Bam Adebayo Becomes Second-Highest Single-Game Scorer In NBA History
Bam Adebayo scored 83 points in the Heat‘s victory over the Wizards on Tuesday, becoming the sole owner of the second-highest scoring game in NBA history.
In doing so, Adebayo passed Kobe Bryant‘s longstanding 81-point second-place mark, which the former Lakers star recorded on January 22, 2006.
Adebayo went 20-of-43 from the field, including 7-of-22 from three-point range, and 36-for-43 from the free throw line. He broke the NBA record for made free throws (previously 28, by Adrian Dantley and Wilt Chamberlain), attempted free throws (previously 39, by Dwight Howard), and became the first player ever to ever attempts 30 or more free throws and 20 or more three-pointers in a game, per The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov (Twitter link).
By the end of the night, the Wizards were triple-teaming Adebayo and intentionally fouling his teammates just to keep the Heat’s center off the free-throw line, but a quick spin move in transition drew the shooting foul and allowed Adebayo to reach his goal. He was subbed out soon after getting to 83 points.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra said the three-time All-Star made his decision-making down the stretch easy.
“I didn’t even dare think about taking him out,” Spoelstra said, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).
Chamberlain’s 100-point record has remained unbroken since March 2, 1962.
Tyrese Maxey To Be Reevaluated In Three Weeks With Finger Injury
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey has been diagnosed with a tendon injury in his right pinkie and will be reevaluated in three weeks, Shams Charania reports for ESPN (Twitter link).
Maxey sustained the injury during Saturday’s game against the Hawks and consequently underwent imaging and consultations with specialists, as Charania notes.
The Sixers are currently without Maxey’s co-stars, Joel Embiid and Paul George, and have struggled of late, losing nine of their last 14 games and falling to eighth in the East heading into Tuesday’s action. Embiid will have his strained oblique evaluated this week, while George is still a couple weeks away from returning from his 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.
Maxey has been having a career year, making his second All-Star game while averaging 29.0 points and 6.7 assists per game, both of which are personal bests. He is set to miss at least 11 games, which could put his end-of-year awards eligibility in danger. He needs to make at least four more appearances to reach the 65-game minimum.
Clippers’ Niederhauser Undergoes Season-Ending Foot Surgery
March 10: Niederhauser underwent surgery on Tuesday, the team announced on Twitter. He is without a timetable to return, but will miss the rest of the 2025/26 season.
March 5: Rookie center Yanic Konan Niederhauser has been diagnosed with a Lisfranc injury in his right foot and will undergo season-ending surgery, the Clippers announced on Thursday.
Niederhauser sustained the injury during Wednesday’s victory over Indiana. He had six points, four rebounds and two blocks in eight minutes during that game.
The Clippers selected Niederhauser with the 30th and final first-round pick in the 2025 draft. The Swiss big man spent time in the G League to open 2025/26, but had been playing some of his best basketball as of late, including recording 11 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and two steals in 21 minutes during Monday’s win over Golden State.
“Yeah, he’s a game-changer,” head coach Tyronn Lue said after the game in San Francisco (story via Janis Carr of The Orange County Register). “I think his ability to roll to the basket, get offensive rebounds (is important), but the biggest thing is just defensively challenging every shot, blocking shots at the rim, but his energy was really good for us.”
According to Carr, Niederhauser said he worked on playing with more energy ahead of his rookie season, since he was criticized for being lackadaisical at times coming out of college — the 22-year-old spent two years at North Illinois prior to a breakout junior seasons with Penn State.
“I got questioned a lot for my motor,” Niederhauser said. “For a lot of people, I got questioned for that, so I took that seriously. I took that personally and worked a lot this summer during all the games.
“I played in the (G League), all the games I played here in the NBA, I was trying to go 100% and work on my motor like that. So, now every time I’m out there, I just give everything I got and that’s the way I keep working on my motor.”
Niederhauser’s debut NBA campaign will end after 41 appearances. He averaged 4.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 10.3 minutes per game. Trade deadline addition Isaiah Jackson should continue to play an increased role with Niederhauser out.
Jazz Waive Vince Williams Jr.
4:14 pm: Williams has officially been waived, the Jazz confirmed in a press release.
1:11 pm: The Jazz are waiving injured guard Vince Williams Jr., Kevin Reynolds of the Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Williams suffered an ACL tear in his left knee in a game against the Rockets on Feb. 23, just his sixth game with his new team. In addition to ending Williams’ 2025/26 season, the injury is also likely to keep him sidelined for a significant chunk of ’26/27.
The 47th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Williams was acquired by Utah from Memphis last month along with Jaren Jackson Jr. and two other players. In six games with the Jazz, Williams averaged 4.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per night. The former Toledo guard played in 34 games with the Grizzlies prior to being traded, averaging 8.0 PPG, 4.4 APG and 4.0 RPG in 21.6 MPG.
