Atlantic Notes: Mazzulla, McBride, Barnes, Quickley, Nets
The Celtics reached the 50-win mark on Sunday and control the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference in what was widely viewed – as star forward Jaylen Brown recently pointed out in a tongue-in-cheek tweet – as a “gap year.” Based on how Boston has exceeded outside expectations, Joe Mazzulla is considered a frontrunner for the Coach of the Year award. How does Mazzulla feel about potentially earning that sort of recognition?
“I don’t need it. I think it’s a stupid award,” the Celtics’ coach said on Monday, per Jay King of The Athletic. “They shouldn’t have it. And it’s more about the players. It’s more about the work that the staff puts in. It’s just that simple. I really don’t ever want to be asked or talk about it again. It’s just that dumb. So, the players play. It’s about them. Staff works their ass off. I’m grateful to have them.”
While the Coach of the Year award is certainly held in higher regard by NBA observers than the Player of the Week award, which is handed out dozens of times each season, Mazzulla was more willing to assign meaning to the latter honor after Jayson Tatum claimed it on Monday. As the Celtics’ coach observes, it’s a sign of the progress Tatum has made in just a matter of weeks after returning from a torn Achilles.
“It’s a good, small affirmation that he’s continuing to chip away at just getting better and better,” Mazzulla said, according to King. “So, it’s a credit to the work that he’s put in, his team, that everybody that’s helped him get back to where he is now and what he’s doing. And so, good, small affirmation and we can keep getting better.”
We have more from around the Atlantic:
- Knicks guard Miles McBride appeared to reinjure himself on Sunday in his return from sports hernia surgery, but it doesn’t sound like he did any serious damage. He has been listed as questionable for Tuesday’s matchup with Houston, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter links), and did some work during this morning’s shootaround, tweets James L. Edwards of The Athletic.
- Although Scottie Barnes isn’t an elite scorer (18.6 PPG), his all-around impact as a rebounder, play-maker, and defender should merit an All-NBA spot for the Raptors forward, argues Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Only MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama (248) has more “stocks” (combined steals and blocks) this season than Barnes (211).
- Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley, who has missed the past four games due to right foot plantar fasciitis, accompanied the team on its brief trip to Detroit but remains out and is wearing a walking boot, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link), a boot is standard treatment for plantar fasciitis and Quickley has been wearing it off and on for more than two weeks. While it’s unlikely that Quickley will fully recover in time for the postseason, he and the Raptors hope to manage the issue and have him return at some point in the coming days or weeks, Lewenberg adds, acknowledging that the guard will likely be at less than 100% until next season.
- The Nets have been out of postseason contention for a while, but they continue to see positive signs from some of their players as the season winds down. C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required) takes a look at Ziaire Williams‘ recent strong play – including five straight games of 16-plus points – ahead of the team’s decision on his $6.25MM option this summer, while Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) observes that Drake Powell has been having some solid outings lately as his up-and-down rookie year nears its end.
NBA Announces Finalists For Sportsmanship, Teammate Of The Year Awards
The NBA announced the 2025/26 finalists for a pair of awards on Tuesday, naming the six players who are eligible to win the Sportsmanship Award for this season, as well as the 12 players who are in the running to be named Teammate of the Year.
The Sportsmanship Award honors the player who “best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court,” per the NBA. Each of the league’s 30 teams nominates one of its players for the award, then a panel of league executives narrows that group to six finalists (one from each division) and current players voted for the winner.
The trophy for the Sportsmanship Award is named after Joe Dumars, the Hall-of-Fame guard who won the inaugural award back in ’95/96. This season’s finalists are as follows (via Twitter):
Bam Adebayo (Heat)- Harrison Barnes (Spurs)
- Al Horford (Warriors)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- T.J. McConnell (Pacers)
- Derrick White (Celtics)
Gilgeous-Alexander is the only one of this year’s finalists for the Sportsmanship Award who was also nominated last season. Whoever earns the honor for 2025/26 will be a first-time winner. Jrue Holiday took home the Joe Dumars Trophy a year ago.
Meanwhile, the NBA also announced its finalists for the Teammate of the Year award for 2025/26. According to the league, the player selected for the honor is “deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.”
The voting process is similar to the Sportsmanship Award — a panel of league executives selects 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the award, then current players vote on the winner.
Holiday is a three-time Teammate of the Year, having earned the honor in 2020, 2022, and 2023. He’s the only past recipient who is among this season’s group of finalists.
