Celtics star Jayson Tatum missed the first playoff game of his career Wednesday night, sitting out with a bone bruise in his right wrist as Boston hosted the Magic in Game 2 of their first-round series.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson was named the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year, finishing ahead of the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic and the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards in voting.
Jimmer Fredette, a star at BYU who went on to become an NBA lottery pick and then played for the U.S. in 3×3 basketball at last year’s Paris Olympics, announced his retirement Wednesday.
Rutgers freshman Ace Bailey, the projected No. 3 pick in this year’s NBA draft, is going pro, saying he is “nowhere close to reaching my potential” and “can take a good team to a better level.”
The Lakers were motivated by a JJ Redick tirade after their lead slipped in the third quarter, closing out a 94-85 win over the Timberwolves to even their first-round series.
Damian Lillard, who returned to action after a monthlong absence due to a health scare, shot 4-of-13 from the field in 37 minutes and admitted afterward that he was “pretty winded.”