NBA Notebook: Celtics union leaders say load management discussed in CBA negotiations

Tom Thibodeau built a reputation with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and now the New York Knicks as one of the proudest old-school minds regarding how many minutes players logged. Jimmy Butler fought through nearly entire games during Thibodeau's first two head jobs and when Kemba Walker arrived in New York last year, a reporter asked if he'd play in back-to-backs after missing them with the Celtics.

He'll play, Thibs joked as the room erupted in laughter. Walker ultimately didn't, a sign that even Thibodeau could dabble in the world of sports science and load management.

When the NBA schedule arrives before each season, Thibodeau and his staff look at those back-to-backs, loaded stretches of games and relatively lighter stretches to plan out a practice schedule. It's a process most coaches around the league undergo, he says, mapping out ways to rest players throughout the year away from games to make them available for as many games as possible. The Knicks succeeded so far, with Julius Randle logging the second-most minutes in the NBA. Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein are tied for the most games played while Immanuel Quickley is tied for second as the debate around rest, the schedule and, for lack of a better phrase, load management reaches its height amid NBA collective bargaining agreement discussions this month. 

Malcolm Brogdon and Jaylen Brown, vice presidents with the National Basketball Players Association, told Boston Sports Journal that load management emerged among various other reported issues after the two sides set a Mar. 31 deadline to opt-out of the current CBA. They expect to agree to a new deal before then, as commissioner Adam Silver said before the All-Star Game. Various player representatives declined to speak about specific policies up for debate, but one idea, tying awards and their associated salary bonuses to games played, does not seem popular to the players, who argued teams take the lead on rest, minute management and games played. 

"However we need to come together to make this happen can't be at the penalty of the players," Grant Williams, recently elected first vice president with the union, told BSJ this week. "I think all players have the sentiment of playing, and there may be nights where a team may say a player shouldn't play, there might be a night where it's considered, like a Kawhi Leonard, where you played 46 minutes in a double overtime game, the next game, you might have to sit out now because of that. I don't think it's ever been a player that's run into that issue, but for me, I think it's always been we just have to make sure we all keep a (mindset) of what this business, which is a business, needs from us as players and what we can do to help improve it every single day."

The difference between games played today and 10 years ago, the 2012-13 season, is staggering. Only 22 players reached 62-65 games so far, the range teams have played, while 28 players finished 2013 appearing in all 82. That gap will certainly widen as the season concludes, since last year saw only five players appear in 82. In 2018-19, the last season not impacted by COVID absences, 21 players reached that threshold. DeMar DeRozan, Jayson Tatum and Trae Young led the All-NBA team last year with 76 games, Nikola Jokić and Karl-Anthony Towns made it playing 74, while LeBron James snuck into the third team despite only finishing with 56 games, not even 75% of the season. Walker achieved the last 82game All-NBA season during 2018-19 with the Hornets, which his former head coach Steve Clifford said this year played into the guard's rapid career demise. 

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who hasn't missed a single game into his third season, reignited the debate that originally sparked when former NBA commissioner David Stern and teams like the Spurs faced off over sitting players during national TV games, leading to fines. Edwards argued many fans only receive one chance to see their favorite players, especially with one game between each east and west team annually, so that motivates him to be available each night. Tatum, who has only missed 29 games into his sixth season, finished with the 15th-most minutes by a player ever before his 25th birthday on Friday, an accomplishment Joe Mazzulla took multiple opportunities to emphasize. In the era of load management, Tatum doesn't want to sit, despite multiple conversations with Brad Stevens about doing so, and still stays healthy. Not every player agrees, complicating the issue. 

"I don't really think we have conversations. I think that's everybody else's conversation," Donovan Mitchell, another NBPA VP, told BSJ. "As a guy in this league, I understand the disappointment as a little kid, coming to watch your favorite player, but in the same token, you want to be able to perform and put on a show. You want to be available, you want to be out there. It's not the same as it once was. I don't speak for everybody when I say this. I think the biggest thing is just trying to be as healthy as possible. The game's played at a faster, higher pace, the level guys are cutting, guys are more athletic, there's so much that goes into it that we don't talk about. We just talk about, guys are sitting out. We don't talk about the why or what's lingering or what's around, or if I play, if I overuse one side, now the other side's messed up, now you're out for two weeks." 

