Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has officially been listed as doubtful for Game 6 of the team’s first-round series vs. Philadelphia, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The Raptors will be looking to even up the series at 3-3 with a win in Toronto on Thursday.
VanVleet suffered a left hip flexor strain in Game 4 on Saturday and his comments prior to Game 5 indicated there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to return in the first round.
Although VanVleet was an All-Star this season and will be missed if he’s officially ruled out, the Raptors have actually looked better against the Sixers with their starting point guard on the sidelines. Toronto has a +11.2 net rating in 105 minutes without VanVleet, compared to a -16.0 net rating in the 140 minutes he has spent on the court.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- After getting good news when an MRI on his hamstring came back clean on Tuesday, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell said today that he’ll be “good to go” for Game 6 on Thursday, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter links). Mitchell told reporters that he was concerned when he thought his soreness was hamstring-related, but isn’t worried now that he has just been diagnosed with quad bruising.
- Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram told reporters after Tuesday’s game that he banged up the ring and pinkie fingers on his right hand during the fourth quarter of the team’s Game 5 loss, but he doesn’t expect the injury to be an issue going forward. “(The fingers) got jammed. They’re pretty sore right now,” Ingram said, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN. “But nothing that treatment can’t fix and get better by next game.”
- Grizzlies rookie Ziaire Williams exited Tuesday’s win over Minnesota early due to right knee soreness, as Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. Williams’ status for Game 6 on Friday is unknown.
Without VanVleet, 76ers have a 45% chance to defeat Raptors in game 6
It’s very wrong for Rivers to assign 4 best players to 40 plus minutes per game
Why? They would be tired in conference finals
76ers Bench firepower is absolutely needed
Hey man. Can you block me when you have a chance?
Sillivan is a poorly made computer algorithm designed to comment on this site and spit out random statistics like “76ers have a 45% chance to defeat Raptors in game 6”. I don’t think it’s within its programming to block other posters.
Anyone else click this link for the “Z. Williamson” piece …?
Good thing HR put the “Z” in front so we know who was included. /s
Yet no initial for Mitchell. Although that would not work either— Davion & Donovan.
Might not be a bad thing to sit Donovan for Game 6. His shooting and excess dribbling hasn’t helped in the losses. He’s trying to rebound his misses, but instead we need better efficiency.
Problem is, I don’t see Coach Q playing any of the young guys unless it’s a blowout again. The young guys should’ve been put in way earlier. It was obvious to me in the first half the Jazz starters didn’t have it. I would’ve pulled a Jerry Sloan and put an entire different lineup out there to teach the starters a lesson.
I’m with you on that one, ever going to happen with Quinn though. Jounsters on this team deserve a much better shot and in many respects they have been performing much better than the starters. They certainly look and feel better on the floor than the stagnant core.
Sit Mitchell or don’t, atthis stage it’d be a miracle if Utah pulled it off somehow.
DAL must be delighted Mitchell is gonna play!
He has been sooo bad that it almost guarantee a win for Luka’s boys!
Joe Golfer wants to know if that VanVleet statistic applies when Malachi Flynn plays too.
Probably yes; Flynn had a hot March, and anytime he starts, but he has not been the same more recently.
Not sure who the alternative is— Siakam? Barnes, Anunoby, Trent maybe, or nobody in particular?