Injury Notes: McBride, Grant, Edwards, Pistons
Miles McBride will return to action for the Knicks on Sunday after being sidelined since January 27 due to a sports hernia surgery, notes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (via Twitter).
McBride is scoring at a career-best rate this season, averaging 12.9 points per game while hitting a career-high 42.0% of his 6.9 three-point attempts per game.
His return comes during a key stretch for the Knicks, who are looking to catch up to the Celtics for the second seed in the East while facing off against the Thunder and Rockets in one of their final regular-season tests. Coming into Sunday’s games, the Knicks were 1.5 games behind the Celtics.
Edwards adds (via Twitter) that McBride will be on a minutes restriction, though he doesn’t say what the restriction will be. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post adds that Landry Shamet is with the team on their road trip, and, according to coach Mike Brown, is progressing in his recovery from a bone bruise in his knee (Twitter link).
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- According to Blazers coach Tiago Splitter, Jerami Grant underwent an MRI on his calf and will remain without a recovery timeline until he can go through more testing, Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report writes (via Twitter). Grant said he “felt a pop” in his right calf during the third quarter of Friday’s loss to the Mavericks.
- Anthony Edwards has been upgraded to questionable for the Timberwolves‘ game on Monday, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Edwards has missed the Wolves’ last six games with a knee injury, with Minnesota going 3-2 in that time. The Wolves currently hold a half-game lead over the Rockets for the fifth seed in the West.
- The Pistons have a lengthy injury report for Monday’s game against the Thunder, with Jalen Duren (right knee), Tobias Harris (left hip), and Duncan Robinson (right hip) all listed as doubtful, while Ausar Thompson (right ankle) is questionable. Detroit is already missing Cade Cunningham (left lung) and Isaiah Stewart (left calf).
Knicks Notes: McBride, Robinson, Towns, Hornets, Anunoby
The Knicks could get a key reserve back from injury on Sunday, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who reports (via Twitter) that Miles McBride hasn’t been ruled out of tomorrow’s game at Oklahoma City. If the fifth-year guard doesn’t play Sunday, he’s on track to return to action either on Tuesday at Houston or Wednesday at Memphis, Begley adds.
McBride has been sidelined since late January following surgery to repair a core muscle injury, also known as a sports hernia. He went through Saturday’s practice, tweets Jared Schwartz of The New York Post, and will be listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Thunder, per Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link).
We have more on the Knicks:
- Head coach Mike Brown benched Karl-Anthony Towns in favor of Mitchell Robinson for the final eight minutes of Thursday’s loss to Charlotte, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The Knicks were hammered on the glass, having lost the rebounding battle 43-24, which was “part” of the reason Brown turned to Robinson, who was plus-eight in 26 minutes (Towns was minus-18 in 22 minutes). “I just thought when we had Mitch in there with certain guys, we were able to match their physicality,” Brown said. “And we made a run. But we were down 20 at that time. And versus a good team on the road, that’s tough to do.” Towns was also on the bench down the stretch of Tuesday’s win over New Orleans as New York went with a small-ball lineup, Bondy notes.
- The Hornets could be the most difficult first-round opponent for the Knicks if they finish as the No. 6 seed and New York stays at No. 3, Bondy writes in a subscriber-only story. According to Bondy, the Knicks were “overwhelmed by Charlotte’s speed and athleticism” on Thursday. “That’s their style,” Brown said. “They play fast. They want to let that thing fly. They got shooters that’ll let it fly. Josh (Hart) did a great job. Josh was up into the ball. He was physical with his man without fouling. He showed his hands when he needed to, and everybody that he guarded, they felt him. I can’t say it was like that all the way across the board and we have to do a better job of that if we expect to beat a good team like this on the road.”
- OG Anunoby is the best defender on Knicks team that has the fifth-best defensive rating in the NBA, according to Bondy (subscription required), who believes the 28-year-old forward should be named to the All-Defensive first team for his performance on that end of the court in 2025/26. “He guarded a lot of different players,” Brown said after Tuesday’s win. “And to close the way he did against Zion (Williamson) — Zion is a monster, he’s a handful for anybody, so for OG to do what he did down the stretch with him was huge.”
Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Quickley, Walter, Clarkson
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum played a season-high 35 minutes — including the entire fourth quarter — in Wednesday’s victory over Oklahoma City, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com. Tatum, who finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists (five turnovers), three steals, was making his ninth appearance in 2025/26 after missing most of the season due to a torn Achilles tendon.