"There are so many other factors that go into load management," he said. "That I don't think we talk about. I'm not really on either side, I'm kind of just in the middle. I try to do what's best for my body, try to be the player I can for my teammates, obviously I want to put a show on for the fans and come playoff time, you want to be ready. That's the biggest time of the year. That's not to discredit the regular season, but you want to be able to perform. You want to be able to be out there. I would love to play all 82, but sometimes your body's telling you to sit down. I think we don't really pay attention to that and why would you? You don't know the life and the travel and the injuries and the lingering stuff, but it's a conversation that's going to be ongoing." 

No sure-fired solution appears imminent despite an intention to try in this new CBA. The NBA, coaches and players all acknowledge the unlikelihood of shortening the 82-game season, which began in 1967-68, with negotiations for new national television deals set to begin. Less games means less money in that deal, less gate revenue and less money in contracts for players. It's worth wondering if a better product would pay off in the long term, though, by boosting ratings with players available for more national television games. 

Shams Charania reported cap smoothing when that money does arrive around 2025, the draft age, luxury tax rules and allowing more competitive contract extensions for teams to players outside of the super max provision, where Jaylen Brown sits until he makes All-NBA, will be the most likely rules to change into the new CBA. The league tried to address by reducing the number of back-to-backs teams play from around 20, nearly two decades ago, to just over 13 per team, before ramping them up again during the abbreviated pandemic seasons. Those efforts decrease four games in five nights, and five games in seven nights, nearly eliminated them entirely. Mini series in one city, back-to-backs in LA, Florida and New York helped alleviate travel. This season featured some of the largest home stands and road trips in recent memory, knocking out travel in sometimes six-game chunks. 

The commitment to keep players on the floor appears in clear view daily, from the gear players wear to track them and alleviate ailments, rows of staff on benches, ice spread across locker rooms after games and attentive trainers standing by players when they reach their lockers. Nick Sang, Tatum's trainer, rarely leaves his side throughout the day, provides massages at the facility and creates wraps to keep him going through wrist and finger injuries. Grant Williams also acknowledged he's played through ankle and elbow issues, but always wants to appear on the floor unless he can't walk, going back to his youth days. 

"I think it varies from player-to-player," Brogdon told BSJ. "There are guys with real injuries that are sitting out of games that are trying to come back 100%, trying to come back healthy and then I think there are cases where guys are trying to manage injuries or manage their load, and sitting out of games, not necessarily when they're injured, but trying to be cautious and preventative. I can only speak to my situation. I've sat out when I've been injured. It's really been that simple ... players have to look out for themselves, you've gotta do what's in the best interest for yourself, because it's not gonna be anybody's fault but yours when you are injured. I definitely support the player and what he feels like he needs to do, but at the same time, I do see the case that there are fans that come to see specific players and are disappointed. At this point, the way the NBA has changed and evolved over the years, it's part of the game. Star players aren't going to be playing every single night."

Derrick White only missed one game so far in his first full season with Boston, returning one day after suffering an eardrum injury and staying in Milwaukee for assessment. Robert Williams III left the game on Friday after feeling hamstring tightness and Brogdon missed the game with ankle pain. The Celtics rarely practice and occasionally skip shoot-around, while Williams III and Al Horford rest during back-to-backs. Tatum and other starters missed a TNT game before the all-star break, but as reporting of injuries changed and a new commissioner rose to power, the days of Stern fines disappeared. 

"If you have a young team and you're in a rebuild, you're probably going to practice more," Thibodeau said. "If you have an older team and you've had guys who have had injuries and have gone deep into the playoffs, your approach will probably be different. There's a lot of different ways that you can pace a team, and I think sometimes, the veterans that are overcoming injury, those guys are probably gonna be limited in practice, either they're not going to practice or they'll practice in certain situations, you probably have a sub with them, they're probably not going to take contact in practice, so no one knows. Your season will dictate a lot of what you're doing."

