NBA Player News

Upgraded from questionable to probable earlier Thursday, Bassey is now available to play against the Lakers. Due to the Warriors’ absences in the frontcourt, he should once again play rotation minutes off the bench.

Drummond continues to come off the bench behind Adem Bona, and he continues to make more of an impact. He played 31 minutes to Bona’s 16, and he was far more productive. With Joel Embiid (appendicitis) Drummond will continue to be vital to the 76ers, especially as they enter into their first-round series against the Celtics, with Game 1 tipping off on Sunday.

Maxey stepped up to lead the 76ers in scoring and help them return to the playoffs. With Joel Embiid (appendicitis) still out, Maxey will have to continue to run the show for Philadelphia, which should lead to more strong scoring performances. They’ll head to Boston for Game 1 of their first-round series on Sunday. Embiid could return during the series, but it will likely be at least a few games in, meaning this will continue to be Maxey’s show to run.

The foul has also been upgraded to a flagrant, but the main takeaway here is that LaMelo will be available for Friday’s play-in matchup with the Magic. That will be another win-or-go-home game for them, so having their star point guard serving a suspension would’ve put them at a massive disadvantage. That won’t be the case, which will give them a chance to return to the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

The Magic gave up a haul of first-round picks last summer for Bane to provide this type of performance in the season. Unfortunately, the rest of this team was a mess, so it wasn’t enough for them to get the win and advance to the playoffs. Still, Bane was fantastic in this game, leading both teams in scoring. They’ll head back to Orlando to host the Hornets on Friday, with a chance to face the Pistons in the first round on the line. They’ll certainly have a good chance in that game if Bane is able to carry some of this production into that game.

Jackson will be good to go, making this his first appearance since March 27. He has typically filled out the backup center minutes behind Brook Lopez, but in an elimination game, the rotations could look different, especially since it has been nearly three weeks since Jackson last suited up.

Watford will be available if needed, which was expected after he was initially listed as probable. However, he played a total of 15 minutes over Philadelphia’s last nine games and appeared in just three games, all of which were decided by at least 20 points. Watford likely won’t see the floor, but if the 76ers deal with injuries, Watford will be available.

Wagner played 26 minutes in the season finale, which was the most he has played in a game since mid-January. He hasn’t played 30 minutes in a game since early December. He missed over half of the season with an ankle injury, but now that it’s the postseason, he’s going to play more minutes. Wagner’s minutes will still be managed, but any extra minutes he can give will give the Magic a better chance to win.

Isaac hasn’t played in over a month, and while he is getting closer to a return, he won’t be available for the Magic’s first game of the play-in tournament.

Howard missed the final five games of the regular season but will be available for Orlando’s first game of the play-in tournament. If he sees the floor, it will likely only be in a limited capacity off the bench.

Jackson has been sidelined since March 27, but after practicing fully on Tuesday, he is now expected to make his return for the Clippers’ win-or-go-home matchup with the Warriors. He’ll likely occupy some of the backup center minutes behind Brook Lopez.