Cooper Flagg Makes ‘Statement’ In Rookie Of The Year Race
Cooper Flagg may have flipped the Rookie of the Year race back in his direction with a weekend scoring outburst, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. After posting 51 points on Friday – the highest total ever for an NBA teenager – the Mavericks forward followed it up with a 45-point performance and a near triple-double in Sunday night’s win over the Lakers.
Flagg and former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of Charlotte have been waging a battle for ROY honors throughout the season. MacMahon notes that Knueppel entered the weekend as a -300 favorite, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with Flagg at +225. Flagg’s scoring spree now has him listed as the favorite at -250, with Knueppel at +180.
“I think it’s definitely some sort of statement,” said Flagg, who also had nine assists, eight rebounds, two steals and a block on Sunday. “But it just goes back to what I said: I’m confident in myself, and I know what I’m capable of. I’ll just let the rest of the stuff figure itself out.”
As MacMahon observes, Flagg has entered some elite company over the past three days. He owns three of the four 45-point games by a teenager in NBA history and is the first rookie to reach 45 points in two straight games since Walt Bellamy did it 64 years ago. Only six players have scored 45 points three times during their rookie seasons, with the others being Hall-of-Famers Bellamy, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Earl Monroe and Lew Alcindor, who were all named Rookie of the Year.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd told reporters that Flagg has special qualities that go beyond his ability to score.
“I don’t know if he’s making a closing statement,” Kidd said. “I think he’s doing what he’s been doing all season. Being able to play different positions. Being able to be uncomfortable. He’s never complained and has delivered for us. Tonight, being able to do it on national television, it’s not easy. Especially coming off a 50-ball. He wants to win, and he helped the team win tonight.”
Both Flagg and Knueppel have strong Rookie of the Year cases heading into the final week of the regular season. Flagg, the No. 1 pick last June, leads all rookies in scoring at 20.8 PPG, is third in rebounding at 6.6 RPG and second in assists at 4.5 APG. Knueppel, the No. 4 selection, leads the league with 265 made three-pointers and broke the rookie record in that category. He’s averaging 18.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 3.4 APG and is playing on a 43-36 Hornets team that’s in contention for an automatic playoff spot, while the Mavs are winding down their season at 25-53.
Lakers star LeBron James was impressed by Flagg on Sunday and made a comparison to his own rookie season in Cleveland 22 years ago, according to Christian Clark of The Athletic.
“Kidd early on got a little scrutinized because they started him at point guard at times, and I thought that was unfair,” James said. “I think it’s great to put the ball in somebody’s hands so they can just go through the rough patches. And when you go through the rough patches, it allows you to grow at a rate faster than other players. That’s what (Cavaliers coach) Paul Silas, rest his soul, did for me. My rookie year, I basically started at point guard early on. He allowed me to make mistakes and make mistakes and make mistakes and play against tough defenses and stuff like that. So, I see similarities in that.”
Stephen Curry Provides Hope For Warriors In Thrilling Return
Outside of the wrap he wore on his right knee, there was little indication that Stephen Curry had missed 27 straight games as he made his return Sunday night at Chase Center. The Warriors star thrilled the home crowd with 29 points in 26 minutes, nailing outrageous three-pointers, showing a burst on drives to the basket and nearly leading the team to a comeback victory vs. Houston, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“You can hear it with the crowd, and there’s a different energy in the building, and there’s a different confidence with our team,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He just infuses the whole team with confidence. Being able to play off him makes the game much easier for everyone else. There is a momentum, a confidence. He’s Steph Curry for a reason.”
Curry came off the bench for the first time since the 2011/12 season as Kerr eased him back into action. His first appearance came with 4:54 left in the first quarter, and fans responded with a 45-second ovation. There were a few signs of rust before he got on the board with a three-pointer from the left wing with 34.1 seconds remaining in the quarter.
“The first (quarter) was tough, the second one was great,” Curry said. “Second quarter, once I got my feet underneath me and obviously momentum carried all the work you put in, the rehab to get through even 26 minutes at that level, I was very grateful.”
