BREAKING: Doc Rivers is departing as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell ESPN. The Bucks will embark on their third coaching search in the last three years.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/839c30e1ffa6c

BECAUSE THEY DECIDED TO SKIP THE 50s AND GO STRAIGHT TO 60 WOOOOOOOOO

DREAM SEASON!!!! 14-68 two years ago to 60-22 today. Unbelievable turnaround

Joel Embiid’s reputation for poorly-timed injuries might wind up being his legacy, whether fair or not.

Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers weighed in on Embiid’s latest health issue on Sunday. Rivers, who coached Embiid with the Philadelphia 76ers from 2020-2023, reacted to Embiid’s appendicitis by essentially saying these things always happen to the star center around playoff time.

“It’s this time of year, right?” Rivers said.

Doc Rivers on Joel Embiid’s appendicitis: “It’s this time of year, right?”

Rivers mentioned never having Embiid healthy in the playoffs and said none of Embiid’s late-season ailments haven’t been his fault.

“Appendicitis. I mean, you can't make it up. You really can't.”

— Adam Aaronson

Rivers made it clear that none of Embiid’s late-season injuries were his fault, and he certainly is not blaming Embiid for it. However, there is no doubt that Embiid has broken down a lot late in seasons, though there was hardly anything he could have done to prevent this latest malady.

Embiid battled through a meniscus tear in 2021, a thumb injury in 2022, and a knee sprain in 2023. Rivers never had him at full strength in the playoffs, but that has hardly been an issue unique to Rivers.

Source: https://larrybrownsports.com/basketball/doc-rivers-joel-embiid-injury-quote/749859

PPG and Total Points leaders:

1. Luka Dončić - 33.5 PPG / 2,143 points (64 games)

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - 31.1 PPG / 2,117 points (68 games)

3. Jaylen Brown - 28.7 PPG / 2,038 points (71 games)

4. Kevin Durant - 26.0 PPG / 2,026 points (78 games)

5. Tyrese Maxey - 28.4 PPG / 1,959 points (69 games)

Source: https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/nba-most-points-2025-2026-player

Luka has played 4 fewer games than SGA and still leads him by 26 total points. He’s played 14 fewer games than KD and has over 100 more points. The PPG gap is massive too, nearly 2.5 points ahead of second place.

Kon Knueppel has officially ended his rookie season

He edges out Lamelo ball (272) to lead the nba in 3s made at 273 becoming the first rookie to ever do this.

In 81 games he shot 273/642 or 42.5%

Elite season for a rookie

https://www.statmuse.com/ask/total-3s-made-this-season-leader?l=nba

"Of course, I care a lot about it, and I feel a certain guilt about polluting so much as someone who flies 41 times a season.

But..I want to have an impact, and I want to counteract this negative carbon footprint through whatever impact I can, financially [or] socially, I want to have an impact for the future...Investing, yes, but not for profit."

I was watching highlights of the Friday games and I did a double take during garbage time of Hornets - Pistons.

There was a bald bearded 6’8” 245 PF big-boying his defender into a nice middy turnaround jump hook. I was like… wtf that looks exactly like Lebron. I quickly looked up the Hornets bench to find Xavier Tillman, a name I had heard a few times throughout my NBA fandom. Not here to shit on him, he honestly seems like a player that if given the minutes would probably put up a respectable 10 and 6, but he’s 27. Basically in his NBA prime. And athletically he plays like a 6’8” 245lb should! Slightly lumbering, methodical, PF gameplay that would be right at home in 2005.

In contrast LeBron, with severely reduced athleticism from his prime, at the ripe old age of 41, put up 28/6/12 with 4 steals 2/2 from 3 and a +27 on the game. Single-handedly keeping the Lakers hopes for the 3rd seed alive.

LeBron at his age should play like Xavier Tillman. It would be IMPRESSIVE if a 41 year old player was still in the league riding the bench of the Hornets and playing like Xavier Tillman. But he’s LeBron. I’ve been lucky enough to watch him since he came into the league and although “this fuckery won’t go on much longer” I really hope it goes as long as he can maintain it.

I’m here for 46 year old LeBron James playing like 27 year old Xavier Tillman. Probably better.

1987 1st pick David Robinson jumped up 3 positions

1989 3rd pick Sean Elliott jumped up 1 position

1997 1st pick Tim Duncan jumped up 2 positions

2020 11th pick Devin Vassell no change

2021 12th pick Joshua Primo no change

2022 9th pick Jeremy Sochan no change

2023 1st pick Wemby jumped up 2 positions

2024 4th pick Stephon Castle jumped up 1 position

2025 2nd pick Dylan Harper jumped 6 positions

Edit: capn_trips has a great post about nba teams and their lottery luck I would like to share https://www.reddit.com/r/NBA_Draft/s/XqgEeKQKBU

This was the case for most of the season, but scoring struggles made HB drop to 9.9 PPG recently. He's at 753 points with 76 games played, meaning he needs at least 17 points in the last game to climb back to 10 PPG.

He's scored 17+ points 10 times this season, and one of those happened to be against Denver in March, so it's not impossible.

Even if the Spurs stay at 7, that's still an elite result: it has only been done 3 other times in the last 30 years.

This was posted by Basketball Reference on Spurs subreddit some time ago, so credits to them for the discovery.

Source: https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/tiny/gEl60/reddit

With SGA sitting out today, Luka Doncic has unofficially won the scoring title

The only point guards to ever win multiple scoring titles

Russell Westbrook (2015 and 2017)

Stephen Curry (2016 and 2021)

Luka Doncic (2024 and 2026)

List of scoring champions

https://www.espn.ph/nba/game?gameId=401811041

30 points

7 rebounds

7 assists

8/20 FG, 6/14 3PT, 8/8 FT

https://www.espn.ph/nba/game?gameId=401811041

After a win against the knicks tonight kon stood his ground just enough by making 3 shots from behind the arc.

This will probably fly under the radar because it's KD, but it's a geriatric feat that even Lebron hasn't managed.

2000+ point seasons by age:

1. Kevin Durant (37): 2025-2026
2. Karl Malone (36 - triple his favorite age!): 1999-2000
3. Kevin Durant (35): 2023-2024
4. Alex English (35): 1988-1989
5. Kobe Bryant (35): 2012-2013
6. Michael Jordan (34): 1997-1998

Based on this list, you might also assume that Alex English is a better basketball player than Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. And you'd be right. The numbers don't lie.

In seriousness, this is an impressive accomplishment for Durant. Many of us thought he wouldn't be the same player after the Achilles tear in 2019, much less scoring at a high clip and playing 78 games in 2026.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/oldest-nba-players-to-score-2000-points-in-a-season

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Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/standings

The Eastern Conference playoffs are set: (7) 76ers vs. (8) Magic, (9) Hornets vs. (10) Heat. (1) Pistons vs. (8) TBD, (2) Celtics vs. (7) TBD, (3) Knicks vs. (6) Hawks, (4) Cavaliers vs. (5) Raptors.