NBA Basketball 3d Briefing
×Player News & Injuries
Nikola Jokic espn.com confronted Thunder guard Lu Dort after he was called for a flagrant foul 2 and ejected from Friday's game for what Jokic called an "unnecessary move." Meanwhile, James Harden espn.com will miss additional time after suffering a non-displaced fracture in his right thumb. The Cavaliers ruled out Harden, Donovan Mitchell espn.com, Keon Ellis, and Dean Wade for Friday's game against Detroit. Norman Powell espn.com, the Heat's leading scorer, has a Grade 1 right groin strain and will be out for at least a week. Lauri Markkanen espn.com will be reevaluated in two weeks after an MRI on his hip, making him the latest Utah player to be sidelined.
Game Highlights
The Celtics delivered a historic performance espn.com against the Nets on Friday night, posting one of the best offensive showings in league history. In a different type of unusual event, Friday's Pistons-Cavs game experienced an 18-minute delay espn.com in the third quarter when a blaring horn sounded after a power surge caused the overhead scoreboard to malfunction. The defending champion Thunder faced a depleted Pistons team on Wednesday night, with OKC ending the game with multiple top scorers hurt espn.com.
Transactions & Roster Moves
Cole Anthony espn.com was waived by the Suns Friday, three weeks after being acquired at the NBA trade deadline, as the guard did not appear in any games for Phoenix. The San Antonio Spurs espn.com signed Mason Plumlee for the remainder of the season, adding veteran depth to their frontcourt. In other moves, former Virginia coach Tony Bennett espn.com joined the Lakers as an NBA draft adviser to president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka. Meanwhile, Jontay Porter espn.com, banned for life by the NBA for gambling, is planning to play for the USBL's Super Hawks.
Records & League Updates
Kon Knueppel espn.com broke Keegan Murray's NBA rookie record for 3-pointers, making his 207th on Thursday night against the Pacers. On the disciplinary front, Anthony Edwards espn.com and Desmond Bane were each fined $25,000 for throwing balls into the stands in recent games. Mat Ishbia espn.com, Suns owner, hopes to entice more star players to participate in All-Star Weekend events next year by offering a $1 million prize to the winners. Elsewhere, Chris Bosh espn.com revealed he's "lucky to be alive" after a recent health scare that resulted in him waking up "covered in my own blood."