From that point on, it was vintage Curry. He hit 5-of-10 shots from behind the arc and was 11-of-21 overall, along with four assists. The Rockets frequently threw double teams at him, but Curry was able to keep moving and create open looks. He hit a string of big shots in the fourth quarter, even breaking out his trademark shimmy after being knocked to the ground on an and-one, and nearly won the game with a 30-foot attempt over two defenders at the buzzer.
“There was a lot of nerves all day,” he said. “My family supported me at home, and I was a nervous wreck trying to pass the hours before I got to the arena. But once you get back into your routine, you’ve been doing it for so long, muscle memory takes over. And the adrenaline takes over. I appreciate the fans and the reception, just the buzz that was in the arena, because you know at that certain point you want to be able to tap into that. Very grateful. It was a beautiful day, and now I can kind of settle into how we’re going to finish the year.”
Curry’s return could dramatically change the equation for Golden State heading into the postseason. There were no signs of discomfort from the patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee) that had sidelined him since January 30, and he and the team remain hopeful that it won’t flare up again. At 36-42, the Warriors are on track to enter the postseason as the No. 10 seed, which means they’ll have to win two play-in games on the road just to get a shot at defending champ Oklahoma City in the playoffs, but Curry’s return gives them reason to believe they’ll be a tough out.
“We have two meaningful games, hopefully down the stretch,” Curry said, referring to the play-in tournament next week. “But this is meaningful basketball in the sense of preparing ourselves for that moment. It’s not like we can just sleepwalk through these last four games and not focus on details that will help us win a do-or-die game and then do it again.”
Knicks Notes: Anunoby, McBride, Record Against Winning Teams, Sochan
Knicks head coach Mike Brown said recently that he believes that OG Anunoby deserves to be named to the First Team All-Defense this season, but there are still hurdles for the 6’8″ wing to clear before he’s even in consideration, Kristian Winfield writes for the New York Daily News. Because the 65-game rule stipulates a 20-minute minimum, Anunoby finds himself one game away from the qualifying mark with four games to go.
Anunoby missed out on All-Defensive honors last season despite playing a career-high 74 games, but the Knicks have an improved defense in 2025/26, ranking eighth in the league in defensive rating compared to 13th last season.
“[OG’s] versatility is off the charts, and you can do a lot of things with your defense because of him,” Brown said. “And he deserves First Team All-Defense this year, and hopefully the powers that be will see it that way, too. Sorry about that to all the kids out there, but it is [bulls–t].”
We have more Knicks news:
- Miles McBride is trying to get up to speed as quickly as possible following a 28-game absence due to a sports hernia surgery. The road back from his first major injury has been a tough one, writes Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. “Everything, honestly,” McBride said when asked what the hardest part of his return has been. “It’s a tough thing to be out so long, having a surgery in the middle of the season… It’s like someone stabbing your groin, hip and ab at the same time. It’s not fun. But I’ll get back right.”
- Monday marks a month since New York has beaten a team with a record over .500, Schwartz writes. With the playoffs fast approaching, the Knicks need to buck this trend and find ways to carve out wins against good teams. They face the Hawks, Celtics, Raptors, and Hornets in the season’s final weeks, which should represent a good test as they head into the postseason. “Obviously this is a good little stretch to end the season to make sure we’re as sharp as we can be going into the playoffs,” Josh Hart said. “The past is the past, nothing you can do about it now. Our focus is on tomorrow being 1-0 against playoff teams, and then we move on to the next one.”
- The 17 minutes that Jeremy Sochan played on Friday against the Bulls represented his biggest single-game total since he joined the Knicks in February, Schwartz writes within a piece on the team’s potential playoff rotation. “Jeremy hadn’t played in a while, especially when it comes to playing with the first or second unit,” Brown said. “We threw him out there and he was fantastic. He was fantastic defensively, it’s why he was the defensive player of the game, but he also was really good offensively. We just looked fast.” Brown went on to explain that he liked what he saw from Sochan as a small-ball center. “I wanted to play him at some backup five, that’s basically what he played for us tonight,” he said. “It allowed us to do a lot of things, like switch pick-and-rolls and stuff like that. It brought a different element to our game. Not just offensively with the speed, but even defensively with the flexibility of switching a lot of things, just keeping the ball in front of us.”
