Injury Notes: Giannis, Cade, Edwards, Kings, K. George, Wade
The National Basketball Players Association seemed to imply in a statement earlier this week that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy enough to play, but that’s not the case, according to head coach Doc Rivers. As Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays, Rivers told reporters on Wednesday that Antetokounmpo continues to recover from the left knee hyperextension and bone bruise that have sidelined him since March 15.
“He’s not (healthy),” Rivers said. “He’s progressing. He’s just not healthy. Our focus right now is just getting him healthy. We’re just trying to get Giannis cleared and healthy; that’s our only focus. All the other stuff, we stay above.”
Reporting last week suggested that Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were at odds over whether he should be shut down for the rest of the season, with Milwaukee preferring to take a conservative approach and the two-time MVP pushing to return. The NBPA’s statement suggested that the Bucks are motivated to hold Giannis out of action to potentially improve their draft position, an idea Rivers downplayed.
“We didn’t have a meeting about this (statement from the NBPA),” Rivers said. “We didn’t have one discussion. (General manager) Jon Horst didn’t call me to talk about this, just to show you the concern we have.”
Here are several more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Appearing on NBA Countdown on Wednesday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania provided health updates on Cade Cunningham (collapsed lung) and Anthony Edwards (knee inflammation). According to Charania, the Pistons are optimistic that Cunningham will be able to return in time for the start of the playoffs, while the Timberwolves consider Edwards day-to-day at this point, and he could return as Saturday vs. Detroit or Monday at Dallas.
- Kings forward Keegan Murray, out since February 25 due to a left ankle sprain, is making “good progress” in his return-to-play process and is resuming contact work, the team announced on Wednesday (Twitter link via James Ham of ESPN 1320). The update suggests Sacramento plans on having Murray back before the end of the season. Veteran guard Russell Westbrook, meanwhile, underwent an MRI on his sore right foot and has been diagnosed with joint irritation of the first toe. He’ll remain out, with further updates provided as appropriate, per the Kings.
- The Wizards, who announced on March 4 that forward Kyshawn George had sustained a partial UCL tear in his left elbow and would be reevaluated in three weeks, provided an update right on schedule on Wednesday. According to the team (Twitter link), elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister confirmed this week that George has a Grade 2 distal UCL tear. The plan is to continue to treat the injury “conservatively” and evaluate the 22-year-old again next Wednesday.
- Cavaliers forward Dean Wade appeared to suffer an ankle injury during warm-ups prior to Wednesday’s contest vs. Miami, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). While Wade was held out of the game, Fedor refers to it as a “precaution,” which suggests the injury probably isn’t serious.
Injury Notes: Embiid, Williams, Dosunmu, McBride
Joel Embiid has been listed as questionable for the Sixers‘ game on Wednesday against the Bulls, Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports writes (Twitter link). Embiid, who has been dealing with an oblique strain, hasn’t played since February 26, when he scored 26 points and added 11 rebounds and four assists in a win over the Heat.
While the 7’2″ center’s stats have dipped in the years since he was a perennial MVP candidate, he has had a stronger season than many expected, averaging 26.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game while leading the team to a 21-12 record when he’s available.
Embiid’s upgraded designation coincides with Paul George becoming eligible to return after sitting out the final game of his 25-game suspension. Barring a setback, Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link) expects Embiid to suit up vs. Chicago.
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- On Monday, Jalen Williams returned from a lengthy absence from the Thunder due to a hamstring injury, scoring 18 points and adding six assists. After the game, Williams said that not only was his leg feeling better, but the wrist on which he underwent offseason surgery is finally back to 100 percent, Tim Bontemps writes for ESPN. “It was just like one of those things that like when you have surgery and you rush into games, it’s like, I wouldn’t say rush, but I’m going into games with … I don’t know what my hands are going to look like,” Williams said. “So now I’ve had the time to actually sit down and work on it and do what I normally do throughout that process, now I’m in a really good spot with it.” Williams’ return will only make the Thunder more dangerous as they attempt to repeat as champions, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic, who notes that several role players benefited from having step up in Williams’ absence. “You guys got to watch [Ajay Mitchell] blossom even more. [Jaylin Williams] and [Cason Wallace], they’ve had to be in spots that they didn’t think they were going to be in to start the season,” Williams said. “We’re better for it now.”
