sorts of them Wednesday. He finished with 23 points (6-for-12 from 3-point range) and eight assists in 36 minutes. He played his usual brand of in-your-face defense despite collecting four fouls down the stretch.

“That’s just a great luxury to have a Hall of Fame point guard who can choreograph your offense but also take on big challenges defensively on the other end,” Spoelstra said.

It’s been an up-and-down season during Lowry’s first in Miami after nine seasons with the Raptors, particularly because he has missed chunks of time to deal with personal matters. After a rocky week that saw Miami relinquish three fourth-quarter leads and get pummeled at home by the Brooklyn Nets, this performance was vintage Lowry.

Coming into Boston, which had been the hottest team in the league over the past two-plus months, and winning a back-and-forth game was a perfect elixir to wash away the ugly moments of last week.

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In last year’s lopsided first-round sweep to Milwaukee, the Heat were exposed as a team that needed another playmaker. Adding Lowry gave them a guard who could helm their offense, remain part of the Heat’s defensive identity and provide the kind of offensive jolt he gave Miami on Wednesday inside TD Garden.

“I think having a real live point guard that’s a pass-first guy who has of late, ‘Screw pass-first, I’m going to score first.’ … That’s good,” Jimmy Butler said. “I miss Goran [Dragic] like hell, I like handling the ball, Tyler [Herro] likes handling the ball.

“But having a guy like Kyle that’s telling everybody where to go, knowing how to get everyone the ball. … Yes, we needed Kyle Lowry.”

How will Boston adjust to life without its anchor?

In Boston’s first test without Robert Williams III, who will be sidelined at least four weeks after meniscus surgery, the results were a mixed bag.

The bad: Heat center Bam Adebayo controlled the game. In a reminder of what Adebayo did to Boston in the 2020 East finals, he finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. It wasn’t a coincidence that he was a plus-12 in 33 minutes, and Al Horford, who struggled to 6 points on 2-for-6 shooting, was minus-14 in 34 minutes. Grant Williams, meanwhile, was 2-for-7 from the field, and missed all three of his 3-point shots in his first start in place of Williams alongside the rest of Boston’s usual starting lineup of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Horford.

Meanwhile, Daniel Theis finished with 15 points on perfect 6-for-6 shooting in 17 minutes.

It’s a reminder of the varying skill sets Boston must now utilize to match Williams’ impact at both ends of the court.

“We feel confident with the three bigs, [and] the versatility that they have,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. “It’s not the same as Rob from the shot-blocking perspective, but a lot of the similar things he was doing on- and off-ball, they’re very capable of.”

Williams certainly could’ve helped in trying to contain Adebayo Wednesday, even as a help defender. And, perhaps more glaringly, he could’ve given Boston a boost offensively with his ability to both create vertical spacing as a lob threat and create easy shots when it mattered most — Boston shot 6-for-22 in the fourth.

“It’s definitely an adjustment not having Rob here,” Horford said. “We have to find ways to be effective and we have to find other ways to score.”

Even if fully healthy, the red-hot Celtics were bound to lose a game or two. Their 24-4 stretch through Sunday’s win over Minnesota — the game Williams injured his knee — wasn’t likely to carry forward at that clip. Still, Wednesday’s game was a reminder of the difficulties this team will face navigating the East playoffs with their defensive anchor off the court.

Splash Mountain is back: Could Lopez unlock the best version of the Bucks?

The Bucks have spent virtually the entire season with Brook Lopez, their starting center, watching in street clothes. He’s only played in eight games — seven coming in the last three weeks — after undergoing back surgery on Dec. 2.

Tuesday night was an important test. How would Lopez, matching up against arguably the league’s biggest and toughest center to cover, Philadelphia’s MVP candidate Joel Embiid, hold up over the course of the game?

The answer, it turned out, was quite well.

Lopez played 29 minutes and scored 17 points for Milwaukee — 11 of which came all in a row to open the second half for the Bucks. More importantly: Lopez went 4-for-9 from 3-point range, helping create some of the space on the court for Giannis Antetokounmpo – he finished with 40 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, a steal and three blocks, including the one that won the Bucks the game — to operate.

That Milwaukee is 14th in the league in defense this season with Lopez, one of the league’s best (and biggest) interior defenders mostly watching as a spectator, is not a shock. The part of Lopez’s game that is forgotten, however, is how he can break the court wide open for Giannis & Co.

It’s rare for a guy of Lopez’s size (7 feet, 282 pounds) to be able to shape the game at both ends. And while he’s not Milwaukee’s most important piece — or even their third — the Bucks looked like a team ready for the playoffs Tuesday with him on the court.

Wednesday, March 30
Heat at Celtics, 7:30 p.m.
Suns at Warriors, 10 p.m.

Sunday, April 3
Mavs at Bucks, 1 p.m. (ABC)
Nuggets at Lakers, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

All times Eastern

And for a team that has spent much of the season playing a combination of Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis at center, getting another 30 minutes of high-level, big-man play made everything else fall back into the places they were so effective for the Bucks during last year’s championship run.

On a night when there were plenty of reasons to smile for the Bucks, Lopez’s return and his effectiveness, might have been the biggest of all.

Will MVP-level Harden make more appearances for Philly?

After Tuesday night’s loss, 76ers coach Doc Rivers said he and Harden had spoken at length that morning about needing the guard to get back to being the scorer he was with the Houston Rockets, rather than operating as the distributor he was with the Brooklyn Nets.

And, after playing arguably his best game as a 76er — 32 points, five rebounds and nine assists in 37 minutes in the loss to Milwaukee — Harden felt it was a step in the right direction.

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“I’m trying to get it right,” Harden said. “I’m trying to be the best James Harden I can be. And I’m trying to make sure that I’m doing the things necessary to help my team win.

“[Rivers] just told me, to sum it all up, to just go out there be you. And that was kind of my mindset today and it felt good to have that confidence from Doc.”

The 76ers need the best James Harden he can be — because that’s the version they hoped they were acquiring from the Nets at the trade deadline. And, while Harden has had moments of brilliance – he’s averaging 23.0 points, 9.8 assists and 7.4 rebounds in 15 games as a Sixer — he has failed to consistently play to the type of MVP-level Philadelphia hoped for.

For example: Of the 133 players who have attempted at least 200 layups or dunks this season, only three are shooting under 50% from the field: the Orlando Magic‘s Cole Anthony, the Utah Jazz‘s Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Harden.

But Tuesday night was a vintage performance for Harden. He went 5-for-7 from inside the arc, had the step back working (he went 4-for-10 from 3) and got to the free throw line 12 times. More importantly, he made short work of Milwaukee’s experiment of having Wesley Matthews start the game guarding him. In the closing minutes, it was defensive stopper Jrue Holiday — not Matthews — checking Harden.

If Philadelphia can get that version of Harden on a nightly basis over the next few months, he will form the partnership with Embiid that the 76ers need to make a deep playoff run.

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WACO, Texas — Baylor standout freshman Kendall Brown and point guard James Akinjo both announced Wednesday they are entering their names into the NBA draft.

The players revealed their decisions individually on their social media accounts.

Akinjo still had another season of eligibility at Baylor, where he transferred last year after leading Arizona in scoring in his only season with the Wildcats. He began his college career at Georgetown.

Brown, a five-star recruit whose dad is a former Harlem Globetrotters player, averaged 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds a game while starting all 34 games for the Bears. He is projected to be the No. 25 pick in ESPN’s latest mock draft.

“I feel so fortunate for all that I’ve experienced this season at Baylor University! We accomplished so much as a team and grew together,” Brown said in part in a statement posted on his Twitter account.

Akinjo ranked ninth in the Big 12 averaging 13.5 points a game, and led the conference with 5.8 assists per game.

