Houston has now won eight games in a row and climbed to second in the West. According to Houston Chronicle’s Danielle Lerner, the Rockets’ energy is high nearing the postseason.

“We’re just hooping,” forward Tari Eason said. “The overall motto that I say is, ‘Just have fun.’ You know, basketball is fun. Sometimes we get caught up in this or that or just narratives, or whatever the case may be, but I think we’re out there having fun. When you’re out there having fun, you play free. You play better.”

Several veterans and young players are helping the Rockets make the push.

“We don’t have one guy,” Alperen Sengun said. “Jalen [Green] is scoring guy, but we have every day, some different guys. So we don’t really care who scores. Everybody do their job. I get my rebounds. Tari, you have to rebound, Jabari [Smith], you have to get the rebounds. You know, we just all make each other’s job easy and I think that’s the really important thing about us, and I think that’s being helping us to win.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

• Rockets guard Amen Thompson was upgraded to probable ahead of Friday’s game against the Heat, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Thompson hasn’t played since March 8 as he works his way back from a foot injury. He’s averaging 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in 60 games (33 starts) this season.
• The Grizzlies are still seeking late-game continuity, Michael Wallace of Grind City Media writes. When complete, Memphis is one of the most complete contenders. However, Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane have only played 30 games together this season. “We’ve been a resilient team all season; that’s just been part of this team’s journey,” coach Taylor Jenkins said. “But there has to be an urgency that we play with on both sides of the floor.“
• Even though the Pelicans are eliminated from playoff contention, they haven’t called it quits on the season, Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes. That was evident after their impressive road win over Minnesota on Wednesday followed a 46-point loss to Detroit earlier in the week.

According to Udoka, Thompson will travel with the team on its two-game road trip to Orlando on Wednesday and Miami on Friday and has “one more hurdle to pass” before he’s cleared to return — he’s still not taking full contact.

“If he does that, could be Miami, could be when we get back (from the road trip),” Udoka said. “Swelling has gone down, pain’s gone down. Flexibility, mobility has gone up, and he’s just got to go through a contact portion. Once he does that we’re going to see how he reacts to that and he’ll be good to go after. So hopefully, sooner than later.”

Thompson, who has missed Houston’s past five games, is enjoying a second-year breakout, with averages of 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in 60 outings (33 starts) this season.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

• In an in-depth feature story for ESPN.com, Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright take a behind-the-scenes look at Gregg Popovich‘s recovery from the stroke he suffered in the fall, noting that it remains up in the air whether the longtime Spurs head coach will return to the sidelines next season. “It’s Pop’s decision,” a source close to the situation told ESPN. “He’s earned that.”
• The Grizzlies fell to Sacramento on Monday despite getting 44 points from Desmond Bane, just three days after losing to Cleveland in a game in which Ja Morant scored 44 of his own. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, the team’s top three offensive scorers – Morant, Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., who had 31 in Saturday’s win – are all playing well recently, but the challenge for the Grizzlies will be to have them all available and get them all going at the same time. Morant has missed the past two games due to shoulder and hamstring issues.
• Mavericks assistant coach Alex Jensen, who has been hired as the University of Utah’s new head coach, explained on Monday that he feels like finishing the season in Dallas is “the right thing to do,” even though it might make it “a little more difficult” to build out his Utes staff. John Coon of The Associated Press has the story and the quotes from Jensen.

“We didn’t come out with the right mindset,” Desmond Bane said. “We messed up some coverages early in the game and allowed them to get comfortable. When a good team like that gets comfortable, it’s going to be a long night.”

Losing to elite teams has been a frequent problem for the Grizzlies, Guillory notes, despite the fact that they’re 42-25 and entered Friday’s game second in the West. They’re just 1-5 in the six games they’ve played against Cleveland, Boston and Oklahoma City, and they’ve trailed by at least 20 points in four of the five losses.

