NBA Player News

Dončić picked up his 16th technical foul of the season during the third quarter of Friday’s win over the Nets, which triggered an automatic one-game suspension. As a result, he will sit out Monday’s game against the Wizards. Who fills the void in the lineup depends on Marcus Smart, who has missed the last three games with an ankle injury. If Smart can play, he would fill the void with Jake LaRavia remaining in the starting five.

Kornet is dealing with a sore left foot, and a potential absence would affect the back end of the Spurs’ rotation. He averaged 13.8 minutes per game in the second round, which included a spike in playing time in Game 4 due to Victor Wembanyama’s second-quarter ejection. If Kornet can’t play on Monday, more minutes would become available to Carter Bryant.

Fox continues to deal with a sore right ankle, but the injury did not force him to miss any games during San Antonio’s second-round series against Minnesota. If he’s unable to play on Monday, Dylan Harper would take on a more prominent role, with there also being more minutes for Harrison Barnes.

Williams is off the Thunder’s injury report ahead of the Western Conference Finals, meaning the team’s rotation will be complete for Game 1. Ajay Mitchell has performed well as J-Dub’s replacement in the starting lineup, and the second-year guard will figure prominently in the bench unit.

Nance is inactive for a second consecutive game due to an illness. He has not been a consistent member of the Cavaliers’ rotation, and that was unlikely to change for Sunday’s series decider.

Gilgeous-Alexander became the 14th player in league history to win consecutive Most Valuable Player awards. The 27-year-old point guard averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 assists and 1.4 steals. He was second in the league in points and first in plus/minus. Gilgeous-Alexander is in elite company now with multiple MVP awards. If the Thunder repeat as champions, he’ll join Bill Russell, Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only players to win back-to-back MVPs while also winning back-to-back championships.

A late scratch for Friday’s Game 6 defeat, Nance is on track to miss Game 7 as well. The veteran forward/center has not been in the Cavaliers’ rotation, and that’s unlikely to change on Sunday.

After logging three minutes in Game 5, Huerter picked up a DNP-CD for Detroit’s Game 6 victory on Friday due to aggravating his strained adductor. If available for Sunday’s series decider, Red Velvet is unlikely to get the minutes needed to impact the outcome.

While a left heel contusion has LeVert back on the Pistons’ injury report, he has not missed a game since Game 7 of the Orlando series. Look for his role to remain unchanged, with the veteran wing most recently playing 29 minutes off the bench in Detroit’s Game 6 victory on Friday.

After sitting out Game 5 with a sore lower back, Robinson played 20 minutes off the bench in Game 6. That should remain the case for Sunday’s series decider, with Daniss Jenkins sticking in the starting lineup.

Williams strained his left hamstring during Game 2 of Oklahoma City’s first-round series against Phoenix and has not played since. Based on his words in a recent video from his personal YouTube page, a return could be in the cards for the Western Conference Finals. Williams was at Thunder practice on Friday, but it’s unknown how much he was able to do. Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs is on Monday night, and J-Dub’s availability will most impact Ajay Mitchell’s presence in the lineup.