NBA Basketball 3d Briefing
×NBA Results & Standings
Suns owner Mat Ishbia espn.com is offering $1 million prizes to All-Star Weekend contest winners as Phoenix prepares to host next year's event. The Kings espn.com snapped a franchise-worst 16-game losing streak with a 123-114 victory over the Grizzlies, with Russell Westbrook scoring 25 points in the win. Meanwhile, the Spurs espn.com won their ninth consecutive game against the Pistons in a physical matchup that served as a potential NBA Finals preview.
Player Health & Returns
James Harden espn.com will miss time after X-rays revealed a non-displaced fracture in his right thumb, ruling him out for the Cavaliers' game at Milwaukee. Coach Kenny Atkinson espn.com noted the renewed confidence Harden's addition has brought to Cleveland despite the injury setback. For the Pelicans espn.com, Dejounte Murray made an impressive return from a ruptured Achilles tendon, scoring 13 points as teammates praised that he "didn't miss a beat." Trae Young espn.com returned to Atlanta for the first time since his trade to Washington, though he's still recovering from a knee injury.
Injury Updates
Hawks forward Jalen Johnson espn.com left Tuesday's win over the Wizards after playing just 5½ minutes with a left hip flexor injury. Coby White espn.com is set to make his Hornets debut against his former Bulls team. The Jazz espn.com announced center Jusuf Nurkic will undergo nose surgery and miss the rest of the season. Bulls guard Anfernee Simons espn.com aggravated a fractured left wrist suffered while with Boston, with no return timeline provided.
League News
Jontay Porter espn.com, banned for life by the NBA for gambling, will join the USBL's Super Hawks. The NBA espn.com fined Memphis' Scotty Pippen Jr. and Miami's Myron Gardner $35,000 each for their weekend scuffle. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle espn.com questioned the NBA's process for issuing a $100,000 fine to his team for violating the player participation policy. The Lakers espn.com confirmed new president of business operations Lon Rosen will keep Rob Pelinka in his GM role, with Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi joining as advisors.
Fantasy & Player Movement
Jonathan Kuminga espn.com shined in his Hawks debut after months on the Warriors' bench. The Hawks espn.com have removed former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher from the starting lineup in favor of veteran CJ Mc Collum. Fantasy analysts suggest Zion Williamson espn.com may have put durability questions behind him, with emerging options noted on the Clippers, Kings and Jazz. Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe espn.com was diagnosed with a stress reaction of the left fibula and will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.
NBA Finals Preview
The Thunder espn.com faced a shell of the Pistons on Wednesday night in what could be an NBA Finals preview, with Oklahoma City missing its top six scorers to injuries. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander espn.com and Nikola Jokic are seeing their MVP odds tighten as both stars approach ineligibility for the award. Kevin Durant espn.com plans to play in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, telling ESPN he's eyeing "28 Games" while bemoaning critics of U.S. basketball.