Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Injuries, Porzingis, Game 6
The Mavericks don’t expect star guard Luka Doncic to be under any restrictions when their series with the Clippers resumes Sunday, writes Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic had been dealing with the effects of a sprained left ankle he suffered in the second half of Game 3, but an unexpected three-day break in the playoff schedule has allowed it to heal.
Doncic fought through the pain to deliver a remarkable performance in Game 4, posting 43 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists and nailing a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. He is officially listed as questionable for Game 6, but coach Rick Carlisle told reporters today that Doncic has made significant progress.
“Ankle’s doing well, all things considered,” Carlisle said. “The extra two or three days is a plus, certainly. In practice today, he looked pretty good, so going into tomorrow, I don’t think he’s going to be limited.”
There’s more Mavericks news to pass along:
- Injuries will be a concern as Dallas tries to keep its season alive, Caplan adds in the same story. In addition to Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr. (cervical strain), Dorian Finney-Smith (left hip strain) and Trey Burke (left ankle sprain) are all listed as questionable for Game 6.
- The knee issue that has sidelined Kristaps Porzingis may change the way the Mavericks deal with him moving forward, suggests Tim Cato of The Athletic. The team needs to recognize that Porzingis could eventually develop chronic knee problems, Cato states. He advises the Mavs to expand their frontcourt depth in case Porzingis has to miss numerous games every season and points out that there has never been another 7’3″ player with his mobility who plays so many minutes. Cato believes the organization should consider limiting Porzingis to about 30 minutes per game and reducing his travel schedule.
- Like all the remaining teams, the Mavericks face the challenge of putting aside the emotions of a difficult week and concentrating on basketball, Caplan writes in a separate story. “We’re going to go … whistle to whistle, timeout to timeout,” Carlisle said, “and we’re going to do everything possible to get to a Game 7.”
Atlantic Notes: Harris, Hayward, Nurse, Bryant
Even if the Nets manage to extend their season by winning today, they don’t know when Joe Harris might return to Orlando, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Harris left the Disney World complex after Game 2 because of a family emergency. Teammates said he knew about the situation ahead of time, but still played on Wednesday.
“We haven’t even assessed that yet,” coach Jacque Vaughn said about whether Harris might rejoin the team. “My conversations with him were just checking on him to make sure that he was good and to let him know that we’re here for him when needed. I think the biggest task right now is for us to extend the series, and so to get a win and see what happens afterwards. It’s the ultimate compliment to him that he was concerned about the guys and the game, and so encouraging of the group. So while we were checking on him he was checking on us.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, who is sidelined with a Grade III sprain of his right ankle, has left Orlando and will return when he is closer to being ready to play, according to a tweet from the team. Hayward suffered the injury Monday and was projected to miss about four weeks.
- Nick Nurse’s reaction to the loss of Kawhi Leonard last summer laid the groundwork for his Coach of the Year honor, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN. Nurse didn’t panic when Leonard announced he was headed to the Clippers in free agency, breaking up a team that had just won the NBA title. Instead, he started looking for solutions to keep the team in the championship chase without its best player. “When you see Nick on the sidelines, that’s who he is as a person – relaxed but so hard working, creative and dynamic, always setting the tone for our team (by) attacking our next championship, rather than defending our last,” said team president Masai Ujiri. “That is who Nick is, that is why we believe in him. His journey to this tremendous honor has been a long one – we are so happy to see him recognized this way.”
- Jazz coach Quin Snyder said assistant Johnnie Bryant will be a valuable addition to Tom Thibodeau’s staff with in New York, states Marc Berman of The New York Post. The Knicks are expected to officially announce the move soon, but Bryant will continue to coach alongside Snyder as long as Utah’s playoff run continues. “He’s been someone who’s been with me since I got to Utah,” Snyder said. “Tactically, he’s learned (a lot) in the game and on the bench. He’s great on the court with players and you see him develop guys. It’s something we take pride in with our program. Johnnie’s been a big part of that.’’
Northwest Notes: Dort, Malone, Nurkic, Collins
A rookie guard who was virtually unknown a few months ago may have changed the shape of the Thunder’s first-round series, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. Luguentz Dort made life difficult for Rockets star James Harden whenever they were matched up in Saturday’s Game 3, setting the stage for Oklahoma City to rally for a badly needed overtime victory.
Harden scored 38 points, but shot just 7-for-21 while Dort was in the game. The rookie has shown an ability to stay in front of the league’s top scorer and force him into contested 3-pointers.
“We know Lu and what he does,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That’s what we expect every night.”
Dort’s defensive prowess leaves coach Billy Donovan with a difficult choice moving forward, notes Royce Young of ESPN. The Thunder need Dort to counteract Harden, but that means sitting out one member of the unit that normally closes games. An injury to Steven Adams dictated the decision Saturday, but Donovan may have to adjust his regular lineup for the rest of the series.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- It’s too soon to think about firing Michael Malone, but Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post believes trust between the Nuggets coach and his players is broken after two straight lopsided losses to the Jazz. Malone questioned his team’s resolve after Game 3, saying, “I think we give in too easy” and “Our group has to be a lot more mentally tough.” Denver doesn’t have a hard-nosed leader in the locker room, Kiszla adds, and its closest thing to a “glue guy” is Will Barton, who left Orlando to rehab his injured knee.