- Ayo Dosunmu has been added to the Timberwolves‘ injury report for Wednesday’s game against the Rockets, per the team’s Twitter account. He’s now listed as questionable with right calf soreness, an injury that Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic describes as “concerning” (Twitter link), likely due to how cautious teams have been this season with calf injuries and how they can impact players’ Achilles.
- Miles McBride hasn’t played for the Knicks since late January as he works his way back from a core injury that required surgery in early February, but he was back on the court going through his typical pregame routine on Tuesday night, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). Edwards says it’s been a long time since McBride went through his customary warm-up, and speculates that his return could be “very, very soon.” Stefan Bondy of the New York Post posted a video of McBride warming up, saying that it looked like he was moving well (Twitter video link).
Injury Notes: George, Edwards, Suggs, Watson
Paul George‘s 25-game absence from the Sixers‘ lineup was the result of a suspension rather than an injury, but that layoff may have come with some health-related benefits for the veteran forward. According to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link), George suggested in his first post-suspension comments to reporters today that he was still having some issues related to his knee this winter and that getting an extended recovery period was a silver lining of his 25-game ban.
“This 25 games is just what I needed, I think, for my body to kind of heal and be in a better place,” George said.
As we detailed earlier today, since George was able to remain active during his suspension, no ramp-up period will be required — he’s ready to jump back into the rotation when the Sixers host the Bulls on Wednesday.
“I’ve been feeling great, feeling explosive again, feeling strong again,” he said. “I feel like I’m back on that level of being able to perform and be the focal guy and be the scorer.”
Here are a few more health-related notes from around the NBA:
- Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who has been out since March 15 due to inflammation in his right knee, was spotted at Tuesday’s practice, but he’s still just doing individual on-court work and his return isn’t imminent, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team announced on March 17 that Edwards would be out for at least a week or two.
- Magic guard Jalen Suggs is facing his fourth multi-game absence of the season — after missing Monday’s game vs. Indiana due to an illness, he has also been ruled out for Tuesday’s matchup with Cleveland, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Veteran reserve point guard Jevon Carter earned the start on Monday in Suggs’ place.
- After returning on Sunday following a six-week absence due to a hamstring injury, Nuggets forward Peyton Watson admitted that the altitude in his first home game since Feb. 1 “kicked my butt,” but he felt “amazing” otherwise. “I feel like I’m right back where I was six weeks ago,” Watson said, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required). Still, the Nuggets are managing Watson’s workload carefully. After he played 20 minutes on Sunday, he has been ruled out of Tuesday’s game in Phoenix, the first end of a back-to-back set, with an injury designation of right hamstring injury management, tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette.
Northwest Notes: Hyland, Wolves, Watson, Markkanen, George
Bones Hyland has provided a heavy dose of fun for a Timberwolves team that badly needs it, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Pressed into a larger role with star guard Anthony Edwards and several other players injured, Hyland has responded by averaging 20 points per game over his last four outings, including a 23-point performance in Sunday’s win at Boston. He has also been displaying his vibrant personality, which includes exuberant celebrations and verbal jousting with opponents.
“It feels good to be here,” Hyland said in a post-game interview with NBC. “Everyone loves each other. We go out shopping together. We eat together. It’s a fantastic team, phenomenal team. Everyone can step up and contribute to winning. That’s what we’re doing right now, creating the vibes for the playoffs.”
Krawczynski states that Hyland’s enthusiasm is a welcome addition for a Minnesota team that has been fighting to stay out of play-in territory after two straight trips to the Western Conference Finals. He describes them as a “brooding group” that tends to quietly handle the ups and downs of a long season. But Hyland, whom Krawczynski calls the team’s “Chief Vibes Officer,” stands out from his teammates and is enjoying his time in the spotlight until Edwards returns.
“We can’t fill Ant-Man’s shoes. He’s a superstar,” Hyland said. “He’s the head of our team. Trying to fill in his shoes would be tough, but we’ve got a lot of guys on our team that can step up and come out here and put on a show. That’s what we did tonight.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
Wolves Notes: Randle, Gobert, Connectors, Reid
In Julius Randle‘s two seasons in Minnesota, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch has never been publicly critical of the three-time All-Star, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
However, that changed after Friday’s loss to Portland, when the Wolves were up 104-103 with 35 seconds remaining and gave up a pair of offensive rebounds, eventually resulting a Jerami Grant three-pointer that put the Blazers ahead for good. Minnesota gave up 18 offensive boards in the game, while Randle — who is averaging a career-low 6.8 rebounds per game, Krawczynski notes — had five boards and only three on the defensive glass.