“It definitely feels different,” Tatum said. “Just from the standpoint, it’s been a while since I’ve been in certain moments. And sometimes the best moments when I don’t have a chance to think, when I’ve just got to react and I got to move, whether it’s coming off a ball screen or on a close out or you get a rebound and you’ve just got to take off with the ball. And it will be moments like that and afterwards I’d be like, ‘All right, that felt good. That felt normal.’
“So these are things you can’t simulate in workouts or scrimmages or things like that. Just got to be in the moment. So just from the standpoint, it just feels like it’s been a while and each game I kind of surprise myself with encouraging things, certain plays that I just tally up in my head.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Starting point guard Immanuel Quickley will miss his third consecutive contest on Friday when the Raptors face New Orleans, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. Quickley, 26, is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Second-year guard Jamal Shead has started the past two games with Quickley out.
- In 17 games since the All-Star break, Ja’Kobe Walter is shooting 48.6% from long distance while playing strong defense, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic, who says the second-year wing seems primed to deliver a breakout performance in the playoffs — assuming the Raptors can make it in. “He’s shooting at an insane rate. He’s not gonna shoot like that forever,” RJ Barrett said. “But defensively, the things he’s doing every single night with steals and deflections (are important). And then on offense, he’s making the shots, but he’s just making the right plays. He’s taking the right shots. He plays like a player way above his years already.”
- Veteran guard Jordan Clarkson was out of the Knicks‘ rotation for a prolonged stretch earlier this season, but he wasn’t discouraged by the lack of minutes and kept working until his next opportunity arose, per Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). Clarkson has not only provided his typical scoring off the bench over the past couple weeks, he’s also been a play-maker and has improved defensively as well, Popper notes. “Yeah, for sure,” Clarkson said. “I mean, being able to get comfortable. I know everybody wanted it to click like immediately when I got here. But, you know, I’ve got to feel out a new coach, new system and everything, so, I’m getting a chance to watch the D-N-P’s and learn. It was pretty big for me and you know I continue to stay ready and just kept playing and figuring stuff out.”
Atlantic Notes: George, Embiid, McBride, Tatum, Knicks
Paul George returned for the Sixers on Wednesday after serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy, and Philadelphia came away with the 157-137 victory over the Bulls. Prior to the game, Tony Jones of The Athletic broke down five crucial aspects that the team has been missing in George’s absence.
The number one attribute George brings to the table at this point is his perimeter defense, Jones writes, given his ability to guard larger forwards due to the weight he’s added over the years. Jones also highlights his perimeter shooting and how his presence allows other plays to slot into their natural roles more smoothly.
After the game, George spoke about the rest of the year, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link), saying that his goal is to play in all nine remaining regular season games, assuming his body allows him to do so. He added that he felt more explosive in his return than he did prior to the suspension.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers center Joel Embiid was also back in action on Wednesday following a 13-game absence due to an oblique strain. He scored 35 points in the blowout victory over Chicago, adding seven assists and six rebounds. After the victory, he spoke to reporters about how his body felt. “My knees haven’t been an issue for a long time. That’s past me,” Embiid said, via PHLY Sports (Twitter video link). “The oblique was very tricky, and it still is tricky. Really nothing you can do about it, gotta let it ride and hope it doesn’t get worse.”
- Knicks head coach Mike Brown says key reserve Miles McBride has begun scrimmaging as he continues his rehab from sports hernia surgery, according to SNY’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). The defensive-minded guard is listed as out for Thursday’s game against the Hornets, but James L. Edwards III of The Athletic speculates (via Twitter) that Sunday’s game against the Thunder could be the day he returns to action. McBride, who had been having a career year, hasn’t played since January 27.
- Jayson Tatum‘s reintegration into the Celtics mid-season has gone as well as could be hoped, but there are still moments of frustration for the six-time All-Star, as he expressed earlier this week. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps talks to Celtics coaches and NBA insiders to get their takes on how much of his usual form Tatum will be able to regain for this year’s playoff run. “I think they’re the best team in the East,” one rival assistant coach said. “I don’t think him being back helps now, but I think it will help in the playoffs. He just doesn’t look like he has confidence in that leg yet. (But) if you let him shoot spot-up jumpers and rhythm looks, he’ll be good.”
