NBA Player News

Monk’s seven assists on Saturday made it five consecutive games in which he’s recorded five or more. Add in the two steals, and this was a solid showing for the veteran guard, even if his scoring was limited. The Kings play once more in Week 22, as they visit the Nets on Sunday.

Caruso followed a hot three-point shooting Game 1 with another on Wednesday, as he connected on 75 percent of looks from beyond the arc. The veteran guard also hurt San Antonio’s defense as a playmaker, doing so without committing a turnover. The sharp shooting and savvy playmaking were complemented by sound defense on the other end. As a result, he led the Thunder in plus-minus (+18) and had a massive part in evening up the series at one game apiece.

The MVP had a bounce-back performance on Wednesday after an unspectacular Game 1. He hit his first two shots of the night and proceeded to punish the Spurs’ defense the rest of the way, finishing as the only player to reach the 30-point mark. Gilgeous-Alexander also did a fine job of reading the defense and picking it apart with his passing. He finished just one assist shy of a double-double as the Thunder went on to even the series at one game apiece.

Williams left Wednesday’s game after logging just seven first-quarter minutes. He headed to the locker room and never returned to the court, officially finishing with four points and one rebound. Williams’ initial diagnosis is hamstring tightness. After missing most of this postseason previously with a hamstring injury, his status is certainly worth monitoring going forward.

The injury occurred in the third quarter after Harper landed awkwardly. The rookie guard reached for his right leg, was subbed out shortly after the fall, and was eventually ruled out for the rest of the game. He finished with 12 points and three assists in 25 minutes of action.

Flagg, Knueppel, and Edgecombe all received 100 first-place votes, with Harper’s 93 votes not far behind. Cedric Coward’s 29 first-place votes were the least of the first-teamers. Meanwhile, Derik Queen, Maxime Raynaud, Jeremiah Fears, Ace Bailey, and Colin Murray-Boyles were named to the All-Rookie Second team.

Fox’s ankle injury will cause him to miss a second straight game for a Spurs team looking to take a 2-0 series lead. In Fox’s Game 1 absence, rookie Dylan Harper got the start and amassed an impressive 24/11/6 line, adding seven steals in the victory. He’ll likely remain in the starting lineup on Wednesday.

Fox missed Game 1, but with San Antonio already ahead 1-0 in the series, the team could opt to give him some extra rest before the series shifts back to Frost Bank Center for Games 3 and 4. Fox’s absence means more playmaking responsibilities for Stephon Castle and potentially another start for Dylan Harper, who was tremendous in Monday’s double overtime thriller.

Mobley landed a double-double on Tuesday, as he dominated the defensive glass and did a fine job of erasing shot attempts. Yet his shooting struggles from beyond the arc prevented him from delivering a bigger offensive performance, while failing to make the Knicks pay for gifting him open looks. Given his inefficiency from deep in Game 1, there’s a chance those same shots could be there for him to take. He’ll need to step into those looks and capitalize in Game 2 better than he did on Tuesday.

Harden had a rough Tuesday night at MSG. He struggled with his shot, particularly from beyond the arc, failed to generate points for his teammates, and turned the ball over six times. Additionally, he was the defensive target the Knicks repeatedly aimed for during the fourth quarter and overtime, as New York walked down Cleveland and overcame a 22-point comeback. Harden will almost certainly need to be better going forward for the Cavaliers to win games in this series. He’ll have a chance to bounce back in Game 2 on Thursday.

Mitchell was highly productive on Tuesday. In his 41 minutes, he led the Cavaliers in points, was their most productive three-point shooter, and was massive on the defensive end, recording seven stocks. Yet Mitchell and his teammates struggled to generate enough two-way production to protect a 22-point fourth-quarter lead, which led to an overtime period and an eventual loss for the Cavaliers. Mitchell shot 1-of-6 and tallied two total points in the fourth quarter and overtime combined. He’ll have a chance to bounce back and help Cleveland try to even the series on Thursday.