‘No definitive timeline’ for Grizzlies Morant return following gun incident Curry returns, scores 19 in fourth quarter, but loss shows work Warriors have to do Watch Kevin Durant drain tiebreaker in final minute, lift Suns past Mavs Down 18 late in third, 76ers rally to win, snap Bucks’ 16-game win streak Fred VanVleet drains key 3s in OT, Raptors top Wizards 116-109

ANGELS – I am Morant missed his first game on Sunday after walking away from the team after showing off the gun he was carrying to the club on Instagram live.

Memphis said he’ll miss at least two games, but it looks like they’re counting on more than two.

“There’s no set timeline yet,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Sunday ahead of his team’s game against the Clippers, marking the team’s first public comment. “I mean, we said it would be at least two games, you know, we take them one day at a time. I mean it will be an ongoing healing process. So I can’t comment on the exact schedule because it’s really not a schedule.”

Jenkins did not elaborate on what steps would need to be taken to get Morant back on the team.

“Jah takes responsibility for really getting the help he needs to get better…” Jenkins said, and later elaborated.

“There are two elements to this that I want to make clear. You know, there’s a supportive element, someone needs to get better, and they need help. In addition, there is a responsibility to the team that we have to stand up for.”

Morant fires a gun during an Instagram live stream. stream at the club on Friday night/Saturday morning. It crossed the line and followed a string of incidents last summer that led to the team’s decision.

Grizzlies star Ja Morant is said to have been showing off the gun on her IG Live this morning.pic.twitter.com/HlhvoWlnYy

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 4, 2023

The NBA is investigating the social media post and the league has consulted with the Grizzlies, but the team has also had to “mind its own business,” Jenkins said.

“We love him. You know we want the best for him. We support him. It’s going to be a difficult process. But you know, we’ve got a great band to get through this,” Jenkins said.

Morant released a statement over the weekend:

“I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I apologize to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis, and the entire organization for letting you down. I’m going to take some time off to get help and work on learning more effective ways to deal with stress and my general well-being.”

It wasn’t an isolated incident that made him leave. Morant was sued for an incident last summer in which he allegedly punched a 17-year-old boy more than a dozen times and then pointed a gun at him (charges he denies). Last summer, Morant and his friends got into trouble with security at a Memphis mall. This season, Morant and his friends were involved in an argument with a member of the Pacers traveling group.

After each previous incident, people close to Morant – the Grizzlies organization, his teammates, his agent – publicly defended him, even if the team took steps to talk to him in private. The gun incident over the weekend drew a stronger reaction from the team this time around.

ANGELS – Stephen Curry returned, and on Sunday in Los Angeles, he dealt with Stephen Curry.

30 do 30 things

pic.twitter.com/MOFSDZSJ5k

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 5, 2023

The confidence he exudes, his seriousness and the way it distorts the defense, and the 19 points he scored in the fourth quarter on Sunday are all the Warriors will need if they’re going to defend their title.

“It’s great to have him back,” Steve Kerr said, stating the obvious. “He is who he is. He instills fear in our opponents and opens up many opportunities for his teammates.”

It wasn’t enough on Sunday as the Warriors’ road problems continued – they are now 7-24 in a season away from the Chase Center.

The LeBron-less Lakers team lashed out at the sleazy Warriors and scored 15 points in Game 1 for 39 points. Anthony Davis, and held off Golden State’s comebacks to win 113-105. It was a quality win for the Lakers as they battle to make the playoffs (or at least stay in the playoffs) while LeBron James sits on a bench with his foot in his boot.

39 points
8 rebounds
6 gears

Anthony Davis showed OUT to the Lakers W 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Rl7egqPjvr

— NBA (@NBA) March 5, 2023

The Warriors are doomed to the playoffs—they’re in fifth place even after losing—and to the men, they talk about the urge to flip the switch and get back into championship form.

That switch wasn’t flipped on Sunday, and the loss showed the Warriors have a lot of work to do to consistently achieve this level of performance.

There were stretches on Sunday that the Warriors could hang their hat on, but the addition of Curry and Andre Iguodala in the line is not plug-and-play. It showed. For every good stretch on the Warriors’ ball, there was a stretch of sloppy play that gave the Lakers opportunities, and Los Angeles played well and took advantage.

“It’s a tough transition for everyone as Andre and I return,” Curry said. “Guys [are] just trying to find your rhythm or keep your rhythm, keep your confidence. And all this is our task as a team.”

Although Golden State wants to focus on themselves and not the standings, they still keep an eye on the standings and its implications.

“It’s weird to talk about it like we’re trying to win championships, but we’re also trying to stay out of the game,” Curry said. “Both could be true, just based on what our challenge was this year.”

This problem was the change of compositions and rotations throughout the season. The warriors have lost Otto Porter And Gary Payton II summer (Payton returned in exchange, but was injured), James Wiseman did not find a suitable one and was sold, Moses Moody gone, and on top of that Curry, Clay Thompson, Draymond Green and others have struggled with injury.

All of this instability took a toll on the Golden State defense, which was 21st in the NBA before the All-Star break.

Then, during their five-game winning streak heading into Sunday, the Warriors posted the best defense in the NBA with a 100.6 defensive rating — effectively dropping just one point for possession.

Trouble on the road continued against the Lakers, with a Defensive Rating per game jumping to 115.3 (through glass cleaning), which will be in the bottom ten in the league this season. Kerr, however, was not thrilled with this end of the court.

“I thought we protected them well. Threw 44%, made 11 triplets, yeah, that’s usually enough [for us] win,” Kerr said. “Therefore, I was not at all disappointed in our defense, except for a few errors in lighting. So it was our offense that we needed to play a little better.”

Defensive and road wins have been a core part of the identity of the Warriors’ four title teams, but the team has failed on those fronts this year. These are areas they need to improve in March because they will need them to advance in the wide open playoffs in the West. The spotted execution on Sunday raises the question of whether they can get there.

But they brought Stephen Curry back and it’s a step in the right direction.

DALLAS (AP) – Kevin Duran scored 37 points, including a tiebreaker with 11 seconds left, to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 130-126 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday in a thrilling display of stars for both teams.

First meeting between Durant and Dallas Kyrie Irving since they were sold by Brooklyn before the deadline last month, even when Durant stopped Tim Hardaway Jr. and Irving for leadership.

Big bucket from KD 😤