New York Knicks point guard Kemba Walker produced a game-high 26 points in Friday's special matchup against his former team, the Hornets. He had four three-point makes with nine attempts and shot 9-for-19 overall from the field while picking up three rebounds, three assists and two steals with two turnovers in 31 minutes. Kemba had managed just 19 points in total in his previous four outings. He should get plenty of confidence from his Friday's performance and the rest of the month should be a lot better from him. Waler has a pretty favorable four-game schedule next week, with meetings against the likes of Indiana, Houston and Orlando coming up. All three teams have struggled defensively this season.

New York Knicks guard Kemba Walker will play on Monday evening against the 76ers. The veteran didn't suit up against the Cavs on Sunday to rest, but he will be back in the lineup against the short-handed 76ers. Nonetheless, Walker has gotten off to a slow start to begin the 2021-22 campaign, currently sitting on averages of 12.7 points and 3.0 assists throughout 26.4 minutes of work, which are some of the lowest marks of his career. The 31-year-old has also scored five points or less in two of his three appearances in November, so fantasy managers may want to think twice before inserting him in any starting lineup, including DFS contests.

New York Knicks guard Kemba Walker was a factor on both ends of the floor in a 123-117 win over the Pelicans on Saturday. Walker poured in 19 points, five assists, four rebounds, four triples, and four steals in 32 minutes. The veteran guard continued his efficient shooting, as he has now scored at least 19 points with four threes on at least 46 percent shooting from the field in each of his last three games played. Walker's counting stats have taken a hit with Julius Randle and RJ Barrett ahead of him on the pecking order, though it's clear that he can still shoulder the offensive responsibility when needed.

New York Knicks point guard Kemba Walker was the team's leading scorer in Thursday's 104-103 road victory over Chicago, shooting 7-for-12 from the field and a superb 5-for-6 from downtown en route to 21 points. He added two points with three attempts from the charity stripe and posted four rebounds with two assists, two steals and one turnover in 29 minutes. The former All-Star has now scored 40 points in his past two appearances after starting the year with only 31 points across three games. Kemba enters a very good matchup next against the Pelicans, who are giving up close to 25 points per 48 minutes to opposing point guards this season.

New York Knicks point guard Kemba Walker had his best game in a Knicks jersey so far in Tuesday's 112-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. The former UConn star scored a team-high 19 points while shooting 7-for-15 from the field and 5-for-11 from beyond the arc. He also added five assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block. Despite the Knicks' hot start to the year, Walker had been a little quiet prior to Tuesday's game. In his first three games of the year, he averaged just 10.3 points and 2.3 assists per game. He'll look to build on Tuesday's outing in his next trip to the court against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.

New York Knicks guard Kemba Walker (knee) had his introductory press conference at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Regarding his health, the four-time All-Star reported that his left knee "felt great" while also commenting that he intends to "come in feeling super good and continue to feel super good." The veteran signed a two-year, $18 million contract a few weeks ago after receiving a buyout by the Oklahoma City Thunder during the offseason. Throughout his 10 seasons in the league, the 31-year-old is averaging 19.9 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.3 steals and has historically been an effective fantasy option whenever he is on the floor. However, his health has been an issue, so managers should be mindful of that during upcoming drafts for the 2021-22 campaign.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Kemba Walker has reached a buyout agreement with the organization. Walker is expected to sign with the New York Knicks once he clears waivers. Walker has struggled to find a home since leaving Charlotte. He averaged 19.3 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.0 rebounds with 1.1 steals per game last season. The talent is still there, but Walker's knee continues to bother him. It has slowed him down the last few seasons and the issue is unlikely to go away. Walker will remain a high-risk, high-reward fantasy option, assuming he signs with New York. The knee issue is probably going to sideline him at some point, but he'll be a huge asset to the Knicks if he can stay on the court.

