All the need-to-know info from Monday’s slate.
The Details on Steph Curry’s Ankle Injury
Curry sprained his right ankle during the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 125-115 win over the Pelicans on Monday. He left the court under his own power, but later left the locker room on crutches.
It was Curry’s right ankle that beset him in the past and required surgery.
(Warning: The video below may make some feel queasy.)
Earlier in the game, Curry hit his 2,000th career 3-pointer. (More on that later.)
Aron Baynes Didn’t Use Giannis’s HQ Code
Or something as offensive. In Milwaukee’s 111-100 loss to Boston, Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his new pastime of assaulting Baynes in the paint.
This was their second meeting—
—and this, their first:
Baynes. Buddy. Submit your “flu-like symptoms” diagnosis for April 3, when the C’s play the Bucks for the final time this season, tomorrow morning.
Lance Stephenson Turned Frankie Smokes Into Frankie Vapes
The Memphis Grizzlies Won a Game
Yet another starting center disfigured Minnesota’s interior defense on Monday. Marc Gasol wasn’t perfect from the field in Memphis’s tight 95-92 win—as DeAndre Jordan was (8-for-8) against the Wolves in their most recent game and Steven Adams was (11-for-11) the game before that—but he finished with a team-high 21 points.
In the words of the Grizzlies’ announcers, “The confetti still works in Memphis.” Beating Minny marked their first home win since October 28 and broke a painful 11-game losing streak—during which both shots and a coach were fired—that marked the franchise’s longest string of losses since 2009. It’s over. Memphis is still 8-15, but, um, I mean, it’s over. Let’s go to Gasol in the field:
Welcome Back, Rudy Gobert
And what a welcome it was: Utah beat Washington (albeit, a still John Wall–less Washington), 116-69. Gobert was limited to 21 minutes, but the happy surprise of the night was Alec Burks, who had 27 points in 28 minutes off the bench.
Dwight’s Board Room
Dwight Howard passed Paul Silas and Dikembe Mutombo on the NBA’s all-time rebounding list Monday for 19th-most career boards. He finished with nine in the 104-94 win over Orlando. And of all the franchises to witness his milestone, the Magic are most appropriate (or bitter, depending on how forgiving Floridians have been since 2012). Howard grabbed 8,072 of his total 12,361 rebounds in Orlando’s blue stripes.
“JK” — The Warriors’ Bench
Devin Book It
If records and buckets (and especially records that revolve around getting buckets) are up for grabs, lay all your chips on Devin Booker. The freshly-21-year-old finished with 46 points in the Suns’ 115-101 win over the Sixers after starting 2-for-11 from the field and ending the first quarter with a measly four points.
The performance marks the 10th time Booker has put up 30 or more points this season, the most in Suns history through 25 games. It also ties him with LeBron James and Giannis for the most in 2017-18.
The Suns Won, but Alex Len Still Lost
Your daily reminder to never have hopes watching the NBA as a child, train endlessly as an adolescent, choose a college that highlights your skill, get drafted, and become a center in the NBA:
You’ll never have to face Joel Embiid that way.
Those Who Live Beyond the Arc
It took Jayson Tatum less than nine minutes to hit four 3-pointers in Boston’s win over Milwaukee. A pretty midrange was his calling card in college, but Tatum—who is a rookie, you’ll remember—entered the contest leading the NBA in 3-point accuracy, shooting 49 percent. He finished Monday night 4-for-5 from deep for 17 points.
Also on Monday, Steph Curry hit his 2,000th career 3-pointer against the Pelicans before leaving with the ankle injury. He’s the eighth player in league history to hit the mark and the quickest to do so, beating Ray Allen’s record by 227 games.