“They’re good teams. They’re on a roll,” Jaren Jackson Jr. said. “We’ve just got to be better defensively in those situations. We can’t make excuses about anything, even when we’re not shooting well. We’ve got to be able to guard.”

There’s more from Memphis:

• The Grizzlies have been starting rookies Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey for much of the season, but coach Taylor Jenkins has been reducing their playing time lately, Guillory adds. Wells was limited to 17 minutes Friday night and Edey played 11 as the Cavs became the latest team to target them both on defense and offense. Scotty Pippen Jr. and Brandon Clarke provided strong minutes off the bench, but Guillory states that Jenkins is still searching for effective combinations to go alongside Morant, Bane and Jackson.
• Morant is missing Saturday’s game against Miami due to soreness in his right shoulder, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter). Vince Williams Jr. is also being held out because of pain in his right ankle.
• Tonight marks the jersey retirement ceremony for Grizzlies legend Tony Allen, who played in Memphis from 2010-17. Known as “The Grindfather,” Allen embodied the “Grit ‘n’ Grind” spirit of the teams from that era. Longtime teammate Mike Conley couldn’t attend because of his duties with the Timberwolves, but he sent a video message, tweets Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian. “We embraced it. It became our identity,” Conley said. “I’m not the loudest person or most physical person in the world, but I felt like I was when I was out there with Tony and Marc (Gasol) and Zach (Randolph). Together we were like, ‘Oh, we’re gonna beat you up.’ That’s just who we felt like we were, and it kind of started with that phrase and the personnel behind it because we didn’t just say it, we actually believed it and acted on that. And nobody could tell us different.”

Dallas wraps up its road trip at Boston on Thursday, then hosts Houston on Saturday.

We have more Western Conference news:

• Jazz guard Collin Sexton sprained his left ankle as he drove to the basket in the first quarter against the Pacers on Monday, according to The Associated Press. Sexton, Utah’s second-leading scorer at 18.7 points per game, didn’t return, and will undergo further evaluation Tuesday. Sexton is considered a prime trade candidate. He has one year and $19.175MM remaining on his contract after this season.
• Zach LaVine is expected to suit up for the Kings on Wednesday, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets. Sacramento’s acquisition of LaVine became official on Monday. LaVine hasn’t played since last Monday due to the birth of his child.
• Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane has a foot sprain but it’s not considered serious, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets. Bane underwent an MRI on Monday morning. Coach Taylor Jenkins said it was good news, based on the potential outcomes, so it appears Bane won’t be out an extended period. Bane is averaging 17.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per night.
• The Trail Blazers are open to trading Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Highkin believes if Grant or Simons are moved, the Trail Blazers would prefer a player they can add to their long-term core, rather than prioritizing draft picks. Robert Williams is another potential trade piece but the bar is higher than most people would think for the big man, as a package of second-round picks probably wouldn’t be enough for Portland’s front office, Highkin writes.

The Grizzlies went 2-3 without Morant, who is averaging 21.2 points, 7.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. He finished with 27 points in a narrow loss to the Rockets in his return.

Morant wasn’t the only Grizzlies player back in action on Thursday, as Santi Aldama and Desmond Bane also made their returns. Aldama missed six games with an ankle injury, while Bane was only absent for Monday’s game against Dallas.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

• The Grizzlies got more good news on the injury front, as GG Jackson was assigned to the Memphis Hustle for practice on Thursday (Twitter link via team). That means Jackson has practiced for three straight days, twice with the Hustle and once with the Grizzlies. Jackson hasn’t played at all this season after suffering an offseason foot injury, but was a bright spot last year when the Grizzlies were decimated by injuries, as he averaged 14.6 points while shooting 35.7% from deep as a rookie. He was elevated from a two-way contract to a standard deal after being the No. 45 pick in the 2023 draft.
• Victor Wembanyama is establishing himself as the league’s best defender, with plenty of room to grow at 21 years old, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. He’s leading the NBA in blocks by a wide margin. “It just strikes fear in opponents’ hearts,” Julian Champagnie said. “That’s the best part about it. It’s like, yeah, he’s tall. He almost blocks every shot that comes his way. So anybody who’s going to the basket, you got that little double-take to see where he’s at.” In another article by Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News, players talked about what it takes to approach a defender like Wembanyama.
• After suffering a shoulder sprain, Pelicans forward Herbert Jones will miss Friday’s game against the Sixers, Will Guillory of The Athletic relays (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Trey Murphy will miss his third straight game with an ankle sprain.

