Pelicans Notes: Injuries, Peavy, McGowens, Borrego
Seven Pelicans — including their five highest-paid players — are out for Sunday’s game at the Lakers, per Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter links).
In addition to Dejounte Murray (right Achilles rupture), Jordan Poole (left quad strain), Karlo Matkovic (right calf strain) and Herbert Jones, who have all missed multiple games with their respective injuries, Jordan Hawkins will be unavailable for his second straight contest due to an illness, as will Trey Murphy III, who is battling right elbow soreness.
The seventh Pelican out tonight is star forward Zion Williamson, who is missing the second game of a back-to-back after the Pelicans lost at Golden State on Saturday. Williamson’s designation is left hamstring injury management — he missed eight games earlier this month with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain.
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- Second-round pick Micah Peavy and fourth-year wing Bryce McGowens have been taking on challenging defensive assignments recently with Jones sidelined, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “That’s what I want to do,” said Peavy, who finished Monday’s game with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists and four steals in 20 minutes. “Herb is a great defender. And I want to be known as a great defender in this league. I take on that challenge of guarding the best player, especially when Herb’s out. I think I’m doing a pretty good job.” McGowens is on a two-way contract with New Orleans, while Peavy signed a multiyear standard deal after being selected No. 40 overall in June’s draft.
- The Pelicans are just 1-7 since James Borrego took over as interim head coach following the dismissal of Willie Green, who was fired after a 2-10 start. However, the team has shown signs of progress, namely being more competitive in its losses, according to Walker. “As a competitor, I want us to win and I want us to make every shot,” Borrego said. “The results can overwhelm you at times. The best organizations I’ve been a part of are process-driven. They have an identity and they know what they believe in. They know what shots they are trying to create, whether they go in or not. Trust that this is where we need to go and the results will take care of themselves. We are getting closer to that. We are not near where we need to be, but we are getting close.”
- Players have been pleased with Borrego’s performance thus far, Walker adds in the same story. “I know he’s in a tough spot with everything that went on,” Williamson said. “He’s been doing a great job finding our identity for the team. The guys are behind him. The staff is behind him. We’re with him.”
OG Anunoby Making Progress In Hamstring Recovery
Knicks forward OG Anunoby has been cleared for controlled contact work and 3-on-3 scrimmaging as he continues to make progress from a left hamstring strain, Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News writes.
“He’s doing some on-court work and [we’re] continuing to monitor him. We’re not gonna rush him,” head coach Mike Brown said ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Raptors.
Anunoby is not yet taking full contact and there’s still no official timetable for his return, but Brown referred to the on-court work as “a good step for him in the process.”
The 28-year-old defensive stalwart injured his hamstring in the first quarter of a November 14 game against Miami. A couple days later, it was reported that Anunoby would be reevaluated in two weeks — this is the first update on his status since.
Anunoby was off to an impressive start to the 2025/26 season before the hamstring strain, averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals through 11 games (33.5 minutes per contest). His shooting line over that span was .483/.397/.760.
Josh Hart has been the primary recipient of more usage and playing time with Anunoby out.
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, LeBron, Brown, Murray, Defense
On the Mind the Game podcast (YouTube link), co-host Steve Nash brought up Nikola Jokic‘s superlative start to the season and then asked LeBron James, “Is he the best offensive player you’ve ever played against?”
“Wow, that’s a tough question right there, Steve,” James replied.
“When you think about the totality of what he does,” Nash said. “The pressure he puts on the defense, the assists, the play-making, the initiating the offense, the threes, the mid-range, putting the people in the basket. Like, it’s a lot of stuff.”
“Yeah, it’s a lot,” James agreed. “I will say this: There has not been a more dominant, complete player that I’ve played against in the sense of all the attributes that you just mentioned. From the passing, to the shooting, to the rebounding, to the attention. I mean, there’s nothing that he cannot do on the offensive end. Nothing at all. Nothing.
“(If) you try to double him he gonna make you pay,” James continued. “(If) you try to play him single coverage he’s gonna make you pay. He even brings the ball up the floor, they outlet the ball to him. … And he’s so damn good that people barely talk about it. It’s like, ‘Oh well, it’s just normal.’ This s–t is not normal. It’s not normal.”