In an Instagram post, Akinjo said he had decided to pursue his dream and enter the NBA draft after talking it over with his family. He said he planned to hire an agent.

“Thank you to the Baylor coaching staff for welcoming me into the program, to my teammates for helping me get better every day,” part of Akinjo’s post read.

Brown and Akinjo became starters after joining a Baylor team that was coming off a national championship last season.

The Bears were the No. 1 seed in the East Region this season and lost in overtime in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Final Four team North Carolina. Baylor overcame a 25-point deficit in the second half and tied the score on Akinjo’s second three-point play in the final 1:48 of regulation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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PORTLAND, Ore. — For the first time in his career, CJ McCollum knows what the opposing locker room inside the Moda Center looks like.

McCollum was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers for the first 8 1/2 seasons he was in the NBA. After being dealt at the deadline, he’s now a member of the New Orleans Pelicans and with his new team in town to face his old one, things were a little different on Wednesday morning.

“It’s weird, man,” McCollum said of being in Portland as a visitor. “Some of the setting in which you operate is just unique. … It’s a part of the game. I’m looking forward to getting to the game tonight.”

McCollum said he was able to sleep in his own bed last night, which was nice. Although his wife, Elise, and his young son were in New Orleans last week, it was also the first time he was able to see his dog since the trade.

It was all a touch of home, even though he’s about to try and defeat his former squad. And that squad will look a little different with former teammates like Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic out for the game.

2 Related

“Yeah, not as fun,” McCollum said about not having to face those guys. “Won’t be as fun. They’ll be back eventually though.”

Since the trade, McCollum has thrived in his role as the lead guard with the Pelicans. In 19 games, McCollum is averaging 25.9 points, 6.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds — all of which would be career highs if they were over the course of the season.

McCollum said the situation in New Orleans is “exactly how I thought it would be.”

“It was a team I kind of zeroed in on and they obviously zeroed in on me,” McCollum said. “I knew what I signed up for and what I was going to be asked to do, and I’m doing it. They held up their end of the bargain as well. I’m happy to be in this situation.”

McCollum said he’s looking at Wednesday’s game as the “final closure” for the this chapter. He said while he had some closure when he first left after talking with teammates, tonight will help.

“I had conversations and was able to talk to some of my teammates and obviously I still talk to them to this day,” McCollum said. “I talked with the staff. It’ll be good to see Chauncey, talk about our teams. Talk about our football teams. Just kind of catch up and get back to business. Get the win and get outta here.

“This is the final step. You know this is going to happen at some point. But it’s good that it’s happy emotions opposed to the opposite. I like to call it a happy breakup. One where you’re not bitter at your ex.”

The game comes at an important time for New Orleans, which is battling with the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers in the play-in race in the West.

The Pelicans are one game up on both teams and in ninth place. New Orleans has the eighth-easiest schedule over the last seven games, including two against fading Portland and one against the Lakers on Friday in Los Angeles.

The Lakers have the third-hardest schedule and the Spurs have the fifth-hardest schedule over their last seven games.

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MESA, Ariz. — Andrew Vaughn feared the worst when he got hurt making a diving catch for the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. Same for his team, which is looking for the slugger to play a key role this year.

They’re all feeling much better now.

Vaughn was diagnosed with a hip pointer, and he could return to game action in one to two weeks. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 amateur draft ditched his crutches Tuesday and took some swings Wednesday.

“As soon as I dove, I landed on my hip,” Vaughn said. “Thought I was fine. Got up, wiggled around a little bit. Took that first step and it kind of gave out. My mind went to the worst thought. I’m up walking and I feel pretty good now.”

While Vaughn is feeling much better, the White Sox are preaching caution. Asked about Vaughn taking some swings, manager Tony La Russa cracked: “Looked like me, that’s not good.”