Morant, who suffered the injury against the Pelicans on Friday, underwent season-ending surgery in January to repair a labral tear in the same shoulder.

Morant has flashed All-Star form in his return this season, averaging 21.2 points, 7.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 27.7 minutes per game. He has appeared in 20 of the team’s 33 contests, missing eight consecutive games in November due to a posterior hip subluxation.

The latest injury will likely prevent Morant from making any All-NBA teams this season. Players are required to appear in 65 games to be considered for major awards.

Morant was limited to nine games last season due to a league suspension and then the shoulder injury.

Another prominent Memphis guard, Marcus Smart, is dealing with a finger injury and is expected to miss at least a couple weeks of action.

With Morant and Smart sidelined, Scotty Pippen Jr. will join Desmond Bane in the starting backcourt. Luke Kennard and two-way rookie Cam Spencer are the top options off the bench.

Houston expressed interest in trading for Kevin Durant this past summer and was immediately rebuffed by Phoenix. According to Stein, similar rumors are starting to percolate about a potential down-the-line Rockets pursuit of Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

As we’ve relayed, the Bucks aren’t expected to entertain any offers for their franchise legend even amid a 4-9 start to the year. But the Rockets’ treasure chest of draft assets and young players could put them in prime position to be a suitor if Antetokounmpo ever decides to ask out of Milwaukee.

Stein notes that Giannis has an admiration for Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon. Antetokounmpo is selective about who he works out with, but hasn’t been shy about training with Olajuwon, who Steins says would be a strong recruiter in this specific scenario.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

• After missing the first 12 games of the season for the Grizzlies, rotation wing Vince Williams Jr. made his return on Friday, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes (Subscriber link). In his first two games back with the team, Williams is averaging 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists as part of the rotation. Williams broke out for the Grizzlies last season, starting in 33 games and averaging 10.0 PPG. Meanwhile, Desmond Bane returned from a seven-game absence on Friday, playing off the bench for the first time since his rookie season. He started the team’s next game on Sunday.
• Grizzlies rookie center Zach Edey exited Sunday’s contest against the Nuggets with an ankle injury and did not return ESPN reports. It’s unclear what the severity of Edey’s injury is, but he left when the Grizzlies were up by 18 points, so there’s a chance he was held out for the rest of the game as a precautionary measure.
• Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic continues to be listed as probable on the team’s injury reports, but the type of injury he’s dealing with in recent games has changed. According to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal, Doncic was affected by a left groin strain before that listing was changed to a right knee contusion. When asked about his injury status, Doncic said he feels “a little bit less” than 100% right now. “I mean, it’s probably a matter of time, just, there’s not a lot of time to rest, but I’ll get better. I promise,” Doncic said.
• The Pelicans are 2-8 in their last 10 games as injuries continue to mount, with almost every member of their regular rotation suffering some sort of injury. New Orleans’ most recent loss came to former Pelicans player JJ Redick‘s Lakers. According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, Redick acknowledged that New Orleans’ health issues are preventing them from reaching their potential. Redick played in New Orleans from 2019-21 alongside Brandon Ingram, who finished Saturday’s game with 32 points and eight assists, and Zion Williamson, who missed the matchup with an injury. “With Zion, the biggest thing is him being healthy,” Redick said. “We all want to see Zion perform and play because he’s a special player. I got a chance my second year, before I got traded, to see sort of the version 1.0 of Point Zion. It’s been fun to watch that from afar as he’s gotten opportunities to initiate the offense and be the ball handler in the pick and roll.“

“It was just a huge opportunity,” Jackson told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “I haven’t ever been put in a position to be that offensively free in probably my life. Just getting those experiences, I can take that to any year that I have going forward.”

“Last year was a huge boost in his growth offensively,” head coach Taylor Jenkins added. “It was definitely an unintended opportunity, obviously as unfortunate as last season was, but his development was one of the brightest spots I could see.”

Jackson has carried those offensive strides over to ’24/25, matching his career-high 22.5 points per game through his first 10 outings and scoring much more efficiently (.547 FG%, .392 3PT%) than he did a year ago (.444/.320).

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, meanwhile, served a 25-game suspension to start the season, then was active for just nine games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury that kept him out of action for the next 10 months. Obviously, that wasn’t an ideal outcome for the rising star, but he believes the experience could benefit him in the long run.

“I’d say it was for the better,” Morant said, per MacMahon. “It allowed me to lock in mentally, focus more. I was able to be around my family a lot during my recovery process, being able to travel, feel human again, go to my AAU teams’ games, watch them win, watch the joy that they have being out there playing. It had me itching to get back on the floor.”

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

• Morant is still on crutches and is considered week-to-week as he recovers from a right hip subluxation and pelvic muscle strains, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who spoke to sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon Michael Gerhardt about Morant’s diagnosis and potential recovery timeline. “Based on what the reports are, I’d say it could be anywhere from three-to-six weeks for a return to play,” Gerhardt said, noting that the injury is an uncommon one for basketball players.
• Ahead of this year’s draft, some teams didn’t have Zach Edey on their first-round boards, sources tell MacMahon. However, the Grizzlies were happy to select him with the No. 9 overall pick and made him a day-one starter. Edey has come off the bench in Memphis’ past three games, but Jenkins said that move wasn’t meant to be a demotion for the rookie and that it was designed to let the team evaluate different lineup combinations. Mark Medina of Athlon Sports has more on the Grizzlies’ belief in Edey and the early stages of his NBA career.
• Vince Williams (left tibial stress reaction), who has yet to make his season debut, isn’t the only injured Grizzlies player who is close to returning. Desmond Bane (right oblique strain) is also listed as questionable to play on Friday in Golden State after missing Memphis’ past seven games, tweets Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com. Both Williams and Bane participated in today’s shootaround and their availability vs. the Warriors will be determined after pregame workouts, Wallace adds.

According to the team, swingman Desmond Bane (right oblique strain) and guard Marcus Smart (right ankle sprain) are both considered week-to-week after suffering injuries on Wednesday vs. Brooklyn.

While that’s a somewhat vague timeline, it sounds like the duo is at least expected to miss upcoming games against Philadelphia (on Saturday), Brooklyn (Monday), and the Lakers (Wednesday) and could be out well beyond that.

Second-year wing Vince Williams, who is recovering from a stress reaction in the upper portion of his left tibia, continues to make progress in his rehab process, but is still a little ways off from returning. According to the Grizzlies, Williams is on track to make it back to game action in about two-to-four weeks.

The club also provided an update on two-way guard Cam Spencer, the 53rd pick in this year’s draft. Originally diagnosed in September with a right ankle sprain, Spencer is also dealing with a talar stress reaction that he sustained at the same time, per the Grizzlies. The plan is to reevaluate the rookie in three weeks.

Memphis was the NBA’s most injury-plagued team last season, with Bane (42 games played) and Smart (20 games) among the key players who missed significant time due to various ailments. Star point guard Ja Morant also only played nine times between serving a 25-game suspension and going down with a season-ending shoulder injury.

There has been hope that a bounce-back year would be in the cards with better health luck, and that still could happen, but the season is off to an ominous start on the health front. In addition to the four players noted above, the Grizzlies are also missing forward GG Jackson, who is recovering from foot surgery.