The Nuggets superstar is dealing with a left wrist sprain and was considered questionable for Saturday’s game in Phoenix before being upgraded to available. Jokic finished the victory with 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, going 7-of-7 from the field, 2-for-2 from three-point range, and 9-of-10 from the free throw line.
We have more on the Nuggets:
- Jokic wasn’t the only Nugget to play through an injury on Saturday. Veteran guard Bruce Brown told Bennett Durando of The Denver Post he hyperextended his right knee in Friday’s loss to San Antonio (the team officially called it a sprain) but the 29-year-old managed to play 27 minutes last night, dishing out a season-high 10 assists in the process. The Nuggets are already shorthanded, Durando notes, with starters Christian Braun (right ankle sprain) and Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain) out multiple weeks.
- Typically a slow starter, Jamal Murray has continued to put up big numbers this fall and looks deserving of his first All-Star appearance, contends Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. Murray is averaging career highs in points (24.0), assists (6.6) and rebounds (4.5) per game while scoring more efficiently than ever before — his shooting line is .486/.409/.892 and his .611 True Shooting percentage is a career-best mark. As Keeler observes, the Canadian guard’s All-Star case could be further bolstered by the new format, which will feature one team of eight international players and two squads of eight Americans apiece.
- Denver was eliminated from NBA Cup competition on Friday after blowing an 18-point lead in the second half, Durando writes for The Denver Post. A win would over the Spurs would have secured the Nuggets their first appearance in the quarterfinals of the in-season tournament. The defense was the primary reason for the defeat — Denver scored a season-high 136 points but gave 139 to drop its third straight home game. “This is honestly good for us,” said Peyton Watson. “We need this experience. We need to know the things we aren’t good at to work on and continue to sharpen. … We also had a completely different team the first two, three games of the season. We had everybody (healthy). We’re spread out a little bit thinner now.” The Nuggets allowed 112 points in their 18-point win at Phoenix.
Injury Notes: Sasser, LeBron, Smart, M. Williams, Dunn, Butler
Third-year guard Marcus Sasser, who has yet to play in 2025/26 after sustaining a right hip impingement during the preseason, has been assigned to the G League to practice with the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons announced today (Twitter link via Hunter Patterson of The Athletic).
Just over three weeks ago, Detroit said Sasser would be reevaluated in about four weeks, so that exam should come in the near future. Given that he’s getting some practice reps in with the Cruise, Sasser’s season debut may not be far off either.
After a strong rookie year, the 25-year-old point guard was in and out of the rotation out last season. He wound up appearing in 57 games and averaging 6.6 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 14.2 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .463/.382/.843.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- After initially being listed as questionable, Lakers star LeBron James was subsequently ruled out of Sunday’s matchup vs. New Orleans because of left foot injury management, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. As McMenamin notes, Sunday is the front end of a back-to-back — Los Angeles faces Phoenix on Monday. Marcus Smart will miss his second straight game Sunday due to back spasms, per the NBA’s official injury report. The veteran guard was initially deemed doubtful.
- Suns center Mark Williams (right calf soreness) and forward Ryan Dunn were questionable for Saturday’s loss to Denver before being downgraded to out. Head coach Jordan Ott discussed the status of both players prior to the game, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter video link). “The (right) knee was doing well,” Ott said of Williams. “Something independently just popped up (during Friday’s loss at OKC) with the calf. Don’t think it’s too serious. We want to play the long game with him. He’s done a great job of building back up and being available for us.” Dunn, meanwhile, has missed the past five games with a right wrist sprain. “He’s in a good place. He’s only been out six or seven days, however (long) it’s been,” Ott said of the 2024 first-round pick. “It’s just a pain tolerance, flexibility. Of course it’s the shooting wrist. Things are in a good place. We’ll continue to assess, but I would imagine it’s relatively soon (when he returns).”
- Warriors forward Jimmy Butler took a hard fall during Saturday’s win over New Orleans but is optimistic he’ll be ready to go on Tuesday against Oklahoma City, as Anthony Slater of ESPN relays (Twitter video link). Through 19 games (31.7 MPG) this season, the six-time All-Star is averaging 20.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.2 APG and 1.6 SPG on .527/.436/.856 shooting.
