Dorian Finney-Smith Set To Make Rockets Debut
2:56 pm: Finney-Smith will make his season debut on Thursday, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). The veteran forward will be on a “strict” minutes restriction, Charania adds.
8:55 am: Veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith could make his Rockets debut on Thursday when Houston faces the Lakers. He’s listed as questionable to play in the Christmas Day matchup, according to Ben DuBose of RocketsWire.
Finney-Smith would be playing against his most recent team if he does suit up. He left the Lakers as a free agent over the summer, signing a four-year, $53MM contract with the Rockets.
Noted for his defensive versatility, Finney-Smith was traded from Brooklyn to Los Angeles last December and appeared in 43 games for the Lakers in 2024/25, making 20 starts. He averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 28.8 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .442/.398/.714.
Finney-Smith underwent left ankle surgery in June, weeks before signing his new deal. At that time, he was expected to be ready for training camp, but that timeline proved optimistic. The 32-year-old missed a total of 20 games last season related to issues with the ankle, including eight with Los Angeles.
Starting power forward Jabari Smith Jr. is averaging a career-high 34.5 minutes per game. Finney-Smith’s availability will likely cut into Smith’s playing time.
Lakers Notes: Doncic, Hayes, Reaves, Hachimura, Vincent, Defense
Good news for Lakers and NBA fans in general today: Luka Doncic is expected to play in the fourth of five games on the Christmas slate, the Lakers’ home game against the Rockets, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (video link).
Doncic suffered a lower left leg contusion in Saturday’s loss to the Clippers. He subsequently missed the team’s 24-point loss to the Suns. The Most Valuable Player candidate is averaging 34.1 points, 8.8 assists and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Doncic has officially been upgraded to probable, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets, while big man Jaxson Hayes has been ruled out due to an ankle ailment.
[Update: Both Doncic and Hachimura have been upgraded to available, tweets Marc Stein].
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Head coach JJ Redick believes Austin Reaves will be an All-Star this season (Twitter video link via McMenamin). “I would imagine it would mean a lot to him—a whole lot. He and I have had discussions about how surreal it is for him to be playing at this level and in this position. I absolutely think he’ll be an All-Star this year,” Redick said. “You always have to be careful as an athlete to stop and smell the roses. With the nature of competition, particularly over 82 games, there’s really no time to take your foot off the gas. That’s the opposite of who he is. He’s the type of player who consistently wants to get better, wants more, is willing to put in the work, and is willing to go out on the court and play hard enough to go for more. He’s proven that over and over again.”
- Doncic and Reaves have developed a “bromance,” which McMenamin chronicles for ESPN.com. “We act like we’re probably 10-year old best friends,” Reaves said. “You have a deeper care for one another than just basketball. And then that bleeds into basketball, because you don’t want to let that person down. … You don’t want to not give it your all.” Doncic signed a contract extension with the Lakers over the summer, while Reaves figures to sign his next contract in July of 2026.
- Rui Hachimura (groin) could also return to action today, but guard Gabe Vincent, one of the team’s top perimeter defenders, will miss his fourth game with lower back soreness, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Thuc Nhi Nguyen. The Lakers are ranked 28th defensively over the last 14 games and Redick says his team can’t take possessions off, as we detailed on Wednesday.
Knicks Notes: Bridges, Turnovers, Towns
Knicks wing Mikal Bridges always answers the bell, which makes him stand out among NBA players. Bridges is the only current player to appear in at least 500 consecutive games — he’ll push his streak up to 638 if he doesn’t miss a regular season game this season.
Bridges detailed his pregame routine to the New York Daily News’ Kristian Winfield.
“I take advantage of the cold tubs, always get a massage before the game, the stretcher routine and everything,” Bridges said. “I think it’s just being consistent with it. It’s a long season with a lot of emotions going on. People tend to stop doing all the things. I just try to be consistent all the time and continue to do all the things that are going to get me prepared for the game.”
We have more on the Knicks:
- Pressing defenses with quick, athletic guards can give New York problems. That was a case in point during Minnesota’s nine-point victory on Tuesday, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post notes. “It’s gonna be hard to win on the road if you have 19 turnovers for 22 points off those turnovers,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said. “And part of it — those turnovers led to easy baskets in transition. … Give Minnesota credit, because they brought a lot of physicality to the game and created a lot of those turnovers.”
- Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out after his 40-point effort against the Timberwolves and was also whistled for four fouls in each of the previous two games. Schwartz notes that Towns has recorded 30 offensive fouls this year — most in the NBA, and six more than the next-highest player. “He just has to continue to try to not pick up cheap fouls,” Brown said. “Had a couple of cheap fouls where he led with his hands or he hooked a guy. Now, we have to sit him for X amount of minutes when he needs to be on the floor. So, 40 [points] and 13 [rebounds], it doesn’t surprise me at all, because he’s more than capable. But if you’re gonna be a great player, and I’m sure he does too, we expect more from him so he can be out on that floor.”
- In case you missed it, Knicks prospect James Nnaji has enrolled at Baylor and has been granted four years of college eligibility. Get the details here.
Nuggets’ Cam Johnson To Undergo MRI After Injuring Knee
The Nuggets have another injury concern heading into the holidays. Forward Cameron Johnson limped off the court during the fourth quarter against Dallas on Tuesday after injuring his right knee. Johnson will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link).
Head coach David Adelman referred to the injury as “concerning” during his post-game media session, as Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette tweets.
“Imaging has to happen before anything else,” Adelman said. “It was not a fun sight to see, especially a guy that’s been trending so well, playing so well the last month. (He) has really found his way with our group. We’ve had a lot of these moments this year. It’s deflating, but hopefully the news is better than it looked, because we know what Cam means to our team.”
Johnson had started 27 games entering Tuesday’s contest, averaging 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 30.9 minutes per contest. He was coming off a 20-point outing in a win over Utah on Monday.
The 29-year-old, who was acquired from the Nets during the summer, is in the third season of a four-year, $94.5MM deal.
Denver is already down two starters with Christian Braun (ankle) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring) on the sidelines. Braun has been out since Nov. 12, while Gordon hasn’t played since Nov. 21.
If Johnson is out for an extended period, Denver will have to rely more heavily on Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown and Julian Strawther.
Magic Notes: Banchero, Wagner, Richardson, Carter Jr., Bitadze
Magic star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner possess similar skill sets, but Banchero bristles at the notion that he and Wagner can’t coexist and thrive together on the court.
“I think that’s bull—t,” Banchero told Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “I’m not going to lie. People are going to say whatever they want to say about me, Franz and whoever. But we know that we’re at our strongest when both of us are out there on the floor.
“People say that the ball moves more (when only one of us is out there). I don’t think that’s true, honestly,” Banchero continued. “I think sometimes you beat teams or you play certain games and it may look that way, but if you really watch and analyze, we play the same way every game. Nothing changes when somebody is out. We play the same way, especially on offense. Nothing really changes. I don’t buy too much into that (perception), but it is frustrating to see that and hear that just because, like I said, we’re at our best when both of us are out there.”
Banchero also addressed his shooting struggles. He entered Tuesday’s contest against the Trail Blazers shooting 43.4% from the field and a career-low 23.7% on three-point attempts. He feels the groin strain that cost him 10 games had something to do with it.
“It was definitely a setback,” Banchero said. “Nothing major, but definitely a minor setback. Just frustrating. But I was able to just focus on the rehab process and then get back on the court (as) quick as possible. I knew coming back that, with it being a groin injury, it would take some time. But I’ve been feeling better, and I’m looking forward to just kind of taking off and really finding my feet and starting to play some really good basketball.”
Here’s more on the Magic:
- With Jalen Suggs out, rookie Jase Richardson received extended minutes for the third game in a row on Monday. He had 11 points in 22 minutes in a 23-point loss to Golden State but turned the ball over three times, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel notes.
- Wendell Carter Jr. was held to nine points by the Warriors after reaching double figures in his previous four outings. He has shot the ball well all season — a career-best 54.1% overall and 42.2% on three-point tries. “That’s just who we want him to be — just aggressive, shooting the 3, getting to the rim, rebounding on the boards and defending,” Banchero told Beede.
- Goga Bitadze (left knee strain) missed Tuesday’s game at Portland, the second of a back-to-back. Coach Jamahl Mosley said during his pregame press conference that Bitadze suffered his injury when he got kicked in the knee as he was going up for a rebound, Beede tweets.
Free Agent Ben Simmons Working Toward NBA Comeback
Free agent Ben Simmons is looking to return to the NBA sometime this season, he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
“Yeah. It depends on what I want to give them, though,” he said of coming back this season. “It’s one of those things where I can go out and play and probably do really well and do important things for a team. But I want to get my body to the best it’s been. That’s the best of focus. I don’t want to have any setbacks or anything like that. That’s my major focus because I don’t think it’s good for anybody if I’m out there and I’m not 100 percent. So, for me, it’s getting to my peak physicality right now and then we’ll see what happens.”
A report surfaced in September suggesting that Simmons was weighing the possibility of retirement, but his comments to Spears indicate he’s focused on getting back to the league.
Simmons split last season with the Nets and Clippers, averaging 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 51 games. It was the most appearances he has made in a season since 2020/21, which was his last All-Star year.
Simmons was expected to be a perennial All-Star early in his career but his career was derailed by injuries, along with his offensive limitations and issues with management. His main physical issue has been back injuries — he’s had two surgical procedures done on his back.
He’s working on getting that issue resolved.
“The original time we were just approaching a lot of my rehab wrong. And I don’t think it was on the therapist. I just think we had to get a new set of eyes on it,” he said. “And a lot of it was my mobility and that nerve running through your back, through my leg. I could barely jump off it or really move around. So, where I’m at now, I’m back on court in the gym [six days per week]. It’s two-a-days right now and then on court, too. It’s exhausting, but this is the best I’ve felt in terms of the work I’ve been putting in. And so, when you see that and you’re getting rewarded for it, it keeps you in there. You want to see more. So, I feel really good. I feel like physically, mentally, I’m in a great place and I’m very blessed.”
Simmons said he was limited physically last season, even when he did play.
“I felt like I could barely really move how I wanted to. It was tough to really do what I wanted to do given where I was,” he said. “And at the same time, some people are happy with maybe you can give me a few minutes doing this and that. For me, I want to be able to do as much as I can. I don’t want to go out there knowing I’m going to play a certain amount of minutes when I know I can give more.”
As Spears details, Simmons has been doing basketball, strength, and rehabilitation workouts twice a day, six days a week, and believes it won’t be much longer before he’s ready to go.
“I’m looking maybe halfway through this year, if not next season,” he said. “Yeah, it just depends how far I can come along in that next month or so. But I’m feeling great. I haven’t had any setbacks.”
Simmons made a major change in representation, re-signing with super-agent Rich Paul and Klutch Sports while parting ways with Bernie Lee. Paul represented Simmons earlier in his career.
“I had to make a hard decision. The first thing was letting go of my original agent last summer,” he said. “I just told him right now it’s not a fit. And it was nothing personal against him at all. It was just for me, I wanted to take that time to get my body right, get my mind right, and just make that the sole focus.”
Simmons is relying on Paul to help him find another opportunity.
“I don’t think there’s any real pressure or worry. I think it’s just they felt the same way as I felt. I said, ‘I need just time to get ready and just focus on my body.’ There’s no point in going out there and not being physically able and everyone’s on the same page, so it’s just working until you’re right,” he said. “I never had any bad blood with [Klutch Sports]. It was just one of those things where it’s like, we’re men. We’re not boys. It is what it is. S–t happened. Let’s figure it out. Let’s talk. That’s how relationships figure themselves out, and you talk them through. But there’s no bad blood. It is what it is. It’s family. I fight with my family all the time and things happen.”
Raptors Notes: Poeltl, Frontcourt Depth, Barrett, Davis, Shooting
The Raptors have often been forced to play small-ball with center Jakob Poeltl sidelined by a back injury, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen notes. Power forwards Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili have been filling in during his absences and the results have been predictable.
With Poeltl out, Toronto lost to the Celtics last week while getting out-rebounded 55-37. Poeltl played just seven minutes on Sunday and the victorious Nets beat the Raptors on the boards, 48-39.
Poeltl has been nagged by back issues since the opening weeks of the season. He signed a three-year extension during the offseason.
“It’s pretty unpredictable. He goes in the game and is great in the game. He might wake up in the next morning feeling good or not feeling good. Same thing with practice,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “We have a long-term plan for him which consists of managing his injury, which consists of building his strength, which consists of him playing through a certain level of pain. Long-term, we are not concerned at all. It’s just something we’re dealing with in the middle of the season. If it were the offseason and we were to shut him down for two weeks, he would be completely fine.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Poeltl and RJ Barrett missed Tuesday’s game in Miami, Josh Lewenberg of TSN tweets. Poeltl was listed on the team’s injury report as having a lower back strain, instead of “injury management.” Barrett has been out since Nov. 23 due to a knee injury.
- Michael Grange of Sportsnet argues that the team needs to acquire depth at the center position rather than hoping Poeltl’s back issues subside. Grange doubts the Raptors will take a big swing and try to acquire Anthony Davis from the Mavericks, noting that Dallas may end up not trading the big man anyway. Grange believes Toronto’s front office should chase a reliable backup instead.
- Another approach the Raptors could take to address their frontcourt depth issues is to sign a free agent. Veteran Mo Bamba is currently toiling in the G League and Grange suggests that a 10-day contract next month might be a worthwhile pursuit (Twitter links).
- The Raptors could also use another shooter, Koreen writes in his latest mailbag. He suggests the Raptors pursue potentially available wings such as Quentin Grimes, Keon Ellis and Collin Sexton.
Attorneys For Terry Rozier Seek Dismissal Of Federal Charges
Attorneys for Heat guard Terry Rozier are seeking a dismissal of federal charges against their client, ESPN’s David Purdum reports.
Rozier pleaded not guilty to two federal charges related to illegal sports betting in Brooklyn federal court earlier this month. Rozier, who was arraigned alongside friend and alleged co-conspirator Deniro Laster, was released on $3MM bond secured using his Florida home.
Rozier was placed on leave by the league after he was arrested on October 23 on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
His attorneys say the government overstepped when it accused his client of wire fraud. If the wire fraud charge were to be dismissed, the money laundering charge would be moot for lack of a predicate crime.
In a legal document made public Tuesday, Rozier’s attorney Jim Trusty argues that the federal government failed to clearly state Rozier’s offense in the indictment and is trying to “enforce its view of integrity in sports wagering.”
“The government has billed this case as involving ‘insider betting’ and ‘rigging’ professional basketball games,” Trusty wrote. “But the indictment alleges something less headline-worthy: that some bettors broke certain sportsbooks’ terms of use.”
In his motion to dismiss, Trusty cited a 2023 United States Supreme Court ruling on the requirements for a wire fraud charge. Paul Tuchmann, a former U.S. assistant attorney in the Eastern District of New York, said in a wire fraud case, prosecutors must prove that the purpose of the alleged scheme was to deprive the victim of money or property.
The government’s response is due by Feb. 2.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Jalen Brunson Named Players Of Week
Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson were named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
This marks the second career Player of the Week award for Jackson, who averaged 27.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.7 blocks in 32.7 minutes per game and led Memphis to a 2-1 record during the week of December 15-21.
Jackson recorded a season-high 31 points and five blocks in the Grizzlies’ 121-103 road win last Monday against the Clippers and followed that with 28 points, a season-high 12 rebounds and three blocks in Memphis’ 116-110 road victory on Wednesday against Minnesota.
Brunson racked up 31.3 points, 8.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game as the Knicks went 2-1 after their NBA Cup triumph. He had 47 points in the Knicks’ 132-125 win over Miami on Sunday.
It’s the second major individual award for Brunson over the past week. He was also named the MVP of the NBA Cup. He also becomes the first two-time Eastern Conference Player of the Week this season, having also earned the honor on December 1.
Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers), Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves), Keyonte George (Jazz), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) were the other nominees for the Western Conference Player of the Week award.
Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic (Bulls), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers) and Derrick White (Celtics) were the other nominees in the East.
Knicks Notes: Cup Bonuses, Brunson, McBride, Clarkson, Kolek
Each Knicks player received a bonus exceeding $530K for capturing the NBA Cup. Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson and some other players have decided to donate some of their winnings to support staff members, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes.
“I don’t think it was a hard decision,” Hart said. “Some of those people don’t get a bonus and they’re working to make sure we’re at the top of the game, no matter who they are. We want to make sure those people are also compensated for their extra time and their efforts.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Following a loss to Philadelphia, the Knicks got back on track by defeating the Heat on Sunday, 132-125. Brunson poured in a season-high 47 points. “He’s a special player. I think we know that,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “He doesn’t surprise you when he has nights like that.” Head coach Mike Brown continues to tout his point man as the league’s MVP, according to Bondy. “We were struggling a little bit offensively, you want to have an MVP of the league on your side. For him to score 47. … He’s capable of doing it and that’s what MVPs are supposed to do on nights like tonight,” Brown said.
- Miles McBride is doing on-court work with Knicks coaches as he rehabs from his ankle sprain, Ian Begley of SNY tweets. McBride can take full contact but hasn’t practiced since the injury due to the team’s rugged schedule. He hasn’t played since Dec. 7.
- Jordan Clarkson is playing on a minimum-salary contract after he reached a buyout agreement with Utah in early July and then decided to join the Knicks after clearing waivers. He has been a steady presence in the rotation and is averaging 13 points over the last four games. “Immediate spark. Immediate offensive presence, playing really well defensively, as well,” Brunson said of Clarkson, per Madeline Kenney of the New York Post. “What [he’s been] able to do for us so far this season has been tremendous and that’s just who he is. For as long as I’ve known him, that’s the type of person and player he’s brought to his teams that he’s been on and so very happy he’s here.”
- Brunson has turned into a mentor for backup point guard Tyler Kolek, according to Kenney. “It’s been special,” Kolek said. “He’s kind of taken me under his wing. I’ve been able to watch him work out. … Just trying to pick up little tendencies from him, anything I can.”