The NBA’s injury report is of particular interest this week in the regular season’s final days, as we wait to see which players may or may not be available for teams fighting for playoff positioning.
A pair of big-market superstars, LeBron James and James Harden, are said to be targeting Wednesday returns for the Lakers and Nets, respectively. James has been listed as questionable by the Lakers, while Harden is probable for Brooklyn.
Each of those teams also has another star player whose status for Wednesday’s games is up in the air. Lakers big man Anthony Davis is questionable due to left adductor tightness, while Kyrie Irving is questionable due to the facial contusion he suffered on Tuesday.
The Nets hold the No. 2 seed in the East and the Lakers are hosting a Houston team that is 5-43 since February 4, so neither club should feel a ton of urgency to push its stars back into action if they’re not quite ready.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Hornets forward Miles Bridges, out since May 2 due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, has a chance to return this weekend, head coach James Borrego said today. However, Borrego’s responses to questions about Gordon Hayward‘s foot injury made it sound as if Hayward may not be ready for the play-in tournament, says Rod Boone of SI.com (Twitter links). Hayward hasn’t played since April 2.
- The Pelicans need a win tonight in Dallas to remain in the hunt for a play-in spot, but they’ll be missing a number of key players, as Andrew Lopez of ESPN tweets. Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Steven Adams all remain out, and Lonzo Ball (right thumb) will join them on the sidelines.
- Mavericks guard J.J. Redick, who left Tuesday’s game with right heel soreness, will also miss Wednesday’s game vs. New Orleans, writes Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News.
- The Celtics, who appear likely to finish the regular season at No. 7 in the East, will be without Kemba Walker (left knee) and Marcus Smart (right calf) on Wednesday in Cleveland, notes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Jaylen Brown has already been ruled out for the season, and Robert Williams remains on the shelf as well.
Conspiracy theory – wonder if LeBron sat last night and told his team “beat the Knicks, I’m not helping. Show me you want this.” Was a great game.
The Lakers are in a far more urgent situation right now than the Nets are.
The worst Brooklyn can finish is 3rd place if they fall behind the Bucks. LA is still a game behind the Mavs and Blazers, both of which hold the tie-breaker over them.
Yes, LA’s situation is more urgent than the Nets, but seeding is important, too. I’d much rather face a play-in game winner in the first round than the reigning Eastern Conference champions (MIA) or one of the two hot young teams (ATL or NYK). Home field advantage is not the same as in the past, but it still would be better to host the second round series than to start it on the road.
You’re not wrong, but if I’m the Nets none of those teams scare me.
Brooklyn will likely be playing Boston, and with Jaylen Brown out for the year the Nets should have little trouble beating the Celtics.
The best part of being a rockets fan, is hating on the Lakers.
Isn’t your team 5-43 in the last few months?
I see the Lakers situation as less urgent because they just won a championship.
Brooklyn isn’t winning a championship this year.
I’m surprised Dallas got JJ at the TD. Was no one else available? He’s definitely not part of the future.
I believe they just needed cheap shooting help. Don’t even remember if they traded or he got bought out. Don’t think it’s a long term thing.
Probably traded if he was bought out he would be a ring chaser like everyone else.
Correct he was traded because I remember he was whining about David Griffin not sending him to the Nets lol
JJ remembers every word.
Pepperidge Farms Redick