Cavaliers Announce Injury Updates On Nance, Allen, Merrill
Cavaliers big man Larry Nance Jr. has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 right soleus (calf) strain and will miss about three-to-four weeks, the team announced on Sunday (via Twitter).
Nance injured his right calf in Friday’s loss at Atlanta and underwent an MRI on Saturday, which revealed the soleus strain, according to the Cavaliers.
An 11-year veteran who is in his second stint with the Cavs, the Akron native has unfortunately been plagued by injuries throughout his time in the NBA, having played between 24 and 67 games each season. Nance has made 16 appearances for Cleveland this fall, averaging 3.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 15.0 minutes per contest.
Cleveland also provided injury updates on starting center Jarrett Allen, who will miss at least a week with a right finger strain, and sharpshooter Sam Merrill who has missed the past five games with a right hand sprain. Merrill remains out and is considered day-to-day, per the team.
Allen, who is earning $20MM this season before his three-year, $90MM extension begins in 2026/27, has been playing through a non-displaced fracture in his left ring finger. He had been sidelined for the three games leading up to Friday with the right finger sprain before playing 28 minutes against Atlanta. He will now miss at least five more games, with Dec. 12 at Washington likely being his earliest possible return date.
Merrill had gotten off to a strong start to the season after re-signing with the Cavs on a four-year, $38MM contract in the offseason. He was posting career-best numbers in virtually every major statistic through 12 games (25.9 MPG), averaging 13.9 PPG, 2.3 APG, 2.1 RPG on .466/.444/.938 shooting (85% of his field goal attempts come from behind the arc).
Dean Wade, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Jaylon Tyson and Lonzo Ball are among the reserves for Cleveland who could receive more playing time with Nance, Allen and Merrill injured. Key rotation wing Max Strus remains sidelined as well after undergoing offseason foot surgery — he has yet to make his season debut.
Mavericks Notes: AD, Luka, Flagg, Nembhard, Cisse
Mavericks big man Anthony Davis slightly exceeded the minutes restriction he had Friday in his first game back following a 14-game absence, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The star forward/center, who was facing the Lakers for the first time since the shocking February trade that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles and Davis to Dallas, faced immediate double-teams, ultimately finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 28 minutes.
“I thought he was good for his first game back,” head coach Jason Kidd said (story via Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal). “We’ll try to get the rhythm and try to get the flow of just being with those guys on the floor. I thought he was good on both ends. As we go forward and continue, as we talked about, to stacking good minutes, he did that.”
The Mavericks wound up losing by 10 points to fall to 5-15, the second-worst record in the Western Conference. Davis is optimistic the team still has time to turn its season around, Afseth adds.
“We’re still playing basketball, we’re trying to compete,” Davis said. “We are competing, we’re playing for each other, and we’re playing together. I remember when Brooklyn started off 5-20 and ended up at the four seed. I’m not saying we’re comparing ourselves to that or that we’re going to start off 5-20, but we just have to keep competing. There were just a couple of plays here and there that hurt us, but we can’t complain, we keep fighting. I feel like we’re right there.”
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- It’s been almost 10 months since Doncic was traded, but he says matchups against his former team will always be meaningful, Afseth writes in another story for Dallas Hoops Journal. “I would say it’s a little bit easier now,” Doncic said. “But games against Dallas always have some special meaning to me. I still have a lot of friends there. It’s important, it’s fun, and it’s always special. Like I say, it’ll always be special for me.”
- After the game, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News asked Doncic for his thoughts on Cooper Flagg (Twitter video link). “I think he’s a good player,” Doncic said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of pressure that comes with (being) the first pick so he has a lot on his shoulders, but I think he will become a great player.” The 18-year-old rookie had 13 points, a career-high 11 assists and seven rebounds in the loss.
- Rookie Ryan Nembhard, who is on a two-way contract, received his first career start on Friday, as first reported by Marc Stein (via Twitter). The former Gonzaga point guard had a solid outing, recording 17 points (on 7-of-11 shooting) and four assists in 23 minutes. “They weren’t really guarding me,” Nembhard said, per Afseth. “They was trying to play off me and stand those gaps for AD and double him and make it tough on him. So a lot of open shots presented themselves and I’m just trying to be aggressive, get my teammates involved, and take advantage of the opportunity.”
