Sixers Notes: Embiid, Harden, Lineup Changes
Sixers center Joel Embiid received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his injured right knee as he tries to return for the team’s second-round playoff series, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link). He is listed as doubtful for Game 1, which will take place on Monday night in Boston.
Embiid had the injection last week and was able to take part in portions of Sunday’s practice, Charania adds, but he reiterates that the LCL injury Embiid suffered is more serious than the Grade 1 sprain that was reported. The Sixers star has been able to do some shooting recently, but sources tell Charania that he has done very little running and the team would consider it “a miracle” if he is able to play tonight.
Embiid participated in Philadelphia’s shootaround this morning, where he did some light shooting (video link from Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). His last game action was April 20, when he injured the knee late in Game 3 against the Nets.
There’s more on the Sixers:
- Embiid’s workout on Sunday was encouraging and there’s optimism that he’ll return at some point even if he’s not ready tonight, Pompey states in a full story. Embiid didn’t require a brace and was able to move around “fluidly,” according to Pompey. He also participated in shooting drills with James Harden after practice. “He did a little bit more,” coach Doc Rivers said. “Not much. He didn’t do any running or anything like that, but just did some shooting. So he’s better. He’s progressing.”
- This may be Harden’s best opportunity to change the narrative about his playoff failures, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Harden said he has emphasized “sacrifice” this season, from taking a contract below market value that left the Sixers with cap room to sign free agents to making an effort to involve his teammates more in the offense. “I think he and Doc and Joel really have been on the same page, but probably the person who had to change the way he approaches and plays the game the most was James,” said president of basketball operations Daryl Morey.
- Embiid’s uncertain status is causing the Celtics to prepare for lineups they may not have been before, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “It doesn’t change our mindset,” Malcolm Brogdon said. “It does change our game plan. That’s a team that’s built around Joel, everything he does. All the isos and just a high level of scoring, and now that scoring is going to be a little bit dispersed. Harden is going to be more aggressive, (Tyrese) Maxey is going to be more aggressive, and then all the role guys are going to be more aggressive. They’ve got a lot of good players, so we can’t just focus in on one guy.”
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Randle, Toppin, Grimes
Jalen Brunson has transformed the Knicks since joining them in free agency, but he felt he let the team down in Game 1 of the second round, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Brunson called his performance “horrific” after he missed all seven of his three-point shots in Sunday’s loss to Miami.
“I think inside the three-point line I was pretty efficient,” Brunson said. “Outside the three-point line, I was terrible. They’re a good team, great defense, well coached, experience, so you got to give them the credit, but for me I have to be better.”
Friedell notes that the other Knicks weren’t much better from long distance as they shot 7-for-34 as a team and missed numerous open opportunities that might have changed the course of the game. Brunson acknowledged the poor shooting, but he says that can’t be allowed to set the tone for the rest of the series.
“We can’t be discouraged,” he said. “Playing in the NBA, a lot of it’s all confidence, and you got to stay confident, you got to stay poised and you got to stick together as a team. We just got to come back hungry, be better, fix our mistakes and move forward from there.”
There’s more from New York:
- Julius Randle sat out Sunday’s game with a left ankle sprain that he suffered in the first round, but the Knicks are optimistic that he’ll be ready soon, Friedell adds. Randle was considered questionable for Game 1 and went through a pregame workout, but doctors decided he wasn’t able to play. “I don’t know how close (he was),” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I know he worked out before, I just trust him and the medical staff to make that decision. So if he could go — I planned both ways, I planned with him going and planned if he didn’t go. Once they make a decision, that’s it and you live with it and you get ready with what you have. And so we have more than enough.”
- Obi Toppin replaced Randle and had a strong outing in his first playoff start with 18 points in 31 minutes, notes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Toppin wasn’t sure of his status until the decision was made on Randle, but he was prepared to be in the starting lineup. “We didn’t know exactly how Ju was feeling. So, like, in my head, I thought I was starting the whole time,” Toppin said. “But yeah, like I always say, the approach that I take going into every game is the same.”
- Quentin Grimes played 10 minutes on Sunday after missing the last two games of the first-round series with a shoulder contusion, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “I don’t think I lost anything. My legs could still work, so I was still doing my conditioning and stuff like that,” Grimes said. “So I’m all good right now.”
Warriors Notes: Curry, Green, Looney, Thompson
Before he eliminated the Kings with a record-setting Game 7 performance, Stephen Curry delivered a memorable pre-game speech to his teammates, according to Marcus Thompson II and Shams Charania of The Athletic. Curry typically doesn’t talk a lot before games, but he was disappointed that the Warriors missed out on a chance to clinch the series at home and he was upset that Sacramento guard Malik Monk had called the team old. So Curry had the players’ full attention when he rose to speak.
