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NBA Injuries
| NAME | TEAM | INJURY | TIMETABLE TO RETURN | ANALYSIS |
| Kawhi Leonard | SAS | Quad | No Timetable | Leonard is out indefinitely and the Spurs hope to get him back before the season's over. Kyle Anderson and Rudy Gay (when healthy) pick up PT. |
| Gordon Hayward | BOS | Ankle/Tibia | No Timetable | Hayward can shoot stand-still jumpers and wants to return this season. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart (when healthy) pick up shots and minutes. |
| Nikola Vucevic | ORL | Hand | 2-3 Weeks | Vucevic is practicing and is reportedly almost ready to take full contact. With all of the injuries on Orlando, Bismack Biyombo will pick up PT. |
| Kristaps Porzingis | NY | Torn ACL | OUT FOR THE SEASON | With Porzingis done, Kyle O'Quinn and Michael Beasley will play more. Will Willy Hernangomez finally get playing time? |
| Paul Millsap | DEN | Wrist | 3-5 Weeks | Millsap is practicing but we won't see him again until sometime after the All-Star break. Trey Lyles and Mason Plumlee pick up minutes. |
| DeMarcus Cousins | NO | Achilles | OUT FOR THE SEASON | Cousins will not return for the remainder of the season and Darius Miller, Omer Asik and Dante Cunningham (when healthy) will play heavy minutes. |
| Mike Conley | MEM | Achilles | OUT FOR THE SEASON | Conley is having surgery and won't return to the court this season. Andrew Harrison and Mario Chalmers will fill-in. |
| John Wall | WSH | Knee | 6-8 Weeks | Wall has to get another procedure on his Knee and will miss up to two months. Tomas Satoransky and Tim Frazier will pick up minutes. |
| Kevin Love | CLE | Hand | 6-8 Weeks | With Kevin Love out for potentially the next two months, Jeff Green, Jae Crowder and Tristan Thompson will fill in. |
| Patrick Beverley | LAC | Knee | No Timetable | Beverley had surgery and thinks he can return this season. Austin Rivers (when healthy), Lou Williams and Milos Teodosic pick up minutes. |
| Markelle Fultz | PHI | Shoulder | No Timetable | After it seemed like he was on his way back, Fultz is once again having Shoulder issues and it's impacting his shooting in practice |
| Andre Drummond | DET | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | The Ankle injury seemed minor and we're awaiting his status for Wednesday. If he can't go, Anthony Tolliver will pick up PT. |
| Devin Booker | PHX | Hip | DAY TO DAY | Booker missed his previous game with a Hip injury and his status for Wednesday is not looking good.Tyler Ulis and Troy Daniels will pick up PT. |
| Aaron Gordon | ORL | Hip | DAY TO DAY | Gordon is dealing with a Hip injury and has missed his last five games. He'll likely need more time off and Mario Hezonja will pick up PT. |
| Lonzo Ball | LAL | Knee | No Timetable | New reports are saying that we may not see Ball until after the All-Star break. Jordan Clarkson and Josh Hart will grab PT. |
| Jeremy Lin | BKN | Knee | OUT FOR THE SEASON | D'Angelo Russell will rotate between PG and SG spot and Spencer Dinwiddie will pick up minutes. |
| Victor Oladipo | IND | Illness | DAY TO DAY | Oladipo is sick and he's questionable for Wednesday's game. If he can't go Lance Stephenson and Cory Joseph pick up playing time. |
| Kris Dunn | CHI | Concussion | No Timetable | Dunn is starting to practice again and hopefull the Headaches are behind him and could be back in the next week or two. Jerian Grant grabs PT. |
| Enes Kanter | NY | Face | DAY TO DAY | Kanter is going to have some dental work done thanks to Jabari Parker. If he has to miss Thursday's game, Kyle O'Quinn and Willy Hernangomez take over. |
| Harrison Barnes | DAL | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Barnes missed his previous game and is questionable for Thursday. If he can't play, Wes Matthews usage goes up and Maxi Kleber adds PT. |
| Mason Plumlee | DEN | Calf | 2-4 Weeks | Plumlee is dealing with a Calf strain and Trey Lyles will pick up even more playing time and Paul Millsap will return in the not so distant future. |
| Austin Rivers | LAC | Heel | Friday | Rivers is finally just about ready and he says he plans to return Friday. You never know with the Clippers and they could make trades. |
| Reggie Jackson | DET | Ankle | 3-4 Weeks | With Jackson out, Ish Smith takes over at PG and is very familiar with the Pistons offense. All Pistons options will see a boost in shots with Jackson out. |
| Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | BKN | Groin | DAY TO DAY | RHJ has missed his last six games and is still a few games from returning. If he can't play Quincy Acy (when healthy) and Jarrett Allen will pick up minutes. |
| Dion Waiters | MIA | Ankle | OUT FOR THE SEASON | Waiters had Ankle surgery and will miss the rest of the season. Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington pick up minutes. |
| Seth Curry | DAL | Tibia | OUT FOR THE SEASON | Curry will not play this season and Yogi Ferrell will grab more playing time along with J.J. Barea and Devin Harris. |
| Carmelo Anthony | OKC | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Melo sprained his Ankle Tuesday night and if he can't play on Thursday, Jerami Grant will pick up a lot of minutes. |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | NY | Shin | DAY TO DAY | Hardaway Jr. is dealing with a minor Shin contusion and if he can't play Thursday, Damyean Dotson and Lance Thomas will pick up playing time. |
| Darren Collison | IND | Knee | 2-3 Weeks | Collison will miss the next few weeks after having minor Knee surgery and Cory Joseph will pick up a lot of minutes. |
| Mirza Teletovic | MIL | Lung | No Timetable | Teletovic is dealing with issues regarding Blood Clots and that's what's kept Chris Bosh out of Basketball. He could miss the rest of the season. |
| Rudy Gay | SAS | Heel | 2-4 Weeks | With Gay out until after the All-Star break, Kyle Anderson will continue to see consistent minutes and shot opportunities. |
| Thabo Sefolosha | UT | Knee | OUT FOR THE SEASON | Sefolosha had surgery on his Knee and will miss the rest of the season. Jonas Jerebko will see more playing time. |
| Trevor Ariza | HOU | Hamstring | No Timetable | With Ariza out for at least the next few games, Gerald Green and P.J. Tucker will pick up minutes. |
| Caris LeVert | BKN | Concussion | DAY TO DAY | LeVert could be in the league's concussion protocol. Joe Harris and Nik Stauskas will pick up playing time. |
| Marcus Smart | BOS | Hand | 1-2 Weeks | Smart did not make a smart decision by injuring his hand on a picture frame and Terry Rozier and Shane Larkin will pick up playing time while he's out. |
| Malcolm Brogdon | MIL | Quad | 6-8 Weeks | With Brogdon out for potentially the next two months, Sterling Brown, Sean Kilpatrick and Tony Snell will pick up more playing time. |
| Kelly Olynyk | MIA | Shoulder | DAY TO DAY | Olynyk is questionable for Wednesday's game and if he can't play Bam Adebayo will pick up more playing time. |
| Jordan Bell | GSW | Ankle | 1-2 Weeks | Bell will be on the shelf for the next couple of weeks and Kevon Looney will pick up minutes while he's out. |
| DeAndre' Bembry | ATL | Groin | 1-3 Weeks | Bembry is dealing with a strained Groin and Marco Belinelli will continue to pick up minutes. |
| Chandler Parsons | MEM | Knee | 1-3 Weeks | Parsons has been practicing this week and reports say that he can be back before the All-Star break. Jarell Martin and Deyonta Davis will pick up minutes. |
| John Henson | MIL | Hamstring | DAY TO DAY | Henson missed his previous game as he's dealing with soreness in his Hamstring and if he can't play on Friday, Thon Maker and Tyler Zeller will grab minutes. |
| Terrence Ross | ORL | Knee | No Timetable | We still don't have an update on Ross and Jonathon Simmons will continue seeing a lot of minutes. |
| Ryan Anderson | HOU | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Anderson hurt his Ankle on Tuesday and if he can't play Wednesday, P.J. Tucker and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute will see more action. |
| Rodney McGruder | MIA | Tibia | No Timetable | With McGruder out, Josh Richardson picks up more minutes and the Heat are not giving a clear timetable outside of saying he's working hard to return. |
| Glenn Robinson III | IND | Ankle | 3-4 Weeks | He's continues to work his way back and is practicing. His playing time may depend on Bojan Bogdanovic's impact on the court. |
| Dante Exum | UT | Shoulder | No Timetable | Exum can shoot but can't take contact yet, but is recovering. Donovan Mitchell will get more run. |
| Cameron Payne | CHI | Foot | 2-3 Weeks | Payne's recent tests have come back clean regarding his Foot and he's on his way bac. He'll have to shine more than Jerian Grant in order to play. |