Williams has a $2.3MM contract this season. The Jazz held a $2.5MM team option on his contract for 2026/27, which will automatically be declined if he clears waivers.
Utah chose to open up a roster spot due to a wave of injuries. Jackson, Jusuf Nurkic and Walker Kessler had already been declared out for the season and Lauri Markkanen is sidelined with a hip injury.
The Jazz will now have 13 players on their standard roster, plus Mo Bamba, who is on a 10-day deal.
Nets’ Egor Dëmin Done For Season Due To Foot Injury
Nets guard Egor Dëmin will miss the remainder of the 2025/26 season due to increased plantar fasciitis in his left foot, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).
The Russian rookie is expected to resume basketball activities early in the offseason and be a full participant in the team’s summer development program, per the Nets.
Dëmin played one college season at BYU prior to being selected No. 8 overall in last year’s draft. The 6’8″ guard was viewed as a long-term developmental prospect after averaging 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals on .412/.272/.695 shooting in 33 appearances (27.5 minutes per game) with the Cougars last season.
In 52 games with Brooklyn in 2025/26, Dëmin averaged 10.3 PPG, 3.3 APG and 3.2 RPG in 25.2 MPG. The 20-year-old drastically improved from three-point range (38.5%) and the free throw line (81.3%) compared to his freshman year, though he didn’t draw many fouls (1.3 FTA) and struggled to convert inside the arc (43.3% on 2.4 attempts per game).
Dëmin missed most of training camp and the preseason while rehabilitating from a plantar fascia tear in his left foot. He had missed Brooklyn’s last four games after feeling more pain in his foot.
“He’s struggled with plantar fasciitis, and the soreness has increased lately,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said last week. “So we’re being cautious and trying to figure out what’s the best way for him moving forward.”
Fellow rookie guards Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf are candidates for more playing time with Dëmin sidelined.
Victor Wembanyama, Tyler Herro Named Players Of Week
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and Heat guard Tyler Herro have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league (Twitter links). The weekly award covers games played from March 2-8.
Wembanyama averaged 26.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.8 blocks per game as San Antonio went 4-0 last week. It’s the second weekly award this season for the former No. 1 overall pick and the third of his career.
The Player of the Week honor continues an impressive run of award recognition for Wembanyama, who last week was named the Western Conference’s Player of the Month and Defensive Player of the Month for February.
Herro averaged 26.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 51.7 percent from three-point range as Miami also went 4-0 last week. This marks Herro’s second career Player of the Week award and his first of the season. He has been limited to just 20 appearances so far due to injuries but has been highly productive when available, averaging 22.1 PPG on .500/.402/.917 shooting.
Devin Booker (Suns), Luka Dončić (Lakers), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Jrue Holiday (Trail Blazers) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) were the other nominees from the Western Conference. Bam Adebayo (Heat), Paolo Banchero (Magic), Jalen Johnson (Hawks) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were also nominated in the East.
Heat To Receive Second-Rounder From Hornets To Resolve Rozier Dispute
The Heat will receive a 2026 second-round pick from the Hornets as additional compensation for the Terry Rozier trade made in January 2024, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
The pick will be the most favorable of the Warriors’ and the Nuggets’ second-rounders this June, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel tweets. Given that Denver is 6.5 games ahead of Golden State in the standings, Miami will almost certainly receive the Warriors’ selection.
A dispute between the Southeast Division clubs arose due to Rozier’s alleged involvement in an illegal betting scheme. Rozier has been on indefinite leave all season after being arrested in October on federal charges related to illegal gambling.
The Heat were reportedly unaware of the unusual betting activity — or the NBA’s investigation — tied to Rozier (he was a member of the Hornets at the time) when they traded for him in January 2024, several months after the incident took place.
This past December, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he was “sympathetic” to Miami’s plight and was seeking a resolution.
“This is an unprecedented situation,” Silver said. “And I think I’m incredibly sympathetic to the Heat and to their fans. But I think we’re going to try to work something through, work this out with them. … But this is an unfortunate circumstance. But sometimes there’s these unique events and maybe sometimes they require unique solutions. So we’ll be looking at this with the Heat and the other teams in the league and see if there’s any satisfactory relief.”
Miami still owes Charlotte a future first-round pick from that deal — it will be top-14 protected in 2027, and if it does not convey, the Heat will send the Hornets an unprotected first-rounder in 2028.
Rozier was originally placed on unpaid leave shortly after the federal charges were lodged. He later won an arbitration case, allowing him to collect his full $26.6MM salary. While Rozier remains on Miami’s roster, there’s still a possibility he could be waived before the end of the regular season.
Ja Morant Discusses JJJ Trade, Possible Return This Season
Ja Morant was one of the most discussed players in the NBA heading into the trade deadline, but the Grizzlies guard hadn’t made any public comments since January 21, when he suffered a UCL sprain in his left elbow. That changed on Saturday as Morant conducted a pregame session with reporters, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes.
Just as he did at a January press conference in Berlin, Morant stuck to short answers while still expressing his opinion on a variety of topics, including the surprising trade that sent Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah last month. Morant called that deal, which sent away another core member of Memphis’ last playoff team, “difficult.”
“I wasn’t a fan of it,” he replied, “but it’s a business, so, like I told him, he’s been a pro for eight years now, so continue to be that.”
Trade rumors surrounding Morant began to percolate roughly two months ago when sources told The Commercial Appeal that the team was willing to listen to offers. None of those offers turned out to be good enough, but the Grizzlies are expected to renew their pursuit of a deal this summer.
General manager Zach Kleiman has stated that the team is looking to get younger, and Morant’s contract, which pays him more than $87MM over the next two years, could be burdensome for an organization that’s not expected to be a contender.
Although Morant has clashed with head coach Tuomas Iisalo since he was appointed late last season, he said on Saturday that he enjoys being in Memphis and would like to remain with the team.
“Why can’t I be? I’ve been happy this whole time,” Morant said.
Reporters pressed him on the subject, asking if he believes he’ll still be with the Grizzlies next season.
“I hope so,” Morant said. “You would know more than me. The internet is right there. Everything you’re asking me has been on the internet.”
Morant also discussed the injury that has kept him out of action for more than six weeks. He still feels discomfort in the elbow, especially when he tries to make a cross-body pass.
“If I was basically whipping a pass to the opposite side with that hand is the biggest problem,” Morant said. “Other than that, I feel like I can fight through it, but also still have to be smart.”
Morant added that he hopes to return at some point this season and doesn’t think he’ll need time to recondition because the injury doesn’t affect his legs. He believes he can adapt to a core of Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Cam Spencer and Jaylen Wells as easily as he did with his former teammates.
“The same I would fit with any other team,” Morant said. “Just whatever Ja brings to the table.”
Nikola Vucevic Expected To Miss A Month With Fractured Finger
March 7: Vucevic underwent ORIF surgery on Saturday morning to stabilize a fracture in his right ring finger, according to a team update (Twitter link). Vucevic will be reevaluated in three-to-four weeks.
March 6: Veteran center Nikola Vucevic fractured the ring finger on his right (shooting) hand and will miss the remainder of Friday’s game vs. Dallas, the Celtics announced (via Twitter).
Vucevic will undergo surgery on Saturday and is expected to miss about a month, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).
According to Brian Robb of MassLive, Vucevic sustained the injury in the first quarter of Friday’s contest. The 35-year-old played under two minutes prior to exiting the court with the team’s trainers. X-rays revealed the broken finger.
Vucevic, who is playing on an expiring $21.5MM contract, will be an unrestricted this summer if he doesn’t sign a veteran extension with Boston before July 1, the start of the new league year.
The 16th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Vucevic spent his rookie season with Philadelphia, then was traded to Orlando in the 2012 offseason as part of the four-team deal that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers. Vucevic played eight-and-a-half years for the Magic prior to being traded to Chicago ahead of the 2021 deadline.
Vucevic spent six years with the Bulls, who traded him to the Celtics last month. Entering Friday, he had made 11 appearances with Boston, averaging 11.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists on .445/.351/.824 shooting in 23.5 minutes per game.
Luka Garza is likely to receive most of the minutes at the backup five with Vucevic out, Robb notes.
Suns’ Dillon Brooks Arrested On Suspicion Of DUI
3:25 pm: According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), Brooks’ arrest was related to cannabis and not alcohol. The nine-year veteran was released without being charged, Gambadoro adds.
11:13 am: Suns forward Dillon Brooks was pulled over for traffic violations at about 1:00 am in Scottsdale, Arizona on Friday morning and was charged about a half-hour later on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to local police. TMZ first broke the news that Brooks had been arrested on DUI charges, while The Arizona Republic provided additional details.
According to the two outlets, Brooks was transported to Scottsdale City jail and was booked and released from custody around 3:30 am. The 30-year-old was “respectful and cooperative” throughout the process, per TMZ.
“We are aware of the situation involving Dillon Brooks and are gathering more information,” the Suns said in a statement, according to the Arizona Republic. “We have no further comment at this time.”
DUI cases can result in suspensions, but the NBA typically doesn’t make a ruling until after the case concludes. The league’s decision would depend in part on whether the prosecutor’s office files charges, as well as Brooks’ plea in that scenario.
Brooks had been enjoying a career year in his first season in Phoenix after being traded from the Rockets to the Suns in the Kevin Durant blockbuster last summer. He has averaged 20.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 30.6 minutes per night on .440/.343/.856 shooting, and led the upstart Suns to a 30-20 record in the 50 games he played.
However, Brooks fractured his left hand last month and required surgery to repair the break. He was ruled out for four-to-six weeks at the time and likely won’t return until late in the season.