TEAM-SPECIFIC STORIES
BKN: Mikal Bridges’ 44 points not enough as Nets lose to lowly Magic
Brian Lewis, New York Post
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BKN: Nets star Mikal Bridges’ key skill learned from Devin Booker, Chris Paul that is raising his ceiling
Erik Slater, Clutchpoints
BOS: Gregg Popovich overjoyed that Derrick White finally believes
Adam Himmelsbach, Boston Globe
BOS: Malcolm Brogdon endorses Jaylen Brown’s All-NBA push, which is key for Celtics
Jay King, The Athletic
BOS: Four takeaways as Celtics beat Spurs 137-93 as Jaylen Brown erupts for 41 points
Brian Robb, MassLive
CHI: Patrick Beverley backs up his talk in return to Los Angeles as the Chicago Bulls overpower LeBron James and the Lakers
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune
CLE: Cavs clinch playoff spot with dominant 108-91 win over Houston Rockets
Chris Fedor, Cleveland.com
CLE: Caris LeVert's defensive effort giving Cavs lift: 'I'm just trying to get in playoff mode'
Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal
DAL: The Luka-Kyrie Disaster May Force the Dallas Mavericks to Tank
Kevin O’Connor, The Ringer
DAL: Dallas Mavericks Hurt Playoff Chances Further With Another Loss To Charlotte Hornets
Doyle Rader, Forbes
DEN: The problem with Nikola Jokic's game? Let's just say it isn't offense
Kirk Goldsberry, ESPN+
GSW: Five observations: Warriors blow late lead to Minnesota in Gary Payton II’s return
Anthony Slater, The Athletic
HOU: Rockets insider: For Jalen Green, the sky's the limit
Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle
HOU: Kevin Porter Jr. returns to Cleveland with a sense of appreciation for journey
Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle
LAL: LeBron James’ promise to Akron gets more ambitious
Justin Tinsley, Andscape
LAL: Bulls outplay Lakers, spoil LeBron James’ return from injury
Kyle Goon, Orange County Register
MEM: Grizzlies hold off Hawks, win sixth straight game
Drew Hill, Daily Memphian
MIN: Mike Conley is the Key to the Timberwolves’ Postseason Viability
Jack Borman, Canis Hoopus
MIN: Timberwolves determined to keep playing Naz Reid despite roster's return
Chris Hine, Star Tribune
Earlier in the season, Reid played diminished minutes or sometimes not at all when Towns and Gobert were healthy. That was long ago, however, and when Towns returned Wednesday, Finch played Reid over 25 minutes. Reid played alongside both Towns and Gobert, with Finch sticking to a two-center lineup at almost all times against the Hawks.
Reid turned in one of his best performances of the season with a team-high 26 points and eight rebounds.
NOP: Brandon Ingram calls Trey Murphy Pelicans' 'best shooter' after Murphy has another career night
Christian Clark, Nola.com
PHI: Inside Sixers: Tyrese Maxey’s secret snack, remembering Willis Reed and more from the road
Gina Mizell, Philadelphia Inquirer
Popcorn is Maxey’s go-to pre- and postgame snack. But that love was on another level following Wednesday’s rout of the Chicago Bulls, when a bag about the size of a white drawstring trash bag was waiting at his locker after he totaled 21 points, five rebounds and four assists.
PHI: Joel Embiid unplugged: On NBA MVP race, how he feels entering playoffs and Sixers’ pressure to win
Shams Charania, The Athletic
[Embiid:] “The criteria does change. If we want to talk about the last three years since I’ve been in the running for it, the first year it was that I didn’t play enough games. Last year, I came back, I played enough games, I led the league in scoring, and obviously, Nikola deserved it and he won it. But then again, he won as a sixth seed in the West. And then this year, I’m leading the league in scoring, I’m doing all of these things defensively … I should be making an All-Defensive team too. I don’t care, but every year it’s something. And when you add analytics into it, which don’t make sense. You can talk about analytics all you want. When you got some guys in the league, the eye test tells you that they’re not good defensively, but analytics tell you they’re the best defenders. That’s when analytics don’t make sense at all.”
PHO: Bismack Biyombo dominates paint, ties season high 5 blocks in Suns' win over 76ers
Dana Scott, Arizona Republic
POR: Blazers, Shaedon Sharpe, Come Up Short in Valiant Effort Against Thunder
Conor Bergin, Blazer’s Edge
SAS: Mamukelashvili and Bassey have shined as Spurs embrace new-age NBA
Oscar Barkis, Air Alamo
TOR: The Foggy Back up PG Picture
Samson Folk, Raptors Republic
TOR: Raptors get job done against Wizards despite familiar loose threads
Michael Grange, Sportsnet
UTA: With the Jazz, Kris Dunn found the shot he’s been fighting for
Sarah Todd, Deseret News
But Dunn worked with a nutritionist, changed the way he works out, lost a little weight, gained a lot of muscle, changed his shot mechanics and started to see a change. He’s shooting well over 40% from deep, he’s developed a steady pick-and-roll and midrange game and his defense is just as good as it has always been.
WAS: Recap: Wizards fall 114-104 to Raptors in Toronto
Luke Askew, NBA.com
LEAGUE-WIDE STORIES
The MVP Debate Is No Longer About Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid
Rob Mahoney, The Ringer
NBA DRAFT
Brandin Podziemski: 2023 NBA Draft Scouting Report
Adam Spinella, The Box and One
2023 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16/Elite 8 Top Storylines and Final Four Preview
Nathan Grubel, No Ceilings