“The reports were that we dodged a severe bullet,” La Russa said. “But I think he’s going to have some soreness and just got to go reasonably slow with him.”

Vaughn, who turns 24 on Sunday, was a first baseman when he played college ball at the University of California. But he started working in left field after Eloy Jimenez got hurt during spring training last year.

The White Sox are looking for a regular right fielder this season, so Vaughn was playing that position when he landed on his right hip while making a play on Hanser Alberto‘s line drive during a 9-0 exhibition win against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had to be carted off the field.

“It’s kind of like the worst charley horse you ever had,” Vaughn said. “It just sticks around and it’s kind of lingering. But it’s going away. Have a lineman hit you with his helmet, that’s what I’ve been told it feels like.”

Vaughn has been working with White Sox coach Daryl Boston on his outfield defense, and he has noticed an improvement.

“It’s become more natural, it really has,” he said. “Not doing it for forever until last year really, just being comfortable with D-Bo working out there. Actual game reps help the most.”

Vaughn was among the top college hitters in the 2019 draft. He batted .376 with 50 homers and 163 RBIs in 160 games over three seasons with the Golden Bears.

He made his White Sox debut a year ago, showing signs that he might be able to add another impact bat to the team’s deep lineup. He hit .318 with nine homers and 25 RBIs during one 44-game stretch, but he struggled at the end of the season.

He had been looking good this spring, batting .467 (7 for 15) with a solo homer.

“I made some minor adjustments at the plate,” Vaughn said. “Kind of locked myself down to the ground a little better and been feeling really good.”

With the White Sox planning on going slowly, Vaughn likely won’t be ready in time for Opening Day on April 8 at Detroit. La Russa could go with Adam Engel or Leury Garcia in right depending on the matchups, and Adam Haseley was acquired in a trade with Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Haseley was selected by Philadelphia with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft. He has appeared in 72 games in center field, 35 in left and 19 in right.

“He’s a left-hand talent. Anxious to get him in here and see what he looks like,” La Russa said.

Vaughn, for his part, is balancing wanting to play with making sure he’s ready when he returns.

“Sooner rather than later, that’s my goal,” he said. “It’s all on feel and just gotta go day by day and see how it goes.”

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PORTLAND, Ore. — For the first time in his career, CJ McCollum knows what the opposing locker room inside the Moda Center looks like.

McCollum was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers for the first 8 1/2 seasons he was in the NBA. After being dealt at the deadline, he’s now a member of the New Orleans Pelicans and with his new team in town to face his old one, things were a little different on Wednesday morning.

“It’s weird, man,” McCollum said of being in Portland as a visitor. “Some of the setting in which you operate is just unique. … It’s a part of the game. I’m looking forward to getting to the game tonight.”

McCollum said he was able to sleep in his own bed last night, which was nice. Although his wife, Elise, and his young son were in New Orleans last week, it was also the first time he was able to see his dog since the trade.

It was all a touch of home, even though he’s about to try and defeat his former squad. And that squad will look a little different with former teammates like Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic out for the game.

2 Related

“Yeah, not as fun,” McCollum said about not having to face those guys. “Won’t be as fun. They’ll be back eventually though.”

Since the trade, McCollum has thrived in his role as the lead guard with the Pelicans. In 19 games, McCollum is averaging 25.9 points, 6.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds — all of which would be career highs if they were over the course of the season.

McCollum said the situation in New Orleans is “exactly how I thought it would be.”

“It was a team I kind of zeroed in on and they obviously zeroed in on me,” McCollum said. “I knew what I signed up for and what I was going to be asked to do, and I’m doing it. They held up their end of the bargain as well. I’m happy to be in this situation.”

McCollum said he’s looking at Wednesday’s game as the “final closure” for the this chapter. He said while he had some closure when he first left after talking with teammates, tonight will help.

“I had conversations and was able to talk to some of my teammates and obviously I still talk to them to this day,” McCollum said. “I talked with the staff. It’ll be good to see Chauncey, talk about our teams. Talk about our football teams. Just kind of catch up and get back to business. Get the win and get outta here.

