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NBA INJURIES
| NAME | TEAM | INJURY | TIMETABLE TO RETURN | ANALYSIS |
| Blake Griffin | LAC | Sprained MCL | 4 Weeks | With Griffin out, Wes Johnson (when healthy) and Sam Dekker will pick up a ton of playing time. |
| Gordon Hayward | BOS | Ankle/Tibia | Unlikely to return this season | Hayward is starting to rehab the Ankle and still wants to return this season. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart will pick up shots and minutes. |
| Isaiah Thomas | CLE | Hip | 3-4 Weeks | Thomas is starting to participate more in practice and his January return is looking good. Jose Calderon fills in. |
| Jabari Parker | MIL | Torn ACL | February | Parker's knees have not been able to hold up and you'll be stashing him until early next year. Giannis Antetokounmpo starts at PF. |
| Paul Millsap | DEN | Wrist | 2-3 Months | Millsap had surgery and reports say that he'll miss the next several months (no definitive timetable). Kenneth Faried picks up minutes. |
| Devin Booker | PHX | Groin | 1-2 Weeks | It'll be another week or so until we see Booker. T.J. Warren becomes the top scoring option with Troy Daniels and Josh Jackson picking up minutes. |
| Draymond Green | GSW | Shoulder | DAY TO DAY | Green is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday night's game. If he cant go, Jordan Bell picks up minutes. |
| Patrick Beverley | LAC | Knee | OUT FOR THE SEASON | Beverley had surgery and is out for the rest of the season. Austin Rivers, Lou Williams and Milos Teodosic pick up minutes. |
| Markelle Fultz | PHI | Shoulder | No Timetable | Reports say that the his Shoulder pain has subsided but will still need at least a few more weeks before a target date to return is set |
| Danilo Gallinari | LAC | Glute | DAY TO DAY | Gallinari could be looking at a few more games on the shelf as his Glute has been re-injured. Wes Johnson benefits. |
| Zach LaVine | CHI | Knee | January | LaVine is practicing and his January return is looking good. Justin Holiday and Denzel Valentine pick up time. |
| Stephen Curry | GSW | Ankle | No Timetable | The Ankle is very swollen and he'll be re-evaluated next week. Patrick McCaw and Shaun Livingston (when healthy) will split time. |
| Aaron Gordon | ORL | Calf | DAY TO DAY | Gordon will miss at least one more game as his Calf is not 100 percent. Mario Hezonja picks up playing time. |
| D'Angelo Russell | BKN | Knee | No Timetable | Russell had minor surgery and there's no target return date and Spencer Dinwiddie continues to benefit playing in Russell's spot. |
| Joel Embiid | PHI | Back | DAY TO DAY | His Back is sore and the Sixers have no problem letting him rest. His next chance to play is THURSDAY. |
| Jeremy Lin | BKN | Knee | OUT FOR THE SEASON | D'Angelo Russell (when healthy) will rotate to the PG spot and Spencer Dinwiddie will pick up minutes. |
| Kristaps Porzingis | NY | Knee | DAY TO DAY | Porzingis has been dealing with a Knee injury, but is expected to play THURSDAY. |
| Rudy Gobert | UT | Knee | 3-4 Weeks | Gobert hasn't been able to shake the Knee injuries and Derrick Favors will pick up a ton of minutes and Jonas Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh as well. |
| 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. |
| Hassan Whiteside | MIA | Knee | No Timetable | Whiteside won't return until he's fully healthy and Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo will pick up playing time. |
| Otto Porter Jr. | WSH | Hip | DAY TO DAY | Porter can't practice pain free and this DTD tag could be changed as Porter has had Hip injuries in the past. Kelly Oubre Jr. picks up PT. |
| Goran Dragic | MIA | Elbow | DAY TO DAY | Dragic wants to play Wednesday and is QUESTIONABLE for that game. Tyler Johnson will pick up playing time if he's out. |
| Donovan Mitchell | UT | Toe | DAY TO DAY | He's QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday and if he can't play, Alec Burks picks up more playing time. |
| Iman Shumpert | CLE | Knee | February | Shumpert had surgery on his Knee and will need to miss time. Kyle Korver and Jose Calderon pick up minutes. |
| Mike Conley | MEM | Achilles | No Timetable | Conley won't return until he feels 100 percent and the Grizzlies are saying he's out for at least 2 more weeks. Tyreke Evans starts in his place. |
| Gary Harris | DEN | Elbow | DAY TO DAY | Harris is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday and if he can't go, Will Barton picks up more playing time. |
| James Johnson | MIA | Ankle | 1 Week | With Johnson out, Josh Richardson and Jordan Mickey pick up playing time. |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | NY | Leg | No Timetable | As far as we know his Leg isn't fractured, but the timetable remains unclear and he'll be re-evaluated next week. Lance Thomas picks up PT. |
| Serge Ibaka | TOR | Knee | DAY TO DAY | He's dealing with soreness and if he can't play, Pascal Siakam will pick up more minutes. |
| Mirza Teletovic | MIL | Knee/Lung | No Timetable | He's dealing with two different issues as he's recovering from Knee surgery and is having breathing problems as fatigue has become an issue. |
| JJ Redick | PHI | Hamstring | DAY TO DAY | Redick needed to be pulled from Tuesday's game and Jerryd Bayless picks up time if he needs to miss time. |
| Dewayne Dedmon | ATL | Tibia | January | The Hawks are very thin up front and Miles Plumlee will pick up a ton of minutes and Ersan Ilyasova picks up more playing time. |
| Brook Lopez | LAL | Ankle | 3-4 Weeks | Expect Larry Nance Jr. to rotate to the Center spot and Julius Randle will pick up more playing time. |
| Derrick Rose | CLE | Ankle | No Timetable | Rose is dealing with full-body fatigue and the Ankle injury. With Thomas and Iman Shumpert out, Jose Calderon gets more minutes. |
| Evan Fournier | ORL | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | He's right now QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday and D.J. Augustin will fill in for him if he misses more time. |
| Mike Muscala | ATL | Ankle | No Timetable | The Hawks are hurting up front and it makes more room for Ersan Ilyasova and Miles Plumlee |
| Derrick Favors | UT | EYE | DAY TO DAY | Favors is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday and if he can't play, Ekpe Udoh will pick up a ton of minutes. |
| Justin Anderson | PHI | Shin | No Timetable | With Anderson out, it will leave more room for Robert Covington to rotate and give Dario Saric more time at PF. |
| Avery Bradley | DET | Groin | 1-2 Weeks | With Bradley out, Luke Kennard will pick up a ton of minutes and shots. |
| Kyle Anderson | SAS | Knee | Wednesday Night | Anderson is likely to return Wednesday night. Rudy Gay will pick up more playing time if he can't go. |
| Danny Green | SAS | Groin | Wednesday Night | Green should be making his return to the court WEDNESDAY. |
| George Hill | SAC | Illness | Wednesday Night | Strep Throat kept him out of his previous game and all signs are pointing to Hill playing Wednesday Night. He needs to be able to communicate. |
| Justise Winslow | MIA | Knee | DAY TO DAY | Winslow will likely not play Wednesday and his next chance to play will be FRIDAY. Josh Richardson will pick up more playing time. |
| Rodney McGruder | MIA | Tibia | No Timetable | With McGruder out, Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow will pick up more opportunities with the ball on offense. |
| Glenn Robinson III | IND | Ankle | January | He's running and jumping in practice for a few weeks. His playing time may depend on Bojan Bogdanovic's impact on the court. |
| Dante Exum | UT | Shoulder | No Timetable | This injury could cost Exum significant time and the Jazz will turn to Alec Burks to help out. Donovan Mitchell will get more run. |
| Cameron Payne | CHI | Foot | February | Payne will be playing behind multiple guards once he eventually returns. He'll have to shine more than Jerian Grant. |
| De'Aaron Fox | SAC | Quad | DAY TO DAY | He had to be removed from Tuesday's game and will likely be out Wednesday night. Garrett Temple should see more PT. |
| Dennis Smith Jr. | DAL | Hip | DAY TO DAY | He's QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday. Yogi Ferrell will pick up the playing time if he misses more time. Devin Harris could be used more. |
| Terrence Ross | ORL | Knee | No Timetable | The Magic Coaches are expecting Ross to be out for a long time and Jonathon Simmons will pick up a ton of playing time. |
| Marcus Morris | BOS | Knee | 1 Week | Morris has not been able to shake the injuries this season and Aron Baynes moves up the depth chart for playing time. |
| Jon Leuer | DET | Ankle | January | Leuer got injections in his Ankle and will be out for a while. Anthony Tolliver will see more playing time. |
| Wesley Johnson | LAC | Foot | DAY TO DAY | Johnson is not looking like he will play Wednesday which means Sam Dekker will be seeing a ton of playing time. |
| Cody Zeller | CHA | Knee | January | Zeller had Knee surgery and will miss time and Frank Kaminsky will pick up a ton of playing time. |
| Emmanuel Mudiay | DEN | Ankle | DAY TO DAY | Mudiay isn't looking like he'll be given the go-ahead for Wednesday and Jamal Murray will pick up playing time. |
| Nemanja Bjelica | MIN | Foot | No Timetable | His return is unclear and Gorgui Dieng picks up minutes. |
| Brandan Wright | MEM | Groin | DAY TO DAY | He should be back in action THIS WEEK. He may need one more game on the sidelines. |
| Luc Mbah a Moute | HOU | Shoulder | 1-2 Weeks | Ryan Anderson's minutes are safe and usage will go up and Nene' will pick up playing time. |
| Daniel Theis | BOS | Nose | DAY TO DAY | Theis is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday after breaking his Nose. If he can't play, Aron Baynes picks up playing time. |
| Treveon Graham | CHA | Back | DAY TO DAY | He's not able to practice because of the pain and once he returns he'll be in a battle to get playing time. |
| Lucas Nogueira | TOR | Calf | No Timetable | The Calf has been a burden all season and Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam will pick up playing time. |
| Shaun Livingston | GSW | Knee | DAY TO DAY | Livingston is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday and if he can't go Patrick McCaw will play more. |
| Raul Neto | UT | Concussion | DAY TO DAY | Neto is still dealing with Concussion-like symptoms. The Jazz starters continue to play more minutes and Alec Burks minutes are safe. |
| Zaza Pachulia | GSW | Shoulder | DAY TO DAY | Pachulia is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday's game. JaVale McGee and Jordan Bell will pick up minutes if he can't go. |
| Tony Allen | NO | Fibula | 2-3 Weeks | Allen has a fractured Fibula and Darius Miller will pick up even more playing time with Allen out. |
| 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 | February-March | The Hammy is torn and that'll cost him a ton of time. Dante Cunningham will start in his place. |
| Josh McRoberts | DAL | Lower Body | No Timetable | Unlikely to be part of the rotation consistently once he returns. |
| Okaro White | MIA | Foot | 2-3 Months | All Heat PF's pick up a few more minutes with White's Foot fractured. |
| Arron Afflalo | ORL | Back | DAY TO DAY | Afflalo is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday night and Shelvin Mack could pick up playing time if he's out. |
| Alexis Ajinca | NO | Knee | April or not at all | Ajinca had surgery and will be on the outside looking into the Pelicans rotation if he returns. |
| Alan Williams | PHX | Knee | April or not at all | Williams could miss the entire 2-17-2018 season. |
| Brandon Knight | PHX | Torn ACL | OUT FOR THE SEASON | He will not be playing this season. |
| Nerlens Noel | DAL | Thumb | No Timetable | Noel had Thumb surgery and there's no clear return date and he's on the outside looking in when it comes to the Mavs rotation. |
| Furkan Korkmaz | PHI | Foot | No Timetable | He injured the Foot in the G-League and once he returns, he'll be at the end of the bench if he's called back up. |
| John Holland | CLE | Shoulder | 4-6 Weeks | He injured himself in the G-League and will likely be sitting at the end of the Cavs bench once he returns. |
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.