Those Teammate of the Year finalists are as follows (via Twitter):
- Desmond Bane (Magic)
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Pat Connaughton (Hornets)
- De’Aaron Fox (Spurs)
- Jeff Green (Rockets)
- Jrue Holiday (Trail Blazers)
- DeAndre Jordan (Pelicans)
- Duncan Robinson (Pistons)
- Marcus Smart (Lakers)
- Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
- Garrett Temple (Raptors)
- Jaylin Williams (Thunder)
Masai Ujiri Joins Toronto Tempo Ownership Group, Eyes Potential NBA Return
Longtime NBA front office executive Masai Ujiri has joined the ownership group of the Toronto Tempo, the WNBA expansion team announced today (via Twitter), referring to the former Raptors president as a “principal owner.”
“I think women’s sports is growing in an incredible way,” Ujiri told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “You see it in the WNBA, in soccer, in hockey, and to bring a brand like this for the first time to a city that I know, a beautiful city that’s passionate, that I believe in — I think this will really resonate. Ownership is a unique opportunity for me and my family.”
Ujiri, who was hired to run the Raptors’ front office in the spring of 2013, remained in that role until last summer, when the team abruptly parted ways with him in late June, just ahead of the free agent period. Changes within the Raptors’ ownership group were cited as one key reason for the split; the club had also missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons at the time of Ujiri’s exit.
According to Shelburne, Ujiri has spent the past year spending more time with his family and focusing on non-NBA pursuits, including his work with Giants of Africa, the United Nations, and the Zaria Group, a development company aiming to build sports and entertainment infrastructure in Africa.
However, that doesn’t mean the NBA has been completely off Ujiri’s radar. As Shelburne details, the veteran executive has remained in touch with several coaches, execs, and owners from around the league, as well as former Raptors players, and remains open to the idea of returning to the NBA if the right opportunity arises.
“I’ve been learning more about our game, the NBA, looking at trends and what we might be missing by studying other leagues,” Ujiri told ESPN. “I spend a lot of my time trying to do that because one of my main goals is to win another championship. I want to win with the Tempo and I want to win another NBA championship because I wasn’t able to celebrate and be happy because of that police incident that happened to me. … There’s a hunger in me because of what happened. I want to win again so I can actually enjoy it.”
Ujiri’s comment is a reference to an incident that took place during the closing seconds of the Raptors’ Game 6 win of the 2019 NBA Finals in Golden State. A security guard at Oracle Arena prevented him from coming onto the court to celebrate the team’s championship because he didn’t show the proper credentials, which resulted in a brief shoving match.
The security guard, a San Francisco-area sheriff’s deputy, sued Ujiri for assault, while the Raptors exec filed a countersuit, alleging racial bias and contending that footage of the altercation showed that the deputy was “undeniably the initial aggressor.” Both suits were eventually dropped, but the saga understandably put a damper on what should have been the high point of Ujiri’s professional career.
With the Tempo, Ujiri will be part of an ownership group led by Larry Tanenbaum, his former partner with the Raptors. Tanenbaum has been the governor of the NBA team since 1998, but is obligated to begin selling his 20% stake in the Raptors this year.
As for a possible NBA return for Ujiri, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca notes (via Twitter) that it may not be long before expansion franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas enter the league and begin building their respective front offices. Lewenberg suggests he wouldn’t be shocked if Ujiri ends up running the basketball operations department for one of those teams.
Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic Collect Player Of Week Honors
Jayson Tatum added another accomplishment to his impressive comeback from an Achilles tear. The Celtics forward has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, according to the league (Twitter links).
Boston’s star forward averaged 25.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists in three victories during the week of March 23-29. Sunday’s performance in Charlotte was his best game yet this season — he racked up 32 points on 12-of-23 shooting, contributing eight assists and five rebounds without committing a turnover.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic collected the Western Conference Player of the Week award. He had three triple-doubles in four Denver wins last week, registering impressive overall averages of 26.0 points, 17.0 rebounds, and 14.0 assists per contest, with a .563/.438/.773 shooting line.
It’s the third time this season that Jokic has been named the West’s Player of the Week. He also claimed the honor in back-to-back weeks in November.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves (Lakers), Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Alperen Sengun (Rockets) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were the other Western Conference nominees.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Jalen Duren (Pistons), James Harden (Cavaliers) and Payton Pritchard (Celtics) rounded out the nominees from the East.
Raptors Notes: Barnes, Walter, Quickley, CMB, Barrett
The Raptors picked up an important victory over New Orleans on Friday as they look to claim a guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
Jamal Shead had started two games in a row with Immanuel Quickley sidelined, but head coach Darko Rajakovic replaced Shead with Ja’Kobe Walter on Friday. That left Scottie Barnes as the team’s primary offensive initiator, and he had an excellent all-around game, finishing with 23 points (on 10-of-14 shooting), 12 assists, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals in 36 minutes.