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).
Knicks Notes: Playoffs, Bridges, Clarkson, Kolek
The Knicks enter Tuesday’s game against the Pelicans on a six-game winning streak as they continue their push for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. However, five of those six victories came against some of the worst teams in the league, and the sixth was against the slumping Warriors. If New York is to claim the runner-up spot in the conference, they need to be ready for things to get more difficult, Stefan Bondy writes for the New York Post.
With the Thunder, Rockets, and resurgent Hornets on the horizon, Bondy says this stretch of games could impact whether or not the team has home-court advantage in a second-round Game 7.
As has been the case in past seasons, one key factor in determining the Knicks’ playoff ceiling is whether the bench can provide relief for the starters when it matters. While coach Mike Brown uses his bench more than former coach Tom Thibodeau did, the Knicks still ranked just 27th in total bench minutes heading into Sunday’s win against the Wizards, James L. Edwards III notes for The Athletic.
Edwards notes that the load management plan Mitchell Robinson has been on seems to have helped him stay healthy this season, while top reserve Miles McBride will have to hit the ground running once he returns from injury to get his rhythm back in time to be impactful in the postseason.
One benefit of the team’s improved depth is the different amount of mixing and matching Brown can do depending on what a particular series calls for, Edwards writes, though he predicts that the eventual playoff rotation will end up looking almost identical to last season’s.
We have more Knicks notes:
- Mikal Bridges‘ offensive struggles in recent games have drawn plenty of scrutiny and even prompted questions about his spot in the starting lineup, but teammate Josh Hart believes that Bridges is in a difficult situation given his role in the offense, according to Bondy. “Last year, he didn’t have many plays called for him. This year, he probably has even less plays called for him,” Hart said. “So obviously there’s a mental hurdle he needs to get through and that’s something where some of us can help him. I think he gets some of that unfair flak just because he’s doing what’s asked of him. And if we were to sit there and say, go shoot 15 shots a game, he would be efficient and he could do it. But that’s not what’s been asked of him.” Brown gave Bridges his own vote of confidence, saying, “He works at it very hard. And he cares at a high level. Usually when you have that combination from a veteran guy that’s produced the way he’s produced in the NBA, it tends to lead to good results, eventually.”
- Jordan Clarkson‘s inconsistent role with the Knicks could have led to a destructive situation, Bondy writes in a separate piece, especially as the 33-year-old began turning to social media to respond to critics in February. Instead, the veteran guard kept his head down and worked. That professionalism and positive attitude paid off, as guards like Bridges and Landry Shamet started struggling offensively. Over the last two weeks, Clarkson has been the Knicks’ most reliable shooting guard, Bondy writes. Beginning when he scored 27 points against his former team in Utah on March 11, he has averaged 12.7 points on .545/.438/1.000 shooting splits in 22 minutes per game. He was even named the Knicks’ defensive player of the game twice in that stretch. “When he’s doing that he’s playing with that fire and that passion he has, there’s not many players in the NBA coming off the bench you feel better about,” said teammate Karl-Anthony Towns.
- Second-year guard Tyler Kolek had a basketball day for the ages on Sunday, scoring 42 points on 9-of-14 from three for the Westchester Knicks before being recalled to the parent team and scoring 11 points on 3-of-3 from deep in the fourth quarter of the win over the Wizards. “We have a lot of guys on this team that are very high character, very good work ethic and he’s one of them,” Jalen Brunson said, per Jared Schwartz of the Post. “That’s just who he is.“
Injury Notes: Brooks, Williams, Ivey, Embiid, Shamet
The Suns could get a couple of starters back from injuries next week, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), who expects Dillon Brooks to return early in the team’s road trip and Mark Williams to be back later in the week. Phoenix’s road trip begins next Monday in Memphis and concludes the following Sunday at Chicago.
Brooks underwent surgery last month to repair a fractured left hand. The 30-year-old wing is four weeks removed from that injury, which was expected to sideline him around four-to-six weeks.
Williams, meanwhile, has been out since March 3 after being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left foot. The 24-year-old center will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Bulls upgraded Jaden Ivey (left knee soreness) to questionable on Sunday before downgrading him to out. He’ll miss his 16th consecutive game Monday against Houston. According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link), Ivey recently returned to practice but he banged knees with a teammate and will be seen by a doctor on Monday night. Head coach Billy Donovan previously said Ivey, an impending restricted free agent, would travel on Chicago’s four-game road trip; that’s now up in the air after his new injury.
- Sixers star Joel Embiid went through Monday’s shootaround and also did some individual work afterward, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. The veteran center, who is recovering from a right oblique strain, is expected to go through a more rigorous workout on Tuesday and will be reevaluated after that, Bodner adds. Monday marks Embiid’s 13th consecutive absence.
- Knicks wing Landry Shamet is out again Tuesday due to a tibial plateau contusion, also known as a bone bruise, in his right knee, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (All Twitter links). Shamet suffered the injury in Friday’s game at Brooklyn and sat out Sunday’s win over Washington. However, Bondy hears it isn’t serious and expects the veteran guard/forward to return “within a few games, if that.” Shamet has been a key reserve for New York this season, Bondy notes.
Celtics Notes: Garza, Tiebreaker, Walsh, Pritchard, Tatum, Brown
The Celtics got a huge lift from backup center Luka Garza on Friday as they pulled out a close game in Memphis, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Garza has fallen out of the rotation a couple of times this season, but an injury to Nikola Vucevic has him playing regular minutes again. Against the Grizzlies, he delivered his best game since signing with Boston last summer, contributing 22 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes.
“When you get into kind of a rhythm like that and get to the glass and make little plays, it’s a lot of fun,” Garza said. “But every night, we have a lot of guys who do that. … Guys have always stepped up. In my position, just try to make the little plays and help us win. So it’s definitely fun when you’re the guy doing that.”
Vucevic is hoping to return from a fractured finger before the regular season ends, and it’s not clear how the frontcourt minutes will be divided up if that happens. Garza said even if his playing time is cut again, he’ll be ready for whatever opportunity he’s given.
“I love being a part of this team,” he added. “We play hard every single night no matter what, and I think when you do that, you put yourself in a good position. Especially in a situation like tonight where we obviously had the talent advantage. You play hard long enough, you finally get that rhythm.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Even with the win, Boston suffered a setback on Friday in its bid to hold off New York for the No. 2 seed in the East, according to Brian Robb of MassLive. The Knicks‘ one-point victory at Brooklyn ensured that they’ll have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Celtics based on their better record against Atlantic Division teams.
- Jordan Walsh was an effective defensive force earlier in the season, but Boston’s abundance of wings has pushed him out of the rotation, Robb states in a mailbag column. Ron Harper Jr. is likely to see an expanded role in anticipation of having his two-way deal converted to a standard contract, so Walsh may have to settle for limited minutes going forward. Robb also addresses the possibility of an extension for Payton Pritchard, who will become eligible for a new deal this summer.
- Jayson Tatum has been getting help from his teammates, particularly Jaylen Brown, as he tries to rediscover his game after a long absence, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe notes in a subscriber-only piece. “Sometimes things are not going your way or you miss some shots early, you need an easy one,” Brown said. “I’ve been there. I know what that feels like. So sometimes, you overthink a little bit too. It’s his first couple of games back, so I think just trying to find him in a rhythm and help him as much as I can is something when I’m on the floor, I’m looking for.”
Atlantic Notes: Vucevic, Celtics, Minott, Barrett
Celtics center Nikola Vucevic has to wait patiently for his fractured right ring finger to heal, but he’s hopeful he can return to action before the playoffs begin.
“The good thing is I can still do some stuff on the court,” he said, per Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “That will help me for when I come back [to be in] shape, and hopefully I get a couple games before the playoffs, get back in rhythm with the guys that week between regular season and playoffs, everything going as smoothly as possible.”
Vucevic suffered the injury on March 6 and was formally ruled out for at least three-to-four weeks.
“So far I haven’t had much pain or anything; everything has been going well,” he said. “The swelling is coming down and been working the range of motion. So hopefully the X-ray is clean at three weeks and I can start doing some stuff and just getting back to being comfortable and building strength in the hand.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics are likely to stay under the first tax apron once again next season, Brian Robb of MassLive.com opines. Robb points out that they currently have approximately $185MM committed in salary for 2026/27, $9MM of which is non-guaranteed, while the first apron projects to be $210.3MM. Boston may also be able to operate below the $201.7MM tax line, resetting its repeater clock. It shouldn’t be difficult to shed salary, if necessary, to achieve that goal, Robb adds, noting that the emergence of young talent on team-friendly deals across the roster will be very helpful on that front.
