NBA Basketball 3d Briefing
×Player News & Injuries
Cavaliers espn.com ruled out James Harden for Wednesday night's game at Milwaukee after he suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right thumb Tuesday against the Knicks. Hawks espn.com All-Star forward Jalen Johnson played only 5½ minutes before leaving Tuesday's win over the Wizards with a left hip flexor injury. Bulls espn.com guard Anfernee Simons aggravated a fractured left wrist that he suffered while with the Celtics, and the team did not offer a timeline for his return. Trail Blazers espn.com guard Shaedon Sharpe was diagnosed with a stress reaction of the left fibula and will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks. Jazz espn.com center Jusuf Nurkic will undergo nose surgery this week and sit out the rest of the season.
Team Results
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. Kings espn.com snapped a 16-game losing streak—the longest in franchise history—with a 123-114 victory over the Grizzlies on Monday night. Spurs espn.com won their ninth straight game, beating the Pistons in a physical matchup Monday night.
Roster Changes
Pelicans espn.com celebrated Dejounte Murray's return to action Tuesday, when he scored 13 points in his comeback from a ruptured right Achilles tendon. Jonathan Kuminga espn.com, after months of riding the bench in Golden State, shined in his debut for the Hawks. Hawks espn.com have removed former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher from the starting lineup in favor of veteran CJ Mc Collum. Coby White espn.com is set to make his Charlotte Hornets debut on Tuesday night against his former Bulls team.
League Happenings
Jontay Porter espn.com, banned for life by the NBA for gambling in 2024, is planning to play for the USBL's Super Hawks. Suns owner espn.com Mat Ishbia wants more star players participating in All-Star Weekend events when Phoenix hosts next year and is offering a $1 million prize to winners. Former Virginia coach espn.com Tony Bennett joined the Lakers on Wednesday as NBA draft adviser to president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka. MVP odds espn.com have tightened, with Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver's Nikola Jokic at risk of not qualifying for the award. Cavs coach espn.com Kenny Atkinson noted the "renewed confidence" the addition of James Harden has brought to his team.
Fantasy Focus
Zion Williamson espn.com appears to have put durability questions behind him as he continues to stay on the court, providing fantasy value with consistent playing time.