- In a feature story for Ratings, Afseth details how undrafted rookie Moussa Cisse has become a valuable contributor for the Mavs. Like Nembhard, the Guinean center is on a two-way deal with Dallas. “He’s a bit undersized at the five, but he’s explosive and plays extremely hard,” a scout said. “He’s a bit further along than I expected, but there’s still plenty of work there. You can tell he’s still getting used to guarding NBA actions and talent — his angles can use some work. But he’s really dynamic rotating from the weak side and he’s going to crash the boards hard on both ends. I like his potential.”
Kevon Looney Discusses Return To Golden State
After 10 years with the franchise, Kevon Looney never received a contract offer from the Warriors as a free agent this past summer, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.
As Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle explains, the 29-year-old big man wanted to stay with the only NBA team he’d ever played for, but the Warriors were in a holding pattern until Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency was resolved. With a two-year, $16MM offer in hand from the Pelicans, Looney knew he had to make a decision, but the choice wasn’t as easy as it might seem.
“You want to be somewhere forever … but you never know in the NBA. Business is business,” Looney told Gordon. “… It’s bittersweet. I’ve got an opportunity to go somewhere and experience something new, but leaving somewhere that I call home, it was something that was tough, and that I really had to think about.”
Looney was a healthy scratch when the Warriors traveled to New Orleans earlier this month. On Saturday, he returns to Golden State as an opponent for the first time — and the three-time champion knows he’ll receive a warm reception.
“The Warriors always do it top class,” Looney said, per Gordon. “But as far as emotions. I don’t know what to expect. I’m always asked if I’m going to cry. I’m like, ‘No I don’t think so,’ but I don’t know. We’ll see when I get there.”
Looney’s on-court production has been limited this season with the Pelicans — he has averaged just 2.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game. However, the Warriors miss his leadership, rebounding, toughness, and “bone-crushing screens,” Thompson writes. For his part, Looney tells Gordon the Bay Area will “always be home for me.”
“The love they showed me, the family-oriented vibe of the Bay is something I’ve always been based off of. … For them to love me as one of their own is something I’ll always respect,” he said.
Trae Young Out At Least Two More Weeks With MCL Sprain
While Hawks star Trae Young is making “good progress” in his recovery from a sprained MCL in his right knee, he will miss at least two more weeks, which is the next time he’ll be reevaluated, the team announced in a press release.
Young injured his knee in a collision with teammate Mouhamed Gueye in the first quarter of an October 29 game at Brooklyn. He was ruled out for the rest of that game and was diagnosed with the MCL sprain a few days later after undergoing an MRI, which revealed no additional damage.
The 27-year-old point guard was scheduled to be checked out on Saturday. This is the first update on his status since November 1.
Atlanta has played well without the four-time All-Star, compiling an 11-5 record (including the victory over the Nets) in Young’s absence. He’s expected to be sidelined for six more games, with his earliest possible return date likely being Dec. 14 vs. Philadelphia.
Fifth-year forward Jalen Johnson has thrived with Young sidelined, emerging as the face of the franchise and complicating his teammate’s future with the organization, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Although the Hawks value Young’s contributions and are eager to have him back in the near future, they may not be willing to give him the type of contract he could be seeking next offseason if he declines his $49MM player option for 2026/27 to become an unrestricted free agent.
Johnson had another huge game on Friday against Cleveland, compiling 29 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists for his second triple-double of the season, writes Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscriber link). Johnson, who turns 24 years old next month, was plus-20 in 39 minutes during the seven-point victory over the Cavaliers.
Reigning Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels has also taken on expanded play-making duties with Young out, and will continue to do so until his fellow starter in the backcourt is ready to return.
It will be interesting to see what head coach Quin Snyder decides to do with Nickeil Alexander-Walker when Young is back. The Canadian guard, who was acquired in a sign-and-trade with Minnesota over the summer, has more than doubled his scoring average (19.3 points per game) compared to last season (9.4). He has been starting alongside Daniels for the past 13 games.
Sixers’ Drummond Day-To-Day With Right Knee Sprain
November 29: Drummond underwent an MRI on Saturday morning which revealed no structural damage, the Sixers announced (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports). The veteran big man is feeling better today, per the team, and an official update will come at 4:00 pm CT.
