NBA News

Kevin Huerter • SG • Pistons

Kevin Huerter Back in Action Friday

Detroit Pistons guard/forward Kevin Huerter (illness) has been upgraded from probable to available and will make his return from a one-game absence on Friday against the Charlotte Hornets. Huerter's production has recently increased, but that came during Cade Cunningham's absence. The Pistons' leader returned to action on Wednesday against Milwaukee, and Huerter will likely need to adjust to a smaller offensive role in his return to the lineup. Detroit's entire second unit could have a quiet outing, as Charlotte ranks fifth in the league for fewest bench points allowed.

4 hours ago

Sam Hauser • SF • Celtics

Sam Hauser Cleared to Play Friday

Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (back) will be in the lineup on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Initially, the team listed Hauser as probable after he played 31 minutes on Thursday against the Knicks. The 28-year-old had a quiet evening with six points, two rebounds, and three assists. With Jayson Tatum (Achilles) sitting out Friday's game, Hauser could be a bit more involved in the offense. This is an excellent matchup for a three-point specialist like him, as only Utah allows more three-point attempts per game than New Orleans.

4 hours ago

Neemias Queta • C • Celtics

Neemias Queta Ready to Take on Pelicans

Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (toe) will be active against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. The Portuguese big man has been upgraded from probable to available. After tallying 10 points and 10 rebounds in Thursday's loss to New York, Queta has a chance to record a second consecutive double-double. He is averaging 15.0 points, 8.6 boards, 2.6 assists, and 2.2 blocks in 29.0 minutes per game in April.

4 hours ago

Derrick White • SG • Celtics

Derrick White Good to Go Friday

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (knee) will play on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Celtics will wrap up a back-to-back, and White was initially listed as probable for Friday's game. He struggled on Thursday night against the Knicks, finishing with only eight points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal. White is in an excellent bounce-back spot on Friday, as the Pelicans won't have any of their big names in the lineup.

4 hours ago

Jaylen Brown • SG • Celtics

Jaylen Brown Active on Friday

Boston Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown (Achilles) will return to the lineup on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans. He was initially listed as questionable for the game after sitting out Thursday's loss to the Knicks. Derrick White (knee), Sam Hauser (back), and Neemias Queta (toe) have also been cleared for Friday, so Boston will still have plenty of firepower, even with Jayson Tatum (Achilles) resting. Brown is having a brilliant finish to the season, averaging 32.5 points on 50.5 percent efficiency from the field this month.

4 hours ago

Josh Giddey • SG • Bulls

Josh Giddey Still Out Friday

Chicago Bulls point guard Josh Giddey (hamstring) has been listed as out for Friday's contest against the Orlando Magic. He will miss a fourth consecutive game as Giddey manages a left hamstring strain. With him out, Tre Jones and Collin Sexton have led the Bulls' backcourt and remain outstanding fantasy options on Friday. The two combined for 58 points in Thursday's 119-108 win over Washington. Jones has scored at least 20 points in three consecutive games, while Sexton has impressed with a run of three-plus steals in three straight outings.

4 hours ago

Miles McBride • PG • Knicks

Miles McBride Exits Knicks Lineup Friday

New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (pelvic) will miss the second leg of a back-to-back on Friday against the Toronto Raptors. He contributed four points, one rebound, two assists, one steal, and one block in 19 minutes as New York beat Boston on Thursday. Jose Alvarado is likely to re-enter the rotation on Friday night, while Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet could also pick up extra work due to McBride's absence.

4 hours ago

Mitchell Robinson • C • Knicks

Mitchell Robinson Sidelined on Friday

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (ankle) has a scheduled maintenance day on Friday and won't play against the Toronto Raptors. Due to an ankle injury, he hasn't played in back-to-backs all season, and Robinson is coming off a 19-minute shift in Thursday's win over Boston. Ariel Hukporti is set to take over as the backup center on Friday night. He will see limited minutes behind Karl-Anthony Towns and isn't worthy of any fantasy consideration.

4 hours ago

Norman Powell • SG • Heat

Norman Powell Won't Play Against Wizards

Miami Heat guard/forward Norman Powell (groin) will be sidelined on Friday against the Washington Wizards. He has a sore right groin and will be held out of action after Powell logged 17 minutes in Thursday's loss to Toronto. Tyler Herro (foot) also won't suit up for this one, so Bam Adebayo could run amok on offense against the Wizards again. The rest of the group should also have more scoring chances, while the likes of Kasparas Jakucionis and Myron Gardner could see a lot more playing time compared to their typical workload.

4 hours ago

Tyler Herro • SG • Heat

Tyler Herro Out on Friday

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (foot) won't be in action on Friday against the Washington Wizards. He has been ruled out for the second game of a back-to-back due to a sore right foot. Herro tallied 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists in 28 minutes during Thursday's loss to Toronto. With Herro out, there will be more backcourt minutes available for Kasparas Jakucionis and Pelle Larsson. Miami's injury report also includes Davion Mitchell (shoulder), who is questionable, so Jakucionis could get a chance to join Larsson in the starting lineup.