- The strain of returning to a high-pressure environment 17 months after suffering a compound fracture in his leg is beginning to show on Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic, observes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Players are usually brought along slowly after such a serious injury, but Nurkic is being asked to log heavy minutes in a playoff setting. Slater notes that an injury to Zach Collins and a lack of production from Hassan Whiteside leaves Portland with no other options.
- Collins talks with Jason Quick of The Athletic about the frustration of having a second serious injury within 12 months. Collins, who is coming off surgery on his left shoulder, now has a hairline fracture in his left ankle that doctors discovered before Game 2. “You don’t want to be a downer in front of your team and get everybody’s mood down,” he said. “They don’t need that. But definitely, when I got back (to the hotel) and talked with my agent and my parents, it all kind of hits you. It hits you that you are going to have to go through a whole another process again.”
Coaching Change Coming In Philadelphia?
Brett Brown may be coaching his final game with the Sixers this afternoon, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. With Philadelphia trailing Boston, 3-0, in their first-round series, it appears doubtful Brown would survive such an early playoff exit.
The embattled coach opted not to hold practice Saturday, replacing it with film study and optional shooting. There was also no media session, but Brown addressed his future after his team saw Game 3 slip away.
“I understand the circumstance,” he said. “My job is to focus on what I really can do. My players deserve that. I’ve been in the city seven years and tonight’s loss is what’s most on my mind. My effort truly is to try to find a way to win, and keep this series alive. Do my job for my players.”
Brown still has two seasons and $10MM left on his contract, but that may not stop the Sixers from pulling the trigger. They have taken several personnel gambles over the past two seasons to try to build a championship contender, including trades for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris and the signing of Al Horford — a coaching change may be the next step.
Brown has a 221-344 record in Philadelphia, but much of that is distorted because he oversaw the “Process” years when the team didn’t mind losing to acquire draft assets. He was hired in 2013 after spending nine seasons as an assistant with the Spurs, and Pompey notes that he was originally brought in to oversee player development with the expectation that someone else would take over when the team started to contend.
Brown led the Sixers to 52 and 51 wins the past two years, and saw last season end with a heart-breaking seventh game loss to the eventual champion Raptors in the conference semifinals. Multiple sources tell Pompey that Brown played a role in breaking up that team because he no longer wanted to deal with the outspoken Butler.
This year, Philadelphia’s playoff chances appeared doomed once Ben Simmons was lost for the year with knee surgery. That and the guaranteed money still owed to Brown could make management think twice about the move, but it may not be enough to save his job.
Rajon Rondo Will Be Active For Game 3
Lakers coach Frank Vogel confirms that point guard Rajon Rondo will be on the active roster for tonight’s game, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
Rondo, who hasn’t played in a game since March 10, has been sidelined since suffering a broken right thumb that required surgery shortly after the team arrived in Orlando. He returned to the Disney World campus earlier this month and cleared quarantine shortly before the start of the series with the Trail Blazers.
Rondo will be a welcome addition for a Lakers backcourt that is missing defensive specialist Avery Bradley and that turned in a poor shooting performance in a Game 1 loss. Rondo averaged 7.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 48 games this season and has a history of impressive playoff performances.
Injury Updates: Doncic, Beverley, Westbrook, Harris, Green
The Mavericks are listing star guard Luka Doncic as questionable for Game 4 against the Clippers, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. In today’s session with reporters, coach Rick Carlisle said Doncic, who left Friday night’s contest with a sprained left ankle, might be a “game-time decision” for Sunday.
“I wish I knew right now, but I don’t,” Carlisle said. “We have good depth to play without him, but he’s one of the best players in the world, so if we have to play without him, it’s a big loss.”
Doncic was scheduled to have an MRI on the ankle today, but the test was delayed because of an issue with the machine. He briefly returned to Game 3 after suffering the injury in the third quarter, but was removed again after about three minutes.
“I could run,” he told reporters, “but I couldn’t push off my left leg.”
There’s more injury news to pass along:
- Clippers guard Patrick Beverley is listed as doubtful for Sunday, according to a tweet from the team. If he can’t play, it would mark the eighth game in the past nine that Beverley has missed with a strained left calf.
- Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni continues to cite improvement from Russell Westbrook as he recovers from a strained quadriceps muscle, but hasn’t speculated on when he might return, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Westbrook’s running has been limited to an alter-G device that restricts how much of a player’s weight is placed on the treadmill. D’Antoni said Westbrook is “doing better, as expected. Every day he does a little bit more.”
- Nuggets shooting guard Gary Harris has been upgraded to doubtful for Game 4, raising hopes that he might soon be ready to play for the first time in five months, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. A right hip strain has kept Harris out of action since the team arrived in Orlando.
