NBA Player News

Largely considered the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan’s tenure as an owner however would be described as anything but G.O.A.T worthy. MJ took over majority ownership of the Hornets in 2010 when they were still the Charlotte Bobcats. Jordan, the NBA’s only black majority owner, saw his franchise have only three winning seasons and only two playoff appearances over a 13-year span. His Airness will reportedly keep a minority stake in the franchise but will continue to oversee basketball operations through the NBA Draft and start of free agency on July 1st.

McLaughlin has not appeared in a game this series, but his absence has not affected the Spurs’ rotation. If available, Sunday’s game will likely have to get out of hand for the veteran guard to play meaningful minutes.

Injured during Game 2, Wembanyama remained in the league’s concussion protocol for Friday’s Game 3 victory in Portland. The good news is that he was on the bench with his teammates, and there’s now a chance that the MVP finalist returns on Sunday. If Wembanyama plays, Luke Kornet will head to the bench.

Gordon is back after sitting out the Nuggets’ Game 3 loss on Thursday night. How much he’ll play is unknown, but Gordon’s return means fewer minutes for spot starter Spencer Jones.

It has been a struggle for Booker offensively in this series, and the Thunder deserve credit for that. In Game 3, he didn’t have the best day shooting the basketball, but the seven assists were solid. And another concern came up during the third quarter, as Booker departed briefly after injuring his left ankle. He did return to the game, so there may not be any issue regarding Booker’s availability for Game 4 on Monday.

Green’s efficiency has improved by the game in this series, but the Suns still find themselves in a 0-3 hole. Amongst Suns players, only Dillon Brooks scored more points than Green in Game 3, and he was also effective as a playmaker for others with six assists and one turnover. If Phoenix is to send the series back to Oklahoma City for a Game 5, they’re going to need Green’s best effort of the season in Game 4 on Monday.

After an inefficient Game 1 performance, Brooks has produced consecutive 30-point games. In Game 3, the veteran wing shot a little over 50 percent from the field and led the Suns in field-goal attempts. With Devin Booker struggling and being the focal point of Oklahoma City’s defensive approach, there have been more opportunities for Brooks. While some may want him to tone down the aggressiveness as far as the shot selection is concerned, he’s been effective in back-to-back games.

Jalen Williams’ absence due to a strained hamstring did not result in more shot attempts for Holmgren in Game 3. In fact, his attempts were cut in half compared to Game 2 on Wednesday. The good news is that the 7-foot-1 forward/center provided three defensive contributions and seven rebounds in 29 minutes on the floor. The Thunder may not need much offense from Holmgren to close out the Suns, but the competition will get stronger as the team advances.

With no Jalen Williams, who’s week-to-week with a hamstring injury, Mitchell entered the Thunder starting lineup for Game 3. Unsurprisingly, the Suns were fine with the second-year guard getting up shots, and his 20 attempts led Oklahoma City. Mitchell did not shoot the ball well, making 25 percent of his attempts, but the Thunder had enough production from other players to compensate. Just as important was his not hesitating to take those shots, and Oklahoma City will want that to remain the case in Game 4 on Monday.

The Suns threw their best punch to begin Game 3, but it wasn’t enough to knock the reigning champs off their stride. And Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning league MVP, had a lot to do with that. He made his first seven shot attempts and finished with a playoff career-high 42 points. Gilgeous-Alexander missed just three shots from the field on the day, and the Thunder are one win away from moving on to the second round. Game 4 is on Monday night.

The Lakers can close out the Rockets on Sunday, and they may get back one of their key scorers. Reaves, who has been out since April 2 with a strained oblique, is closing in on a return. Given where the series stands, the Lakers can take a conservative approach to working Reaves back into the lineup once he’s available. Luke Kennard has been the starting off-guard, and that will remain the case until Reaves returns.