“He is that guy,” Gary Payton II said. “So when he speaks, everybody better listen. Because 30 is usually quiet and lets his game speak for itself. But he had to say what he had to say, because he knew what type of vibe it was … and I don’t think he wanted to give this one up. So he led and we followed.”
According to Thompson and Charania, Curry expressed his belief in his teammates and assured them that they were ready to win in a tough environment. He also implored them to put personal feelings aside, which sources told the authors was a message for Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and others who have been unhappy with their roles and playing time during the series.
Curry backed up his words with a 50-point performance, the most anyone has ever scored in a seventh game.
“He’s got the same edge as any of the other greats,” Poole said. “That’s what makes him so special. Maybe his approach is a bit different than the other guys, but we know he’s a killer. Everybody in the world knows he’s a killer.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Rumors have persisted that luxury tax concerns will break up Golden State’s roster this summer, but Draymond Green told reporters, including Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, that shouldn’t be the focus right now. “Stop trying to turn the page on us so fast,” he said. “Stop trying to turn the page on (LeBron James). We get so caught up in what’s the next thing, we don’t appreciate the current. Then you get to the next thing and you’re looking back, like, ‘Man, I wish we still had that. I wish we could still see this.’ So for me and our guys, we are going to appreciate this every step of the way.”
- Kevon Looney gets overlooked because his game isn’t flashy, but he played an important role in the first-round victory, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Looney collected 21 rebounds Sunday, including 10 in the third quarter as the Warriors pulled away with the game.
- Klay Thompson is looking forward to his first-ever playoff matchup against the Lakers (video link from HoopsHype). Thompson was born in Los Angeles, and his father spent much of his NBA career as part of some legendary Lakers teams.
Ankle Sprain Leaves Jimmy Butler In Doubt For Game 2
The’s Heat‘s series-opening victory in New York included a sprained right ankle for star forward Jimmy Butler that might affect his status for Game 2 and beyond, writes Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Butler didn’t address the media after the game to talk about his condition, but he said in a brief ABC interview that it felt “like a rolled ankle.”
Butler was injured on a drive to the basket with 5:05 left to play. He collided with Josh Hart, who inadvertently kicked Butler’s ankle as both players fell to the court. Butler remained in the game, but was used almost entirely as a decoy and was clearly hobbled as he tried to move, Lopez adds.
“You just don’t know with ankle sprains,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I don’t even know if we’ll know more by (Monday). We’ll just have to see. It’ll be a waiting game.”
Butler had 25 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals as he played nearly 44 minutes and didn’t come off the court in the second half until the final seconds when the game was decided. He only took one shot after injuring the ankle, but he promised Spoelstra that he could stay in the game without hurting the team.
“I know him,” Spoelstra said. “I know when I can look in his eye. He assured me that he wasn’t going to be a liability and wanted to stay in there and make sure we get this swing. I mean that’s the most important thing. We’ve had a lot of chaos and a lot of things going on, but main thing being the main thing, we got to secure it and get the win and then we’ll figure out what happens in the next 48 hours.”
Butler has one day of rest before the series resumes Tuesday in New York, then a longer break before Game 3, which is Saturday in Miami. The first injury report for Game 2 will be released at 5:30 pm Monday, so we’ll get a better idea then of Butler’s status.
The Heat are already dealing with a depleted roster after first-round injuries to Tyler Herro, who is sidelined until at least early June following hand surgery, and Victor Oladipo, who will miss the rest of the playoffs following surgery on the torn patellar tendon in his left knee.
“This group has been through a lot,” Spoelstra said. “We’ve been through a lot this entire year and we’re not being insensitive to when guys get picked up or get hurt, but our group has learned to compartmentalize and focus on the task at hand and that’s what it was. There wasn’t an overreaction. We’ve had enough tears behind the scenes, some guys getting hurt and stuff like that. We have to get the job done.”
Pacific Notes: Curry, Looney, Lyles, Durant
Stephen Curry delivered a huge knockout blow by scoring 50 points in Game 7 against the Kings on Sunday. The Warriors were down 0-2 in the series and failed to close it out at home in Game 6 but they still advanced to face the Lakers in the second round, Kendra Andrews of ESPN relays.
“We’re defying the odds by still playing at this high of a level,” the Warriors’ superstar guard said. “I know everybody wants to see you fail. That’s kind of the nature of where we’re at right now. We love when we still prove a lot of people wrong. It’s part of our vibe now.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Kevon Looney is once again coming up huge in the postseason after re-signing with the Warriors laat summer on a new three-year contract. Golden State’s big man supplied 11 points and 21 rebounds in the Game 7 triumph, the third time in the series he grabbed 20 or more rebounds. Coach Steve Kerr heaped praise on Looney afterward, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. “I think Loon is one of the best centers in the league, I really do,” Kerr said. “People don’t recognize it because he’s not dunking, shooting threes, and all that stuff, but this guy is a flat out winner, he’s a machine, and we wouldn’t be here without him.”
