Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball met the family of the late Alex Reinhardt, whose knee cartilage was donated to Ball in a transplant two years ago.   Before Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat, Ball signed jerseys and took photos with Alex’s mother, father, two brothers, and soon-to-be sister-in-law. The meeting, near the Bulls’ bench, was emotional for Angie Reinhardt, who described the experience as “extremely emotional” but full of happiness.   “It’s been extremely emotional,” she said. “So much happiness comes with it, too. All of the people that are donor recipients of Alex’s, we’re just blessed. We’ve had mothers from some people that have said things. Now we get to meet Lonzo. It’s just a blessing to be able to watch people do well with their knees or anything because of Alex. Of course, we wish he was here.” Alex Reinhardt, who passed away at 20 in February 2023, was known for his love of fast-paced activities like skiing, tubing, and sports like football and wrestling.   The Reinhardt family was contacted by the donor network about an athlete who had received Alex’s tissue. It was later revealed to be Ball, who had undergone a meniscus and cartilage transplant in March 2023 after a knee injury that kept him out of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.   While Ball was sidelined Wednesday with a sprained wrist, Angie Reinhardt expressed gratitude: “To be able to keep helping people after his death really feels like a blessing to all of us”.

Nick Kurtz rise to the Major Leagues has been nothing short of meteoric. Just one year ago, he was a junior at Wake Forest, and now, after being drafted fourth overall by the Athletics in the 2024 MLB Draft, Kurtz has already made his MLB debut.  The 22-year-old first baseman, ranked as the A’s No. 1 prospect and No. 35 overall by MLB Pipeline, was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas just nine months after starting his professional career, with fewer than 32 Minor League games played. Still groggy from the phone call that informed him of his call-up, Kurtz said, “I was half-asleep, so I still thought it was a little bit of a dream.” Kurtz’s dream became reality in Wednesday’s 5-2 victory over the Rangers. In his first Major League at-bat, Kurtz wasted no time making an impact, delivering an RBI single off Rangers starter Kumar Rocker in the first inning, marking his first hit at the big league level.  His teammate, Lawrence Butler, was full of praise, saying, “That’s a big league at-bat right there. 112 mph up the middle from a big guy. He’s going to be a great player.” Kurtz’s debut performance solidified the excitement surrounding his future in Oakland.

Golden State’s Jimmy Butler suffered a pelvis contusion during the first quarter of Wednesday’s 109-94 loss to the Houston Rockets. The injury occurred when Amen Thompson, while attempting to grab a rebound, collided with Butler, causing him to take a hard fall. Butler remained down longer than Thompson before slowly walking to the free-throw line, where he made 1 of 2 attempts before being taken out of the game and heading to the locker room. Coach Steve Kerr was uncertain about Butler’s availability for Game 3 on Saturday and mentioned that the star forward would undergo an MRI exam on Thursday. “Jimmy always says he’s going to be fine,” Kerr said, but the MRI results will provide clarity. Before the injury, Butler had contributed three points and two rebounds. He had a strong performance in Game 1 with 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in Golden State’s 95-85 victory. Kerr emphasized that Thompson’s collision with Butler appeared unintentional, stating, “It was just one of those plays.” The Warriors will adjust their strategy if Butler is unable to play in Game 3, though Kerr remains hopeful about his return. Meanwhile, Brandin Podziemski, who dealt with a stomach ailment, returned in the third quarter after receiving IV treatment.

Kristaps Porzingis didn’t let a serious gash to his forehead stop him from playing in the Celtics’ 109-100 Game 2 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. After taking an elbow from Goga Bitadze in the third quarter, Porzingis was left with a bloody wound on his forehead and briefly left the game to get stitches. However, the 7-foot-2 center was determined to return to the action. “How can I not come back? ‘Oh, I have five stitches, I can’t play anymore?’ My legs are working. Of course I’m going back to be out there,” Porzingis said, reflecting his tough mentality. He came back, shot free throws, and re-entered the game in the final minutes. Porzingis finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes. His return to the court was met with loud cheers from the TD Garden crowd. Jaylen Brown, who added 36 points and 10 rebounds, praised his teammate’s toughness: “He came out and competed… even through injury, even through blood everywhere. I think that fires KP up.” The injury occurred when Porzingis and Bitadze collided for a rebound, with Bitadze receiving a flagrant foul for his actions. Despite the setback, Porzingis’ resilience played a key role in Boston holding onto their lead and securing the win.