Luka Doncic To Seek Treatment In Europe
Lakers guard Luka Doncic will travel to Europe to get medical treatment on his hamstring strain in an attempt to speed up his recovery process, agent Bill Duffy tells Shams Charania of ESPN. The decision was made after conversations with Doncic’s medical team and the team’s medical staff.
Doncic was diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain on Friday and was ruled out for the rest of the regular season. Though the Lakers didn’t provide a specific timeline for his recovery, outside medical experts have noted that a three-to-six week timeline is typical for such injuries.
Doncic is hoping to either beat that timeline or at least return on the early end of it. While the Lakers aren’t likely to fall further than No. 5 in the Western Conference before the end of the regular season, they’re suddenly quite thin in the backcourt heading into the first round of the playoffs, with Austin Reaves recently ruled out for four-to-six weeks due to an oblique injury.
“Both those guys are going to try to come back, and it’s our job to extend the season so that they can come back,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said on Sunday of Doncic and Reaves.
Stein’s Latest: Rivers, Karnisovas, Donovan, Splitter
Bucks coach Doc Rivers will become a Hall-of-Famer this year, and there may be more news coming from him in the months ahead. According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link), there is a growing sense that Rivers and the Bucks could either part ways or change his responsibilities after a season that has gone off the rails. Milwaukee has a 31-47 record and the franchise appears to be growing increasingly at odds with star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
While Stein doesn’t specify what such a restructuring would look like, the implication is that it could include a move to the front office.
“At the very least, Rivers’ Springfield induction in August, at age 64, has helped fuel the notion that he will not be coaching the Bucks after the regular season concludes,” Stein writes.
Jake Fischer, also of the Stein Line, agrees (via Twitter) that significant changes are expected in Milwaukee this offseason, while Stein adds that former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins is seen as a potential candidate to replace Rivers should the Bucks decide to move on this summer.
We have more updates from Stein:
- The Bulls may be weighing the future of executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, as the team will miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season. Chicago has advanced beyond the play-in just once during Karnisovas’ tenure, and that playoff appearance resulted in a quick first-round exit in 2022 against the Bucks. The Bulls’ front office under Karnisovas has also struggled to find a direction or extract peak value in trades. Meetings to determine the veteran executive’s future with the team will be taking place soon, per Stein.
- Despite their front office uncertainty, the Bulls would like to retain head coach Billy Donovan, Stein writes, noting that the team denied the Knicks’ request to interview him for their head coaching vacancy last summer before signing him to a multiyear extension. Donovan has recently been linked to the UNC head coaching job, but Stein writes that the Bulls’ coach will likely want to wait until after the season concludes on April 12 to meet with the Tar Heels, and the university may want to make a decision sooner than that.
- The Trail Blazers may be one of the teams looking for a new coach this offseason. New owner Tom Dundon is said to be surveying the coaching landscape as he determines interim head coach Tiago Splitter‘s future with the team. According to Stein, there’s an expectation that there could be more league-wide coaching movement than there was last year, and Splitter, who took over at the beginning of the season following the arrest of Chauncey Billups, may be one of the coaches on the move.
Stephen Curry Returns Vs. Rockets On Sunday
Stephen Curry has officially been cleared to return for the Warriors‘ game against the Rockets on Sunday night, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link).
Multiple reports this week identified Sunday as Curry’s target date as he ramped up his on-court work. The fact that he has been upgraded to be available indicates there were no setbacks during the final stages of his ramp-up process following a lengthy absence due to runner’s knee.
Curry recently spoke about the injury, saying that there was nothing structurally wrong with his knee but that a level of discomfort would likely be the “new normal” for him moving forward.
Curry has made 39 appearances for the Warriors so far this season, averaging 27.2 points per game, his best mark in three seasons. The Warriors are locked into a play-in spot as Curry looks to find his rhythm before the postseason begins.
