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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. |
| Jabari Parker | MIL | Torn ACL | FRIDAY | All signs are pointing to Friday as when we should see Parker make his debut. Expect Parker to have a minutes restriction for the next few weeks |
| 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 |
| Chris Paul | HOU | Groin | DAY TO DAY | Paul missed his previous game and with soreness and if he can't play Thursday, Eric Gordon (if healthy) will pick up a ton of minutes. |
| Devin Booker | PHX | Ribs | DAY TO DAY | After taking a hard fall, Booker missed his previous game and is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday. Isaiah Canaan and Troy Daniels could pick up PT. |
| Aaron Gordon | ORL | Hip | DAY TO DAY | Gordon is dealing with a Hip injury and after missing Tuesday's game, he'll likely miss WEDNESDAY'S game and Mario Hezonja will pick up PT. |
| Lonzo Ball | LAL | Knee | No Timetable | Ball has missed seven straight games and there has been no indication given that he's close to coming back. 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. |
| Nikola Mirotic | CHI | Leg | DAY TO DAY | It's uncertain whether or not Mirotic will take the court on WEDNESDAY. Denzel Valentine and Bobby Portis will pick up minutes if he can't go. |
| Kris Dunn | CHI | Concussion | No Timetable | Dunn is having a tough time recovering from Concussion symptoms and has missed his last five games. Jerian Grant grabs PT. |
| Eric Gordon | HOU | Back | DAY TO DAY | Gordon had to be taken out of Tuesday's game when his Back tightened up and if he can't play Thursday, Gerald Green will pick up minutes. |
| Eric Bledsoe | MIL | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Booker played three minutes on Monday and it's undetermined whether or not he'll play on Thursday. If he sits, Malcolm Brogdon will fill in. |
| JJ Redick | PHI | Leg | 1-3 Weeks | Redick is recovering from a Leg injury and he won't be re-evaluated until the end of the week. Jerryd Bayless and T.J. McConnell pick up PT. |
| Austin Rivers | LAC | Heel | No Timetable | Rivers will miss at least the next couple of weeks. Milos Teodosic and Jawun Evans pick up minutes. |
| Reggie Jackson | DET | Ankle | 3-5 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 two games and WEDNESDAY isn't looking good. If he can't play Quincy Acy 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 | No Timetable | The Mavs continue being shady about when we can expect Curry to play. He'll miss at least the next week. Yogi Ferrell benefits. |
| Rodney Hood | UT | Leg | DAY TO DAY | Hood has missed the Jazz last five games, but is practicing. Joe Johnson and Alec Burks will see more playing time. |
| JaMychal Green | MEM | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Green has missed four straight games and is currently DOUBTFUL for Wednesday. Jarell Martin will see more playing time. |
| Willie Cauley-Stein | SAC | Knee | DAY TO DAY | Cauley-Stein has missed his last two games and it's undetermined whether or not he'll play Friday. Kosta Koufos will fill-in if he can't go. |
| 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 | 3-5 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 | 1-2 Weeks | With Ariza out for at least the next few games, Gerald Green and P.J. Tucker will pick up minutes. |
| Caris LeVert | BKN | Groin | DAY TO DAY | LeVert has missed his last two games and if he can't play WEDNESDAY, 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. |
| J.J. Barea | DAL | Oblique | DAY TO DAY | Barea is currently QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday and if he can't go, Yogi Ferrell and Devin Harris will pick up more minutes. |
| Marquese Chriss | PHX | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Chriss is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday and while his Hip is healthy, he injured his Ankle and Dragan Bender will see more minutes if he can't go. |
| Jordan Bell | GSW | Ankle | 1-3 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 | 1-2 Weeks | Bembry is dealing with a strained Groin and Marco Belinelli will continue to pick up minutes. |
| Chandler Parsons | MEM | Knee | No Timetable | Parsons hasn't played in weeks. Jarell Martin and Deyonta Davis will pick up minutes. |
| James Ennis III | MEM | Calf | DAY TO DAY | The Grizzlies have said that Ennis should be returning in the next couple of games. and Dillon Brooks has been on fire and he'll be in a battle for PT. |
| 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. |
| Cody Zeller | CHA | Knee | DAY TO DAY | Zeller can practice in full and his return to the court is coming up. Frank Kaminsky will continue to fill in. |
| 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 | 5-7 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. |
| Jerryd Bayless | PHI | Wrist | DAY TO DAY | Bayless has missed his six games. T.J. McConnell and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot should 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 but is not progressing in rehab. 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. |
| Alex Len | PHX | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Len returned Monday, but the Suns have listed him as QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday and Greg Monroe will fill-in if Len misses the game. |
| Marvin Williams | CHA | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Williams won't play WEDNESDAY and could miss more games in the near future. 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. |
| Lance Stephenson | IND | Thigh | DAY TO DAY | Stephenson is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday and if he can't go, Bojan Bogdanovic and Cory Joseph pick up minutes. |
| Mason Plumlee | DEN | Calf | DAY TO DAY | Plumlee COULD BE looking at the next few weeks on the shelf while dealing with a Calf strain and Trey Lyles will pick up even more playing time. |
| 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 |
| Mario Chalmers | MEM | Hamstring | DAY TO DAY | Chalmers is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday and if he can't play, Andrew Harrison will pick up more playing time. |
| Jawun Evans | LAC | Abs | DAY TO DAY | Evans has missed five straight games with soreness in his abs and Milos Teodosic will see more minutes. |
| CJ Miles | TOR | Knee | DAY TO DAY | Miles Knee is sore and missed his previous game and if he can't play Thursday, Norman Powell and OG Anunoby will pick up playing time. |
| Guerschon Yabusele | BOS | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Yabusele hasn't played much in January and recently hurt his Ankle. He could return WEDNESDAY. He's not involved in the Celtics rotation. |
| Skal Labissiere | SAC | Shoulder | DAY TO DAY | He missed his last two games and if he can't play, Kosta Koufos and Zach Randolph will pick up more minutes. |
| Dillon Brooks | MEM | Knee | DAY TO DAY | Brooks is QUESTIONABLE to play on Wednesday and if he can't go, Wayne Selden could see a lot more minutes. |
| Dante Cunningham | NO | Back | DAY TO DAY | Cunningham left Tuesday's game with a Back injury and if he can't play Friday Cheick Diallo and Omer Asik pick up minutes. |
| Deyonta Davis | MEM | Knee | DAY TO DAY | Davis is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday and if he can't play, Jarell Martin picks up more playing time. |
| Ben McLemore | MEM | Knee | DAY TO DAY | He's missed his last two games and is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday. Wayde Selden should benefit if he misses more time. |
| Kevon Looney | GSW | Illness | DAY TO DAY | Looney missed his previous game because he was sick and his next chance to play will be Friday. |
| Ron Baker | NY | Shoulder | DAY TO DAY | Baker will miss WEDNESDAY after hurting his Shoulder on Tuesday and Frank Ntilikina will see more playing time |
| Shane Larkin | BOS | Knee | DAY TO DAY | Larkin missed his previous game with a Knee injury and if he can't go on Wednesday, Terry Rozier will pick up more playing time. |
| Malachi Richardson | SAC | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Richardson has missed his last two games and is on the outside looking in when it comes to the Kings 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.