“All we gotta do, we’re up 104-103, and all we have to do is get a rebound and we can’t,” Finch lamented. “There’s like a lag time from the time the shot goes and we take a breath and we look up. They’re flying around and we’re delayed in our reactions. It’s been that way for a while. It’s just not good enough.
“We knew our guards needed to rebound. Ayo (Dosunmu) did a good job on the defensive glass. Rudy (Gobert) did a good job, but after that, we’ve got to have more rebounding. Julius has three defensive rebounds. That’s not good enough. It’s just not good enough.”
As Krawczynski writes, Randle and Finch have a close relationship, and Finch understands the “mercurial” power forward responds best to public support. The fact that Finch felt the need to criticize Randle speaks to the coach’s level of desperation as Minnesota jockeys for playoff positioning, Krawczynski adds.
While that play was emblematic of the Wolves’ overall effort on Friday, they had other opportunities to win the game and didn’t capitalize, per Krawczynski. Still, Randle didn’t disagree with his coach’s assessment.
“Just gotta go get the ball,” Randle said. “Sometimes it’s not tactical or all that stuff. We just gotta go get the ball out of the air. They are quicker to the ball than us right now. We shouldn’t lose games from rebounding.”
Here’s more from Minnesota:
- Finding ways to get Gobert, who missed a couple of tip-in attempts in the closing seconds that would have tied Friday’s game, more involved offensively is a top priority for the Wolves ahead of the postseason, Krawczynski states in another story. Gobert’s shaky hands and flubs around the basket sometimes cause his teammates to ignore him when he’s open, but Finch wants the team to keep giving the veteran center the ball. “They know not to look to me for sympathy if Rudy drops one of their passes, because sometimes he’s going to,” Finch said. “I tell them to keep throwing it. We have to. It pays off more than not. There are plenty of times when we miss him. We obviously want him to catch it. We want to be able to throw it in a manner where it’s easier for him to catch and finish. But I’ll take some of those turnovers if we’re trying to make the right play.”
- Anthony Edwards says Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson and trade deadline acquisition Ayo Dosunmu have all been “connectors” in the Timberwolves’ locker room, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Donte DiVincenzo had a more blunt assessment of what Conley and Anderson, in particular, bring to the table. “I mean, they’re mature adults,” he said. “Call it what it is. Not to say everybody else is not. You bring mature adults into a group that, call it what it is, guys go through emotions in a season, well, those guys are so comfortable with themselves, are very mature and know how to handle ups and downs. So, when you have that and guys can rely on them and lean on them, it just levels everybody out during those tough moments.”
- Key reserve Naz Reid was sidelined for Friday’s game due to a right ankle sprain. The 26-year-old big man is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday’s matchup in Boston, the team announced (via Twitter).
Injury Notes: Mitchell, Hart, Edwards, Isaac, Carter
Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was downgraded from questionable to out ahead of Thursday’s matchup at Chicago, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The 6’2″ combo guard is dealing with a left eye contusion and said his vision was obstructed after Tuesday’s win in Milwaukee, per Fedor (Twitter link).
“Can’t really see out of my left eye,” Mitchell said. “It was tough — tonight. It is what it is. I was still able to get to the free throw line. Was still able to make plays. My biggest thing was like, I may not have it scoring wise, but what else am I doing to help?”
Second-year wing Jaylon Tyson got the starting nod for Cleveland on Thursday with Mitchell sidelined.
Here are few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart has been ruled out of Friday’s game at Brooklyn due to patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link). As Jared Schwartz of The New York Post notes (via Twitter), Hart missed a couple of games last week because of knee soreness, but that was to his left knee, not his right. Patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee, is the same issue which has prevented Stephen Curry from playing for several weeks, though there’s no indication Hart’s injury is that severe.
- Hart and Curry aren’t the only NBA players battling runner’s knee. The Timberwolves announced today (via Twitter) that Anthony Edwards, who is out one-to-two weeks due to right knee inflammation, also has patellafemoral pain syndrome in that same knee. The updated diagnosis won’t impact the star guard’s projected return timeline, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link).
- The Magic were shorthanded in the frontcourt for Thursday’s game at Charlotte, as Wendell Carter Jr. (bruised left rib) and Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) were both ruled out, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. As Beede writes in a full story, Isaac was relieved his knee injury, which he suffered last Thursday, wasn’t more serious. The 28-year-old previously missed two-and-a-half seasons with a torn ACL in the same knee. “It sucked,” Isaac said Tuesday. “It was tough. Based on what I felt, it was like an ‘Oh man, not again’ type of moment. So, I kind of just tried to manage my expectations when I (was) hearing from the doctor, but gratefully, they said it’s just a sprain, and that’ll be something I can come back from this season.” Isaac’s return isn’t imminent, Beede adds — the veteran big man won’t start ramping up his activity until next week. “I’m really glad it wasn’t something worse,” Isaac said. “So, I just have to manage this sprain and get better. Just wait until it calms down a little bit with the inflammation and the pain, and then slowly work back.”
Jazz Eliminated From Postseason Contention
The Jazz suffered a 147-111 loss at Minnesota on Wednesday, officially eliminating them from playoff contention, according to the NBA league office (Twitter link).
At 20-49, the best Utah could do is tie 10th-place Golden State (33-36), but even in that unlikely scenario, the Warriors would win the tie-breaker. The Jazz become the fifth team to be eliminated, joining Indiana, Sacramento, Washington and Brooklyn.
Wednesday’s game was never really close, even though the Timberwolves were playing without Anthony Edwards (right knee inflammation) and Naz Reid (right shoulder contusion). Ayo Dosunmu, who was acquired at the trade deadline, made his second straight start and led Minnesota with 23 points.
As expected, it’s been a rough season for the Jazz, who haven’t been above .500 since getting off to a 2-1 start. They went through a four-game losing streak in November, another four-game skid in December, a five-game slide in late December and early January, then slipped far out of play-in territory by losing 10 of 11 games starting in mid-January.
Injuries to Lauri Markkanen contributed to the decline as the star forward has only played 42 times and has been available just once since February 11 due to a right hip impingement. He hasn’t been ruled out for the season, but there’s little incentive for him to return with Utah already out of postseason contention.
Starting center Walker Kessler suffered a torn left shoulder labrum early in the season and only appeared in five games.
The Jazz had been projected to finish among the bottom teams in the league, putting themselves in position to land one of the top picks in a loaded draft. Utah currently holds the fifth-worst record and is three games away from Brooklyn for a bottom-three spot and a share of the best odds heading into the lottery.
The Jazz may have been too aggressive in their pursuit of tanking, as they were fined $500K last month for “conduct detrimental to the league” after sitting Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. for the fourth quarters of games February 7 at Orlando and February 9 at Miami.
The blockbuster trade that brought Jackson from Memphis signified that Utah is ready to start winning soon. Jackson underwent knee surgery three games after joining the Jazz, but he’s expected to be ready for the start of next season, along with Kessler, who’s headed for restricted free agency but is considered likely to be re-signed.
The Jazz will head into next season looking for their first winning record and playoff appearance since 2021/22.
Injury Notes: Mathurin, Sengun, Bam, Edwards, MPJ
Since making his Clippers debut on February 10, guard Bennedict Mathurin has appeared in 16 consecutive games, but that streak will come to an end this week. According to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), Mathurin has been ruled out for upcoming games in New Orleans (Wednesday and Thursday) and Dallas (Saturday) due to a right big toe issue.
Mathurin, whose injury designation is technically “right toe injury recovery,” has been dealing with that problem for much of the season. He missed 11 straight games in October and November due to what Indiana referred to at the time as a toe sprain.
Another Clippers guard who has battled toe issues this season, Darius Garland, is considered questionable to play on Wednesday on the first end of a back-to-back set due to left toe injury management (Twitter link via Murray). But there’s also positive news on the Clippers’ injury report, as Kawhi Leonard has been upgraded to questionable after missing Monday’s contest vs. San Antonio due to a left ankle sprain.
We have more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Rockets big man Alperen Sengun is no longer listed on the injury report after sitting out two games due to low back pain, tweets William Guillory of The Athletic. That suggests Sengun will be available to suit up on Wednesday vs. the Lakers.