As Spears notes (via Twitter), Curry will likely play short stretches and will aim to hit about 25 minutes in his first game since January 30. ESPN’s Anthony Slater adds (via Twitter) that Golden State has five games in eight days leading up to the play-in, so the team will look to manage his minutes accordingly.
Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area adds that Stephen’s Seth Curry is also listed as available for tonight’s game (Twitter link).
Draymond Green had a two-word response when he spoke about Steph’s return on his podcast, according to Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area: “Thank God.”
Southeast Notes: Mosley, George, Jovic, Hawks
The Magic have had a disappointing year relative to their preseason expectations. They have played at around a .500 level since a 10-4 run in November and find themselves just a half-game ahead of the 10th-seed Heat coming into Sunday’s game against the Pelicans.
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes that the team is likely to make head coach Jamahl Mosley the scapegoat for the team’s struggles, a move Bianchi considers to be typical of how NBA teams operate but still misguided.
Bianchi notes the injuries to players like Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Anthony Black that derailed Orlando’s attempts at building momentum throughout the season, but also focuses on the team’s lack of effort and toughness in moments when it matters most, such as losing big games to the Raptors and Hawks while trying to make up ground for the postseason. He suggests that if the Magic fire Mosley, it will not be because he’s a bad coach, but to provide an excuse for a team that has disappointed and shown a lack of heart.
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- Following up on the recent news that Kyshawn George will miss the rest of the Wizards‘ season, head coach Brian Keefe spoke on what he saw from the second-year forward’s season. “He had a terrific year,” Keefe said, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter video link). “This guy made a huge jump, and that’s a credit to him and the amount of work he put in this summer. We’re really excited for a bright future for him.” Keefe added that George planned to work on his body this offseason and called him “a great example for our organization and the kind of guys we want.”
- Nikola Jovic was expected to step into a larger role for the Heat this season after signing a four-year rookie scale extension, but he struggled to adjust to the team’s increased pace and new style, Barry Jackson writes for the Miami Herald. Jovic only appeared in two of Miami’s last 10 games, the most recent one ending with him limping off with a sprained ankle. “Last year was easy because of the offense we ran and the way we played, I kind of knew what my role was,” he said. “This year, with an offense where you don’t have calls and don’t really know where to be at what time, it’s hard for me because sometimes I play five [center], sometimes I play [four], sometimes I have the ball in my hands, sometimes I don’t… It’s hard because you never get similar looks.”
- The Hawks have won four straight games and six of their last seven. With a week to go, they will now face one of their toughest tests of the season as they look to secure a top-six seed, Lauren Williams writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hawks will play the Knicks, the Cavaliers twice, and finally the Heat over the next week, which Williams notes is the second-hardest remaining schedule in the league. With a record of 45-33, they sit two games ahead of the Raptors and Sixers, who are tied for sixth in the East following Toronto’s loss on Sunday.
Cameron Payne Out At Least Two Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Reserve Sixers point guard Cameron Payne will miss at least the next two weeks due to a right hamstring strain, according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones (Twitter link).
Payne exited Saturday’s loss to the Pistons after playing just nine minutes and did not return to the game. An MRI today revealed the strain.
The 31-year-old guard has appeared in 22 games for the Sixers this season, averaging 7.4 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 steals in 17.0 minutes per contest.
Jones notes that this timeline would keep Payne out past the end of the regular season and that he’ll be reevaluated at the two-week mark. The Sixers are currently tied with the Raptors for sixth place in the East following Toronto’s loss the Celtics today, with Philadelphia owning the tie-breaker over Toronto.
Although Payne emerged as a regular rotation player after signing with the Sixers in February, appearing in each of his first 19 games and averaging 18.4 MPG, his playing time had been more sporadic as of late. Prior to Saturday’s outing, he had been a DNP-CD in two of the 76ers’ previous four games and logged just 16 total minutes in the other two.
Draft Notes: Lendeborg, Mara, Prospects, Hurley, Lewis
Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg sprained the MCL in his left knee and sprained his left ankle on a dunk attempt in the first half of Saturday’s Final Four victory over Arizona, but he’s determined to play in Monday’s NCAA final, writes Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com.
“I will be on that floor in that game,” Lendeborg said.
