Hawks in the NBA | Feb. 27 – March 5

Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray was efficient in this week’s wins but struggled in a loss.

Feb 17, 2023; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Team Pau forward Keegan Murray (13) reacts against Team Deron in the 2023 NBA All Star Rising Stars Game at Vivint Arena.

Colin Votzmeyer, Sports Reporter


When Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray played well offensively last week, the Kings won. When he didn’t, they lost.

Murray began the week with a double-double in Sacramento’s Feb. 28 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He scored 13 points — on 5-for-10 from the field and 3-for-7 from deep — and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Murray’s stellar 3-point shooting inches him closer to Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell’s record for 3-pointers made by a rookie.

Mitchell made 187 threes in 2017-18, and Murray has 151 with 19 games left.

Murray added four assists, a steal, and a squeaky-clean zero turnovers in 36 minutes of play.

He looked the same on March 3, boosting the Kings to a 128-127 win over the Los Angeles Clippers with more smooth offense and strong defense. In addition to his 14 points on 5-of-10 from the field and 4-for-9 from three, Murray grabbed five rebounds and a steal with still no turnovers.

But the rookie was scoreless in a March 4 loss, 138-134, to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 20 minutes of play, Murray shot 0-for-2 from the field — both of those shots were threes — and turned the ball over once. Still, he snagged three rebounds and two assists.

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Although the Minnesota Timberwolves improved their record to 34-32 last week, putting them in sixth place in the Western Conference, center Luka Garza did not see game action in the NBA or G League.

Toronto Raptors forward Joe Wieskamp did not play this week in his team’s Feb. 28 win over the Chicago Bulls. He was assigned to the team’s G League affiliate Raptors 905 on March 1.

G League

Wieskamp took advantage of the assignment. The Raptors 905 won both games during the week.

In the March 2 win, 135-125, over the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Wieskamp started at forward and played 28 minutes, scoring 17 points on 7-for-13 from the field and 3-for-8 from deep. He included six rebounds, an assist and steal, and no turnovers on the night.

In the March 4 rematch between the squads, Wieskamp’s 16 points on 5-for-11 from the field, 4-for-8 from deep, and 1-for-1 from the free-throw line boosted the team to another win, 129-114. He started again, playing a team-high 30 minutes. He grabbed another six boards, assist, and steal despite three turnovers.

Salt Lake City Stars center Tyler Cook scored eight points in 25 minutes of play against the Wisconsin Herd on Feb. 27, which the Stars won, 135-100. He shot 4-for-9 from the field and grabbed six rebounds and two assists.

Cook did not play in the Feb. 28 rematch, which the Stars lost, 120-106.

Iowa Wolves guard Jordan Bohannon pushed through their four games this week.

The Wolves lost, 125-110, on Feb. 27 to the G League Ignite. He played 21 minutes, shooting 2-for-5 from the field — all of them threes — for six points as well as two rebounds and an assist.

In the Feb. 27 rematch, the Wolves lost again, 110-102, and Bohannon did not attempt a shot in nine minutes on the court but grabbed two rebounds.

On March 3 and 4, the Wolves grabbed two wins over the Sioux Falls Skyforce, 131-128 and then 112-109.

Bohannon scored 3 points on 1-for-4 from the field — again, all of them threes — and added four rebounds, an assist, and a steal in 17 minutes in the first win. In 20 minutes the next night, he was scoreless, attempting only one shot but notching two steals.