NBA Player News

Porzingis injured his calf during Boston’s Game 4 victory, which gave them a 3-1 lead over the Heat. While advancing to the second round isn’t guaranteed, the odds favor Boston. According to the report, Porzingis is unlikely to play during the second round, but he could be available if the Celtics reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Al Horford will replace KP in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future.

Mitchell missed Game 4, and now he is on track to miss Game 5. Recent rumors suggest that multiple teams will be interested in trading for Mitchell this summer, so unless the short-handed Cavs are able to pull off an upset in Boston on Wednesday, there is a chance that Mitchell has played his final game for Cleveland. Caris LeVert should remain in the starting unit in his place on Wednesday.

Minnesota played Game 5 without Mike Conley, who was sidelined by a sore right Achilles. That placed even more responsibility on Edwards’ shoulders, which may not have been a good thing. Ant-Man did dish out a team-high nine assists, but he was also responsible for four turnovers while shooting 33.3% from the field. Aggression is never an issue for Edwards, but shouldering the offensive workload is considerably easier when he has his reliable sidekick on the court. Game 6 is on Thursday night in Minneapolis.

Already playing without Mike Conley (Achilles), the Timberwolves experienced an injury scare with Towns during the first half of Tuesday’s game. He appeared to bang his knee on the leg of Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who lost his balance while closing out on the Timberwolves big. Towns did have to exit the game, but only briefly, as he returned after spending a few minutes on the exercise bike. The 23 points are the most KAT has scored in a game since Game 2 (27 points). However, his minus-17 rating was the worst among the Timberwolves who saw action on Tuesday. Towns will need to be better in Game 6 on Thursday if Minnesota is to force a Game 7.

Gobert recorded a solid overall stat line in Tuesday’s Game 5. Still, the conversations will be dominated by the fact that he was Nikola Jokic’s primary defender for most of the night. The three-time MVP went off for 40 points and 13 assists without committing a turnover, so Gobert’s numbers will only be a footnote. His offensive performance in Game 5 is encouraging because it happened with Mike Conley (Achilles) sidelined. Gobert didn’t miss a shot from the field, with six of his seven makes coming within the restricted area. Regardless of Conley’s status for Game 6 on Thursday, Gobert needs to be better defensively if Minnesota is to extend its season.

Due to Mike Conley (Achilles) sitting out Game 5, Alexander-Walker was moved into the starting lineup. While he did finish with a minus-13, the overall stat line was solid. NAW made four of his eight 3-point attempts, and his five assists were countered by one turnover. Alexander-Walker’s place in the rotation for Thursday’s Game 6 depends on Conley’s availability; clearly, he will return to the bench if the Timberwolves’ starting point guard can play.

Murray has been considerably better since he scored 25 points on 9-of-32 shooting in the first two games of this series. While Tuesday’s point total was modest, he shot 50% from the field and did most of his damage in the paint. Murray shot 6-of-10 in the paint, with five of those makes occurring in the restricted area. With Nikola Jokic abusing the Timberwolves and tallying 40 points and 13 assists without any turnovers, the Nuggets did not need a high-scoring night from Murray. Game 6 is on Thursday in Minneapolis, with Denver aiming to close out the series.

With Michael Porter Jr. (6/7/1/0/2 with two 3-pointers) shooting 2-of-10 from the field, the Nuggets needed additional production from Caldwell-Pope. The veteran guard stepped up, with the 16 points and four 3-pointers being series-highs for him. KCP entered the series at less than full strength, impacting his production early on. But he looked sharp in Game 5, and the Nuggets are now one win away from a return to the Western Conference Finals. Game 6 is on Thursday night in Minneapolis.

Gordon recorded his first double-double of the series on Tuesday, supplementing the Herculean efforts of Nikola Jokic to help the Nuggets take a 3-2 series lead. While he missed his lone 3-point attempt, AG has been a credible shooter from beyond the arc and the foul line. Counting Tuesday’s numbers, Gordon is shooting 8-of-13 from three and 9-of-12 from the charity stripe. During the regular season, he shot 29% from three and 65.8% from the foul line, so the production in this series has been a departure from the norm. However, a five-game sample size is nothing to scoff at. Gordon and the Nuggets will look to close out the series in Game 6 on Thursday.

For the first time in this series, the home team won. And Jokic was the deciding factor, as Minnesota had no answer for him in Game 5. The Joker became the second player in NBA postseason history to finish a game with at least 40 points, 10 assists, and no turnovers, joining Chris Paul (2018). On the night he received his third Most Valuable Player trophy, Jokic showed the basketball world why he was bestowed that honor. He and the Nuggets will look to wrap up the series on Thursday night in Minneapolis.

Injuries have thrust Burks into the Knicks’ rotation, and the veteran wing has taken advantage of his opportunity. He’s scored at least 14 points in each of the series’ last three games, giving New York much-needed production. While Burks scoring 20 points in Sunday’s Game 4 defeat did not matter much, that wasn’t the case in Game 5. The Knicks effectively run a seven-man rotation, so Burks won’t lack playing time or opportunities to shine. He’s shown that there’s still something left in the tank.