Northwest Notes: Henderson, Watson, Gobert, Edwards
It hasn’t been an easy season for Scoot Henderson, who didn’t play until February due to a torn hamstring. In fact, it’s been an up-and-down first three years in the league for the guard selected third overall by the Trail Blazers in the 2023 draft.
However, Henderson enjoyed a career night on Tuesday, scoring 31 points in a 106-103 victory that tied the series with the Spurs at one game apiece. His head coach, Tiago Splitter, was blown away by the performance, Ramona Shelburne writes for ESPN.
“I don’t know if I have words for it,” Splitter said. “That was the best game of the season for him, maybe his career. To have a game like that in playoffs against a great team like the Spurs, it’s something else. Not just offensively, but defensively. He carried us, scored when we needed, got stops and really won a game for us.”
Henderson, at one point, was considered the 1B draft prospect to Victor Wembanyama‘s 1A, which led to the two players facing off in an exhibition game when the point guard was with the G League Ignite and Wembanyama was still a member of the Metropolitans 92. Both players showed the best of what they could do in that exhibition, but since then, Henderson has dealt with injuries and has struggled to find his rhythm.
“I’m so blessed to even play in a situation like this,” Henderson said. “Playoffs, third year, younger team, with great vets. The picture couldn’t have painted itself better.”
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- Peyton Watson is still working his way back from a hamstring strain as he seeks to get back on the court for the Nuggets. He has been ruled out for Game 3 of the series against the Wolves, but was able to get some work in on the side of Denver’s practice today, Anthony Slater writes for ESPN. Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette adds (via Twitter) that Watson was mostly working out with and against the coaching staff on Wednesday.
- The Timberwolves believe that Rudy Gobert‘s performance against Nikola Jokic through two games is emblematic of why voters made a grave mistake this season, Tyler King writes for The Denver Gazette. “It’s a joke that he wasn’t a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year,” head coach Chris Finch said after the Wolves won Game 2. King notes that Jokic went 1-for-8 in Game 2 when guarded by Gobert, and seven of those shots came in the fourth quarter. “I know who I am,” Gobert said. “It’s not the first time I get disrespected, probably not the last. If they want to disrespect greatness, take it for granted or whatever, sooner or later, they’ll realize the impact.”
- Anthony Edwards‘ stats for the Timberwolves in Game 2 were impressive, but it was his “superstar energy” as he fought through pain in his knee that really fueled his team, writes Dave Campbell of The Associated Press. “It definitely uplifts me,” Julius Randle said. “I feel like I can’t let him down. If he’s out there battling, then there’s no excuse why I can’t give my best and make the extra effort plays and just go out there and compete at the highest level.” Edwards finished the game with 30 points and 10 rebounds despite clearly being bothered by the knee ailment that kept him out for 11 of the team’s last 13 regular season games.
Injury Notes: Edwards, Nuggets, Durant, Allen
As expected, star guard Anthony Edwards has been upgraded to available for Saturday’s Game 1 at Denver, the Timberwolves announced (via Twitter). Edwards was previously listed as questionable due to a right knee injury which caused him to miss multiple games at the end of the regular season.
That nagging right knee injury ultimately cost Edwards the ability to earn major postseason awards, such as All-NBA, when his extraordinary circumstances appeal was denied. The 24-year-old shot career-best percentages on two-pointers (55.4%) and three-pointers (39.9%) while averaging a career-high 28.8 points per game in 2025/26. Edwards was named second-team All-NBA each of the past two seasons.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Nuggets forward Spencer Jones will be active today against Minnesota after previously being listed as questionable, per the team (Twitter link). Jones, a former undrafted free agent in his second NBA season, has been sidelined since March 29 due to a right hamstring strain. Fourth-year forward Peyton Watson, meanwhile, remains out due to his own right hamstring strain, which he aggravated on April 1. Watson previously missed several weeks due his initial strain prior to returning in late March.
- Rockets star Kevin Durant is questionable to suit up tonight against the Lakers due to a right knee contusion, but the injury doesn’t sound serious. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the 37-year-old forward sustained the injury in a practice this week. Houston is confident Durant’s knee bruise won’t be a “significant issue” in the first-round series vs. Los Angeles, a source tell ESPN.
