NBA Basketball 3d Briefing
×Top Performances & Games
Victor Wembanyama espn.com delivered an emotional performance after leading the Spurs on a 25-point rally to stun the Clippers 116-112 on Friday night. The young star admitted he had "zero left" physically but was all smiles with the result. In Washington, Trae Young espn.com dazzled the crowd in his limited Wizards debut, proving to be the type of player the team hasn't had since John Wall with 12 points in his first outing. Meanwhile, the Warriors secured an overtime win espn.com in Houston with Stephen Curry sending encouraging messages to Draymond Green before the game.
Injury Updates
Multiple stars faced health concerns over the past few days. Jamal Murray espn.com left Friday's game against the Knicks with an ankle injury and is set for testing on Saturday. The Nuggets will be without their star guard for at least the short term. 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, a significant blow to Boston's frontcourt. The Lakers announced multiple absences espn.com against the Pacers, with LeBron James and Deandre Ayton sidelined, while Ayton had previously injured his knee espn.com in Thursday's loss to the Nuggets. Ausar Thompson espn.com also left Thursday's loss to the Spurs with a sprained right ankle in the first quarter and didn't return.
Return to 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 narrow 115-114 loss to the Orlando Magic. His return was unfortunately spoiled by a late Magic rally. Jayson Tatum espn.com is also making his way back to the court after a devastating Achilles injury, with his return potentially shifting the NBA's balance of power with just weeks remaining in the season.
NBA Notes
Kristaps Porzingis espn.com continues to be sidelined by a "mysterious" illness for the Warriors, who are reckoning with their future after trading for him in early February. The Grizzlies confirmed Ja Morant espn.com will miss at least two more weeks as he recovers from a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. On the legal front, Malik Beasley espn.com was hit with a $1 million civil judgment in a contract dispute with his former agency. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander espn.com received praise from Knicks coach Mike Brown for being "probably better than anybody in the league" at convincing referees of fouls. Finally, Victor Wembanyama espn.com reflected on his recent visit to Alaska to see the northern lights, calling it "the best thing I've ever seen."