- The Nets dropped a 93-92 heart-breaker to the Knicks, their 14th straight loss to their crosstown rival. Josh Minott was highly agitated by the loss after scoring a career-high 22 points, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I wanted that s–t so (bleeping) bad,” he said. “Ever since we’ve been here, it’s like every game is an away game. [Friday] was just the night to really just stick it to everybody, man. As an organization, as a team, to show people that we got s–t here, yo. Man, just a sea of blue, a sea of orange. Every game we play, it’s a sea of the other team.”
- The Raptors left their 121-115 loss to the Nuggets on Friday still feeling good about themselves. Heading into their game in Phoenix on Sunday, they hold the fifth spot in the East. “The more we get healthy, the more we play together, the better it’s going to be for us,” RJ Barrett said, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “I think we’re showing that on a nightly basis. But there are times and moments that we can play better as a team.”
Atlantic Notes: Poeltl, CMB, Alvarado, Clowney, MPJ
Jakob Poeltl doesn’t know the root cause of the back problems that caused him to miss 33 games this season, but the Raptors‘ starting center appears to be at full strength now and is grateful the issue seems to be behind him, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
Poeltl is averaging 13.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals while shooting 70.8% from the field in his last nine appearances (27.9 minutes per game). The 30-year-old logged a season-high 36 minutes in Sunday’s victory over Detroit, finishing with 21 points (on 9-of-12 shooting), 18 rebounds and five assists in a matchup against All-Star Jalen Duren.
“I felt fine, honestly,” said Poeltl, who hadn’t played 36 minutes in a game since Dec. 1, 2024. “Every game’s a little bit different, like you have different energy and stuff. I felt good on Sunday. Felt fine afterwards. Obviously, after a big game, you feel your body aching a little bit, but I think that’s normal for everybody, so I wasn’t too worried.”
Poeltl admits the uncertain nature of his back injury presented several challenges, Grange writes.
“I think the hardest part about it was that there wasn’t a steady timeline,” he said. “With most injuries, you kind of know how long it’s gonna take, and sometimes it takes a bit longer or sometimes it takes a little less time but, generally, you know what the recovery process is.
“But what the time was exactly in this scenario was a big question mark. Like, we almost made up some timelines, kind of hoping that this would be when I would feel better again but, realistically, it wasn’t something that time was just gonna fix. So, I think that was the hardest part.”
Poeltl being healthy has given Toronto a boost at both ends of the court, but he’ll face some difficult matchups over the next few weeks, starting with Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic on Friday in Denver, Grange notes.
Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- Lottery pick Collin Murray-Boyles won’t play Friday, but he should return from his left thumb sprain in the near future, Grange tweets. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said the rookie forward/center, who has been scrimmaging and doing reconditioning work, is “very close” to playing again. Friday will mark Murray-Boyles’ 10th consecutive absence due to the thumb, which he originally injured in January.
- Regardless of whether he’s playing or not, Jose Alvarado brings consistent energy to the Knicks, according to Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Star point guard Jalen Brunson doesn’t take Alvarado’s impact for granted. “Absolutely, it helps the team no matter what,” Brunson said after practice Thursday. “You kind of wish he was on the court because he’s a little bit quieter than on the bench. He does so much for this team on and off the court. It’s constant energy. Kind of regardless of how he’s playing, he always has the energy. That’s a skill, that’s a skill that makes someone last in the league a long time. It’s great to have him.”
- Nets forward Noah Clowney, who suffered a right wrist sprain in Wednesday’s loss to Oklahoma City, was out for Friday’s matchup with New York and will likely miss Sunday’s contest at Sacramento as well, head coach Jordi Fernandez told reporters, including Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). Fernandez added that Clowney would be reevaluated following Sunday’s game.
- When asked whether Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. could play again this season — he’s out at least two-to-three weeks after suffering a right hamstring strain — Fernandez essentially gave a non-answer, as Lewis relays (via Twitter). “So, two or three weeks and then obviously there’s a ramp up to go back to a competition level,” Fernandez said. “We cannot predict but it’ll be close. So we’re going to go through these two, three weeks, put the work in and then we’ll see where we are.”