NBA Player News

Murray struggled in the Kings’ first two games of the post-De’Aaron Fox era, but he was able to contribute a strong line in this game. Murray’s 15 shot attempts were second on the team, which is an encouraging improvement after he took 16 shots across Sacramento’s two previous games. It’s unclear if this is a trend that will continue, but if it does, and Murray can continue to contribute defensive stats, Murray has a path to providing standard league value. Keep an eye on this situation as the new-look Kings play more games.

Karl-Anthony Towns notched his seventh double-double of the postseason on Tuesday in his 40 minutes of game action. Yet, his numbers weren’t spectacular. Towns struggled from behind the three-point line, and his seven turnovers are notable. Still, he was part of a Knicks unit that overcame a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to push the team to a Game 1 win. Towns has had a productive postseason and will have a chance to add to it in Game 2.

It took a while for Anunoby to find his rhythm in his first game back from a hamstring injury. However, he found offensive production at just the right time, as he scored nine of New York’s 14 points in overtime to help complete the largest comeback in the franchise’s history. Most importantly, Anunoby logged 34 minutes in his return and appeared to finish the game without any new or aggravated injuries. His status going into Game 2 will be one to monitor.

Despite having 21 points at the end of the third quarter, Brunson had not performed at a high level overall— he’s missed the mark on each of his three-point attempts, was 7-of-18 from the field, and his team trailed by 14 going into the final frame. Yet, he hit a switch in the fourth quarter as the Knicks trailed by as many as 22 points. The all-star guard electrified MSG with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the final period to force overtime, where he then landed another couple of points to finish on the verge of 40. The Knicks finished the game on a 44-11 run and will take a 1-0 series lead.

The Knicks will have their starting forward back for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Anunoby had missed the final two games of the second-round series against the Sixers, but his return on Tuesday will provide New York with more versatility on both sides of the ball. He’s averaging 21.4 points and 7.5 assists on 61.9/53.8/81.1 shooting splits during the postseason.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that Kidd is out as head coach of the Mavericks. His tenure lasted five seasons, with Dallas failing to make the playoffs three times, losing in the Western Conference Finals during the 2022 postseason, and losing the NBA Finals during the 2024 postseason. Kidd had four years left on his deal.

Fox, who injured his right ankle during the Minnesota series, did not play in Monday’s double-overtime victory. Dylan Harper started and was outstanding, recording 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, seven steals, one three-pointer and one turnover. The rookie would get another start if Fox can’t play. Also, Stephon Castle must take better care of the ball after committing 11 turnovers on Monday.

While his final stat line in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals was not notable, Wallace’s playing time was. The third-year guard logged 28 minutes in the double-overtime thriller and replaced Isaiah Hartenstein in the lineup to begin the third quarter. Hartenstein was limited to 12 minutes on Monday, finishing with two points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks. The playing time is something to keep an eye on for Game 2, especially if the Spurs have De’Aaron Fox after a right ankle injury sidelined him for Game 1.

Harper slid into the starting lineup with De’Aaron Fox (ankle) unavailable for this game, and he took advantage of the opportunity. Harper split ball handling duties with Stephon Castle and truly looked like a 10-year veteran, not a 20-year-old rookie. If Fox returns for Game 2 on Wednesday, Harper will likely be pushed back to playing a reserve role, though that will still be enough minutes for him to continue to make an impact, especially after how well he played in this one.

With De’Aaron Fox (ankle) sidelined, Castle took on more responsibility as the primary ball handler for San Antonio. The results were mixed; he facilitated well, but he also turned the ball over a ton. He reached double-digit assists for the second time this postseason, but he technically recorded a triple-double due to how many turnovers he had. It wasn’t an efficient performance, but Castle had some bright moments, and they were still able to steal Game 1 on the road without Fox.

In his first conference finals appearance, Wemby made a massive impact early and often. He entered halftime with a double-double and was incredibly active on the offensive glass. He set a new career high for offensive boards for both the regular season and playoffs. Of course, he made a monster impact on both ends of the floor, which included multiple big plays down the stretch to help the Spurs take the first game of this series and homecourt advantage. This was an otherworldly performance, but against a team as talented as OKC, he’ll need to keep it up throughout the series.