- One week after he went off for 83 points vs. Washington, Heat big man Bam Adebayo was forced to sit out on Tuesday in Charlotte due to right calf tightness, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Adebayo said he has been “playing through it” for a couple games but that it got to the point where he had to take at least a game off. “We want to make sure that he’s feeling good. So we’ll be responsible with it,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said before Tuesday’s blowout loss to the Hornets. “He’ll continue to do around-the-clock treatment.”
- Anthony Edwards‘ knee ailment isn’t considered serious, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that the inflammation in the Timberwolves guard’s knee got to the point where he needed to get some rest to let it subside. With the playoffs just a month away, the team’s priority is to make sure Edwards is fully healthy when the postseason begins, Krawczynski adds.
- After missing three games with a right ankle sprain, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s matchup with Oklahoma City, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).
Wolves Rule Out Anthony Edwards (Knee) For 1-2 Weeks
After being ruled out for Tuesday’s matchup with the Suns due to right knee soreness, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards underwent an MRI that revealed inflammation in that right knee, the team announced today in a press release.
According to the Wolves, the plan is for Edwards to be reevaluated in a week or two, with further updates to be provided when available.
While that timeline doesn’t necessarily give us a clear idea of when Edwards will be able to return, it suggests he’ll miss at least three games beyond Tuesday’s contest vs. Phoenix, even if he’s reevaluated and cleared one week from today. Minnesota hosts the Jazz on Wednesday and the Trail Blazers on Friday before visiting the Celtics in Boston on Sunday.
Edwards, 24, has been enjoying a career year for the Timberwolves, averaging 29.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.4 steals in 35.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .492/.402/.796.
After earning a spot on the All-NBA second team in each of the past two seasons, he’s making a case for first team honors in 2025/26 — but he’ll need to play in at least eight of Minnesota’s 14 remaining games to qualify for end-of-season awards. He has appeared in 58 contests so far, but one of those 58 won’t count toward the 65-game minimum since he exited after just three minutes.
The Wolves, meanwhile, are in the midst of a competitive race for postseason seeding in the Western Conference. Entering Tuesday’s games, they’re the No. 6 seed at 41-27, but they’re only a half-game behind the No. 4 Rockets and two games up on the No. 7 Suns, their opponent tonight.
While Minnesota certainly won’t want to rush back its franchise player, the team might need his help sooner rather than later to secure a guaranteed playoff spot.
Injury Notes: Edwards, Reid, Kawhi, Giannis, Harper, Kornet
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been ruled out of Tuesday’s game against Phoenix due to right knee soreness, the team announced (via Twitter). It’s an important matchup between the two Western Conference clubs, as Minnesota has a two-game lead over the Suns for the No. 6 seed — and a guaranteed playoff berth.
According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), Edwards was “clearly laboring” during Sunday’s road loss in Oklahoma City. It will be the 11th missed game this season for Edwards, who has been named to the All-NBA Second Team each of the past two seasons.
Sixth Man of the Year contender Naz Reid is battling an injury as well. He’s listed as questionable to suit up because of a right shoulder contusion, per the Wolves.
We have more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been downgraded from doubtful to out for Monday’s game vs. San Antonio, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. The two-time NBA Finals MVP sprained his left ankle in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s win over Sacramento, which is why he won’t play tonight. As Murray notes (via Twitter), Leonard can only miss two more games after Monday to remain eligible for major postseason awards.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo appeared to tweak his left knee after landing awkwardly following a dunk during Sunday’s win over Indiana. While the Bucks superstar is considered questionable for Tuesday’s contest vs. Cleveland, Antetokounmpo’s injury designation is still a left ankle sprain rather than anything to do with his knee, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 31-year-old forward downplayed the apparent knee issue after the game and said he didn’t plan to undergo imaging.
- The Spurs will be without two key rotation members on Monday, with Dylan Harper (right calf contusion) and Luke Kornet (right knee soreness) both sidelined (Twitter link via Jared Weiss of The Athletic). It’s the second straight absence for Harper, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft, and the first absence for Kornet since February 5. However, head coach Mitch Johnson is hopeful both players will be active on Tuesday at Sacramento, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News relays (via Twitter). “If not tomorrow, very, very soon,” Johnson said. “But I’m optimistic that they got a good chance to play tomorrow.“