NBA Southwest

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson sent a message with a game-ending dunk in Friday's 128-117 win over the Phoenix Suns:

ZION WINDMILL 😱😱😱

THEN BOTH TEAMS GOT CHIPPY! https://t.co/uLdZAwvDkQ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 10, 2022

The Suns seemingly took offense to the big dunk when the game was already decided on Friday, with Chris Paul and Cameron Payne among those arguing with Pelicans players after the final whistle.

Williamson explained his mindset on the dunk after the game, per ESPN's Andrew Lopez:

"That was a little out of character for me. But you've got to understand—I mean, you can understand it or not—they sent my teammates home last year.

"I missed all last year. I got carried away a little bit. I admit that. But you know, I was in that locker room when my brothers were down because the Suns sent us home last year. That's a tough moment to be a part of. So, in that moment, I got carried away. I admit that. ... If they were to do the same thing, I wouldn't have no problem with it."

Phoenix had eliminated New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs last season, although Williamson missed the series after being out all year with a foot injury.

Williamson has been a difference-maker upon his return, averaging a team-high 24.5 points per game to go with 7.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He scored 35 points on 13-of-17 from the field in Friday's win as the Pelicans improved to 17-8, the best record in the Western Conference.

The latest victory not only helped avenge last year's playoff loss, it was a statement against the team that finished last year as the No. 1 seed in the West.

New Orleans lost its first game of the year in Phoenix, but Friday's win served as redemption in front of the home fans at the Smoothie King Center.

There is also already some tension between the two sides, including with guards Jose Alvarado and Chris Paul, as Alvarado alluded to after the game.

It's understandable for Williamson to emphasize the emotional win with a monster dunk.

Of course, the two teams play again on Sunday before traveling to Phoenix on Dec. 17 for the final matchup of the year between the two sides. There could be some retaliation in the coming games if the Suns are able to get the upper hand in those contests.

Luka Doncic is carrying a Herculean load every night for the Dallas Mavericks, but coach Jason Kidd is worried about the long-term sustainability of his workload.

“For 82 games, it’s no way that he can play at this level, the usage is just way too high,” Kidd told Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill. “No one can. You know, the things that we ask him to do on the offensive end and then asked him to defend on the other end. It’s a lot.”

Doncic is leading the NBA at 33.4 points per game while also adding 8.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists per night. His usage rate is third in the NBA behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, who have both been playing much of the season without their top costars (Khris Middleton and James Harden, respectively).

It's likely Antetokounmpo and Embiid will see their usage rates lower to more sustainable levels as the regular season progresses.

Doncic? He's playing with the roster he's got.

The Mavericks have done a largely dreadful job of surrounding Doncic with talent over the course of his career. Arguably the best teammate Doncic has played with has been Jalen Brunson, a non-All-Star point guard who Dallas allowed to walk this offseason because the front office botched contract extension negotiations.

Dallas is paying Tim Hardaway Jr. $19.6 million this season to shoot 36.3 percent from the floor. Hardaway is under contract through the 2024-25 season and is owed $34.1 million over the next two years.

Dāvis Bertāns is collecting $16 million this season and has played a grand total of 64 minutes. He's also under contract through 2024-25 and is owed $33 million for the next two seasons.

Reggie Bullock is shooting 29.9 percent and making $10 million. The Mavs will have to pay him $5.5 million next season to get him off the books.

This is a 25-win roster being propped into relevance by Doncic's brilliance. It's an abject failure of the front office, one that Kidd correctly notes leaves him unable to even allow his star a quick breather.

“We got to get them help and we got to look to see how we can do that,” Kidd told Yahoo Sports. “His minutes are extremely high. You try to hold him [on the bench] but a lot of times you gotta bring him back early just to get back in the game.”

Doncic has given no indication he's unhappy at this point, but it would be fair to wonder if Dallas will be the location of the next disgruntled NBA superstar looking to find a better situation.

Ja Morant is getting his signature shoe.

Nike reportedly will be working with the Memphis Grizzlies' star point guard on a signature line of sneakers after dropping Kyrie Irving on Monday, according to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium:

Memphis Grizzlies All-NBA star Ja Morant is in line to receive a new signature shoe at Nike in the near future, industry sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The parties have been working on this for several months. https://t.co/RzKf9JEIf1

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 5, 2022

Morant, 23, has emerged as one of the NBA's brightest young stars since being drafted No. 2 overall by Memphis in 2019. He's shown improvement every season and has been superb in the 2022-23 campaign, averaging 28.5 points, 7.5 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 37 percent from three.

He's also one of the most exciting and explosive players to watch in the NBA, with an impressive highlight reel of astonishing finishes in his young career.

That makes him highly marketable, so getting a signature shoe seemed like an inevitability. The end of Irving's relationship with Nike potentially accelerated the process.

Irving, 30, had one of Nike's most popular signature shoe lines over the years, but the company suspended him on Nov. 4 after he amplified an antisemitic film on social media. After Irving refused to denounce antisemitism and apologize for his actions on more than one occasion while speaking with reporters, Nike took action, and Irving was suspended as well by the Nets.

"At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of antisemitism," the company said in a statement at the time. "We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone."

Irving is now a sneaker free agent, a fact he didn't seem to be lamenting on social media Monday:

pic.twitter.com/XwLDw6nhmS

— Kyrie🤞🏾 (@KyrieIrving) December 5, 2022

It remains to be seen if Irving will land another shoe or apparel deal and whether his actions surrounding his promotion of the antisemitic film will affect his appeal for those companies.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant was fined $35,000 for directing inappropriate language toward an official and failing to leave the court in a timely manner after being ejected from Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Morant was ejected with 1:22 remaining in the game, just seconds after teammate Dillon Brooks sent to the locker room. After the game, the All-Star guard took to social media to cast some blame on the officiating crew for its inappropriate language.

Ja Morant’s reaction to being ejected on Instagram: pic.twitter.com/1ouQwBhwSj

— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) December 1, 2022

Morant has not gone into detail to explain what the official said to him. Earlier this month, Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie accused official Tony Brothers of calling him a "b---h ass motherf--ker" during a game.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported the NBA forced Brothers to miss a game assignment as a result of the incident. The league never announced a punishment for Brothers because it was not a formal suspension.

While the NBA has taken a hard line on issuing punishment to players who disrespect officials, it would behoove the league to keep the same energy with referees. If Morant says an official directed profanity at him, it's only reasonable the NBA looks into the matter and then announces the result of the investigation publicly.

Allowing officials to make inappropriate comments to players unchecked will only further damage the sometimes-fraught relationship between the two parties.

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will be sidelined the next two games after undergoing "a minor medical procedure" on Friday, the team revealed, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

Popovich will miss Friday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans and Sunday's game against the Phoenix Suns. He'll return when the Spurs host the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

Brett Brown is set to step in for Popovich over the next two games. He previously served as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers from 2013 to '20, when he was replaced by current bench boss Doc Rivers.

In addition to his latest absence, Popovich missed a 123-92 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 20 with an illness. Brown also stepped in to coach during that game.

The Spurs enter Friday's game 14th in the Western Conference with a 6-16 record. The franchise is in the midst of a rebuild after having failed to make the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.

Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell are two of San Antonio's best players and are a duo that it will likely want to build around in the coming years.

Popovich has been head coach of the Spurs since 1996. In his 27 seasons at the helm, the Spurs are 1,350-717 and have won five NBA titles, the most recent coming in 2014, when they defeated the Miami Heat in five games.

Popovich will turn 74 next month, and his time in the NBA is undoubtedly winding down.

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison admitted in a radio interview that recently signed point guard Kemba Walker's left knee is "not good" but that he could still play on it.

"It’s not good," Harrison said on The Ticket Sports Radio (h/t Josh Bowe of Mavs Moneyball).

"It’s not good at all. But he’s rehabbed it and it’s the best he’s felt in the last two years so, we’ll see how long that lasts."

In a follow-up to those remarks, Harrison said:

"Well, it hasn’t been good for a few years. Even last year, he had 30-point games on it. But it actually feels better now. The reality is, if you look at it, it’s not good, but that doesn’t mean he can’t play on it."

The 32-year-old Walker is a four-time All-Star who joined the NBA with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2011. His most recent pro action came with the New York Knicks during the 2021-22 season.

During that campaign, Walker averaged 11.6 points on 40.3 percent shooting and 3.5 assists in 25.6 minutes per game over 37 contests.

Walker has suffered numerous injuries to his left knee during his career, including a torn meniscus (2015 and 2016). He underwent an arthroscopic procedure in 2017 and sat 10 games with left knee soreness in 2020. A stem-cell injection in his left knee later than year kept him out until Jan. 17, 2021.

Unfortunately, his knee continued to give him trouble with the Knicks, and he was shut down in February.

When healthy, Walker can be an offensive juggernaut. He notably dropped 44 points on the Washington Wizards last December to cap a three-game stretch in which he averaged 31.3 points. Walker followed that up with a triple-double against the Atlanta Hawks on Christmas.

However, Walker struggled for much of the remainder of his campaign as his knee continued to give him trouble. Following the Christmas Day game, he averaged just 7.8 points on 35.4 percent shooting.

The pressure won't be on Walker to run the offense in Dallas like he did in New York with superstar Luka Dončić leading the way, but he could be a huge boost to the Mavs as a reserve playing quality minutes off the bench, albeit in smaller stints.

On Thursday, Kidd gave an update on where Walker is right now, per Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News.

Jason Kidd said "everybody's good to go" tonight vs. Pistons.

Kemba Walker too? “No, no. No.”

Timeline on Kemba? “We’ll see how he feels after today’s workout, and then we’ll practice tomorrow in New York, and we’ll see how that goes.”

— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) December 1, 2022

He joins a team in need of some help after a 10-11 start, including a 1-8 stint on the road. Walker did not play Thursday in the team's loss to the Detroit Pistons. His next chance to play is Saturday in a road game against the Knicks.

Kawhi Leonard said there is no bad blood between him and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich after the Los Angeles Clippers star faced his old team Sunday.

Kawhi Leonard on Gregg Popovich: "He's a great coach. One of the best coaches I had. We've been in too many battles to have a scar in our relationship."

"Can you tell us what you said on the court?"

"Nah, you know I don't tell what goes on on the court. Maybe if you ask him." pic.twitter.com/GlSUPAepdJ

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) November 20, 2022

Leonard scored 11 points as the Clippers earned a 119-97 win over the Spurs on Saturday.

The 31-year-old spent his first seven seasons in San Antonio, helping the team win a championship in 2014. The relationship still didn't end well, with injuries limiting Leonard to just nine games in 2017-18 before a trade to the Toronto Raptors the following offseason.

It's clear Leonard has plenty of respect for Popovich, a three-time NBA Coach of the Year who will go down as one of the best in league history.

The 73-year-old Indiana native has led San Antonio to five NBA championships since taking over the job early in the 1996-97 campaign. The team's most recent title came in 2014.

Popovich, who coached the United States national team to a gold medal in the 2021 Summer Olympics, owns a 1,350-712 record (.655 winning percentage) in the regular season and a 170-114 mark (.599) in the playoffs.

He's been guiding the Spurs through a period of transition, with the 2018-19 season being the first without at least one of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili on the roster since 1996-97.

That's why extending the franchise's playoff streak to a record-tying 22 years required one of his best coaching jobs to date in 2018-19.

In an era dominated by three-point shooting and star power, the Spurs managed to earn the seventh seed in the loaded Western Conference with a 48-34 record despite being led by DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge, two players who rely heavily on mid-range jumpers, and no other All-Stars.

The terrific run came to an end when they missed the postseason during the coronavirus-shortened 2019-20 campaign and again in 2020-21. They returned after earning a play-in tournament bid in 2021-22, but a 6-11 start to this year could make it difficult to earn another postseason appearance.

The coach is well-respected across the league, including, it seems, among former players like Leonard.

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant left his team's home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a left ankle injury.

Ja Morant heads back to the locker room with the Grizzlies training staff with an apparent ankle injury.

Stay tuned for updates. pic.twitter.com/LMNt6FacMs

— Grizzlies On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Grizzlies) November 19, 2022

ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Mike Ceide of WREG TV offered more insight and context.

Grizzlies are already without Ja Morant’s co-star Desmond Bane for at least 2-3 weeks due to a sprained big toe. https://t.co/AnfEO7JqqJ

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) November 19, 2022

Ja Morant is being helped off the court in the 4th quarter of tonight's game against OKC after turning his ankle. He's putting no weight on that left ankle.

— Mike Ceide (@MCeide_WREG3) November 19, 2022

The injury occurred with the Grizzlies up 106-100 with just over three minutes remaining. He had 19 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in 32 minutes before exiting. Tyus Jones replaced him on the court to finish off a 121-110 win.

Morant's health became the biggest storyline of the Grizzlies' second-round playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors last season. That an injury appeared to happen during a play when Warriors guard Jordan Poole grabbed his knee only added to the controversy of the series that also saw Gary Payton II fracture his elbow from a hard flagrant foul by Dillon Brooks.

The Grizzlies announced Morant was out for the rest of the playoffs with a bone bruise in his right knee, and he played just 57 games during the regular season.

That, along with the reality that he is the face of the franchise, made his health a focal point heading into the 2022-23 campaign.

When healthy, Morant is one of the best players in the NBA who entered Friday with 29.3 points, 6.8 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game after posting 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in 2021-22.

One silver lining for Memphis is the fact it went 20-5 without him last season. It will likely turn toward Jones to start if Morant is sidelined following this setback.

Luka Dončić can add a record-breaking trading card sale to his resume.

TMZ Sports reported a 2018 National Treasures Rookie NBA Logoman Patch card of Dončić sold for $3.12 million at a PWCC auction Thursday. The one-of-one card, which sold in a private auction for $4.6 million in 2021, set the record for the price of a basketball card sold at a public auction.

The card features a game-worn jersey patch, an autograph and a quote from Dončić in which he joked he would retire if he ever dunked on LeBron James.

That a Dončić card set the record doesn't come as much of a surprise considering he is just 23 years old and already on the short list of the best players in the NBA. He was the Rookie of the Year in that first season and is a three-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection.

Dončić is averaging a league-best 34.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game this season, so he could be adding an MVP to his list of accomplishments in the not-too-distant future.

If he does, the price of his trading cards will surely only increase.

Ja Morant and Desmond Bane combined for 52 points to carry the Memphis Grizzlies to a 114-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.

It marked the fifth win in the past six games for the Grizz, which improved to 9-4 overall. Either Morant or Bane has led the team in scoring in all but one of its games so far during the 2022-23 season.

"Top two, not two. That's the easiest question ever," Morant told reporters earlier this week when asked where the Grizzlies' backcourt ranks in the NBA.

After another monster performance, more people are starting to agree with the emerging MVP candidate. Let's check out some Twitter reaction to the duo's latest standout effort:

Ja Morant and Desmond Bane combined tonight:

52 PTS
13 REB
13 ASTS
W

Best backcourt in the league ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/RjGbCo1nhd

— GrizzMuse (@GrizzlyMuse) November 12, 2022

From last night’s BS Pod w/ Verno and House — have Ja and Bane grabbed the Best Backcourt Alive torch? pic.twitter.com/mr1YrNQ32h

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 12, 2022

Ja and Bane are so nice

— caleb, please (@Vibhishrag) November 12, 2022

https://twitter.com/VictorChizawu/status/1591286658208759808

Desmond Bane is really averaging 25 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds on 47% from the field, 46% from three, and 90% shooting from the line. He really might be an All-Star this year if he keeps this up.

— Eugene B. Lee-Johnson, PhD (@eugenejohnson_) November 12, 2022

Desmond Bane on their psychological edge: “It’s huge, it’s an 82-game season. Liking the people you have the same job with goes a long way… It plays to our advantage”

— Parker Fleming (@PAKA_FLOCKA) November 12, 2022

The Grizzlies are lit 🔥 pic.twitter.com/U7M7nVm8GD

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 12, 2022

Here's a look at the guards' individual stat lines from Friday's victory:

• Morant: 28 PTS, 10 REB, 8 AST, 2 STL in 34 minutes
• Bane: 24 PTS, 5 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL in 33 minutes

Dillon Brooks also chipped in 21 points for the Grizzlies, which shot 50 percent from the field and won the rebounding battle 46-33.

Anthony Edwards was the only major bright spot for the Wolves in the loss. He matched Morant with a game-high 28 points along with six rebounds and six assists.

Minnesota dropped to 5-8 with its sixth loss in the past seven games.

Next up for the Grizzlies is a visit to Capital One Arena on Sunday to face off with the Washington Wizards.