NBA Player News

The Nets will retain the rights to these two guys, but they won’t be a part of the regular roster. Ignore them.

Porzingis’ stamina has been an issue this series, with the Celtics’ center coming off the bench and only playing 14 minutes in Wednesday’s Game 2 defeat. Whether he starts or comes off the bench for Game 3 has not been determined. Al Horford would remain in the starting lineup if Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla decides to use Porzingis in a reserve role.

Hauser injured his ankle during the third quarter of Game 1 and did not play in Game 2 on Wednesday. The doubtful tag for Game 3 suggests he’ll remain sidelined, leaving the Celtics down a member of their bench rotation. Boston stuck with an eight-man rotation in Game 2 and will likely do the same on Saturday, with Payton Pritchard, Kristaps Porzingis (or Al Horford) and Luke Kornet coming off the bench.

Shams is quoted as saying, “To my knowledge Garland, Mobley, and Hunter are all aiming to play in this pivotal game three.” Mobley and Hunter sat out Game 2, and their return - along with Garland’s - will provide a much-needed boost for Cleveland on both ends of the court. Assuming Mobley and Hunter get the green light, Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro will presumably see a decrease in playing time.

The news couldn’t come at a better time, as Shams also expects Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter to take the court. Cleveland fell behind 2-0 in the series with a wild final minute of Game 2 that culminated in a Tyrese Haliburton game-winning three-pointer. Teams down 3-0 in a series have never come back to win, so a victory on Friday is crucial in keeping the Cavs’ season alive. With Garland expected back, Ty Jerome will retreat back to the bench.

Hield moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup in the first round and the team became somewhat reliant on his scoring. With Stephen Curry (hamstring) out in Game 2, Hield started and played 29 minutes. The 32-year-old shooting guard led the Warriors in field goal attempts, though no one in a Golden State uniform was able to reach 20 points. The Warriors weren’t able to overcome a double-digit first half deficit. Despite the four made three-pointers, they’re going to need more from Hield as the series shifts to Golden State, especially if Curry remains out.

Butler couldn’t get it done without Stephen Curry (hamstring) on the road in Game 2. The Warriors fell behind by double-digits early and never recovered. Butler had 17 points on 13 shots, which wasn’t far off from the 20 points he had in Game 1. Still, the Warriors have to regroup as they head home for Games 3 and 4 and try to figure out a way to keep this series close until Curry can return to the court.

Alexander-Walker was a key scorer off the bench in Game 2. He combined with Naz Reid and Donte DiVencenzo for 10 made three-pointers off the bench. In a game where the Warriors were desperate for scoring without Stephen Curry (hamstring), those bench points were too much to overcome as the Timberwolves won by 24 points.

Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring in the Game 2 victory. The 30-year-old power forward had just one 10-assist game in the regular season. He was a steadying presence in his 33 minutes as Anthony Edwards dealt with an ankle injury towards the end of the first half. Edwards recovered from his injury to play 34 minutes, but the Timberwolves were able to rely on Randle to weather the storm and he delivered a big game as the fulcrum of the offense.

Edwards appeared to suffer a sprained left ankle towards the end of the second quarter as the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on his foot. Edwards turned the same ankle in the first round against the Lakers and appeared to re-aggravate the injury. The 23-year-old shooting guard would go on to start the second half and play a team-high 34 minutes in the Game 2 victory. Edwards will only have one full day off before the series resumes in Golden State for Game 3 on Saturday.

No surprise here as Curry was always a long shot to make it back for Game 2 after leaving Game 1 with hamstring injury. While there has been a report that the 37-year-old point guard is expected to miss a week, there is no firm timetable for his return. The Warriors will go big with their starting lineup for Game 2 with center Quinten Post entering the lineup in Curry’s absence.