Jonathan Kuminga Makes Quite The Debut For The Hawks And James Harden Fractures His Thumb

Todd Kirkland. Getty Images.

This is NBA Brain Food, the blog written about every NBA team by the superfans that watch their every game. This is the Eastern Conference breakdown. Check out the Western Conference blog here.

1) Detroit Pistons (43-14, 1st in the East) via Adam M

- The Detroit Pistons started out the week in a playoff like battle vs the Spurs in Detroit. Cade struggled with his shot in the game shooting 5-26 in the 114-103 loss. 

- The Pistons flaws were highlighted in the Spurs game. Detroit was forced to shoot threes to stay in the game, where they shot 9-36 from behind the arc. 

- On Wednesday the Pistons got a much needed win vs the Thunder. The Thunder were down all 5 starters, but remained in the game, proving their bench depth. Cade ended with 29 points and 13 assists. 

- The Pistons have an other tough week coming up facing the Cavs in Detroit, at Magic, at Cavs, and at Spurs in the next 7 days. This strech will be pivotal for both the 1 seed in the East, and Cade Cunningham’s MVP push. 

- The Pistons bench continues to prove its strength averaging 36.5 points as a unit since the break. Paul Reed has contributed 9.2 ppg and 7.1 rpg since the suspension of Stewart, and the bench has held a +6.8 rating which is a major improvement from the first half the year. 

2) Boston Celtics (38-20, 2nd in the East) via Dan F

- The Celtics’ quest to 40-20 ended with a blowout loss in Denver, but does a potential return of Jayson Tatum open up an exception to that rule?
- The C’s took down the Lakers in a 22-point rout on the Lakers’ floor on Tuesday night, led by yet again a Jaylen Brown 30-piece. This was a really important win, on the road, playing our biggest rival, on national TV. It was a really nice win for the Celtics to show the rest of the fans what they’ve been able to do throughout this entire season. Side note: as much as I love Marcus Smart and everything he did for us, MAN did this game show Celtics fans what we’re not missing…he does not know when to stop shooting the ball (0-7 from the floor and 0-5 from three).
- Payton Pritchard returned to the bench after the trade deadline to make up for the lost scoring of Anfernee Simons, and he showed up in a big way against the Lakers. Pritchard put up a line of 30/4/8 on 10-14 shooting with 6 threes in the effort. With some duds in Phoenix and Denver, it’s clear that the inconsistencies are still there, but having a shooter like Pritchard at your disposal is a gift any team would love to have.
- Baylor Scheierman has now started in six straight games. He has been really solid on the glass, averaging 6.8 RPG in February. Scheierman starting is great and well-deserved, but I wouldn’t look too much into it as Mazzulla has tried essentially every rotation possible at this point and has proved he’ll go with whatever he thinks works at the time. Scheierman/Walsh/Gonzalez have all been tough to bet on; in some cases, you get great value because their odds are good due to low minutes the game before, but then in other cases, you get screwed because they just aren’t a part of the plan that night, so the three of them have entered the do not bet zone for me.
- Someone to keep your eye on with the books is Neemias Queta. With the addition of Vucevic, the books seem to be trying to figure out the usage between the bigs just as much as you and I. Queta is priced sometimes as if it’s a timeshare/he’s the backup, even though the Celtics made it decently clear that Vucevic would come off the bench. The presence of Vucevic has only negatively affected the minutes of Luka Garza…not Queta, so do yourself a favor next time you’re placing props and check out Queta to see if there’s some value there.
- Jayson Tatum is coming back, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Shams Charania was on ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” yesterday and shared that Tatum “is a full go in five-on-five scrimmages with the Celtics”. At this point, it’s simply a matter of when Tatum tells the team he’s ready, and with full 5-on-5 scrimmages increasing, I think his return being sometime next week is very likely in order to give ample time to ramp up for a playoff run.
- Joe Mazzulla is currently +500 to win Coach of the Year, and I think that could potentially be insane value. Unless you hate the Celtics with every fiber of your being, it’s literally impossible to ignore what Mazzulla is doing this season. The Celtics didn’t lose just Jayson Tatum; they lost half of their championship starting lineup, replaced them with a bunch of league minimum contracts, and entered the year being thought of as a gap year/soft rebuild team by nearly everyone that follows basketball. Bickerstaff and the Pistons are a great story, and he deserves his flowers for what he’s accomplished with that group, but if the Celtics are able to close the gap with Tatum’s return and potentially take over the top spot (I think Joe deserves it regardless)? That award belongs to Mazzulla, and you can get it right now for +500.

3) New York Knicks (37-22, 3rd in the East) via Rebecca C

- After another bad loss to the Pistons, the Knicks went 2-1 to round out the week.

- The Knicks had a massive 18-point comeback to beat the Rockets in the Garden Saturday. Their defense was stellar even without Mitchell Robinson (who is still not playing back-to-backs), holding the Rockets to 15 points and 9 turnovers in the 4th, many thanks to Jose Alvarado, who had 5 steals. KAT led the team with 25 points (10-15, 3-3), including 6 clutch points in the 4th to take the lead, while Brunson and OG added on another 20 each, both on 50% shooting.

- For the second half of the back to back, KAT had 28 points (10-17, 5-9), 11 rebounds, and 3 steals in the Knicks’ win over the Bulls. He remains this season’s leader in double-doubles with 39. Josh Hart had a great night with 11 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and a block to help the Knicks defeat the Bulls. Brunson added 19 points and 9 assists, but what doesn’t show on the box score is his increased impact on the defensive end.

- In a big game Tuesday against the Cavs, the Knicks had a horrible shooting night. They went 3-24 in the 3rd quarter and had only 11 points. KAT went 4-4 in the first half, then disappeared after halftime with only one shot attempt in the 4th quarter. Bridges and Brunson couldn’t make a shot either, combining for only 12 of 36. Mitchell Robinson was the only Knick who showed up, with 11 points and 15 rebounds (8 offensive) in 19 minutes.

- They will finish their road trip as they take on the Bucks Friday before returning home to play the Spurs on Sunday.

4) Cleveland Cavaliers (37-23, 4th in the East) via Joe R

- Without several starters, the Cavs lost their most recent game against the Bucks 116-118. Close game that proved if anything that the addition of Dennis Schroeder and Keon Ellis mean a lot to this team.
- Currently sitting 4th in the east, the Cavs have been finding their groove. 12-3 over their last 15 games, it’s crucial this team continues to peak heading into the playoffs.
- James Harden fractured his right thumb. Great timing…. Thankfully he’s a lefty and it appears he plans to play through it. The Cavs have found some new energy since his arrival and luckily the injury doesn’t sound too serious.
- Over their last 10 games heading into late February, Cleveland has averaged 121ppg and also went on a 7 game win streak.
- Jarrett Allen has been a monster his last 10 games. Averaging 22ppg, 11.8rebounds, and 2 assists with 9 double doubles in his last 10 games.  Allen is nearly shooting 73% on top of it.
- Cavs play the 1 seed pistons but unfortunately, have a long list of players on the injury report tonight. Harden, Keon Ellis, Dennis Schroder, Dean Wade all listed as Questionable. Donovan Mitchell and Max Struss are both Out.

5) Toronto Raptors (34-25, 5th in the East) via Shay

- Since February 20 the Toronto Raptors have tightened the rotation and the production from the core three reflects it. Immanuel Quickley has been playing roughly 35 to 37 minutes a night and functioning as the clear primary ball handler with no real backup threatening his usage. Over this stretch he is around 23 points and 6 to 7 assists per game, taking a high volume of shots and controlling late game possessions. Because he closes with the ball and sees extra run in tight games, his points and points plus assists overs have a strong minutes based foundation rather than being hot streak driven.

- Brandon Ingram has also been living in the 34 to 36 minute range and operating as the primary wing scorer in half court sets. He is averaging roughly 22 to 24 points with a few assists per night, consistently getting 15 to 18 shot attempts and steady trips to the line. With the second unit struggling to generate offense, the Raptors keep going back to him in isolation and mid range actions, which explains why his 20 plus point output has been one of the more stable trends during this run.

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- Scottie Barnes continues to fill every column because his role is not scoring dependent. Playing 35 plus minutes and often sliding to the four in closing lineups, he is around 19 to 21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 to 6 assists during this stretch. His rebounding numbers hold because of small ball lineups and heavy fourth quarter usage, while his assist totals climb when he acts as a secondary creator next to Quickley. The tightened rotation and competitive games have locked in his workload, which is why rebounds and combo props tied to Barnes have felt more reliable than pure scoring lines.

6) Philadelphia 76ers (33-26, 6th in the East) via Devin C

- After stumbling out of the All-Star break with back‑to‑back losses—first at home against Atlanta and then on the road to a struggling Pelicans team—the Sixers looked dangerously close to letting the season slip away. With Joel Embiid still sidelined due to “shin soreness” and little encouraging news about his return, the team desperately needed a spark. Tyrese Maxey provided exactly that.

- On Sunday night in Minnesota, Maxey put the team on his back, leading the Sixers to a commanding 138–108 win. He dropped 39 points and 8 assists, even throwing down a poster dunk over All-Star Game MVP Anthony Edwards. Rookie VJ Edgecombe added 24 points and 7 rebounds, continuing his strong play.

- The momentum carried into Tuesday’s matchup in Indiana, where the Sixers finally welcomed Joel Embiid back to the lineup. Philadelphia handled the Pacers in three quarters, with Embiid shaking off some rust but still delivering 27 points in just 26 minutes. Maxey again shined with 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists, nearly locking in DraftKings’ King of the Court honors before the blowout prevented him from seeing any fourth‑quarter action. Edgecombe added another strong scoring night, which we’ll revisit shortly.

- Thursday brought a tougher challenge as the 8‑seed Miami Heat came to town hunting for ground in the standings. The Sixers appeared in control multiple times, but Miami’s runs kept things tight. Tyler Herro even put the Heat ahead with a late three at the 2:44 mark. Philly responded with an 8–0 closing run, punctuated by an Embiid dagger corner three off a Maxey assist.

The Sixers now look to carry their momentum into Sunday night’s primetime showdown in Boston.

- We have to give Maxey his flowers yet again. With five made threes last night, he officially became the franchise’s all‑time leader in three‑pointers, passing none other than Allen Iverson and his 885 career threes with the Sixers.

- For a player who wasn’t even a top‑20 pick, Maxey’s production is remarkable. And it isn’t just scoring—he’s impacting every facet of the game. After last night, Maxey is now tied for the most games in NBA history featuring 25+ points, 10+ assists, 5+ steals, and 5+ made threes. While some stat combos feel overly niche, the consistency with which Maxey delivers them shows just how complete his game has become.

-Another major bright spot in Philadelphia is the continued ascension of rookie VJ Edgecombe. With both Paul George and Embiid missing time recently, Edgecombe has stepped up to help fill the scoring void. Over his last five games, Edgecombe is averaging 20 points, 7 rebounds and 2.4 assists. This comes on 51% shooting and 44.8% from three.

His season has had some ups and downs, as expected from a rookie, but what stands out most is his unwavering confidence. No moment seems too big—he proved that again last night with clutch midrange buckets as Miami tightened its defense. His 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists were a crucial part of closing out the win.

7) Orlando Magic (31-27, 7th in the East) via Mason M

- Magic finished their west coast trip 3-1 with wins over the Lakers, Clippers and Kings. Dropping the game to the Suns

- Magic return to Orlando last night was much less than they hopped for. Allowing Durant to score 40 and shooting 13-21 62% from the free throw line and losing 113-108. If the Magic just hit their free throws they win the game

- Since the return from the All Star break Anthony Black, one of the brightest spots the first half of the season, has struggled shooting. Over the last 4 games AB has shot 32% from the field and 36% from the free throw line. Magic will need AB to return to his pre all star break shooting if they want to keep pace in the east with Franz Wagner out

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- On the flip side Desmond Bane has been on fire the last 4 games scoring 30, 22, 36 and 34!! Also shooting 62% from the field and 52% from three going 17/33. Banes scoring has definitely helped the Magic stay around the .500 mark and keep 7th in the east since break

- Paolo has been productive but hasn’t been the scorer the Magic have been hoping for. Paolo continues to pad the full stat sheet which combined with Banes scoring has been a spark for the team over the last 4 games. Averaging 24.3 ppg 9.8 rebs and 7.8 assists. Once again not scoring consistently but doing everything else has been very helpful for a Magic team still battling injuries and going through multiple rotations 

- Magic have a big game versus the 1st Place (in the east) Detroit Pistons. Magic have played well versus the pistons this year but ultimately have split the series 2-2 all games before the new year. Magic have struggled versus teams opposing guards so can expect Cade Cunningham to have a big game

- Magic Parlay vs Pistons Cade O29.5pts Bane O22.5pts Mo Wagner O7.5pts #DKpartner

8) Miami Heat (31-29, 8th in East) via Steven Cheah (*I am a Knicks fan)

- Miami is 2-2 since the All-Star break but have lost critical games to Philadelphia and Milwaukee

- Bam Adebayo's shot volume has gone up in the last two games with 19 and 20 shots. He's also taken 8 3-point attempts the past two games making 37.5% of them. That's a prop line to keep an eye on.

- Tyler Herro has also taken 9.5 3PTAs the past two games 

- Rookie Kasparas Jakucionis' minutes have gone down with 10 and 17 minutes the past two games

9) Atlanta Hawks (30-31, 9th in the East) via Josh W

- Hawks had a nice week albeit against the Nets and Wizards, a 3 game win streak is still a 3 game win streak. They toyed with the Nets for three and half quarters but ended the game on a 24-2 run to win the game thanks to another double double by Jalen Johnson. 

- Trae Young made his return to Atlanta but saw no playing time as he is still injured, but he was welcomed home by the fans. The Hawls took care of the Wizards easily on Tuesday and Thursday. Cj McCollum and Corey Kispert both played great games against their former team, Kispert scoring a career high 33 points on Thursday. 

- Newly acquired Jonathan Kuminga made his Hawks debut Tuesday and showed out with 27 points and followed that up Thursday with 17. He could be the addition the Hawks have been looking for.

- Atlanta now has a 30-31 record at the 9 spot. Hopefully they can overcome the .500 mark next week.

10) Charlotte Hornets (29-31, 10th in the East) via Jake L

- KON YOU BELIEVE IT?! Kon Knueppel breaks the record for most 3’s made in a rookie season (209), with 20 games left to be played!

- The Hornets lost last Friday to the Cavs by 5 and then ripped off 3 straight wins by 17+ points. Mind you, it was against 3 teams at the bottom of the eastern conference (Wizards, Bulls, and Pacers).

- The Hornets scored 44 points in the 3rd quarter against the Wizards which included 12 3’s in that quarter alone! They’re averaging 24 made 3’s a game in their last 3 games! The team with the 2nd most 3’s in that time, OKC with 18. Hornets also have the best 3pt % in that stretch shooting at 48% from behind the arc.

- I said last week that this team goes as Lamelo goes. Lamelo is averaging 24 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds a game over the last 3 games. He’s been shooting 52% from the field and 48% from 3. He’s been efficient while still being aggressive and it’s opened up the floor for everyone else. The Hornets are 3 games back of the Magic for 1st place in the division and if Lamelo keeps playing like this, I like the Hornets chances of catching them.

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11) Milwaukee Bucks (26-31, 11th in the East) via Colin B

- Tanking be damned, the Bucks have continued to stack wins, and even without Giannis, they've become very fun to watch. While they did have one stinker this week against the Raptors, the Bucks have now won 8 of their last 10 games, and are looking to continue this momentum as we head into March.

- A huge part of the success this week was the duo of Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins. Over the last ten games, both are averaging at least 21 ppg, 5.3 ast, and 4.9 rpg. What has made them so successful is the way their games fit seamlessly together. While KPJ is more of a driver and finisher around the rim, Rollins is more of an outside threat, shooting 49.1% from three over his last ten. KPJ has also been a pest defensively, averaging 2.7 spg over his last ten.  As the Bucks continue to win games, Rollins and KPJ are slowly developing into one of the more underrated backcourts in the league.

- Another player that deserves recognition is C Jericho Sims. A month ago, Sims looked unplayable, contributing nothing offensively and too slow defensively. Now, he's a key contributor, and the stats back this up. While Myles Turner has been back for three games, and is still starting, Sims has been playing more minutes than Turner, and has been in for Turner to close out games. Sims has played close to 30 minutes a game in the last two, and put up a double-double his last time out. His rebounding recently has been massive, averaging 8.6 rpg over his last ten games. This is especially crucial for a team that has been dreadful in the rebounding department all year. 

- One constant frustration is the rotations of Doc Rivers. Pete Nance hasn't played in two straight games, and Cam Thomas has seen his minutes cut significantly. Hopefully Doc finds more consistency from his bench, beyond just Bobby Portis and Jericho Sims. Based on what we've seen though, it might just be a variation of minutes for guys each and every night.

- This week, the Bucks continue their run against Eastern Conference teams above them in the standings, taking on the New York Knicks at home (2/27), the Bulls in Chicago (3/1), the Celtics at home (3/2), and the Hawks at home (3/4).

12) Chicago Bulls (24-36, 12th in the East) via Mikey Bets

- Bulls are winless 

- Bulls might be the only team Ethically tanking 

- Billy Donovan needs to go 

- You can’t let the current GM be in charge of the Bulls draft picks/Summer moves

- The worst the crowd the United Center has seen in 23 years  

- Collin Sexton is not what I thought he would be 

13) Washington Wizards (16-42, 13th in the East) via Rob G

- The Wizards played four games this week and went 1-3. The lone win came against the Indiana Pacers. Alondes Williams had career highs of 25 points and 10 rebounds in just his 11th NBA game. 

- The Hornets came into DC and blew the doors off in the third quarter, making 12 of 14 threes to blow the game wide open and win 129-112. Lamelo Ball attempted 15 threes. Fifteen. No one guarded him. Business as usual defensively for this team. Bilal Coulibaly did score 15 of his 17 points in the first quarter, so at least Bilal showed up. The rest of the team, not so much.