| De'Aaron Fox | SAC | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Fox hurt is Ankle on Monday, but said he should be fine for Friday's game. If he can't play George Hill will see more minutes. |
| Jon Leuer | DET | Ankle | OUT FOR THE SEASON | Leuer had Ankle surgery and is out for the rest of the season. |
| C.J. Williams | LAC | Ankle | No Timetable | Williams will rehab with the G-league and Jawun Evans and even Tyrone Wallace will pick up playing time while he's out. |
| Brandon Knight | PHX | Torn ACL | OUT FOR THE SEASON | He will not be playing this season. |
| Nerlens Noel | DAL | Finger | 2-4 Weeks | Noel is looking at a February return and has been cleared for contact. Dirk Nowitzki and Salah Mejri will continue to see a lot of minutes. |
| Jonathan Isaac | ORL | Ankle | No Timetable | Isaac will be out for a long time as his Ankle just won't heal and Mario Hezonja should pick up playing time. |
| Isaiah Canaan | PHX | Ankle | OUT FOR THE SEASON | With Canaan out for the rest of the season, Tyler Ulis, Troy Daniels and even Josh Jackson will pick up minutes and usage. |
| Marvin Williams | CHA | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Williams has missed his last four games, but he's been feeling better and is close to returning. Frank Kaminsky will pick up minutes. |
| Dorian Finney-Smith | DAL | Knee | No Timetable | He's on the outside looking into the Mavs rotation when he eventually returns. |
| Solomon Hill | NO | Hamstring | 1-2 Months | The Hammy is torn and that'll cost him a ton of time. Dante Cunningham will start in his place. |
| Alan Williams | PHX | Knee | 1-2 Months | New Reports say that Williams is making progress and could return as early as February. March seems more realistic. |
| Okaro White | MIA | Foot | 1-2 Months | All Heat PF's pick up a few more minutes with White's Foot fractured. |
| Alexis Ajinca | NO | Knee | 2 Months or not at all | Ajinca had surgery and will be on the outside looking into the Pelicans rotation if he returns. |
| Furkan Korkmaz | PHI | Lisfranc Injury | 3-5 Weeks | Korkmaz is on the outside looking in when it comes to the Sixers rotation. |
| Evan Turner | POR | Calf | DAY TO DAY | Turner missed his previous game and if he can't play Thursday, Shabazz Napier and Pat Connaughton will see more playing time. |
| Skal Labissiere | SAC | Shoulder | 1-3 Weeks | He'll miss the next couple of weeks. Kosta Koufos and Zach Randolph will pick up more minutes. |
| Andre Roberson | OKC | Patellar Tendon | OUT FOR THE SEASON | Roberson will miss the rest of the season and Alex Abrines and Terrance Ferguson will fill in moving forward |
| Quincy Acy | BKN | Finger | DAY TO DAY | Acy missed his previous game and if he can't play Wednesday, Jahlil Okafor will pick up playing time along with Jarrett Allen. |
| Jawun Evans | LAC | Groin/Abs | DAY TO DAY | Evans has missed seven straight games and is dealing with multiple injuries. Milos Teodosic will see more minutes. |
| Frank Mason | SAC | Plantar Fascia | 3-4 Weeks | Mason should be ready to go after the All-Star break and he'll be brought back slowly. All Kings options at guard will fill in. |
| Matthew Dellavedova | MIL | Ankle | 3-4 Weeks | Delly will miss almost a month of action and Sean Kilpatrick and even Jason Terry could pick up more playing time. |
| Ron Baker | NY | Shoulder | OUT FOR THE SEASON | Baker will miss the rest of the season with a Torn Labrum. Jarrett Jack's minutes are safe and Frank Ntilikina will pick up more playing time. |
| Shane Larkin | BOS | Knee | DAY TO DAY | Larkin has missed his last five games and Thursday isn't looking good for him. Terry Rozier will pick up more playing time. |
| Malachi Richardson | SAC | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Richardson has missed his last five games and is on the outside looking in when it comes to the Kings rotation. |
| Deyonta Davis | MEM | Knee | DAY TO DAY | Davis should play Wednesday and if he can't go, Jarell Martin picks up more playing time. |
| Tyler Cavanaugh | ATL | Ankle | 3-4 Weeks | He'll be back at some point after the All-Star break and he's on the outside looking in when it comes to the Hawks rotation. |
Player News
Nikola Jokic finished with 17 points (6-of-16 FGs), eight rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block, two three-pointers and six turnovers in Game 2 against the Thunder on Wednesday.
This was Jokic’s worst performance of the postseason, and it came to an end in the third quarter. He fouled out with 1:17 left in the third, which brought his night to a close after he played 32 minutes. OKC was up 41 points when Jokic fouled out, so his night may have been close to over anyway. Jokic dominated Game 1, and the Thunder adjusted. Denver will need other players to step up if they want to have a chance of winning this series, but Jokic will also need to be better than he was in this game.
Michael Porter Jr. struggled on Wednesday and finished with just eight points (2-of-10 FGs), five rebounds, one steal and two three-pointers in Game 2 against the Thunder.
MPJ was slightly better in the second half, as all eight of his points came in the third quarter. However, the game was already out of hand at that point after a terrible first half for both Porter Jr. and the Nuggets. MPJ shot 1-of-8 in Game 1, and they’ll need him to be much better moving forward. The series will now shift back to Denver, and MPJ will look to get back on track during the two home games before the series heads back to Oklahoma City.
Russell Westbrook provided a boost off the bench with 19 points (5-of-11 FGs, 8-of-10 FTs), one rebound, five assists and one three-pointer in a 149-106 loss to the Thunder in Game 2 on Wednesday.
Despite an ugly first half for Denver, Westbrook was productive and entered the break with 15 points. He didn’t add much in the second half, though he sat the entire fourth quarter, still it was enough to lead the Nuggets in scoring. Russ has been awesome over Denver’s last five games, and his continued success will be key to the Nuggets winning this series. Though this game was ugly, they still have homecourt advantage in this series. They’ll look to keep it in Game 3 on Friday.
Chet Holmgren recorded a double-double on Wednesday with 15 points (3-of-8 FGs, 7-of-7 FTs), 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks and two three-pointers in Game 2 against the Nuggets.
After struggling in Game 1, Holmgren bounced back and recorded the fourth postseason triple-double of his career, with three of those coming this season. Aside from Game 3 against Memphis, Holmgren has swatted at least two shots in every game during these playoffs, which was a trend that continued in this game despite him only playing 26 minutes. Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein (14/8/5/1/1) will look to continue to limit Nikola Jokic (17 points) in Game 3 on Friday.
Jalen Williams bounced back on Wednesday with 17 points (6-of-11 FGs), four rebounds, seven assists and two blocks in Game 2 against the Nuggets.
Williams was criticized for his poor performance in the Thunder’s Game 1 loss, but he responded well in OKC’s blowout victory. He was on pace for a bigger night, but he only played 26 minutes and sat the entire fourth quarter due to the lopsided score. He shot the ball much better after shooting 5-of-20 in Game 1, and he’ll need that success to carry over into Game 3 in Denver on Friday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 34 points (11-of-13 FGs, 11-of-11 FTs), four rebounds, eight assists and one three-pointer in a 149-106 win over the Nuggets in Game 2 on Wednesday.
Aside from Game 4 against Memphis, SGA hasn’t been his typical uber-efficient self during the playoffs so far. Well, that changed in Game 2, which contributed to a dominant win for Oklahoma City. This was his fourth straight 30-point game, and that helped OKC bounce back from a two-point loss in Game 1. He only played 30 minutes and sat the entire fourth quarter, but SGA did plenty of damage when he was on the floor. The series will now shift to Denver, and OKC will need to win a road game to retake homecourt advantage in this series. Game 3 will be on Friday.