NBA Player News

Greece dropped their first two games of the Olympics, but they were finally able to get a win. They held a 17-point lead at halftime and were able to hold on in the second half. Giannis once again led the team in scoring, though this was his lowest-scoring game of the Olympics. He did more facilitating in this game and had six assists after having a total of four in the first two games. Depending on how the point differential plays out in the Canada-Spain matchup, Greece could still advance in the tournament.

Unavailable for the first three games of this series, Smith will miss a fourth on Sunday. His continued absence does not impact the Bucks’ rotation, as he is not guaranteed to see action when he’s available.

Landale is on track to be available after missing the first three games with a right knee contusion. However, while he can provide depth, the Rockets may stick with Steven Adams as Alperen Sengun’s primary backup. Don’t expect too much from Landale if he’s able to play.

Mathurin is officially out after the Pacers listed him as questionable on the initial injury report. His absence likely means more playing time for fellow reserve Ben Sheppard, who re-entered the Pacers’ rotation during Game 3.

Hachimura and Austin Reaves (17/7/4/1/2 with five three-pointers) combined to shoot 10-of-22 from beyond the arc in Game 4, providing solid shooting alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic. And this was a needed effort for the former, as he totaled 28 points in the first three games of the series. The Game 4 version of Hachimura is who needs to show up for Game 5 on Wednesday, as the Lakers are a loss away from elimination.

Doncic only sat for two minutes on Sunday, playing the entire second half as the Lakers hoped to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole. The final stat line was surprisingly meager outside of the points and three-pointers, but there were some potential assists that Doncic missed out on due to the limited production from some of his teammates. He’ll look to rebound and keep the Lakers’ season alive when they host Game 5 on Wednesday.

While James only had nine official field goal attempts, he was a frequent visitor to the foul line, boosting the final point tally. Unfortunately, the robust stat line was not enough to deliver the Lakers a win, and they’ll head home for Game 5 on Wednesday in a 3-1 hole. James did make some more personal history, however, moving into ninth on the NBA’s playoff career blocked shot list. The extra day off should be welcomed, as James played the entire second half on Sunday.

With Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle handling most of the scoring, McDaniels was valuable on both ends of the floor in Game 4. In addition to the double-double, he took on the challenge of defending Luka Doncic for most of Sunday’s victory. While Doncic got his numbers, he was made to work for them, which is all you can ask when defending a player of his caliber. McDaniels and the Timberwolves now lead three games to one, with Game 5 scheduled for Wednesday in Los Angeles.

While his overall field goal percentage in Game 4 was subpar, Randle’s fast start helped the Timberwolves stay within striking distance early on. He shot 4-of-6 from the field in the first quarter, with Minnesota heading into the second trailing by four. Randle has scored 22 points or more in each of his last three games, shooting 24-of-52 from the field. He and the Timberwolves will look to close out the series on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

What an afternoon for Edwards, whose two free throws with 10.7 seconds remaining gave the Timberwolves a three-point lead. Ant-Man was outstanding in Game 4, with the win giving the Timberwolves a 3-1 series lead. He played the entire second half, and the gamble paid off for Minnesota. Game 5 is on Wednesday in Los Angeles, and teams that hold a 3-1 lead have won over 95% of the series in NBA playoff history.

For the second consecutive game, Brown has been cleared after the Celtics listed him as questionable on the initial injury report. He’ll take on his usual role within the starting lineup. Jrue Holiday (hamstring) is the only starter missing; Al Horford will remain in the starting five.