- While Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen was in the team’s starting lineup for the afternoon matchup vs. Toronto on Saturday, he acknowledged earlier this week that the right knee tendonitis he’s been experiencing since March 3 is likely to continue bothering him until the offseason, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. As Fedor writes, Allen’s tendonitis has been described as “severe,” and he’s tried a variety of treatment methods to reduce inflammation and pain in his knee. “I’d be lying if I said I would expect it to be 100%,” Allen said. “I don’t think anybody will be 100% going into the playoffs. That’s just how it is. That’s my very political answer to not give you a yes or no. But I think it’s definitely something I’m going to have to deal with and manage. Get treatment before and take the medicine that I’m supposed to try to be at my best.”
Northwest Notes: Splitter, Nuggets, Daigneault, Hardy
Tiago Splitter has emulated Gregg Popovich as interim head coach of the Trail Blazers, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Splitter, 41, spent five of his seven NBA seasons playing in San Antonio under Popovich, including winning a title in 2014.
“The way he treats people makes you feel like you are part of a family,” Splitter said of Popovich, who retired from coaching last May as the NBA’s all-time winningest coach after leading the Spurs to five NBA titles and six trips to the Finals in 29 seasons.
“That’s really what I am trying to do here,” Splitter continued. “I have everybody involved. From one to 18 on the roster, everybody has to be part of this. I think that is what I learned most from him, the off-the-court stuff. The Xs and Os, yeah, they are important. I think everybody does that in the league. But the relationship part with the players is what really, really separates Pop from all the coaches.”
As Orsborn points out, multiple reports have suggested Splitter isn’t a lock to be promoted to Portland’s full-time head coach despite taking over under difficult — and extraordinary — circumstances and helping the team exceed expectations in 2025/26.
Here’s more from the Northwest:
- After expressing optimism earlier this week that Nuggets forwards Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones could both be available for Saturday’s Game 1 matchup vs. Minnesota, head coach David Adelman said on Friday that Jones has a better chances of suiting up than Watson, tweets Brendan Vogt of DNVR Sports. Both players are recovering from right hamstring strains — Watson has been out since April 1, while Jones suffered his injury on March 29.
- Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault continued to improve in 2025/26 after leading the team to the championship last season, according to star swingman Jalen Williams (subscriber-only story via Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman). While Daigneault may not be a finalist for Coach of the Year after leading Oklahoma City to the best record in the league for the second straight season, his players continue to sing his praises, Carlson writes. “And I think especially for us this season, it’s been big because coming off winning a championship, winning however many games, the margins are small for where you can find improvement,” veteran Alex Caruso said. “But I think he’s done a great job of searching for it and pushing us to try and find some ways to get better as well.”
- Will Jazz head coach Will Hardy show a different side of himself next season after guiding a tanking team over the past four years? Sarah Todd of The Deseret News explores that subject, writing that third-year guard Keyonte George expects Hardy to be a little more intense in 2026/27. “Oh, absolutely,” George said with a knowing laugh and shake of his head. “Will is already a maniac and he’s gonna have his moments. But I know Will, and I know he wants the best for us, so whatever that looks like from Will — I know there’ll be a lot of screaming and yelling — it’s gonna make us great.”
Injury Notes: Jackson, Watson, Jones, Harper, Wemby
Clippers center Isaiah Jackson has been upgraded from questionable to probable for Wednesday’s play-in game vs. Golden State, the team announced today.
Acquired in February’s Ivica Zubac trade, Jackson didn’t initially have a role with L.A., but began to play regular minutes behind starter Brook Lopez in early March after Yanic Konan Niederhauser went down with a season-ending foot injury. However, Jackson suffered a right high ankle sprain on March 27 and missed the final eight games of the regular season.
Assuming Jackson is active on Wednesday, it’s unclear whether the Clippers plan to immediately reinsert him into their rotation or if the team will continue to rely on big man John Collins and smaller lineups when Lopez isn’t on the floor.
Let’s round up a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA…
- Nuggets wings Peyton Watson (right hamstring strain) and Spencer Jones (right hamstring strain) didn’t take contact during Wednesday’s practice, but they took part in all non-contact work, according to head coach David Adelman (Twitter link via Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette). Although Watson has been out since April 1 and Jones hasn’t played since March 29, Adelman believes both players could be available on Saturday vs. Minnesota. “My hope is they’ll play in Game 1,” he said. “If not, we’ll play the group that’s fully healthy.”
- Spurs guard Dylan Harper exited Sunday’s regular season finale after injuring his left thumb, but he’s trending toward being available for Game 1 against Portland, reports Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). “We expect him to play Sunday,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “He just got it hit and there’s going to be some pain there … He’s got to work his way through that, but we expect him to play.”
