NBA Basketball 3d Briefing
×Injury Updates
Nikola Vucevic espn.com fractured the ring finger on his right hand in Friday's win over the Mavericks and will miss approximately a month. The Lakers will be without LeBron James and two of their big men in Deandre Ayton and Maxi Kleber on Friday against the Pacers, the team announced. Deandre Ayton espn.com left Thursday night's loss to the Nuggets with a knee injury, while LeBron complained of a sore elbow afterward. Pistons forward Ausar Thompson espn.com exited Thursday's loss to the Spurs in the first quarter with a sprained right ankle and didn't return. Ja Morant espn.com will miss at least two more weeks as he continues recovering from a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow.
Player Returns & Performances
Trae Young espn.com dazzled the Wizards crowd in his debut, proving to be the type of player the team hasn't had since John Wall with 12 points in limited action. Cooper Flagg espn.com returned to the Mavericks' lineup Thursday night after missing eight games with a left midfoot sprain, contributing 18 points and six assists in a 115-114 loss to the Magic. Victor Wembanyama espn.com reflected on visiting Alaska to see the northern lights after the All-Star break, calling it the best thing he's ever seen. The Spurs star also expressed gratitude espn.com to the public for helping find a longtime friend who had disappeared after being dropped off at a Chicago airport.
League News & Analysis
Malik Beasley espn.com was hit with a $1 million civil judgment by a federal judge in New York in a contract dispute with his former agency. Steve Kerr espn.com and Doc Rivers were among prominent basketball coaches who signed a public letter contending that political interference in universities threatens to undermine college basketball. Knicks coach Mike Brown espn.com praised Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for being "probably better than anybody in the league" at convincing referees he's getting fouled. The Eastern Conference espn.com is showing underrated strength that could surprise in the postseason, according to ESPN analyst Zach Kram. With six weeks left until the playoffs, NBA Power Rankings espn.com highlight the most intriguing games remaining for all 30 teams.
Fantasy Focus & Team Dynamics
Nikola Vucevic espn.com is among players sliding down fantasy rankings after his injury, while Sheppard and Achiuwa are moving up.