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have hired Brooklyn Nets assistant Ime Udoka to be their new coach, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. The hiring was first reported by ESPN. Udoka, 43, played a total of 316 games over seven seasons with five NBA teams before retiring in 2012 and joining Gregg Popovich's staff in San Antonio as an assistant coach. He was with the Spurs for seven seasons, including in 2013-14, when they won the NBA title. Udoka joined the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019 and was with the Nets last year. Udoka takes over a Celtics team that reached the Eastern Conference finals in three of the previous four seasons before plummeting to the No. 7 seed this year and losing in the first round to Brooklyn. After the five-game loss to the Nets, basketball boss Danny Ainge retired and coach Brad Stevens gave up his spot on the bench to replace him. Once primed... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have hired Brooklyn Nets assistant Ime Udoka to be their new coach, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. The hiring was first reported by ESPN. Udoka, 43, played a total of 316 games over seven seasons with five NBA teams before retiring in 2012 and joining Gregg Popovich's staff in San Antonio as an assistant coach. He was with the Spurs for seven seasons, including in 2013-14, when they won the NBA title. Udoka joined the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019 and was with the Nets last year. Udoka takes over a Celtics team that reached the Eastern Conference finals in three of the previous four seasons before plummeting to the No. 7 seed this year and losing in the first round to Brooklyn. After the five-game loss to the Nets, basketball boss Danny Ainge retired and coach Brad Stevens gave up his spot on the bench to replace him. Once primed... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Brad Stevens is still getting used to his new job as the Celtics' president of basketball operations. He’s also keeping tight-lipped about candidates in Boston’s head coaching search. But once he’s made that hire and is done tinkering with the roster this offseason, one thing he promises his successor in advance is that he won’t intervene in day-to-day coaching decisions. He’s got enough to do to get the Celtics back into the top tier of the Eastern Conference. “We obviously have a really good foundation. And you have very talented young players, so I think that that’s a good place to be," Stevens said Monday. "And then, it’s about finding the right fit. There are near-term decisions that can help you improve ... and longer-term decisions that you have to make with the idea of being in the mix. And, ultimately, we want to be in the mix.” That mission began last week when Stevens, who left the bench after eight seasons to succeed retiring front office chief Danny Ainge, executed... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Brad Stevens is still getting used to his new job as the Celtics' president of basketball operations. He’s also keeping tight-lipped about candidates in Boston’s head coaching search. But once he’s made that hire and is done tinkering with the roster this offseason, one thing he promises his successor in advance is that he won’t intervene in day-to-day coaching decisions. He’s got enough to do to get the Celtics back into the top tier of the Eastern Conference. “We obviously have a really good foundation. And you have very talented young players, so I think that that’s a good place to be," Stevens said Monday. "And then, it’s about finding the right fit. There are near-term decisions that can help you improve ... and longer-term decisions that you have to make with the idea of being in the mix. And, ultimately, we want to be in the mix.” That mission began last week when Stevens, who left the bench after eight seasons to succeed retiring front office chief Danny Ainge, executed... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics are bringing Al Horford back, trading point guard Kemba Walker to Oklahoma City for the five-time All-Star on Friday in Brad Stevens' first major move since he moved from the Boston bench to the front office. Boston will also send the No. 16 overall draft pick and a 2025 second-rounder to the Thunder and receive 7-footer Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round pick in return. Oklahoma City now holds 19 first-round draft picks over the next seven years. Horford returns to Boston and gives the Celtics the frontcourt presence they've lacked since he left two seasons ago. The 6-foot-9 was forward was a member of the NBA All-Defensive team with the Celtics in 2017-18 while also posting the best assist numbers of his career. Stevens coached Horford for three seasons and says he played a “critical role” while in Boston. "His ability to elevate teammates with his experience and leadership make for a great addition," Stevens said. "We also want to welcome Moses to Boston. He... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics are bringing Al Horford back, trading point guard Kemba Walker to Oklahoma City for the five-time All-Star on Friday in Brad Stevens' first major move since he moved from the Boston bench to the front office. Boston will also send the No. 16 overall draft pick and a 2025 second-rounder to the Thunder and receive 7-footer Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round pick in return. Oklahoma City now holds 19 first-round draft picks over the next seven years. Horford returns to Boston and gives the Celtics the frontcourt presence they've lacked since he left two seasons ago. The 6-foot-9 was forward was a member of the NBA All-Defensive team with the Celtics in 2017-18 while also posting the best assist numbers of his career. "Thank you to ... the entire Thunder organization for their professionalism during my time in Oklahoma City," Horford tweeted. “While it was short, it was first class all the way and me and my family are extremely thankful and appreciative.” Walker joins... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics traded point guard Kemba Walker to Oklahoma City for forward Al Horford, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Friday. It is Brad Stevens' first major move since he moved from the Boston bench to the front office. The Celtics will also send the No. 16 overall draft pick to the Thunder and receive center Moses Brown in return. The deal includes a swap of future second-round picks. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. The trade was first reported by ESPN. Horford is returning to Boston and gives the Celtics the frontcourt presence they have lacked since he left two seasons ago. Horford was an All-Star and a member of the NBA All-Defensive team with the Celtics in 2017-18 while also posting the best assist numbers of his career. Walker, 31, arrived in Boston in 2019 and helped the team reach the Eastern Conference finals in the NBA bubble last season. But knee injuries limited him to 43 games... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics traded point guard Kemba Walker to Oklahoma City for forward Al Horford, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Friday. It is the first major move since Brad Stevens moved from the Boston bench to the front office. The Celtics will also send the No. 16 overall draft pick to the Thunder and receive center Moses Brown in return. The person, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced, added that more draft picks were involved. The trade was first reported by ESPN.