- While Victor Wembanyama sat out two of the Spurs‘ final three games of the regular season due to a rib contusion, he indicated after Wednesday’s practice that he’ll be ready for Sunday’s contest, per Orsborn. “I’m very close, but we never really go back to 100%, except before your season (in) the offseason,” Wembanyama said when asked how close he is to 100%. “… There’s always something going on. In terms of regular season shape, I’m very close.”
Nuggets Control Playoff Seeding Heading Into Sunday
At this point in the season, tanking isn’t reserved just for the NBA’s worst teams, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. The Nuggets hosted the Thunder on Friday in a matchup of Western Conference powers, but most of the stars were in street clothes. Oklahoma City, which has already clinched the league’s best record, rested nine rotation players in an effort to boost Denver’s chances at holding onto the No. 3 spot and avoiding a playoff matchup until the conference finals.
Nuggets coach David Adelman responded by giving the night off to his entire starting lineup: Nikola Jokic (right wrist injury management). Jamal Murray (right shoulder impingement), Aaron Gordon (right hamstring injury management), Cameron Johnson (right ankle injury management) and Christian Braun (left ankle injury management and a right hip flexor strain). Adelman defended the move in a pregame session with the media.
“What’s on the injury report is what they’re out with,” he said. “They’re dealing with a lot more than that physically, not to mention some of the soft tissue stuff. Scary kinds of injuries. … ‘Hey, we’re the three seed, but we don’t have three starters — it doesn’t sound like a great solution.”
The shorthanded Nuggets wound up with a 20-point victory that clinched home court advantage in the first round and will face a similar situation on Sunday at San Antonio. Denver is a game ahead of the Lakers for the No. 3 seed, but Los Angeles holds the tiebreaker and is playing a Utah team that could use another loss to maximize its lottery odds.
The Nuggets can clinch third place and a first-round matchup with the No. 6 Timberwolves by beating the Spurs. If they’d rather face the No. 5 Rockets, they’ll need to lose tomorrow and hope for a Lakers win.
Murray, Gordon, Johnson and Braun have been declared out, along with Tim Hardaway Jr.. Spencer Jones and Peyton Watson. Jokic, who needs to play at least 15 minutes to qualify for postseason awards, is listed as questionable.
Durando adds that the Nuggets have engaged in internal discussions about the best playoff path, looking beyond the first round to a potential second-round meeting with the Thunder or Spurs. With no obvious answer, Adelman decided to prioritize making sure his players are as healthy as possible when the playoffs start next weekend.
“Us and Minnesota, it’s been a crazy back-and-forth over the years,” he said on Friday. “They swept us last year, but then we beat them three out of four this year. We always know it’s competitive with them. They’ve given us issues. We’ve given them issues. And then obviously Houston, I mean, they’re playing so well right now. … So there’s no good opponent in my opinion. I think you just have to play it out with decisions that are best for your team, and we feel like tonight, this is the best decision.”
Peyton Watson Week-To-Week With Hamstring Injury
Nuggets guard Peyton Watson is considered week-to-week due to a hamstring injury, head coach David Adelman told the media on Friday afternoon, according to DNVR Nuggets (Twitter link).
Watson will be out for Saturday’s game against San Antonio and, presumably, several more contests beyond that. He exited the Nuggets’ win over the Jazz on Wednesday with right hamstring tightness.
It’s a recurrence of an injury he suffered earlier this season. Watson missed more than six weeks of action in February and March due to a right hamstring strain.
The injuries have marred an otherwise breakout season for Watson, who is averaging a career-best 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 29.6 minutes per game. He has made 49.1 percent of his field goal attempts, including 41.1 percent from deep, while starting 40 of 54 games.
It’s been an injury-filled campaign for Denver, though the team has still managed to win 49 games. The Nuggets currently hold the No. 4 spot in the West, which would give them home court advantage in the first round.
Cameron Johnson and Julian Strawther figure to absorb Watson’s minutes while he mends. Watson will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Injuries Pile Up For Nuggets In Win Over Golden State
The Nuggets pulled away from Golden State for their sixth straight victory on Sunday, but the team’s corps of forwards was depleted by the end of the game, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
Coach David Adelman was expecting to have his full rotation available, but Aaron Gordon felt tightness in his left calf when he woke up Sunday morning. Gordon returned to action earlier this month after missing 17 games with a strained right hamstring, so the team is being careful in hopes of keeping him healthy for the playoffs. He was held out as a precaution, and Peyton Watson took his place in the starting lineup.
However, Watson just returned last Sunday after missing six weeks with a hamstring injury and has been restricted to about 20 minutes per game. He picked up four fouls against Golden State in the first half, further limiting his availability.
Spencer Jones began feeling tightness in his right hamstring after the first quarter and wasn’t able to return. Jones has been seeing time at backup center lately, so that forced Adelman into another lineup adjustment.
Early in the third quarter, Cameron Johnson walked to the locker room while grabbing the right side of his torso. He was diagnosed with back spasms and was listed as questionable to return. Zeke Nnaji took his place at power forward, but had an awkward landing after being hit in the face by Kristaps Porzingis. He went to the locker room with a left hip impingement and was using crutches when he left the arena, according to Benedetto.
“It’s just been so funny this year has been like that,” Adelman said. “It’s never a guard and a forward, or a guard and a center. It’s like, it’s just the whole (position) group goes out.”
The injuries created an opportunity for Jonas Valanciunas, who had been benched for the previous five games. He played just five minutes, but could see an increased role while the rest of the roster heals up.
There was no clarity after the game on how serious all the injuries are, and Denver has two days off before playing in Utah on Wednesday. Adelman said Johnson could have tried to return to the game, but the Nuggets were far enough ahead that there was no need to take the risk.
“Players after those things always tell you they’re gonna be fine. But they’ll get a better look at them tomorrow,” Adelman told reporters. “I didn’t get any information (on) if there’s any MRIs or X-rays or anything.”
Nuggets Notes: Murray, Jokic Watson, Johnson, Bench
Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic put up historic numbers in Wednesday’s win over Dallas, writes Michael Kelly of The Associated Press. On the second night of a road-home back-to-back, Murray had a season-high 53 points (on 19-of-28 shooting) and Jokic had 23 points, 21 rebounds and 19 assists.
According to Kelly, the Nuggets are the first team in NBA history to have one player score 50-plus points and another record at least 15 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in the same game.
“Fifty-three from your point guard and 23, 21, 19 from your center. Just outrageous numbers from the best tandem in the NBA,” head coach David Adelman said. “They really are the history book of this franchise when it comes to the longevity together, and also the playoffs and all these wars they’ve been through in a basketball sense, it’s just super special.”
Jokic, who has a league-high 30 triple-doubles, had 23 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists in Tuesdays win at Phoenix. He’s currently leading the NBA in both rebounds (12.8) and assists (10.8) per game.
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- Peyton Watson has improved his play-making in his fourth season ahead of restricted free agency this summer, according to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. In his first two games back after missing several weeks because of a hamstring strain, Watson has averaged 17.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 3.0 APG (zero turnovers) on .565/.370/.750 shooting in 21.5 MPG. “It starts with establishing your aggression offensively, though. I think that every team in the NBA has to know that I’m a big threat, that if they don’t send multiple guys at me, I’m going to get going, and I’m going to be effective. When they start to do that and make those adjustments, it’s all about me seeing the next defender and making that play ahead of me,” Watson said. “For me, right now, (it’s) just establishing myself as a scorer and as an offensive presence. I think that’s doing a lot for our team.”
- Forward Cameron Johnson and the rest of Denver’s starters seem to be clicking at the right time, Benedetto writes in another story. Johnson is averaging 12.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 2.6 on .524/.466/.800 shooting splits in 12 games this month. “When we get going offensively, we’re really, really tough to stop. Now, we’ve got to match that with defensive intensity, transition defense, hitting the boards, boxing teams out,” Johnson said. “(There’s) a lot of room for us to grow defensively and little ins and outs of the game. If we continue to improve on those areas, I think the ceiling for this team is extremely high, so it’s encouraging.”
- Adelman recently made a significant change to the Nuggets’ rotation, per Benedetto. Veteran center Jonas Valanciunas has been a DNP-CD each of the past four games, with Adelman instead going with a small-ball bench unit featuring Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., Spencer Jones and Watson alongside Murray. “It just gives us another dimension for this team to deploy whenever we want,” Jones said. “It definitely allows us to switch on ball, which makes a lot of our defenders a lot more aggressive. Obviously, we have a lot of good defenders out there, so we’re able to pick pockets, get steals, get some easy runouts and apply more pressure.”
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: