Basketball Intelligence For 3/16/25
The day's best news and reporting
*FEATURE OF THE DAY*
Sonics legend Slick Watts dies at 73
Tim Booth, Seattle Times
TEAM NEWS
ATL: Dyson Daniels turning heads for underrated reason amid historic season
Joshua Buckhlater, Soaring Down South
BOS: Kristaps Porzingis returns from ... well, he still doesn't know - but he's back, which is the important thing
John Karalis, Boston Sports Journal
Porzingis said they tested for everything, ruling out things like mononucleosis, before settling on the assumption that it was probably a form of bronchitis. Whatever it was, it cost him nine of his last 10 games, and he might as well not have played that one game in Detroit.
BOS: 4 takeaways as Boston Celtics beat Nets in Kristaps Porzingis return
Souichi Terada, Mass Live
BOS: The underappreciated pillar of the Celtics' elite offense
Jack Simone, Hardwood Houdini
BOS: The Two Words that best sum up Payton Pritchard's Impact on the Celtics this season
Sherrod Blakely, Full Court Press Newsletter
BOS: Celtics’ Payton Pritchard breaks NBA record for most 3-pointers off the bench
Colin McCarthy, Boston.com
BI: Pritchard broke the record held by journeyman three-point specialist Wayne Ellington, who played for nine teams, including two separate stints with both the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers.
DEN: Jordan Poole’s deep 3-pointer gives Wizards stunning season sweep of Nuggets
Bennett Durando, The Denver Post
DEN: The Nuggets have quietly turned an albatross into an asset at the perfect time
Cal Durrett, Hoops Habit
DEN: Massive Nuggets problem has been on full display versus top teams
Ben Handler, Nugg Love
DET: Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff denounces lack of respect from officials in loss to Thunder
Hunter Patterson , The Athletic
While Bickerstaff’s fury was rooted in the best interest of his team, Detroit nearly stormed back to beat the Thunder without their franchise player. The Pistons aren’t interested in moral victories, and shouldn’t be. This will still show up as a loss on Detroit’s record, but the team did compete to the final minutes against the league’s second-best team.
DET: Detroit Pistons rally falls short vs Oklahoma City Thunder after Cade Cunningham ejection
Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
GSW: Explain: Draymond Green night-nights the Knicks in thrilling ending, with clutch Moody and GP2
Eric Apricot, Dub Nation HQ
GSW: Jimmy Butler's first-month magic: His quick impact on the Warriors -- and every team he has joined
Brianna Williams, ESPN
GSW: Warriors continue to surge, earn rock-fight victory over Knicks
Danny Emerman, The Mercury News
GSW: On the timely revival of Draymond Green and the Warriors’ defense
Joe Viray, Golden State Of Mind
GSW: Five observations: Warriors crank up defense and beat Knicks for 7th straight win
Anthony Slater, The Athletic
GSW: Warriors continue winning without relying on Butler to score
Michael Wagaman, NBC Sports Bay Area
LAC: The Clippers are heating up, and getting healthy, just as their schedule gets tougher
Law Murray, The Athletic
After a defenseless performance in New Orleans that saw the Pelicans beat the Clippers 127-120 to begin the week, the shorthanded Clippers had to visit the Miami Heat on no rest. The Clippers weren’t just missing players like Kawhi Leonard, Ben Simmons and Norman Powell. Head coach Tyronn Lue has been dealing with back and shoulder issues, leaving assistant Brian Shaw to run the team, something Shaw also did for three games in the 2021-22 season when Lue was in health and safety protocols.
The Clippers bounced back in Miami, leaning on center Ivica Zubac through three quarters (26 points, 12-of-16 field goals) before midseason trade acquisition Bogdan Bogdanović scored 11 of his season-high 30 points in the fourth quarter.
MIA: Memphis hands Heat seventh loss in a row. Miami nine under .500
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald
BI: It sure is beginning to look like Miami has fully embraced a tank to finish the season, as the Heat are just 4-13 since dealing Jimmy Butler.
MIA: Heat skid now at seven after 125-91 no-show vs. Grizzlies, even with Morant out
Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun Sentinel
MIL: Milwaukee Bucks hold off late rally by the Indiana Pacers to take season series
Lori Nickel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
MIL: Bucks wing sets new career high, leaves fingerprints all over win vs. Pacers
Dalton Sell, Behind The Buck Pass
MIL: What Kyle Kuzma brings to Bucks: 'A better chance to win this year'
Jamal Collier, ESPN
MIL: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard lead Bucks in bounce-back win against Pacers
Eric Nehm, The Athletic
NYK: Frustrating.
Tommy Beer, Knicks Centric