- Kings forward Trey Lyles averaged 6.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 18 minutes per game during the series. Lyles is headed to unrestricted free agency but he’d like to stay put, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets. “This is the most at home I’ve felt of any team I’ve been on,” said Lyles, who has also played for Utah, San Antonio, Denver and Detroit.
- Kevin Durant was disappointed in himself for making seven turnovers in the opener of the second-round series against Denver on Saturday. However, Durant isn’t fretting about the Suns falling behind in the series, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic (video link). “It’s just like any other game, to be honest. It’s not that deep,” he said. “On the road, we want to try to get one of the first two games here. Just look at the film and see what we can do better.”
Draft Notes: Sanogo, Jackson, Tshiebwe, Bates, Droppers
Adama Sanogo and Andre Jackson Jr. were two key contributors to UConn’s national championship season. Both players have been invited to the NBA Combine in Chicago in May. Adam Zagoria tweets.
Jackson, a combo guard, is a potential first-rounder. He’s currently ranked No. 30 on ESPN’s Best Available list. Despite a stellar college career, Sanogo may have to open some eyes during the pre-draft process in order to get drafted. He’s currently ranked No. 87.
We have more draft-related items:
- Kentucky’s star big man Oscar Tshiebwe hasn’t ruled out returning to college but he’s got a number of workouts lined up, Zagoria adds in another tweet. Tshiebwe has already scheduled workouts with the Celtics, Bucks, Rockets and Kings. He averaged 16.5 PPG and 13.7 RPG this past season and is currently ranked No. 66 on ESPN’s list.
- Will guard Emoni Bates get drafted? The Athletic’s Shams Charania, John Hollinger and Brendan Quinn explore that question. Bates averaged 19.2 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 30 games with Eastern Michigan after a tumultuous freshman campaign with Memphis. Bates catches scouts’ attention with his high-level shot-making but doesn’t offer much else, according to The Athletic trio. He’s ranked No. 56 by ESPN and No. 78 by The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie.
- What do Illinois’ Coleman Hawkins, Houston’s Marcus Sasser and Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis have in common? They are some of the players who have seen their draft stock decline heading into the combine, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
Northwest Notes: Reid, McDaniels, Finch, Jazz Contracts
Re-signing big man Naz Reid is a major offseason priority for the Timberwolves, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. Heading into unrestricted free agency, Reid averaged a career-high 11.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game this season.
“I think we’re going to be an organization that’s going to reward guys that do right by the organization,” Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said. “He came here, he got himself in better shape, he’s gotten better each and every year, and we’re fingers crossed that he’s going to be here for a long, long time. … We’ve been working pretty hard to try to figure out something long-term for Naz.”
The Timberwolves hold Bird rights on Reid, who suffered a left wrist fracture late in the season.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels fractured his right hand in two places during the team’s regular-season finale, costing the Wolves a valuable defensive-minded rotation player entering the playoffs. McDaniels punched a wall in frustration that day and now he’s kicking himself for hurting the franchise, as Hine relays. “I made a dumb mistake,” he said. “I wish I could take it back. But, afterwards, there was nothing I could do. So I was just mad. Mad for my teammates. I know they were probably upset, too. … I just need to learn how to control my emotions better throughout the game.”
- Timberwolves coach Chris Finch believes the team wilted under increased expectations following last summer’s Rudy Gobert blockbuster acquisition, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawcyznski. “I think we found life a little different just with the weight of expectations after the Rudy trade,” Finch said.
- Contract options will play a major role in the Jazz‘s offseason, Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune notes. Only $3MM of Kelly Olynyk‘s $12.2MM contract for next season is guaranteed. Utah will have to decide what to do with the veteran big man by June 28. Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker, Rudy Gay and Damian Jones each hold player options for 2023/24, totaling approximately $35MM.
Grizzlies Notes: Adams, Brooks, Bane, Offseason
Grizzlies center Steven Adams didn’t play after January 22 due to a knee injury, but the team is hopeful he’ll be ready to go in October, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets.
“The target for Steven Adams is to return at the beginning of next season,” Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said. Adams signed a two-year, $25.2MM extension last offseason that kicks in next season.
We have more on the Grizzlies:
- Dillon Brooks didn’t have any trouble talking to LeBron James during the first-round series but he got fined by the league for not talking. He was docked $25K for violating league rules governing media interview access, the league’s communications department tweets. The fine stemmed from Brooks’ failure to participate in team postgame media availability during the first round.
