Around the Association: Suns-76ers clash, Heat cool down, Hornets start to buzz

This article is part of our NBA Daily Recap series.

Welcome to Around the Association! Four days per week (Monday through Thursday), this article will serve as a comprehensive recap of the previous night's NBA action, taking you through all of the biggest performances, notable box scores, injury updates and any other fantasy-relevant headlines from around the league.

We had an action-packed weekend full of insane performances and playoff implications -- here is all you need to know: 

Nightly Notables 

Suns and Philly clash

• Two of the top teams in their respective conferences battled it out Sunday when the 76ers traveled to Phoenix to face the Suns. The game was well fought but Phoenix was able to walk away with a 114-104 win behind yet another big game out of Devin Booker.
  • The 25-year-old ended with 35 points (13-22 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 6-8 FT), two rebounds and two assists over 35 minutes as he continued his scoring spree. Booker is averaging 30.9 points per game in the month of March while ranking as the fifth-overall nine-category fantasy option over that span.
  • Chris Paul has only played in two games since returning from a thumb injury that kept him out since the All-Star break, but the veteran point guard is showing absolutely zero rust. Paul finished with a double-double in the win over Philly and is averaging 18.0 points and 13.5 assists over his first two appearances back. He played 36 minutes Sunday.
• Joel Embiid had a chance to really shift the MVP narrative with a big outing and a win on the road in Phoenix. He did one of those things as he put up 37 points (14-27 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 8-12 FT), 15 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks over 38 minutes in the stinging defeat. The dominant center sits as the third overall nine-category fantasy option this season.
  • James Harden struggled from the field in the loss, finishing with just 14 points (2-11 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 8-9 FT), but the All-Star still averaged 21.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game over the weekend.

Another rough loss for the Lakers

• The Lakers suffered a rough, 116-108 loss to the Pelicans that moved Los Angeles to 10th in the Western Conference. The Lakers led by as many as 22 points in the first half.
  • Brandon Ingram returned to the Pelicans' lineup and looked like he hadn't missed a beat with 26 points (10-17 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 6-7 FT), seven rebounds and five assists over 26 minutes. In his five appearances since the All-Star break, Ingram is averaging 29.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.
  • Trey Murphy had another big outing as he continues to see more run in the second half of the season. The rookie forward totaled 21 points (7-12 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), and four rebounds over 25 minutes.  
• To make matters worse for the Lakers, LeBron James tweaked his ankle and described it postgame as "horrible". The NBA's leading scorer still dominated the game with 39 points (14-27 FG, 7-13 3Pt, 4-6 FT), nine rebounds, five assists and one block over 42 minutes, but the Lakers are now just 1.0 game ahead of the 11th-seeded Spurs and are in real danger of missing the playoffs completely. Hopefully, James will be ready to suit up Wednesday against the Mavericks. 

Heat cool down 

• The Heat have officially lost hold of their top spot in the Eastern Conference. They are currently tied with the Celtics at 47-28 and both are just a 0.5 game ahead of the Bucks and 76ers. Miami struggled all weekend with home losses to both the Knicks and the Nets and have now lost four straight contests. It was not a pretty weekend for virtually any Heat player. 
• Jimmy Butler performed well in Friday's loss to the Knicks with 30 points (11-17 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 7-8 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists, one block and one steal across 37 minutes but followed that up with just seven points Saturday against Brooklyn. The Heat need to get back on track as the season nears its end.
  • Victor Oladipo continues to be gradually brought back to the court, but the veteran saw a season-high 25 minutes during Saturday's loss to the Nets. He ended with nine points (3-9 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-3 FT), three rebounds and a season-high six assists in the loss, but it is encouraging to see his minutes get boosted up. 

Hornets are buzzing 

• The Charlotte Hornets are starting to figure things out. The Hornets defeated the Jazz and Nets over the weekend (spoiling Kyrie Irving's home debut) and are now 7-3 in their last 10 games. LaMelo Ball has been on fire recently, averaging 27.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game over their two wins. The dynamic playmaker has reached the 30-point mark in two out of his last three contests while ranking as the 13th overall nine-category fantasy player over the past week.
  • Miles Bridges also had himself an impressive weekend, averaging 25.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Bridges is on pace for by far the best fantasy finish of his career, ranking as the 30th overall nine-category fantasy option this season. The forward has never finished better than 93rd overall throughout his career.

No Ja, no problem 

• Even without their star point guard Ja Morant (knee) the Grizzlies still continue to rattle off wins, this time against the Milwaukee Bucks. Behind a solid team effort, Memphis was able to protect its home court with a 127-102 win to improve its record to 52-23.
  • De'Anthony Melton had a big game with a team-high 24 points (8-11 FG, 6-9 3Pt, 2-4 FT), three rebounds, two assists and three steals over just 22 minutes. In the four straight games that Morant has missed, Melton is averaging 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists over 22.5 minutes per game.
  • Desmond Bane performed well in the win, finishing with 20 points (9-19 FG, 2-7 3Pt), three rebounds, five assists and two steals over 28 minutes. The sharpshooting wing has passed the 20-point mark in each of the last four games with Morant sidelined while averaging 24.3 points during that span. Bane ranks as the 11th-best nine-category fantasy option over the past week.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo did his thing during his return from a one-game knee absence in the loss. The MVP candidate ended with 30 points (11-20 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 8-10 FT), 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. Antetokounmpo is currently the 10th ranked nine-category option on a per-game basis. 