One of the most frustrating aspects of the load management movement stems from how helpful it proves. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram missed massive chunks of time, derailing the Pelicans' season after Williamson missed all of last season. Kawhi Leonard suffered knee stiffness after coming back cautiously from an ACL tear that cost him 2022. Last postseason saw Khris Middleton, Lonzo Ball, Tyler Herro, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Williams III and more for much or all of the schedule. 

Baxter Holmes profiled the journey of Williamson and other young stars before they arrived in the NBA, beginning their basketball journey as young as five-years-old before playing throughout the calendar and putting miles on their body before 18. That aspect of basketball culture goes beyond the CBA, and players need to secure their spot in the NBA before managing their load. The players simply want to change the perception that the issue stems from their indifference toward playing, which the league hasn't always communicated clearly. Coaches, at least, acknowledge the challenge. 

"Injuries are going to happen and not major injuries, but small nicks that if you continue to play and add up, they're going to turn into bigger things," Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "That's when you have to be smart enough to hold your guys back so that they don't create larger injuries from it, and I think that's been our approach. We don't go and plan out days off for people, as far as games. We let the flow of the season dictate it, but try our best to manage what off days look like for guys so that they can play as many games as possible. We talk about (the schedule), but the reality is I don't see them changing 82 games ... but again, times have changed. Practices used to be 2-2.5 hours long and in those practices, you had an hour and a half, 45 minutes of bump where you're actually getting after it. Coaches, we talk about that. Obviously, a long time ago, my dad talks about it, they had 30 preseason days and 30 double days, and they would have in a preseason game, they would still have a full practice in the morning before the game." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA...

Atlanta (32-31): Quin Snyder coached his first game in 10 months as he assumed head duties quickly after the Hawks hired him to replace Nate McMillan, starting with a loss to the Wizards. The Hawks allowed 37 points to Bradley Beal while Dejounte Murray struggled to score in tandem with Trae Young. The finalization of the Snyder deal points toward some optimism for this group, rather than a looming teardown that ended Snyder's time in Utah. Still, the task ahead will challenge Snyder, GM Landry Fields and the roster after they only managed a Saddiq Bey addition at the deadline. 

“I still getting to know the team,” Snyder said. “You saw some of that tonight.”

Boston (45-19): Lost to the Knicks shooting a season-low 21.4% from three then scored an equally impressive win over the Cavaliers by focusing on getting Jayson Tatum to the paint. Jaylen Brown, who missed the loss to New York for personal reasons, acknowledged the team shot too many three-pointers, differing from Joe Mazzulla, who called on Boston to shoot more. The Celtics currently rank sixth all-time by attempting 41.7 per game. Grant Williams, one of the team's primary floor spacers, sat while healthy for the first time since 2021 on Wednesday in what Mazzulla called a matchup decision. He's shooting under 40% from the field and under 36% from three going back to Dec. 10, and dealing with a nagging right elbow injury. 

"You can’t control any of that,” Williams said. “You can only control your approach and how you respond. That’s something that you’d have to ask Joe and those guys. They have their reasons and their focus, so for me, it’s just a matter of maintaining that perspective and understanding that it’s not necessarily on the floor that I get to prove myself, you just prove yourself in the work that you put in, working out, playing as hard as you can, practices that the other guys don’t necessarily do, you do.”

Brooklyn (35-28): Lost four straight to Chicago, Atlanta, Milwaukee and New York, shifting back and forth between poor scoring and defensive nights. They rank 28th in net rating (-8.8) with a bottom-five defense and bottom-10 offense. Ben Simmons remains out after Jacque Vaughn acknowledged difficulties ahead in finding playing time for him. Vaughn said multiple times Simmons won't be shut down for the season, but he's currently dealing with knee and back soreness after last playing on Feb. 15. After what largely became a lost first season in Brooklyn, he's owed $78.2-million through 2025. 

Charlotte (20-45): LaMelo Ball fractured his right ankle and underwent season-ending surgery, ending his third year after 36 games. He averaged 23.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 8.4 APG, 1.3 SPG and 35.2 MPG, shooting 41.1%, but he's only 22 next season. Ball's extension-eligible entering the final year of his rookie deal, and can receive a five-year, $202.5-million extension they'll surely offer. He would become the first in a long line of star rookies to not accept the deal if he decides to play it out next year then sign the $14.3-million qualifying offer for 2024-25, forgoing a massive pay bump that could reach $243 million if he reaches All-NBA next season. It's likely he played in Charlotte for the foreseeable future, with a star potentially joining from this draft class. They have a 12.5% chance to pick No. 1 overall as the fourth-worst team. 

Chicago (29-35): Staying above water, but lost a key play-in race game to the surging Raptors as their offense turns cold. They waived Goran Dragić before the Mar. 1 deadline to join a new team for the playoffs, as their decision to stand pat at the trade deadline already looks misguided with Lonzo Ball officially done for the year. A win over the Wizards helps and they remain only 1.5 games behind them in the play-in tournament race. Another win, over the Pistons, featured a dust-up between Nikola Vučević and Patrick Beverley that the former didn't love, reportedly mad at finger pointing.

Cleveland (39-26): Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers past the Raptors to end their losing streak, but his 44 barely scratched the surface in Boston while the Celtics ran away behind an overwhelming third-quarter Jayson Tatum effort to avenge two early season losses to them. Tatum drove to the rim with ease, normally a challenge against bigger teams like Cleveland, while Al Horford hit his first six three-point tries. Isaac Okoro struggled to shoot and guard Brown and Tatum, as the Cavaliers' deficiencies shined this time against Boston's double big lineup that didn't appear in the first two games. Danny Green, who has played limited minutes since joining the Cavs after his Houston buyout, explained his decision to join Cleveland over Boston. 

"We didn’t have a conversation,” he told CLNS Media regarding Boston. “There was some interest, but then I think they were not ready to make any moves, so there was no conversation up until that point. There was some interest, but not a lot of interest.”

Dallas (33-31): Finally scored the first impressive win of the Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić era while the pair combined to score 40 points each in 40 minutes against the 76ers' defense after bad losses to the Lakers and Pacers. Only Reggie Bullock and Christian Wood joined them in double-figures though, underscoring the continued heliocentric nature of their offense and depth concerns further down the roster. They gave up important players in Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, even if they needed to take this gamble to raise their ceiling, it marked a huge risk. 

“As a team, we’ve gotta mature. We’ve got to grow up if we want to win a championship,” Jason Kidd said after the Mavs lost to the Lakers. 

Denver (45-19): Nikola Jokić smashed the Clippers with 40 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in an overtime win over the Clippers as debate continued about his MVP candidacy. Jokic clapped back sarcastically at ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins for accusing him of stat padding after his 100th career triple-double, which ranks sixth all time behind LeBron James. He recorded his 101st avenging last week's weird loss to the Grizzlies, and Denver looks more likely with each passing day to become the west's No. 1 seed with the field for the No. 8 seed weakening. Jokic should be MVP for now. It's close.

Detroit (15-48): Jaden Ivey called a timeout the Pistons, ironically Michigan style, didn't have in the closing seconds of their loss to the Bulls, giving Chicago the ball back and a technical free throw. Dwane Casey pulled blame away from the rookie and called it one play of many that decided the game, but the blemish calls rare attention toward a forgetful season in Detroit. The Pistons lost six straight, and 9-of-10, sitting in No. 2 lottery position. James Wiseman is averaging 11.8 PPG and 8.2 RPG on 59.1% shooting through his first five games with his new team, a minor reason to watch. 

Golden State (34-30): Steph Curry will return from an 11-game absence with a leg injury where his Warriors actually made up ground in the west playoff race, winning five straight and seven of those games. Draymond Green led dominant defensive performances in each game while Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and Donte DiVincenzo scored 20 points in spots across the streak to sustain in Curry's absence. Golden State, now the west's fifth seed face the Lakers and Thunder to begin the new week, trailing Phoenix by 1.0 game for home-court advantage and Sacramento by 4.0. They're 1.5 up on the play-in tournament. Andrew Wiggins' (personal) absence length remains unclear, but Bob Myers said in a radio interview it won't last long-term.

