East Notes: Wizards, Kyshawn George, Heat, Terry Rozier, Celtics

Wizards

Kyshawn George looked every bit like a rising star Friday night.

The second-year forward erupted for a career-high 34 points on 11-of-15 shooting, adding 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks in Washington’s upset win over Dallas.

“You get to create what the Wizards are going to be for the future, and I think there’s no better space to be as a player than that,” George said, via Varun Shankar of the Washington Post. “I’m just looking forward to stacking those days to just get better.”

Veteran teammate CJ McCollum thinks George has all the tools to become a franchise cornerstone. “He’s the total package,” McCollum told Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “He’s got it all — a three-level scorer. You see the handle, you see the defensive pressure.”

The Wizards’ bench chipped in 47 points, led by rookie Tre Johnson’s 17.

“Our bench came in and really changed the game,” coach Brian Keefe said. “We played 11 guys and everybody contributed. Even when we weren’t hitting shots early, we stuck with the game plan.”

Heat

The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang report that the Heat were unaware of any gambling-related concerns surrounding Terry Rozier when they traded for him in January.

Rozier, arrested Thursday as part of a federal probe into illegal sports betting, remains on Miami’s roster while the NBA reviews the situation. His $26.6 million salary continues to count toward the cap unless commissioner Adam Silver voids his contract — something the league hasn’t indicated it plans to do.

According to Jackson and Chiang, the NBA was alerted to “unusual betting activity” involving Rozier months before the trade but didn’t inform any teams, citing policy. The Hornets reportedly made no mention of it to Miami, which sent Kyle Lowry and a first-round pick to Charlotte in the deal.

The Heat only learned of the investigation after it was publicly reported. Team officials are now in “information-gathering mode” and weighing whether to appeal for the return of their 2027 draft pick, which becomes unprotected in 2028 if Miami misses the playoffs that season.

If Rozier’s contract were voided, the Heat would gain nearly $28 million in cap flexibility, freeing them to sign replacements. For now, the team is stuck waiting for clarity.

Celtics

Rookie forward Hugo Gonzalez made quite the first impression Friday in his NBA debut.

The 19-year-old brought instant energy off the bench and earned crunch-time minutes guarding Knicks star Jalen Brunson, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive.

“Stepping on the floor was good,” Gonzalez said. “But I’m not having a great memory of this day because we lost a game we could have won. We’ve got to get better on the details.”

Coach Joe Mazzulla praised Gonzalez’s defensive effort and toughness.

“He understands what it takes,” Mazzulla said. “He knows his role — defend at the highest level and play with effort. There are things he needs to clean up, but I thought he did a great job.”

Terada added that Boston’s rotation remains fluid, with Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and Jordan Walsh all seeing minutes while Josh Minott sat out.

Meanwhile, Anfernee Simons said he was “in shock” after hearing about the arrest of his former Portland coach Chauncey Billups, saying that the two maintained a close relationship even after Simons was traded to Boston.

“It’s an unfortunate situation for him and his family,” he said, via Terada.