NBA Basketball 3d Briefing
×Health & Comebacks
Chris Bosh espn.com said he's "lucky to be alive" after a recent health scare that left him waking up "covered in my own blood." Meanwhile, the Pelicans espn.com celebrated Dejounte Murray's return from a ruptured right Achilles tendon, with Murray scoring 13 points in his comeback game. The Cavaliers also saw renewed confidence since James Harden espn.com joined, with coach Kenny Atkinson noting the "renewed confidence" the addition has brought to his team.
Player Updates & Injuries
Cavaliers guard James Harden suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right thumb and was ruled out of Wednesday's game against Milwaukee. Hawks forward Jalen Johnson espn.com played only 5½ minutes before leaving Tuesday's win over the Wizards with a left hip flexor injury. 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. Bulls guard Anfernee Simons espn.com is still dealing with a left wrist fracture aggravated from his time with the Celtics, with no timeline for his return.
Team Moves & Coaching Changes
The Lakers espn.com added former Virginia coach Tony Bennett as an NBA draft adviser to president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka. New Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen made it clear that GM Rob Pelinka espn.com will remain in his role and be flanked by Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi. The Hawks espn.com have removed former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher from the starting lineup in favor of veteran CJ Mc Collum.
Game Results & Performances
The Spurs espn.com won their ninth straight game, beating the Pistons in what coach Rick Carlisle called a potential NBA Finals preview. The Kings espn.com snapped a 16-game losing streak - the longest in franchise history - with a 123-114 victory over the Grizzlies, with Russell Westbrook scoring 25 points. The Lakers espn.com lost to the Magic 110-109 on Tuesday after a botched sidelines out-of-bounds play between Le Bron James and Luka Doncic in the final seconds failed to produce a quality shot.
Off-Court News
Banned NBA player Jontay Porter espn.com is planning to play for an upstart pro basketball league's Super Hawks after being banned for life in 2024 for gambling and pleading guilty to a related federal charge. Suns owner Mat Ishbia espn.com wants more star players participating in All-Star Weekend events when Phoenix hosts next year and is offering a $1 million prize to winners of the contests. A grand jury returned a no-bill in the case involving former NBA guard Patrick Beverley espn.com, who was arrested last fall in what police called a "family violence" incident.
Standings & Rankings
NBA insiders broke down where all 30 teams land coming out of the All-Star break in the latest power rankings espn.com. The odds to win the NBA's regular-season MVP have tightened, with the top two betting favorites - Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver's Nikola Jokic - at risk of not qualifying for the playoffs. Jonathan Kuminga espn.com, after months of riding the bench in Golden State, shined in his debut for the Hawks.
Our NBA insiders evaluated draft, free agency and trade options for the league's 10 worst teams after the trade deadline and ahead of the draft. The Jazz espn.com announced that center Jusuf Nurkic will undergo nose surgery this week and sit out the rest of the season. The Pacers espn.com coach Rick Carlisle said the NBA did not speak with team doctors or players before issuing a $100K fine for violating the league's player participation policy, a claim the NBA has disputed.