Houston (13-49): Lost their 11th straight game, giving up 130 points to Portland and Denver, including 71 points to Damian Lillard, then scoring 99 against the Grizzlies. They're so bad that reports James Harden could return to the Rockets this summer must be thrilling to this exhausted fan base. However unwise offering a four-year, $201 million to the aging superstar would prove, it may push Philadelphia, at the very least, to offer the full five-years, $272-million they avoided signing him to last summer when he took a one-year deal with a player option for this summer. They'll eventually pay for that short-term discount, and it appears the Rockets noise could be an early play toward those negotiations. Houston would welcome a real move with the Nets owing them years of first-round picks after losing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. 

Indiana (28-36): Nobody talks about Tyrese Haliburton in the distant MVP discussion. Here's a case -- the Pacers lost to the San Antonio Spurs while Haliburton sat on Thursday, and badly, 110-99. Indiana, a borderline play-in tournament team, now sits at 2-11 when Haliburton doesn't play. It's an astounding reminder of what Haliburton means to the franchise this early in their rebuild and how any injury to him down the stretch could plunge them fully back into the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. They're the sixth-worst team in the NBA, only 1.0 game better than Orlando while 3.0 GB of the playoff picture. 

David Benner, who led the Pacers' PR department for nearly three decades, died on Wednesday after a long illness.

Clippers (33-33): Fell to 0-5 since Russell Westbrook joined the team after another disastrous finish against the Kings where Paul George scored a go-ahead basket. The Clippers prepared to shoot free throws after the ensuing stop until Westbrook dropped a pass into the offensive zone out-of-bounds. Domantas Sabonis hit a pair of game-winning free throws on the following possession and the Clippers fell to eighth in the west, 1.0 game behind the sixth seed in the play-in tournament. They're only 2.0 games ahead of the Lakers for the final playoff spot, and rank 26th in defense recently. Norman Powell (shoulder) will miss at least one week after suffering an injury against the Warriors. Westbrook hasn't played poorly, but may not fit defensively. Ty Lue, of great concern to the TNT broadcast, implored his team to play harder during the loss to Golden State as an odd season continues for this group. 

Lakers (30-34): LeBron James will be reevaluated in three weeks suffering a right foot tendon injury against the Mavericks last weekend and finishing the game, likely an ailment he battled for several weeks that worsened with a non-contact incident in the loss. Only eight games remain for the Lakers after that three-week timespan passes, which doesn't guarantee a James return at that point. It's possible James doesn't play again this year if they miss the playoffs, a devastating blow for a team that traded a valuable 2027 first-rounder to upgrade the roster around him for a March push into the postseason. It worked, the Lakers sit only 1.0 game back of the play-in tournament and could still make it behind Anthony Davis' play. The early returns didn't prove encouraging, losing to Memphis, Minnesota and barely beating a Thunder team without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. James avoided foot surgery. 

Memphis (38-24): Beat the Nuggets, Lakers and Rockets to solidify their No. 2 seed standing in the west for now behind strong defense, before struggling to score in the rematch with Denver. The concerning news came off the court for Ja Morant, already caught in a reported standoff with Pacers officials who saw a laser pointed at them from a car, the Washington Post reported police incidents where Morant and a group of friends arrived at a mall to confront a store employee and ended in a physical dispute with mall security. Another report stated Morant and friends allegedly assaulted a teenager over a basketball game. 

The district attorney declined to file charges against Morant in either case, citing a lack of evidence. The teenager sued Morant. The Grizzlies declined to comment on the Post story while the NBA said it takes allegations of inappropriate conduct seriously, earlier investigating the Pacers incident and finding no evidence of a gun involved. The teenager from the basketball incident told police Morant flashed a gun. Morant later said he acted in defense. The teenager claimed Morant hit him 12-13 times, while Morant filed a report indicating the teenager threatened his family with violence. On Friday night, Morant appeared on a live stream with a gun. 

The NBA announced it is investigating the video. 

Miami (33-31): Lost a rematch against Philadelphia and gave up 43 points and a game-winning three to Julius Randle in a game they scored enough to win in, losing 122-120. Kevin Love and Gabe Vincent could not provide the complementary scoring they did in Philadelphia, with mini series looming against the Hawks and Cavaliers in Miami that could dictate whether the Heat become a play-in team or make the first round outright. Kyle Lowry will miss his 11th straight game with a knee injury against the Hawks on Saturday. It seems likely they'll consider adding former Heat star Goran Dragić after his release from the Bulls, but they would need to waive a player with no obvious choice. Would they dare move on from Udonis Haslem? Orlando Robinson remains on a two-way deal, without a full-time roster spot either, making him ineligible to play in the postseason. Ömer Yurtseven (ankle) could make Cody Zeller expendable if he returns, but the Heat just brought Zeller in and he's played well off their bench. Don't count on Dragić. 

Milwaukee (45-17): The east's No. 1 seed after 16 straight wins, closing in on the franchise record of 20 from the Bucks' 1971 championship season with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Milwaukee leads the Celtics by 1.0 game after their loss to the Knicks, and Boston's meltdown against the Nets could allow them to expand that. Jrue Holiday held the offense down with 33 points against Phoenix on Sunday before Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 against the Nets in his return from his knee ailment. The pair led a 139-point effort against the Magic with Khris Middleton out. They play the 76ers on Saturday. They're considered favorites to sign waived Bulls guard Goran Dragić, who averaged 6.4 PPG on 42.5% FG and 35.2% 3PT. They're No. 1 in defense.

Minnesota (33-32): Strong efforts from Rudy Gobert and the defense, ranked 10th in the NBA for the season, gritted out wins against the Clippers and Lakers with double-figure scoring nights across the lineup. They need to figure out how to balance the offensive boost Karl-Anthony Towns could provide later this month with the defensive progress they achieved to become a narrow net positive team per 100 possessions. They sit 0.5 games behind Dallas for the sixth seed, avoiding the play-in tournament and hold a 2.5-game lead over the Lakers in the playoffs. They believe in Towns long term.

New Orleans (31-33): In the playoff picture by 1.0 game after losses to the Magic and Warriors and in danger of losing their once-promising pick swap with the Lakers this season. Zion Williamson (hamstring) will receive imaging next week after improvements in his recovery since the break, but Jose Alvarado (tibia) will miss at least three weeks and Larry Nance Jr. went down for two with an ankle sprain. It's unimaginable this group once held legitimate NBA Finals dreams in the west, and now might not factor in the conference's playoffs at all if they can't regain health. Is it time to tank? 

New York (38-27): Won eight straight games to approach Cleveland for home court status in the east, building a 2.0 game lead on the play-in tournament field with a chance to keep rising in the conference hierarchy. Julius Randle shined in one of his signature performances this season agains the Heat, scoring 43 points in 36 minutes. Immanuel Quickley and Randle combined for 46 points and the Knicks' defense shut down the Celtics' three-point shooting attack and won a second straight game over the Celtics, which Jaylen Brown believed Boston fell into a trap of taking too many in the loss. They meet again on Sunday at 7:30 EST in Boston. Jalen Brunson won east player of the month for February. Josh Hart, who has only played in wins with the Knicks, is averaging 11.5 PPG on 61.8% FG.

Oklahoma City (29-34): Aaron Wiggins and Jalen Williams scored 20 points each, Josh Giddey served 13 assists and six Thunder scored double-figures while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat out with multiple ailments for a bounce-back win the play-in race over Utah. Gilgeous-Alexander missed four games with an abdominal strain before entering COVID protocols, with Oklahoma City going on a five game losing streak before Friday. They trail the Pelicans by 1.5 games for the final play-in spot and that experience looks like it could help this young team. They're eighth in the lottery though, and could climb as high as fifth. They face the Jazz again on Saturday to complete their mini series. 

Orlando (27-37): Paolo Banchero scored 31 points and three Magic players scored double-figures off the bench to get back in the win column after a blowout loss to the Bucks. They received devastating news after that Jonathan Isaac tore his left adductor muscle and underwent season ending surgery late this week after only returning for 11 games after missing two seasons with injury. It's possible Orlando parts ways with the forward this summer if they want to clear room for a major free agent signing, but his $7.6-million guarantee isn't too different from his $17.4-million salary for a young, inexpensive team. Isaac showed potential as a defensive stopper against Jayson Tatum in his first game back in January, averaging 5.0 PPG and 1.3 SPG since. 

Philadelphia (40-22): James Harden, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey all scored 20 points in a loss to a Mavericks team struggling since adding Kyrie Irving, marking the Sixers' third loss in four games since their late collapse against Boston. Maxey started the past two games as Doc Rivers hoped for faster starts, but Maxey's persistent defensive issues emerged against Miami and Dallas. His 26.3 PPG over his last three games on 55.6% shooting make him worth trying to find a way to scheme around though. Those are the outcomes Rivers will be judged on when the year is over, with huge stakes and decisions looming for everyone involved following what's been a strong, but unconvincing regular season when it comes to title aspirations. 

Phoenix (35-29): Kevin Durant scored 23 points in 26 minutes on 10-for-15 shooting in his Suns debut and first game since Jan. 8, missing 21 games with a sprained MCL and carefully returning after landing with Phoenix at the deadline. Devin Booker scored 37 points, Chris Paul served 11 assist and Deandre Ayton posted a double-double in a scary example of this group's capabilities as they fit into their roles. A slightly more intimidating opponent in Chicago saw similar results in a Suns win, except Ayton struggled to score alongside four double-figure performances by the starters around him, including a surprising 25 points from Josh Okogie as he emerges as the regular starter at the wing spot Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson once filled. 

“I was thinking about who’s in the building, then when s*** started happening," Durant said, explaining his decision to join the Suns to Yahoo Sports. "We’re not playing well. KI requested a trade. It felt like a lot of s*** wasn’t happening for us. But I was locked in. I felt like my play showed people that I was really committed to the organization." 

Portland (29-34): Damian Lillard tied Donovan Mitchell for most points scored in game this season and eighth-most in NBA history, scoring one of the most efficient scoring nights in NBA history with 71 points against the Rockets on 22-for-38 shooting with 13 three-pointers. Then, the Blazers lost three straight to fall 1.5 games behind the Pelicans in a tie with Oklahoma City behind the Lakers. It's hard to believe the 27th-ranked Portland defense gets them into the picture, barring some injury misfortune starting to form on the Thunder and Lakers. Anfernee Simons (ankle), initially questionable to play against the Hawks, did not return and missed another game after returning for 20 minutes to shoot 2-for-9 against the Warriors.

Sacramento (37-25): De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Harrison Barnes scored 76 points and Sabonis lit the beam after the Kings won their fifth straight game, claiming another shootout over the Clippers on final second free throws from Sabonis. Their 25th-ranked defense spells some playoff concern. They're the most efficient offense ever ahead of the Nuggets and Celtics. Fox' performance stood most impressive after injuring his left wrist and receiving an MRI earlier last week, missing the second of back-to-back wins against the Thunder before returning on Friday. They sit 1.0 game behind Memphis for the No. 2 seed with three straight home games ahead, starting with a back-to-back on Saturday against Minnesota. 

Toronto (31-33): O.G. Anunoby and Jakob Poetl combined for 49 points, but allowed 55 to Kristaps Porziņģis and Kyle Kuzma in a loss that allowed the Wizards to tie Toronto for the No. 9 seed. Poor three-point shooting, only hitting nine attempts, doomed the Raptors against the Cavaliers too as their ability to hang with even some of the modest offenses in the east sets them up poorly against some potential first-round opponents like Boston. That's if the Raptors escape the play-in tournament, a more likely destination after the deadline, without a straight path to victory with Washington in the mix.

Washington (30-32): Kyle Kuzma is heating up, scoring 20 points in three of his last four games to help the Wizards solidify their standing as the east's No. 10 seed, tying Toronto for No. 9 with 20 games remaining and a 2.0 game advantage on the Bulls. They lost Monte Morris though, who's considered week-to-week after receiving an epidural injection. Kristaps Porziņģis is also managing a knee injury that left him questionable for the Toronto game, who the Wizards host again to break the tie in the standings on Saturday.