Memphis may soon qualify for a hardship exception, which would allow the team to add an extra or player or two on top of the 15 currently on standard contracts.

A club qualifies for an extra short-term roster spot when it has at least four injured players who have missed three or more consecutive games and are expected to remain out for at least two more weeks. Jackson and Spencer fit that bill, and Williams should too — if either Bane or Smart is expected to have a multi-week absence, the club could apply for a hardship exception after Monday’s game, which will be the third that Bane and Smart have missed.

Head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters, including Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link), that both players underwent imaging on Thursday, but that the team is still waiting to get the results and to speak to doctors about the severity of the injuries.

As Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes tweets, oblique strains like the one Bane suffered typically cost players multiple games — the average time missed with an oblique strain, according to Stotts’ injury database, is 11.6 days (4.2 games).

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

• Magic forward Paolo Banchero is off to a hot start this season, averaging 29.0 points and 8.8 rebounds in his first five games, but he may not be able to suit up on Friday in a postseason rematch. According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Banchero has been diagnosed with a right abdominal strain and is listed as questionable to play vs. Cleveland.
• Further testing confirmed that Zach LaVine has sustained a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network, who tweets that the Bulls guard is considered questionable to play against Brooklyn on Friday.
• On the heels of his best game of the season, Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns is being listed as questionable for Friday’s game in Detroit due to a sprained left wrist.
• Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (right shoulder strain) and guard CJ McCollum (right adductor soreness) will be reevaluated on Friday in New Orleans, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link), but the duo has already been ruled out for tomorrow’s game vs. Indiana, the club announced in a press release.
• Thunder forward Kenrich Williams, who underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his knee in September, is making progress toward a return. He was assigned to the Oklahoma City Blue on Wednesday to practice with the Thunder’s G League affiliate, according to the team.

“Everything I’ve been through, I wanna remember that feeling I felt each time, no matter what situation it was,” he said, per Jason Munz of The Memphis Commerical Appeal. “I feel like it helped me a lot, it helped me grow more into a better Ja. Right now, you know, I’m probably the happiest I feel like I’ve been in a while. You know just having my family, my AAU team and the little things I was doing to keep me going and that makes me happy being able to do it this offseason – catching up with a lot of my family has been good.

“… I feel like a happy Ja is a scary Ja for a lot of people. So, long as I stay happy and healthy, it’ll be a great season.”

Morant wasn’t the only Grizzlies player to be affected by health problems last season. Nearly every one of the team’s rotation players missed time due to various injuries, but Morant and fellow cornerstones Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane are healthy this fall and the star point guard is bullish about the potential of the 2024/25 squad.

“I honestly feel like this is one of the best rosters we’ve had, you know, on paper, depth-wise,” Morant said. “And now being able to see the guys go out and when we’re playing and stuff, it gives me even more confidence. I feel like we’re pretty much loaded at every position. It’s gonna be interesting to see how it all pans out.”