Houston's rookie shines 

• The Houston Rockets had perhaps the best weekend of their season as they defeated the Trail Blazers twice. The team's 115-98 win Saturday was especially powerful as Houston's two esteemed rookies balled out together.
  • Jalen Green continued his impressive late-season play, ending with 25 points (9-17 FG, 6-11 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 32 minutes. Since the All-Star break, the No. 2 overall pick is averaging 19.1 points (nearly five more than before the break), 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game on 47.6 percent shooting from the field. 
  • Alperen Sengun also shined in the win, totaling 27 points (10-16 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 5-8 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and one block over 26 minutes. While the rookie big-man continues to see somewhat limited minutes here in his first season, he is a player that I am actively trying to get as much as I can of in dynasty formats.  
• Despite the two losses, Trendon Watford was another rookie who stood out in the two matchups between Portland and Houston. The undrafted gem averaged a team-high 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game over the weekend. Unfortunately, the injury bug struck again for Portland. Watford is now dealing with a leg injury and will be re-evaluated in one week.
  • On Monday morning, Portland officially ruled Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic and Eric Bledsoe out for the rest of the season. Josh Hart will also miss at least another week.

Warriors missing Curry

• The Warriors are starting to feel the ramifications of losing Stephen Curry (foot) after falling to both the Hawks and Wizards over the weekend. The team has now gone 1-4 in its first five contests since Curry has been ruled out.
• On the bright side, Klay Thompson continues to get back to his normal self. The 32-year-old shined in the team's Friday loss to Atlanta with 37 points (14-26 FG, 9-16 3Pt), seven rebounds, three assists and one block across 40 minutes. Thompson averaged 31.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game over the weekend.
  • If Ja Morant wasn't having an MVP-caliber season, Jordan Poole would probably be running away with the Most Improved Player of the Year award. Despite the two losses, Poole extended his 20-point scoring streak to 13 straight outings. The Michigan product averaged 25.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game during the team's two losses. 

Tatum and Brown handle T'Wolves

• Two of the hottest teams in the NBA squared off Sunday when the Timberwolves headed into Boston. The Celtics were able to roll to a 134-112 victory as their star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the way. Tatum poured in 34 points (12-21 FG, 5-11 3pt, 5-5 FT), five rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block over 34 minutes in the win. The dark horse MVP candidate is averaging 32.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game since the All-Star break as Boston sets its eyes on the No. 1 overall seed in the East.
  • Jaylen Brown: 31 points (12-20 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 10 rebounds and two assists over 35 minutes.
  • Robert Williams exited in the third quarter with a knee injury and was later diagnosed with a torn meniscus. He's expected to miss several weeks.
• Anthony Edwards finished with 24 points (9-16 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 1-1 FT), five rebounds, six assists and one steal over 37 minutes in the loss. Over the weekend, the young star averaged 18.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. Edwards ranks as the 34th overall nine-category fantasy option over the last month. 

Knicks figuring it out

• While it may be a little bit too late, the Knicks had one of their stronger weekends of the year, defeating both the Heat and Pistons. Immanuel Quickley continues to quietly impress since the All-Star break, averaging 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists during the team's two wins. The guard is scoring 15.2 points per game across his first 16 contests since the All-Star break -- up nearly six points per game from his per-break mark (9.4 PPG). New York now sits at 33-42 but is still 4.5 games behind the 10th-seeded Hawks with seven games remaining.
  • Quickley's improved play may be a bit overlooked due to the emergence of RJ Barrett. The 21-year-old helped push the team to an undefeated weekend while averaging 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Since returning from the All-Star break, Barrett is dominating with a 25.6 points per game average. 

Best and Worst of the Weekend 

• Best of the Weekend: Devin Booker - 35 points (13-22 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 6-8 FT), two rebounds and two assists over 35 minutes in Phoenix's big win over the 76ers
• Worst of the Weekend: Devonte' Graham - 4.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists across 22.5 minutes per game 
• Rookie of the Weekend: Jalen Green - 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists over 29.7 minutes per game

A Look Ahead to Monday Night

• The Hornets look to stay hot when they face the Nuggets at home.
• The Heat look to snap their skid when the Kings come into town.
• The Bulls and Knicks square off in Madison Square Garden.
• The Celtics take on the Raptors in Toronto, but they'll be without Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brown, Al Horford and Robert Williams.
• The Stephen Curry-less Warriors aim to get back on track against the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies.