NBA Player News

Benimon averaged 19.8 points, 11 rebounds and 4.4 assists in the D-League last season, but he doesn’t have a realistic shot at making the final roster in Cleveland. It’s safe to ignore him in fantasy leagues.

McLaughlin’s second consecutive absence will affect the Spurs’ rotation, as he is not guaranteed playing time when available.

Not only did Wembanyama win his first Defensive Player of the Year award, but he did so in dominant fashion. The Spurs’ center became the franchise’s first winner since Kawhi Leonard in 2016, and he received every first-place vote. This is likely to be the first of many Defensive Player of the Year awards for Wembanyama, who is also a finalist for league MVP.

Okongwu’s inflamed right knee will not keep him out of Monday’s game, with the Hawks needing a win to even the series at one game apiece. Mouhamed Gueye will remain in the backup center role, while Tony Bradley may pick up another DNP-CD.

Quickley will miss a second consecutive playoff game as he recovers from a strained right hamstring. Jamal Shead started Saturday’s series-opening defeat, and Quickley’s absence factored into Brandon Ingram only attempting nine shots in Game 1. For Toronto to have any chance of winning Game 2, they need Ingram to be more involved as a scorer than he was on Saturday.

Harper, who is on track to be available for Game 2, only played the final four minutes of Sunday’s series-opening rout of the 76ers. His availability does not affect the Celtics’ rotation.

Due to a right knee contusion, Durant did not play in Saturday’s Game 1 loss to the Lakers. The veteran forward’s ability to participate in half of Monday’s session is not a good sign, even with Udoka saying that Durant will be a game-time decision for Tuesday’s Game 2. Reed Sheppard moved into the starting lineup in the series opener and struggled, shooting 6-of-20 from the field in 36 minutes of action. If Durant remains out, they’ll need more production from Sheppard and Alperen Şengün to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole.

Holiday was cold from the field in Game 1, regardless of whether he was shooting inside the arc or beyond it. The two-time champion was one of three Blazers starters to shoot under 30.0 percent on the evening, contributing to Portland’s overall offensive struggles. He did compensate for the scoring struggles by dishing out double-digit assists, doing so while committing only one turnover. Still, the Trail Blazers will likely need more production from Holiday as a scorer going forward.

After a quiet, three-point first half, Henderson found his rhythm in his playoff debut and scored 15 points after halftime to finish as Portland’s second-leading scorer on the evening. Henderson shot efficiently in his 27 minutes both inside and outside the arc, and was one of the Blazers’ more reliable starters overall. The former third-overall pick has logged some impressive scoring performances recently in his return from injury. He’ll have a chance to build off some Game 1 momentum and carry it over on Tuesday when the Blazers and Spurs take the floor again.

Avdija got off to a fast start in Sunday’s outing. He logged 11 first-quarter points and added eight more to total 19 points at halftime. Yet, he was much less dominant the remainder of the game, taking just two shots in the third frame before logging six points in the fourth. Still, Avdija was the only Trail Blazer with more than 20 points on the evening. He’ll likely need some of his teammates to contribute more on the offensive end if Portland wants to avoid dropping Game 2.

Fox’s playoff debut with the Spurs was an impressive one. The veteran guard led the team in assists during his time on the floor, and shot the basketball well enough to finish as one of the top scorers. Perhaps most impressively, Fox’s offensive contributions came without giving the ball away to the defense. He was under control throughout, and it helped San Antonio cruise to a comfortable Game 1 win.