- The Wizards then traveled to Atlanta for a two-game road series against the Hawks and got handled in both. The second game was particularly painful. CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, the two guys we just traded away for Trae Young, combined for 58 points against us in a 126-96 blowout.  Kispert scored a career-high 33. Let me remind everyone that Corey Kispert was a bench scorer here. A bench scorer is dropping 33 on us. I love the Trae trade, I still love it, but this one hurt to watch.

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Will Riley continues to be a real bright spot. Over his last 11 games, Riley is posting averages of 14.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on solid shooting splits of 45.9% from the field and 39.1% from three.  Riley is for real. He is averaging 14.2 points per game in February and has scored 20+ twice this month, with a career-high 27 against Brooklyn.  He is looking more and more like a guy who will have a legitimate role on this team when it matters. 

- The Wizards converted Jamir Watkins’ two-way contract into a two-year standard deal.  Watkins has been playing great basketball lately, averaging 13.2 points and one steal over his last six games.  This is a great move. He is a tough, physical defender who can get buckets by cutting and attacking the rim. He is not a three-point shooter, he’s shooting just 26.6% from three, but his defensive ability at 6’6” with good length is something this team desperately needs. This front office just keeps finding players. In Dawkins we trust.

- LeBron James gave the Wizards a shoutout on his podcast, calling the roster “very intriguing” and saying he is interested to see how the AD and Trae pairing comes together.  When LeBron is talking about the Washington Wizards in a positive light, you know the rebuild is heading in the right direction. A year ago nobody was giving us the time of day. Now the King is paying attention. The Eastern Conference better get ready.

- The Wizards currently sit at 16-41. The record is bad, the losses have been ugly, but the young core is developing, the front office is making smart moves, and the future is genuinely exciting. Trae and AD will be back. A top pick is coming. The rebuild is working. Just trust it

14) Brooklyn Nets (15-43, 14th in the East) via Justin S

- Another winless week for the Nets. Team went 0-4 with loses against the Thunder, Hawks, Mavs and Spurs and end the week as the NBA’s third worst team.

- Since joining the starting lineup eight games ago, Nolan Traore is averaging 12.1 PPG and 6 APG. He already looks incredibly comfortable running the offense, getting downhill and into the paint almost at will. If he can cut down on the turnovers and improve his finishing around the rim he looks like he’ll become a really impactful long term piece for the Nets. 

- Inserting Traore into the starting lineup has taken the ball out of Egor Demin’s hands a lot more than we saw in the first half of the season and clearly shifted his role. After shooting around 47.2% from three in January he has dropped to about 31.0% in February and it feels like the adjustment might have thrown off his rhythm a bit. Last night against the Spurs felt like the first time the team tried to stager some of their point guard’s minutes which I hope they do more of the rest of the season. Egor had a career high 9 assists against the Spurs. 

- Michael Porter Jr. said he feels out of rhythm after missing games before the All-Star break and not getting in the gym during his time off. Since the break he is shooting 38.7% from the field and 16.7% from 3. 

- Newly acquired Ochai Agbaji seems to have found his stroke again with the Nets. He’s shooting 47% from 3 since joining the team after starting the year shooting just 18% in 40 games for the Raptors. 

15) Indiana Pacers (15-45, 15th in the East) via Ryan S

- Obi Toppin is back! He was in the starting lineup last night against the Hornets (the 33rd different starting lineup for the Pacers this season).  Toppin came out hot with a defensive rebound followed by a layup on the other end for the first bucket of the game. He finished with 3 points, 2 rebounds, an assist and one bad airball in 8 minutes of play. 

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- Kobe Brown had a career high scoring night in the loss to the Mavs on Monday, contributing 15 points (9 in the first quarter) and 7 rebounds in 19 minutes of play. Micah Potter (23 points on 9-11 shooting) and Kam Jones (13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) also had career high scoring games in the loss to the 76ers on Tuesday. The team’s bad defense remains the reason they continue to lose. 

- The Pacers have been playing awful defense giving up 129 points per game in the last 5 games (over 130 in their last 4 games). Since the All-Star break, the Pacers are 0-5 with two losses to the Wizards, a loss to the Mavs who were on a 10-game losing streak, and losses to the 76ers and Hornets.

- In other news, Coach Carlisle publicly questioned the NBA's investigation into the team's roster decisions, we’ll see if the league continues fining teams. Tyrese Haliburton has shingles. He will be away from the team while he recovers. Hopefully the team vibes stay high while he’s gone.