A fifth-year senior who is a projected first-round pick, Lendeborg exited the game twice in the first half after suffering the injuries and played a few minutes in the second half. The 6’9″ forward admitted he was far from 100%.
“I was very scared to guard out there,” Lendeborg said. “And once I did a little bit, it didn’t feel well. I didn’t feel much pain on the plant. So I mean … when I play Monday, I’m going to be a corner three-point shooter.”
Michigan trainer Chris Williams said Lendeborg had limited swelling when the injuries occurred, and told ESPN the Big Ten Player of the Year will receive “around-the-clock” treatment ahead of Monday’s championship game.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Although Lendeborg was productive (11 points and three rebounds), he was limited to just 14 minutes due to foul trouble and the injuries. Michigan center Aday Mara stepped up in a major way in the blowout victory over the Wildcats, finishing with 26 points (on 11-of-16 shooting), nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 30 minutes, writes Forbes contributor Adam Zagoria. “Aday was sensational,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “He was at the rim, catching lobs. He was a force down low. He was a pressure release up top. I mean, he’s such a smart basketball player. And obviously his rim protection — he did a great job on (Koa) Peat. He did a great job forcing a lot of those misses around the basket because of his aggression.” Mara, a 7’3″ junior from Spain, is currently No. 32 on ESPN’s best available players list.
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports listed 24 potential NBA prospects to watch prior to the Final Four, including Lendeborg, Mara, and Peat, among others. UConn defeated Illinois in the other Final Four matchup and will be looking for its third title in four years.
- Speaking of the Huskies, head coach Dan Hurley told Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 that he’s not interested in UNC’s head coaching vacancy (Twitter video link). However, he left the door open for a possible NBA job in the future. “I’m a UConn coach until the end,” Hurley said. “You know, maybe the NBA some day down the line.” The Lakers tried to hire Hurley a couple years ago, but he wound up returning to Storrs on a lucrative long-term contract.
- Villanova freshman Acaden Lewis is entering the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he tells Joe Tipton of On3 (Twitter link). The 6’2″ guard, who was a second-team All-Big East selection in 2025/26, is also entering the transfer portal, Tipton adds.
Injury Notes: Quickley, Edwards, Highsmith, Pels, Mavs
Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley was out for the eighth consecutive game on Sunday vs. Boston, but it sounds like he’s getting closer to returning from plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The 26-year-old went through on-court workouts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and hasn’t experienced any setbacks as he ramps up his activity, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
Quickley has made 67 appearances (32.4 minutes per game) for Toronto in 2025/26, averaging 16.9 points, 6.0 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals on .445/.374/.821 shooting. The Raptors have missed Quickley’s ability to stretch the floor over the past few weeks — they’ve gone 5-5 without him this season, compared to a 38-29 record when he’s active.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards continues to deal with patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee and was ruled out of Sunday’s contest vs. Charlotte after previously being listed as questionable (Twitter link via the Wolves). It’s a big game for Minnesota, which would secure a playoff berth if it wins and Phoenix loses to Chicago.
- The Suns are hopeful forward Haywood Highsmith will return to action before the regular season ends, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter video link), but time is running out for that to happen. Head coach Jordan Ott said Highsmith hasn’t experienced any setbacks since he aggravated a right knee injury on March 17. “He is trending in the right direction,” Ott said. “Just not as much on the floor right now. He’s getting there. Just no play yet.” The 29-year-old was out for the ninth consecutive game Sunday.
- Karlo Matkovic (low back spasms), Trey Murphy III (right ankle sprain) and Dejounte Murray will all be sidelined on Sunday when the Pelicans face Orlando, the team announced (via Twitter). It’s the third straight absence for Matkovic and second for Murray. New Orleans is mired in a seven-game losing streak.
- The Mavericks are expected to get a couple of frontcourt players back on Sunday against the Lakers, Grant Afseth writes in a pair of stories for Dallas Hoops Journal. P.J. Washington has been cleared to return after missing three games due to an illness, while Marvin Bagley III (left shoulder impingement) is probable to suit up. Bagley has also missed the team’s last three games.