NBA Player News

Diabate will miss a second straight contest after being listed as questionable on the initial injury report. Taj Gibson played 18 minutes off the bench on Wednesday, but that was due to the Hornets also being without Mark Williams. Williams is available, so look for him to absorb those minutes and take some away from Jusuf Nurkic.

While Brooks was the lone Rockets starter to shoot at least 50 percent from the field in Game 3, he struggled with foul trouble throughout. The veteran defender would pick up four fouls in the first half and foul out with 3:47 remaining and the Rockets trailing by four. Houston would go on to lose by 11, falling behind the Warriors two games to one. With Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green (9/6/5/1 with one three-pointer in 39 minutes) being inconsistent scorers, any production the Rockets receive from Brooks will be welcome. Game 4 is on Monday.

VanVleet led the Rockets in scoring on Saturday. However, as was the case on many occasions during the regular season, the field goal percentage left something to be desired. A 37.8 percent shooter during the regular season, VanVleet is 11-of-40 in this series. Simply put, that is not good enough if the Rockets are to knock off Golden State. Houston will look to even the series with a win in Game 4 on Monday night.

After victimizing the Warriors in the first two games of the series, Sengun was held in check Saturday night. Golden State’s decision to start Quentin Post meant the Rockets’ center had to contend with more size at the start of the game, and he struggled. Making matters worse was Sengun’s 1-of-6 night from the foul line. A 69.2 percent foul shooting during the regular season, that’s going to be an area of difficulty for Sengun, but he can’t be as poor as he was on Saturday. Now trailing two games to one, the Rockets will look to even the series on Monday.

After providing minimal value in the first two games of the series, Hield came to life in Game 3. Jimmy Butler’s absence meant more playing time, and the veteran guard was up to the task. Hield was one of two Warriors to make five three-pointers on the night, with Stephen Curry being the other. His production off the bench helped compensate for spot starter Jonathan Kuminga, who recorded a 7/1/2 line in 17 minutes, providing limited offensive value as Butler’s replacement. Kuminga was excellent defensively, helping limit Jalen Green. Game 4 is on Monday, with the Warriors holding a 2-1 series lead.

Given his limited offensive repertoire, Payton is the player opposing defenses tend to leave alone when he’s on the court. With Jimmy Butler (pelvis/glute) sidelined for Game 3, there was a need for GPII to make the Rockets pay. And that’s what happened in the fourth quarter. At one stage, Payton scored nine straight Warriors points, helping to put Game 3 in the win column. Even if Butler is back for Game 4 on Monday, the Warriors will need Payton to make the Rockets pay for leaving him alone if they continue to take that approach.

With Jimmy Butler (pelvis/glute) unavailable, Curry was due to receive even more defensive attention from the Rockets in Game 3. And their approach paid dividends early, with the Warriors’ sharpshooter making one of his first five shots. But he would get going in the second quarter, not slowing up until Golden State secured a 2-1 series lead. Curry has scored 30 points or more in two of three games thus far. Game 4 is on Monday night, with the Warriors aiming to take a 3-1 lead.

Smith has been unavailable for the first three games of this series. However, his absence did not have an impact, as he is not in the Bucks’ rotation when healthy.

Mathurin has not missed a game in this series, most recently playing 14 minutes in Friday’s defeat. However, he’s dealing with an abdominal contusion and is not a lock to play in Game 4. If Mathurin is unable to play, look for Ben Sheppard to play more minutes after re-entering the rotation on Friday.

After attempting at least 14 shots in each of the first three games of the series, Harden was only responsible for 11 in Game 4. And the Nuggets were able to fluster The Beard, with things coming to a head in the form of an altercation late in the second quarter. Harden did make some solid plays late, with the Clippers ripping off a 32-9 fourth-quarter run to get back into the game. However, it wasn’t enough to secure the victory, with the Nuggets pulling even at two games apiece. He’ll need to be better in Game 5 on Tuesday in Denver.

Zubac has recorded a double-double in three of the series’ first four games, with Saturday’s effort including a complete stat line. The Clippers’ center has done his best defensively to make life difficult for Nikola Jokic. Although he hasn’t always been successful, Zubac has still managed to make significant contributions offensively. The Clippers now head to Denver for Game 5, scheduled for Tuesday night, with the series tied at two games apiece.