Scotto reports (via Twitter) that Drummond is considered day-to-day.
November 28: Sixers center Andre Drummond sustained a right knee sprain in the first half of Friday’s game at Brooklyn and will not return, the team announced (Twitter link via Tony Jones of The Athletic).
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link), the initial diagnosis on Drummond is a hyperextended knee, though he will almost certainly undergo additional testing to confirm that diagnosis and determine the severity of the injury.
Drummond appeared to be knocked off balance in the air by teammate Kyle Lowry as he was attempting to corral a defensive rebound. The 32-year-old was unable to put weight on his right leg, according to Jones (Twitter link), and had to be helped off the court, ultimately leaving in a wheelchair.
Second-year big man Adem Bona, who returned to action on Friday after missing the past five games with a right ankle sprain, started the second half with Drummond out, Jones adds (via Twitter).
It’s an unfortunate development for both Drummond and the 76ers, who also had Paul George back on Friday following a one-game absence due to his own right ankle sprain.
A two-time All-Star and four-time rebounding champion in the early portion of his career, Drummond opened the season playing a modest role for Philadelphia but had started each of the past eight games heading into Friday with Joel Embiid continuing to miss time with a sore right knee. Drummond averaged a double-double (10.9 points and 13.8 rebounds) over that stretch while also incorporating a three-point shot into his game — entering Friday, he was 9-of-22 (40.9%) from deep on the season.
Drummond, who is earning $5MM in the final year of his contract, will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Bona, Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker and Johni Broome are all candidates for more playing time with Drummond out.
Northwest Notes: K. George, Bailey, A. Mitchell, Wolves
Third-year guard Keyonte George is having a breakout season for the Jazz, putting up career highs in every major counting stat while improving his offensive efficiency and competing harder on the defensive end, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.
George, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer, spoke to Larsen about the work he put in during the offseason to level up his game. He also discussed his relationship and on-court partnership with star forward Lauri Markkanen.
“Yeah, me and Lauri had a long, long, like three-hour conversation at his house right before camp,” George said. “We just laid it all on the floor: some of his individual goals, some of my individual goals. As far as the team: What is our goal? What would a good season, you know, look like for us? And obviously, we know there’s no expectations on our team, but I think just us talking that out was good. We constantly go to dinner on the road, we’re constantly having dialogue. Walking off the court, going on to the court, timeouts, we’re always talking to each other.
“Obviously, being with him for three years now, I understand his game a little bit more, and know some of the actions, know what side of the floor he wants the ball on. I know, like, for example, even though a man might be in front of him, I know I can kick the ball up the floor if he’s right in front of me, knowing that he’s got two directions to drive. So I’ve just honestly been giving him the ball in space and kind of letting him just be him. And then the catch-and-shoots, like you already know, he’s gonna let it rise. So if I can just give him the ball in space and throw it on time, on target, he’s able to get it off faster.
“I’ve got a whole ‘nother level to get to, but I’m obviously happy with my progress, not just with myself, but with the team. The results haven’t been where we want them to be, but we’re starting to realize the game within the game, and that’s when we’ll be able to get over the hump, whenever we continue to figure that out and play well.”
We have more from around the Northwest:
- Rookie forward Ace Bailey sustained a right knee contusion in Friday’s game against Sacramento and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, per the Jazz (Twitter link via Larsen). Bailey, the fifth overall pick in the 2025 draft, has been playing well since he entered Utah’s starting lineup a few weeks ago, averaging 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals on .523/.383/.778 shooting in the eight games leading up to Friday’s win (25.1 minutes per contest).
- Second-year Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell also exited Friday’s game an injury — a left knee contusion — and did not return, the team announced. The Belgian combo guard is among the early frontrunners for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
- After letting games slip away against Sacramento and Phoenix, Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley led a team dinner Tuesday night where several issues were discussed. Chris Hine of The Star Tribune has more details on the meeting, which involved more than just talking about the Wolves’ late-game troubles. “It’s OK to eat, enjoy each other and watch other basketball games and talk basketball and not be all about business all the time,” Conley said. “Sometimes you need that.”