- The Celtics announced that small forward Javonte Green will miss his second straight game Sunday with a sprained right knee (Twitter link). Green’s court time in the playoffs has been limited to a brief appearance in Game 2.
Board Of Governors Discusses Moving Draft, Free Agency, Start Of Next Season
The original dates the NBA set for the draft, free agency and the start of next season may be overly optimistic. The league’s board of governors addressed all three topics during a conference call Friday with commissioner Adam Silver, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Wojnarowski cites a report earlier this week that NBPA executive director Michele Roberts and other union officials have been preparing players for a delay in the start of free agency, which is currently set for October 18. Any changes must be bargained between the league and the union, but there is speculation the delay could be several weeks. Both sides seem to agree that pushing back the start of next season, which has tentatively been set for December 1, would create a greater opportunity to play in front of live crowds.
“Our No. 1 goal is to get fans back into arenas,” Silver said Thursday during ESPN’s draft lottery show. “… If it’s pushed back and it increases the likelihood of fans in arenas … that’s what we’d be targeting.”
Delaying free agency would give the league and the union more time to work out salary cap and luxury tax details for 2020/21. They are typically based on numbers from the previous season, but neither side wants to take that route because of this year’s sharp downturn in revenue.
NBA officials hope a delay will provide more information on how games can safely be played next season with fans in the arenas. Silver has estimated that paying customers provide 40% of the league’s revenue.
Domantas Sabonis Returning To Disney World Campus, Not Expected To Play
All-star forward Domantas Sabonis is scheduled to arrive in Orlando today, tweets Pacers reporter Scott Agness. Coach Nate McMillan confirmed the news this afternoon on the Fox Sports Indiana pre-game show, adding that Sabonis will quarantine “for a few days.”
Sabonis probably hasn’t been involved in any basketball activity over the last six weeks, and sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski he’s not expected to return to the active roster (Twitter link).
Sabonis traveled to the Disney World complex with the team in July, but left shortly after scrimmages began to get treatment for plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The injury was termed “significant” when it was first reported.
The 24-year-old center/power forward is putting up career-best numbers in his fourth NBA season, averaging 18.5 points and 12.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 62 games.
Mike Conley To Play In Game 3
2:30pm: It has been confirmed that Conley will be available for today’s pivotal third game of the Nuggets-Jazz quarterfinals playoff series, per Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
9:48am: The Jazz will have point guard Mike Conley back in their lineup for today’s playoff game with the Nuggets, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. He is in the process of clearing quarantine and is expected to be ready for tipoff.
Conley left the Disney World campus on Sunday to be present for the birth of his son in Columbus, Ohio. He returned late Monday, giving him just enough time to complete his quarantine requirements by today.
Utah gained a split in its two games without Conley, dropping an overtime decision in Monday’s opener, then bouncing back with a 19-point win on Wednesday. Conley averaged 18.0 points and 5.0 assists in six seeding games, and his presence could give the Jazz an advantage for the rest of the series.
Draft Notes: Potential Trades, Warriors, Mock Drafts
Thursday’s lottery results could produce a wave of trades before draft day, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. The former Grizzlies executive believes the Warriors, who landed the second overall selection, will try to swap the pick for more immediate help and lists the Hawks, Knicks, Wizards, Suns, Kings and possibly even the Timberwolves as other lottery teams that may be active on the trade market.
Hollinger proposes a couple of moves for Golden State, which also has a $17MM trade exception from last summer’s Andre Iguodala deal. He suggests offering the second pick to the Thunder for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or to the Hawks for John Collins, although Atlanta hopes to make the playoffs next season and may not be interested in dealing for the future.
Hollinger adds that the Knicks may want to package their picks at No. 8 and 27 to move up in the draft for one of the top point guards, the Wizards have incentive to improve quickly before Bradley Beal gets a chance to leave again and the Suns possess cap space to take on another player and have playoff aspirations after going undefeated in Orlando.
There’s more draft news to pass along:
- Salary cap concerns may make it difficult for the Warriors to find an appealing deal, according to Kevin Pelton of ESPN. Counting its draft pick, Golden State already has more than $150MM in committed salary for next season, which puts the franchise far into the lottery tax, even if the threshold remains at this year’s figure of $132.7MM. Trading the No. 2 pick for a player with a $17MM salary could leave the Warriors with a record-setting $103MM tax bill and a total payroll of nearly $270MM.
- The eight teams not in Orlando were relieved that the Grizzlies, Pelicans, Kings, Spurs, Suns and Wizards didn’t move up in Thursday’s lottery, notes Zach Lowe of ESPN. He cites resentment among some of the non-invited teams that they didn’t get a chance to form chemistry the way Phoenix did, and one general manager said it would have been “our worst nightmare” if any of those teams had jumped into the top four.
- Georgia guard Anthony Edwards tops the latest mock draft released by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. Most NBA executives agree that Edwards is a top-three prospect, Vecenie writes, and many think his physical tools give him the highest upside in this year’s class. LaMelo Ball is the No. 1 choice in a mock draft compiled by Jonathan Givony of ESPN.