NBA Wildcat Watch (February 9-12)

From Tuesday through Friday, each time a former Wildcat hits the court, we will recap how they did and include a few highlights (if available). On Tuesdays, we’ll also recap what happened over the weekend, so you don’t miss the action. This will also serve as a discussion board. We will try to keep it updated as soon as the games are over, so check back often!

Happy Tuesday! Time to get caught up on the NBA games that happened while we were away—from Saturday to Monday.

We’ll also give updates on Tuesday’s action, which involves two ‘Cats to watch for: Omari Spellman (Atlanta Hawks) and Dante Cunningham (San Antonio Spurs), as well as an update on Josh Hart (Los Angeles Lakers).

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Omari Spellman

The Hawks took two losses over the weekend. First, they lost to the Charlotte Hornets, 129-120, on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, the Orlando Magic bested them, 124-108.

Against the Hornets, Spellman played for 12 minutes. He scored two points (0-for-3 shooting, 2-for-2 from the free throw line) and grabbed a rebound.

The following day, he got more playing time. He played for 26 minutes in the loss to the Magic, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

Fortunately for the Hawks, they came back on Tuesday night with a win over the visiting Lakers, 117-113. Through 13 minutes of playing time, Spellman finished with six points and three rebounds off the bench.

Up Next: vs. New York on Thursday, Feb. 14, at 7:30 p.m. ET

Josh Hart

It’s no secret that Hart had been dealing with a shooting slump over the last couple of months, slowing down after a promising start to his sophomore NBA season. There’s also a possibility that his issues on the court have been stemming from nagging tendonitis in his right knee. As a result, the Lakers will be shutting him down and re-evaluating him after the upcoming All-Star break.

The Lakers announced that he has received a PRP (plasma-rich platelet) injection to help treat his knee tendonitis. He didn’t play in the 143-120 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, nor did he play in the 117-113 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.

Up Next: vs. Houston on Thursday, Feb. 21, at 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT)

Dante Cunningham

Cunningham played for 17 minutes in the San Antonio Spurs’ loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday. He went 3-of-4 on the floor, en route to a six-point performance. He also had three boards and a pair of steals.

On Tuesday night, he logged four minutes in the Spurs’ narrow 108-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. He had one rebound in the win.

Up Next: @ Toronto on Friday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Ryan Arcidiacono

The Bulls lost to the Washington Wizards on Saturday (134-125) and then to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday (112-99).

Arcidiacono played 18 minutes in the game against Washington, finishing with four points (1-of-5 shooting), two rebounds, and three assists. In the Milwaukee game, he played for 15 minutes, scoring two points, grabbing two rebounds, and dishing out an assist.

Up Next: vs. Memphis on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 8 p.m. ET

Mikal Bridges

Mikal Bridges went cold from beyond the arc, but he contributed nearly everywhere else. The Phoenix Suns lost, 117-104, to the Sacramento Kings. Bridges chipped in nine points (2-of-8 shooting), six rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

Up Next: @ Clippers on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 10:30 p.m. ET

Jalen Brunson

It wasn’t a great scoring performance for Jalen Brunson, but he was dropping dimes on the court. In the Dallas Mavericks’ close 102-101 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, played 24 minutes as a starter, finishing with five points (2-of-8 shooting), two rebounds, seven assists, one block, and a steal. He did have four turnovers, as well.

On Monday night, the Mavericks were back at it with a showdown against in-state Houston Rockets. This was a more efficient outing for Brunson, who knocked down all four of his shot attempts—a trio of three-pointers included—en route to a 13-point, five-rebound, and one-assist performance in the Mavericks’ 120-104 loss.

Up Next: vs. Miami on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 8:30 p.m. ET

Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry put on a show at Madison Square Garden, dropping threes left and right on the New York Knicks. Lowry was 5-of-7 from long range, en route to a 22-point performance in the 104-99 win over New York. He also had four rebounds, five assists, a pair of blocks, and a pair of steals.

On Monday night, Lowry followed up with another solid performance, this time against the Brooklyn Nets. In the Raptors’ 127-125 win, Lowry had 13 points (5-of-9 shooting), six boards, and seven assists—with no turnovers.

Up Next: vs. Toronto on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m. ET

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Wednesday’s Slate

Four Wildcats are on deck to play on Wednesday:

• Ryan Arcidiacono: Memphis at Chicago, 8 p.m. ET
• Jalen Brunson: Miami at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Mikal Bridges: Phoenix at Clippers, 10:30 p.m. ET
• Kyle Lowry: Washington at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. ET