“First of all, he’s a pass-first player,” Rajakovic said of Barnes. “He likes to move, to pass, he likes to find his teammates in transition. He’s scanning the floor and it really allows him with his size and his athletic ability to play over the top of the defense.”
Second-year wing Walter also had a strong showing, recording 18 points and four assists in 34 minutes.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- It’s unclear when the plantar fascitiis in Quickley’s right foot began to really bother him, according to Grange, but he’s out for the fourth straight game on Sunday vs. Orlando. “It is at the point now that it needs to be managed. The best and the only way to get it completely healed is to not do anything for two, three, four weeks. Obviously that’s not going to be the case with IQ. He’s going to get better through this,” said Rajakovic. “This is going to help him recover. He’s going to be available to play. We’ve just got to get him off his feet right now. It was there. It was kind of nagging. He was able to play through it through recovery and therapy and everything. It just flared up quite a bit and put him in a situation where he has to sit out a couple games.”
- Collin Murray-Boyles was a late scratch for Sunday’s contest due to lower back spasms, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. The rookie big man was previously listed as questionable and had been expected to play before he was ruled out.
- RJ Barrett sustained a left shoulder injury in Friday’s win and is a game-time decision for Sunday’s matchup with the Magic, according to Murphy (Twitter link). Barrett was able to play through the shoulder issue, which is being referred to as tightness, on Friday. His former Duke teammate Zion Williamson was the cause of the injury, Grange notes. “I was just trying to box him out,” said Barrett, demonstrating how he put his forearm on Williamson’s shoulder. “And when he jumped, he took my arm up with him. He didn’t even know he did it. He’s a force, man.”
Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Quickley, Walter, Clarkson
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum played a season-high 35 minutes — including the entire fourth quarter — in Wednesday’s victory over Oklahoma City, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com. Tatum, who finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists (five turnovers), three steals, was making his ninth appearance in 2025/26 after missing most of the season due to a torn Achilles tendon.
“It definitely feels different,” Tatum said. “Just from the standpoint, it’s been a while since I’ve been in certain moments. And sometimes the best moments when I don’t have a chance to think, when I’ve just got to react and I got to move, whether it’s coming off a ball screen or on a close out or you get a rebound and you’ve just got to take off with the ball. And it will be moments like that and afterwards I’d be like, ‘All right, that felt good. That felt normal.’
“So these are things you can’t simulate in workouts or scrimmages or things like that. Just got to be in the moment. So just from the standpoint, it just feels like it’s been a while and each game I kind of surprise myself with encouraging things, certain plays that I just tally up in my head.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Starting point guard Immanuel Quickley will miss his third consecutive contest on Friday when the Raptors face New Orleans, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. Quickley, 26, is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Second-year guard Jamal Shead has started the past two games with Quickley out.
- In 17 games since the All-Star break, Ja’Kobe Walter is shooting 48.6% from long distance while playing strong defense, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic, who says the second-year wing seems primed to deliver a breakout performance in the playoffs — assuming the Raptors can make it in. “He’s shooting at an insane rate. He’s not gonna shoot like that forever,” RJ Barrett said. “But defensively, the things he’s doing every single night with steals and deflections (are important). And then on offense, he’s making the shots, but he’s just making the right plays. He’s taking the right shots. He plays like a player way above his years already.”
- Veteran guard Jordan Clarkson was out of the Knicks‘ rotation for a prolonged stretch earlier this season, but he wasn’t discouraged by the lack of minutes and kept working until his next opportunity arose, per Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). Clarkson has not only provided his typical scoring off the bench over the past couple weeks, he’s also been a play-maker and has improved defensively as well, Popper notes. “Yeah, for sure,” Clarkson said. “I mean, being able to get comfortable. I know everybody wanted it to click like immediately when I got here. But, you know, I’ve got to feel out a new coach, new system and everything, so, I’m getting a chance to watch the D-N-P’s and learn. It was pretty big for me and you know I continue to stay ready and just kept playing and figuring stuff out.”
Atlantic Notes: Fultz, George, McCain, Minott, Tatum
The Raptors were down three starters on Monday vs. Utah, with Brandon Ingram (right heel inflammation), Immanuel Quickley (plantar fasciitis), and Jakob Poeltl (injury load management) all sidelined, notes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). However, rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles returned following an 11-game absence due to a thumb injury, and newly signed point guard Markelle Fultz made his Toronto debut.
The Raptors were outscored by 15 points during Fultz’s 16 minutes of action, and he had more turnovers (3) than points (2). However, there were also some “flashes of high-level play,” according to Grange. The former No. 1 overall pick contributed five assists and pair of steals off the bench in a victory over the Jazz. Notably, it was his second game of the day, as he had also suited up in the morning for the Raptors 905 in the G League before officially being promoted to the NBA.
“He’s (a) point guard. You can see that he’s comfortable getting the team into the offense and organizing, and he had five assists,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “It was awesome to see him out there, knowing that he played a game this morning.”
While it remains to be seen whether Fultz will stick with the Raptors beyond his initial 10-day contract, he has made a positive impression on the organization with his attitude since he originally joined Toronto’s G League affiliate.
“What I’ve been most impressed about was his level of professionalism and humility,” Raptors 905 coach Drew Jones said, per Grange. “You know, a former No. 1 pick, he could come in here and have a crazy chip on his shoulder, act like he owns the place. But he walked right in and said, ‘Coach, what do you need me to do? I said, ‘Lead, defend, and be the play-maker that we know you all are.’ And he’s been awesome, just awesome.”
We have more from around the Atlantic:
- Paul George served the 25th and final game of his suspension on Monday, meaning he’s eligible to return to the Sixers‘ lineup on Wednesday vs. Chicago. Head coach Nick Nurse said on Monday that George has “conditioned hard” during his absence, adding that he has no ramp-up concerns about the veteran forward, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports.
- Former Sixers guard Jared McCain scored 13 points off the bench on Monday to help the Thunder beat his old team. As Tony Jones of The Athletic writes, McCain admitted that it felt “a little weird” to be going up against the 76ers after having been traded out of Philadelphia just last month. “It was nice to come back, but it will definitely always feel weird coming back here,” he said. “It’s like a nostalgic feeling to come back and not live here. Hopefully, there is some closure that comes soon. But I still don’t think I have closure yet.”
- Acquired at February’s trade deadline in what was essentially just a salary-dump deal for Boston, Josh Minott may be carving out a role with the Nets going forward, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). As Lewis explains, Minott’s defensive tenacity and overall competitiveness is a welcome addition to a Brooklyn team that wants to be competitive next season, and his $2.6MM option for 2026/27 is extremely team-friendly.
- With Celtics star Jayson Tatum acknowledging that he’s frustrated by not yet being able to do everything he used to on the basketball court, Jay King of The Athletic checks in on Tatum’s early progress. The veteran forward’s defensive and rebounding numbers have been strong, King notes, but he’s taking more three-pointers and fewer free throws than he typically would.
Markelle Fultz Signs 10-Day Deal With Raptors
3:48 pm: Fultz’s 10-day deal is official, the Raptors announced (via Twitter).
2:45 pm: Veteran guard Markelle Fultz is signing a 10-day contract with the Raptors, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).
The Raptors have an open roster spot, so no corresponding move will be necessary. Their NBA G League affiliate, the Raptors 905, claimed Fultz off the waiver wire on March 6.
Fultz, a former No. 1 overall pick and a veteran of eight NBA seasons, has since been working to get back into game shape. He has played in five G League games and his minutes were ramped up over the weekend.
He played a total of 50 minutes in a pair of back-to-back games in Portland on Friday and Saturday and finished with 27 points on 11-of-22 shooting and 12 assists against four turnovers, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
Fultz could give the Raptors an immediate boost. He’ll be active for Monday’s game against the Jazz, Grange tweets.
Grange also notes backup point guard Jamal Shead has been struggling of late. Shead was 1-of-6 from the floor and was minus-22 in 21 minutes during Sunday’s loss in Phoenix. Shead is shooting 6-for-25 from 3-point range over his last 12 games and 31 percent from the floor overall.
Starting point man Immanuel Quickley is dealing with a foot injury that will keep him out of the team’s game against Utah on Monday.
Fultz, who was selected with the first pick in the 2017 NBA draft, had his career derailed by injuries and has played in just 255 regular-season games across eight seasons for the Sixers, Magic, and Kings. He made 21 appearances for Sacramento in 2024/25, averaging 2.9 points and 1.3 assists in 8.8 minutes per contest.
Fultz will earn $188,932 over the course of his 10 days with the Raptors, who will take on a $131,970 cap hit.
Community Shootaround: Final Four Eastern Playoff Spots
With three weeks remaining in the 2025/26 regular season, only three games separate the No. 5 Raptors (39-30) from the No. 10 Hornets (37-34). The Hawks (39-32), Sixers (39-32), Magic (38-32) and Heat (38-33), in order of their seeds, are currently in between those two clubs in the Eastern Conference standings.
Those six teams are vying for the fifth and sixth seeds in the East to secure guaranteed playoff berths. The four clubs that end up in the Nos. 7-10 spots would have to advance through the play-in tournament to make the playoffs.
While it’s obviously not as advantageous as making the playoffs outright, the No. 7 seed does get a significant leg up in the play-in tournament, as that team plays at home and has two chances to advance. The No. 8 team also gets two cracks at a playoff spot, whereas the ninth and 10th clubs have to win two consecutive games to move on.
Barring an unexpected collapse (and a major surge up the standings from one of the aforementioned teams), Detroit, Boston, New York and Cleveland are likely going to be the top four seeds in the East, in some order. The No. 4 Cavs (44-27) are four games ahead of the Raptors right now, and the No. 1 Pistons (51-19) have essentially locked up a top-four spot.
No. 11 Milwaukee and No. 12 Chicago haven’t been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention quite yet, but they will almost certainly soon join Indiana, Washington and Brooklyn as Eastern teams formally ruled out of the playoff picture.
Toronto controls its own destiny. The Raptors not only have the most remaining games (13) and fewest losses of the six teams vying for the fifth and sixth spots, they also have the easiest remaining schedule by opponent winning percentage (.476), according to Tankathon.
The No. 6 Hawks went 4-0 against the No. 7 Sixers this season, which is why they’re ahead of them in the standings despite having identical records. Atlanta, which has won 12 of its past 13 games, has a slightly more difficult (.534 opponent winning percentage) schedule than Philadelphia (.527) over the final 11 games of the season.
The Magic and Heat have been inconsistent in 2025/26. Both teams recently won seven consecutive games and are now in the midst of four-game losing streaks. Orlando theoretically has an easier schedule (.485) than Miami (.505) to wrap up the regular season.
The Hornets have been one of the best teams in the NBA for several weeks, but they got off to such a poor start that they’re still trying to dig out of that hole. After a January 21 loss to Cleveland, Charlotte was 16-28; the team has gone 21-6 ever since. The Hornets have three easy games left, but also have eight matchups with teams ahead of them in the standings (.525 opponent winning percentage).
We want to know what you think. Which teams will end up as the fifth and sixth seeds in the East? Which of the four remaining clubs will advance through the play-in tournaments in the seventh and eight spots? Head to the comments section to weigh in with your thoughts!
Atlantic Notes: Vucevic, Celtics, Minott, Barrett
Celtics center Nikola Vucevic has to wait patiently for his fractured right ring finger to heal, but he’s hopeful he can return to action before the playoffs begin.
“The good thing is I can still do some stuff on the court,” he said, per Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “That will help me for when I come back [to be in] shape, and hopefully I get a couple games before the playoffs, get back in rhythm with the guys that week between regular season and playoffs, everything going as smoothly as possible.”
Vucevic suffered the injury on March 6 and was formally ruled out for at least three-to-four weeks.
“So far I haven’t had much pain or anything; everything has been going well,” he said. “The swelling is coming down and been working the range of motion. So hopefully the X-ray is clean at three weeks and I can start doing some stuff and just getting back to being comfortable and building strength in the hand.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics are likely to stay under the first tax apron once again next season, Brian Robb of MassLive.com opines. Robb points out that they currently have approximately $185MM committed in salary for 2026/27, $9MM of which is non-guaranteed, while the first apron projects to be $210.3MM. Boston may also be able to operate below the $201.7MM tax line, resetting its repeater clock. It shouldn’t be difficult to shed salary, if necessary, to achieve that goal, Robb adds, noting that the emergence of young talent on team-friendly deals across the roster will be very helpful on that front.
- The Nets dropped a 93-92 heart-breaker to the Knicks, their 14th straight loss to their crosstown rival. Josh Minott was highly agitated by the loss after scoring a career-high 22 points, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I wanted that s–t so (bleeping) bad,” he said. “Ever since we’ve been here, it’s like every game is an away game. [Friday] was just the night to really just stick it to everybody, man. As an organization, as a team, to show people that we got s–t here, yo. Man, just a sea of blue, a sea of orange. Every game we play, it’s a sea of the other team.”
- The Raptors left their 121-115 loss to the Nuggets on Friday still feeling good about themselves. Heading into their game in Phoenix on Sunday, they hold the fifth spot in the East. “The more we get healthy, the more we play together, the better it’s going to be for us,” RJ Barrett said, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “I think we’re showing that on a nightly basis. But there are times and moments that we can play better as a team.”