4 hours ago

Saddiq Bey • PF • Pelicans |

Herbert Jones • SF • Pelicans

Saddiq Bey, Herbert Jones Resting Friday

New Orleans Pelicans forwards Saddiq Bey (rest) and Herbert Jones (rest) have been ruled out for Friday's game against the Boston Celtics. Both were listed as questionable on the initial injury report. New Orleans is giving its reserves extended looks during the final week of the regular season, keeping Bey and Jones out of the rotation for a second consecutive game. Zion Williamson (knee), Trey Murphy III (ankle), Dejounte Murray (hand), and Yves Missi (finger) won't suit up either for Friday's tilt, so guys like Jeremiah Fears, Jordan Poole, and Derik Queen should take on leading roles.

5 hours ago

Immanuel Quickley • PG • Raptors

Immanuel Quickley Unavailable Friday

Toronto Raptors point guard Immanuel Quickley (foot) will miss Friday's trip to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks. He is managing a foot injury and won't suit up after a 23-minute outing on Thursday against Miami. Ja'Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead should benefit from Quickley's absence, with one of them moving into the starting lineup. Quickley will likely return to action in the regular-season finale against Brooklyn on Sunday to shake off more rust before the playoffs.

5 hours ago

Julius Randle • PF • Timberwolves

Julius Randle Misses Second Straight Game

Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Julius Randle (hand) will sit out a second consecutive game on Friday night against the Houston Rockets. He is bothered by soreness in his right hand. Kyle Anderson replaced Randle in the starting unit on Wednesday against Orlando and is likely to keep his spot on Friday. The 32-year-old contributed in every area in Wednesday's loss and stood out defensively. Across 24 minutes, Anderson notched eight points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks.

5 hours ago

Jayson Tatum • SF • Celtics

Jayson Tatum Won't Play Friday

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (Achilles) won't play on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans. His absence was expected because Boston also played on Thursday night. In a game against the New York Knicks, Tatum had 24 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and one block in 40 minutes. The Celtics could also be without Jaylen Brown (Achilles), who is considered questionable. In this case, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Hugo Gonzalez are candidates for increased roles. The absence of Tatum and Brown will also create a lot more offensive opportunities for the rest of the team.

5 hours ago

Trey Murphy III • SF • Pelicans

Trey Murphy III Unavailable Against Celtics

New Orleans Pelicans guard/forward Trey Murphy III (ankle) won't be in the lineup on Friday against the Boston Celtics. He is dealing with a right ankle sprain and is skipping a third consecutive contest. Zion Williamson (knee) and Dejounte Murray (hand) are also out, so the trio of Jeremiah Fears, Jordan Poole, and Micah Peavy should lead the offense on Friday. All three performed well when they started together in Tuesday's win over Utah, combining for 94 of the team's 156 points.

15 hours ago

Dejounte Murray • SG • Pelicans

Dejounte Murray Remains Out Friday

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (hand) will miss a fourth consecutive game on Friday against the Boston Celtics. It's also looking unlikely that he will play in the season finale on Sunday after picking up a hand injury. Jeremiah Fears has been on a tear since Murray departed the lineup and should be one of the stars of the show again on Friday night. The 19-year-old posted a franchise rookie record with 40 points in Tuesday's win over Utah and has averaged 29.0 points over the last three games, along with 5.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals.

15 hours ago

Zion Williamson • PF • Pelicans

Zion Williamson Won't Suit Up Friday

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (knee) is listed as out for Friday's meeting with the Boston Celtics. The Pelicans are giving their fringe players a chance to impress late in the season, and they didn't play Williamson on Tuesday against Utah, even though he was in the lineup. Now, he will be inactive altogether, along with Yves Missi (hand). That should secure a significant role for Kevon Looney, who tallied seven points, 12 boards, six assists, and two steals in Tuesday's 156-137 win. Derik Queen will also have a clearer path to playing time in the frontcourt. He racked up 17 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and two blocks against Utah.

15 hours ago

Jalen Williams • SF • Thunder

Jalen Williams Out on Friday

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (hamstring) will sit out Friday's contest against the Denver Nuggets. He has joined a long list of absentees as the Thunder face two dead-rubber games to end the regular season. Luguentz Dort is set to be the only regular starter in the lineup. Jared McCain, Nikola Topic, and Aaron Wiggins are all expected to step into larger roles. On paper, this is a tough matchup. But the Nuggets could also send out a weakened squad, with Nikola Jokic (wrist), Jamal Murray (shoulder), and Aaron Gordon (hamstring) carrying questionable tags.

15 hours ago

Jarrett Allen • C • Cavaliers

Jarrett Allen Won't Play Against Hawks

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (knee) will miss Friday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. After returning from a knee injury, Allen has played in four of the last five games. But Cleveland is locked into the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, so Allen will take Friday night off to be fresher for the postseason. Thomas Bryant (calf) isn't available as well, meaning Evan Mobley could see a lot of time as a center again. In this situation, it's also likely Larry Nance Jr. will re-enter the rotation.

15 hours ago

Donovan Mitchell • SG • Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell Skips Friday's Action

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (ankle) won't suit up on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks. The Cavaliers will be without their top scorer for the second time in three games. This looks like a maintenance day for Mitchell, who is managing a right ankle injury. Both Keon Ellis and Max Strus are in the mix to step into the starting lineup in Mitchell's absence. Meanwhile, Dennis Schroder could also have a more important role, especially with Sam Merrill (hamstring) joining Mitchell on the sidelines.

15 hours ago

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