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

• Derrick Rose‘s retirement wasn’t something the Grizzlies had expected this fall, but they were happy to accommodate him when he asked to be let out of his contract in order to call it a career, head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said on Monday, according to Munz. “First, congrats to Derrick Rose on his retirement. Really glad that Derrick was with us for a season,” Kleiman said. “We got a call – it was classic Derrick fashion. Completely respect Derrick, the person he is and the decision he decided to make. But, got a call out of left field from his agent last weekend. ‘He’s ready to ride off into the sunset.'”
• Kleiman made it clear during his media session on Monday that Morant, Jackson, and Bane are the three players the Grizzlies are building around now and going forward, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal relays. “I think that’s one of, if not the best three-man cores in the NBA,” Kleiman said. “I firmly believe that. We’ve spent years trying to think about what are the type of players that fit best around them, and I think every year we have trended more and more in that direction.”
• Already without Vince Williams (leg) and GG Jackson (foot) for training camp, the Grizzlies are also missing two-way player Cam Spencer for now as he deals with an ankle sprain Kleiman described as “moderate,” according to Cole. “A little bit shorter-handed than we’d like to be,” Kleiman said. “… It’s next man up. Down to the two-ways. We feel strongly about each of the three two-ways on the roster. They’re guys who can potentially contribute.”
• The Grizzlies are carrying just 13 players on standard contracts for now and could wait as late as two weeks into the regular season to add a 14th man if they so choose. Kleiman didn’t offer any real hints on Monday about who might fill that spot, as Cole notes. “I think realistically, you’ll see someone in the 14th spot before we start the regular season,” Kleiman said. “Don’t hold me to that. Not promising it. Over the course of training camp and preseason, we’ll evaluate.”
• Reserve wing John Konchar said his goal in 2024/25 is to make at least 38% of his three-pointers, tweets Cole. Konchar was a 40.6% three-point shooter in his first three NBA seasons, but knocked down just 33.0% in the past two seasons.

According to Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins, Morant and several other players who suffered significant injuries are making good progress. Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., Ziaire Williams, Vince Williams and Marcus Smart were among the other Grizzlies players who missed chunks of time due to injury this season.

“Everything is going well,” Jenkins said on Tuesday. “Ja is the only one when June rolls around, he’s going to be pretty close to full go on the court. Everything that everyone was dealing with towards the end of the season is in a good place right now.”

Morant’s season was essentially a washout. He missed the first 25 games of the season due to an NBA suspension, then averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds in nine games after the suspension, including a game-winning shot against New Orleans on Dec. 19 in his return to action.

Morant was then diagnosed with a labral tear in his right shoulder after a training session. At the time of his January surgery, the recovery process was outlined as a six-month process.

Grizzlies head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said in April that there wasn’t a timeline on Morant’s full availability, but that he was “expected to be fully cleared for basketball activities maybe halfway through the offseason.”

Morant will be entering the second year of his five-year, max contract.

The judge ruled the Grizzlies’ guard “enjoys a presumption of civil immunity” under Tennessee’s self-defense immunity statute and that the burden of proof shifts to his accuser, Joshua Holloway, whose legal team must prove that Morant didn’t act in self-defense. A trial had been scheduled for late April, Holmes writes, but is now expected to be pushed back to a later date.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

• Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said there’s a “good chance” Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane won’t play again this season, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets. Jackson’s current injury is listed as right quad tendonitis, while Bane has a lumbar disc bulge. Both Jackson (22.5 points per game) and Bane (23.7) are averaging career highs in scoring.
• Hornets forward Grant Williams says he has harbors no ill will toward the Mavericks for trading him after Dallas added him in a sign-and-trade last offseason, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News tweets. “No hard feelings on my end or, I think, their end,” he said. “We communicated well throughout the process. (Dallas GM) Nico (Harrison), I respect those guys a lot from an honesty perspective.”
• Even Mavericks teammates marvel at the ability of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, according to The Athletic’s Tim Cato. “I never play NBA 2K, so I don’t know if there’s a self-created player who does stuff like they do,” Maxi Kleber said. “But it’s just incredible what they do.”
• Pelicans forward Zion Williamson took note that teams were seeking him out defensively and he’s playing harder at that end of the floor, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune said. “The other teams were trying to hunt me on defense,” Williamson said. “I was watching the film, and I didn’t like that.” Williamson had five blocks against Phoenix on Sunday.

According to Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com, Irving’s teammates lavished praise on the eight-time All-Star after the game.

“Unbelievable, man,” Luka Doncic said. “I don’t think people realize how tough of a shot that is. With the off-hand, like even to have a chance. I don’t think I have seen anything that special.”

“I’ve seen a lot of great shots, but I think that one takes the cake,” added Dereck Lively.

Irving discussed the shot and the challenges of playing during Ramadan at his post-game media session (YouTube link via ESPN).

Here’s more from the Southwest:

• Grizzlies guard/forward Desmond Bane, who returned to action on Saturday after missing two-plus months with a Grade 3 left ankle sprain, recently sat down for an interview with Michael Wallace of Grind City Media (Twitter video link via the team). Bane said he’s still trying to regain his conditioning after a lengthy absence. He also discussed Memphis’ young players and the team’s motivation for the rest of the season.
• Spurs backup center Zach Collins has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol, tweets Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News, who notes that the 26-year-old “took a spill” in Sunday’s overtime victory over Brooklyn. In a related move, the Spurs have recalled big man Dominick Barlow from a G League assignment ahead of Tuesday’s game vs. Dallas (Twitter link via McDonald).
• It’s a small sample size (three games), but the Rockets have been playing well without third-year center Alperen Sengun, who is likely out for the season with ankle and knee injuries, by playing at a faster pace, spacing the floor and crashing the glass with smaller lineups, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Rookie guard/forward Amen Thompson has been inserted into the starting lineup at power forward and he’s averaging 14.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.0 APG and 1.7 SPG while shooting 76% from the floor in the three victories (25.4 MPG). “Being small but how fast we are, defensive rebounding, we are able to push the pace, outrun every team,” Thompson said. “That’s really what’s happened. Just push it up and get a lot of fast breaks.”

Since then, he’s had one of the finest stretches of his young career, averaging 22.5 points, 11.7 boards, 4.9 assists and 4.9 blocks in his last 11 games. Lopez writes that Wembanyama is focused on ending the season on a high note.

“How important is it? It’s the whole point,” Wembanyama said. “Coach said it again tonight in the locker room. It’s our job and this is what we’re here for, to win as soon as possible but also in the long run. So there is no other option.”

In the past month, Wembanyama has posted that aforementioned triple-double, recorded a 5×5, and is on pace to lead the league in blocks. Lopez writes his teammates have become used to his absurd stat lines.

“There’s still moments where we’re like, ‘Oh, what was that? We ain’t never seen that before.’ But I think overall, we’ve seen so much of what he’s done and what he can become and what he is going to become that it’s kind of normal for us now,” teammate Jeremy Sochan said. “We just know he can do way more than he’s doing right now, and what he’s doing right now is unbelievable.”

According to Lopez, there are no plans to shut down Wembanyama for the rest of the season even though the Spurs have nothing to play for after being eliminated from postseason contention.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

• Rockets bench players Reggie Bullock, Jock Landale and Jae’Sean Tate are embracing a next-man up mentality after recent injuries to Cam Whitmore and Alperen Sengun, writes Houston Chronicle’s Danielle Lerner. “We talk every day. We just talk about opportunity,” Bullock said of discussions between him, Landale and Tate. “We know that we are the guys that need to be able to step up with guys that’ve been out, and we all got that same mindset of going out and take whatever needs to be done to help the team win.” All three players saw a spike in playing time on Tuesday against San Antonio.
• After being out since Feb. 12 with an injury, Grizzlies two-way guard Scotty Pippen Jr. returned to the lineup on Wednesday against Charlotte. He scored nine points and 10 assists in his return. As Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Damichael Cole observes (Twitter link), due to the amount of time he missed with injury, the Grizzlies don’t have to worry about Pippen hitting his games played limit per his two-way deal and will likely lean on him moving forward. Pippen was eligible to be active for up to 26 games after signing his two-way on Jan. 16 and the Grizzlies played 27 times since then, so he wouldn’t have been eligible for all of their games anyway.
• Key Grizzlies players Desmond Bane and Brandon Clarke did some “extensive” work this week with Memphis’ G League affiliate, the Hustle, according to Cole (Twitter link). Clarke is now back to playing five-on-five after suffering an Achilles injury last season. Cole expects Bane to be back within the next couple games and Clarke to be back before the end of the month.