“This is the final step. You know this is going to happen at some point. But it’s good that it’s happy emotions opposed to the opposite. I like to call it a happy breakup. One where you’re not bitter at your ex.”

The game comes at an important time for New Orleans, which is battling with the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers in the play-in race in the West.

The Pelicans are one game up on both teams and in ninth place. New Orleans has the eighth-easiest schedule over the last seven games, including two against fading Portland and one against the Lakers on Friday in Los Angeles.

The Lakers have the third-hardest schedule and the Spurs have the fifth-hardest schedule over their last seven games.

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Notre Dame freshman Blake Wesley will enter the 2022 NBA draft, saying he has no plans to return to the Fighting Irish.

“I plan on staying in the draft,” he told ESPN on Wednesday. “I’m in a great position. I’m ready for the NBA. I’m ready to start my next journey.”

Wesley, the No. 20 prospect in the ESPN 100, was named second-team All-ACC and all-rookie team after averaging 14.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals in 29.3 minutes per game this season.

He emerged as a dynamic threat for the Fighting Irish team that turned its season around in ACC play and ultimately won two NCAA tournament games.

“I had a good year,” Wesley said. “Coach [Mike] Brey put a lot of confidence in me and helped prepare me for what’s ahead. He pushed me every day and provided me with the freedom and spacing to show my talent.”

Wesley dramatically exceeded expectations as a freshman. He was considered a fringe top-100 prospect in the high school class of 2021 when he committed to Notre Dame out of South Bend’s James Whitcomb Riley High School, but he quickly earned a spot in Brey’s starting lineup while establishing himself as one of the most productive freshman guards in the country.

“I was slept on my entire high school career,” Wesley said. “I was blessed to have my parents by my side telling me that the rankings don’t matter, being a McDonald’s All American doesn’t matter. I knew that if the EYBL hadn’t been canceled after junior year of high school because of the pandemic, things would have looked different for me. It all worked out great in the end.”

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Wesley was the first player from a South Bend public school to stay local and sign with Notre Dame men’s basketball since 1985.

“The South Bend community means so much to me,” Wesley said. “My mom is on the school board here, and it was important to help connect the city with the school.”

Notre Dame got off to a slow start, losing five of seven games in nonconference play, but finished 15-5 in the ACC after finding a rhythm on the offensive end that carried through to NCAA tournament wins over Rutgers and Alabama. The Fighting Irish’s rapid improvement on the offensive end came shortly after Wesley’s promotion to the starting lineup. The 6-foot-5, 19-year-old guard was the X factor in many of the team’s biggest victories, giving the Irish much-needed shot-creation, playmaking and, as the season moved on, defensive versatility.

Wesley’s ability to beat defenders off the dribble with his powerful first step, long strides getting to the rim and finishing ability are highly intriguing to scouts at 6-5 with an NBA-ready frame, especially since he just turned 19 two weeks ago. He looked far more competitive defensively as the year went on, using his quickness, length and solid instincts to add value on and off the ball, making plays in the passing lanes, blowing up handoffs and proving more than capable containing the ball in one-on-one situations. The trajectory he’s on, transitioning from little-known high school recruit to potential lottery pick in a span of a year, gives him significant upside to tap into as his NBA career moves.

“I’m a tireless worker,” Wesley said. “I rise to the occasion. Having such a veteran team alongside me was really helpful. We exceeded everyone’s expectations. I’m a 6-5 point guard, and there’s no one else in the NBA draft like me. People tell me I play like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. I study him a lot. I don’t know that people realize how well I can shoot the ball.”

With a strong pre-draft process, it’s not out of the question that Wesley might get looks in the lottery, especially if he shoots the ball well in private workouts.

The NBA draft combine will be May 16-22 in Chicago, and the draft will be June 23 in New York.

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