- Brooks did meet with the local media on Sunday and expressed no regrets for trash talking, including called James “old,” Cole reports. “No, that’s who I am,” Brooks said. “I don’t regret it. I’m a competitor. I compete.” Kleiman was noncommittal on Sunday when asked about Brooks’ future with the franchise. The veteran forward is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
- Regarding that issue, Mark Giannotto and Cole believe it’s best if the Grizzlies let Brooks walk. Both Commercial Appeal reporters feel the club should re-sign Brooks only as a last resort after exploring many other options to upgrade the wing spot.
- What should the Grizzlies do this offseason after their first-round flameout? Yossi Gozlan of Hoops Hype and Bobby Marks of ESPN both explore that topic, including how much Desmond Bane could receive in an extension.
Suns Notes: Ayton, Payne, Booker, Three-Point Shooting
Suns center Deandre Ayton is confident that Phoenix will rebound after its 125-107 blowout loss to the higher-seeded Nuggets in Game 1 of their second-round matchup, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
“We will be a completely different team Game 2,” Ayton said. “I can tell you that. The physicality, we’re going to turn it up a notch. They were playing Nuggets basketball but they were playing a little too [comfortably].”
Ayton had a modest night. In just over 30 minutes, he scored 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and chipped in seven rebounds. However, the 6’11” big man was a team-worst minus-21 when he was on the floor.
There’s more out of Phoenix:
- The Suns currently have the lowest-scoring bench in the league, Rankin writes in a separate piece. Reserve point guard Cameron Payne is working his way back into game shape after a lower back injury kept him unavailable for all but four minutes in Phoenix’s five-game first-round series win against the Clippers. Rankin notes that Payne is hoping to help improve his team’s backup luck against Denver. “I’m just ready to get back out there and do whatever I can help our team get to the next round.” In just 48 games during an injury-plagued 2022/23 regular season, Payne averaged 10.3 PPG. Payne played just five minutes in Game 1 of the Denver series, scoring five points on 2-of-3 shooting during garbage minutes.
- All-Star Suns shooting guard Devin Booker proved he truly belongs among the league’s elite thanks to a stellar performance in the first round, opines Rankin in another Arizona Republic story. Booker has improved defensively and as a passer, but his biggest attribute remains his multifaceted scoring touch. To wit, he outscored the Clippers by himself during a decisive third quarter of Phoenix’s closeout Game 5 win, 25-24, while connecting on 10-of-11 from the floor. He scored 27 points against the Nuggets in Game 1, on 10-of-19 shooting.
- Though the Suns actually connected on a better percentage of their field goals (51.2%) than the Nuggets did (47.5%) in Game 1, the disparity in made three-pointers proved to be a big part of why they ultimately lost by 18 points, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. In the postseason thus far, teams are attempting 35 triples a game, while the Suns shot just 23 threes in that Game 1 loss, and many of those tries happened with the game already well out of reach.
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Playoff Break, Celtics
Injured Sixers center Joel Embiid faces a big test in the second round of the 2023 Eastern Conference playoffs. Rich Hoffman of The Athletic submits three key questions facing the star big man ahead of Philadelphia’s impending matchup against the Celtics.
Embiid is dealing with a lateral collateral ligament right knee sprain, and the health of that knee will be a huge focus of both teams in the series. Boston center Robert Williams III came off the bench in the team’s first-round series against the Hawks, but given how imperative Embiid is to the Sixers’ play, Hoffman wonders if Williams may get a starting nod to help stifle the 7’1″ MVP candidate. Hoffman notes that Jayson Tatum‘s help defense on Embiid was a big part of the Celtics’ game planning against him.
There’s more out of Philadelphia:
- The Sixers enjoyed the lengthiest break between playoff series for any club in four years, writes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “We will take it, I think, at the end of the day,” head coach Doc Rivers said of the extended layoff. “This is the longest [break between series] I’ve ever had, so [we are] just trying to keep our guys as sharp as possible, and all that is not easy.” Mizell adds that Philadelphia has been working on honing its spacing on offense and some defensive concepts.
- Given Embiid’s LCL injury, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if the Sixers will be able to adjust successfully enough to defeat the Celtics. Guards Tyrese Maxey and James Harden would be expected to help carry more of the scoring burden, and reserve center Paul Reed could see more run as Embiid manages the knee.
- Rivers said that Embiid should still be considered doubtful to suit up for the opening game of the Sixers’ series against the Celtics on Monday, but continues to make strides in his rehab, Pompey tweets. Embiid did participate at least a little in Sunday’s practice, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com reports.