NEW YORK (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has won the Joe Dumars Trophy as the NBA player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court. Each NBA team nominated a player for the award. After a panel of league executives chose one finalist from each of the NBA’s six divisions, 343 current players confidentially cast votes to select the winner. “Just knowing that it came from the players, the guys who go through this with me and put their bodies on the line, train in the offseason, it means a lot,” Holiday said Friday. Other finalists were Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes, Minnesota’s Josh Okogie, Boston’s Kemba Walker and San Antonio’s Derrick White. Holiday received 130 first-place votes and 2,752 total points in the balloting. Walker, who won this award in 2017 and 2018, was second with 2,474 points. Last season, Holiday won the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes teammate of the year award. The 30-year-old Holiday averaged 17.7 points, 6.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Danny Ainge, who helped bring two NBA titles to Boston as a player and another as the team's basketball boss, stepped down from the Celtics front office just hours after they were eliminated from the postseason, and coach Brad Stevens is giving up his job on the bench to replace him. Stevens will lead the search for his successor, the Celtics said in a news conference Wednesday. He leaves as the fourth-winningest coach in franchise history, but one who failed to hang a championship banner from the rafters. “Hiring a new coach will give us a great opportunity to hire somebody that will be ... a new, fresh voice with a new, fresh perspective,” Stevens said. “They don’t have to fill Doc Rivers’ shoes, like I did. And they don’t have to fill Danny Ainge’s shoes, like I do. They just have to figure out a way to be better than the last guy.” Stevens, who left Butler in 2013 after leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back trips to the NCAA championship game, ends his only NBA coaching... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks all began their first-round playoff series at a home-court disadvantage. After moving ahead of their higher-seeded opponents with early-series road wins, all three are up 2-1 and in position to move to the brink of the second round Sunday. The stakes are similar in all four NBA playoff games on a tantalizing slate: Atlanta, Dallas and the defending NBA champions will attempt to seize firm control of their series at home, while the heavily favored Brooklyn Nets can do the same in Boston. Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas are probably aware of the massive statistical edge for NBA teams with a 3-1 series lead — only 13 of 260 teams in that situation have ever blown it. They also realize Phoenix, New York and the Clippers will play for a split with appropriate intensity. “It’s going to be probably the biggest game in this series unless, it goes to a Game 7,” Lakers forward Anthony Davis said Saturday. “We’re going in... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Already missing All-Star forward Jaylen Brown because of a serious wrist injury, the Boston Celtics will also be without Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart when they play the reeling Cavaliers on Wednesday night in a game with playoff implications. The Celtics said Walker will sit out as he continues to manage a left knee injury, and Smart is down with a bruised right calf. Walker has not been playing back-to-back games all season. Boston is currently in the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference standings and is trying to avoid the play-in tournament, which will involve teams 7-10. The Celtics (35-34), who lost to Miami on Tuesday night and have dropped seven of 10, are three games behind the New York Knicks (38-31) for the No. 6 spot with three games remaining. Brown is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a torn wrist ligament. Walker scored 36 points in Boston's regular-season home finale against the Heat. He also gave the Celtics and their fans a scare when he left in the opening two minutes with an apparent left shoulder injury after colliding with Bam Adebayo. Walker, who has been a bright spot of late and appears to have some of his quickness back, couldn't rally the Celtics as the Heat clinched a playoff spot. The injury-ravaged Cavs have dropped 11 straight heading into their home finale. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart was suspended by the league for one game Wednesday because of “threatening language” he directed at a referee a night earlier. The suspension forced him to miss Wednesday night's home game against Charlotte. “I just found out about 15 minutes ago,” Boston coach Brad Stevens said during his pregame media availability, just over 90 minutes before tip-off. “I'm not even completely aware of what happened,” Stevens said. “I did hear there were words after the game.” The NBA did not provide many specifics in a news release beyond saying the incidents with Smart occurred “during and after the Celtics' 119-115 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.” “I saw Marcus this morning. We talked about it," Stevens said. Boston was already short-handed at point guard. Kemba Walker is out with a left oblique strain. “Point guard by committee tonight,” Stevens said. Boston was blown out by the Hornets in the teams' last meeting, 125-104 in Charlotte on Sunday. Boston entered in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, 1 1/2 games ahead of eighth-place Charlotte. Both teams are fighting for a playoff spot and looking to avoid the play-in games for teams that finish between seventh and 10th in the conference. The Celtics have lost four of their last five games following a six-game winning streak. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports