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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox underwent X-ray imaging that revealed an avulsion fracture of the left index finger.
The injury was sustained during the fourth quarter of Game 4 versus the Golden State Warriors.
Fox will be listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s game versus the Warriors
Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has won the 2022-23 NBA Most Improved Player award.
He becomes the first player in franchise history to garner the award.
Markkanen (7-0, 238, Finland) averaged a career-best 25.6 points (12th in the NBA) on 49.9 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc, along with 8.6 boards, and 1.9 assists in 34.4 minutes per game, boosting his points per game by over 10-plus from 2021-22. Markkanen totaled 16 games with 30-or-more points during his first season in Utah, after having tallied just 15 such games in his previous five NBA campaigns. He was one of only six players in the NBA to average over 25 points and eight boards in 2022-23 (min. 60 games played) alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, Julius Randle, and Jayson Tatum.
The 25-year-old earned his first All-Star selection in 2022-23, starting for Team Giannis during All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City. Markkanen became the first player in NBA history to knock down over 200 threes, while throwing down over 100 dunks in a single season. His 200 three-point makes were the most in a season by a seven-footer in NBA history. He logged 23 games with over 20 points and 10 boards last year, which was the 10th most such outings in the NBA.
The Finnish international registered three games with 40-or-more points, including a career night against Houston on Jan. 5, where he totaled 49 points on 15-of-27 from the field, becoming only the fifth player in Jazz history to tally 49-or-more points (Dantley, Malone, Maravich, and T. Robinson) and he was the first Jazz player to total multiple 40-point, 10-rebound games in a season since Karl Malone in 1997-98.
The first Utah player to earn the Most Improved accolade, Markkanen becomes seventh international player to be named Most Improved, joining Pascal Siakam (2018-19), Giannis Antetokounmpo (2016-17), Goran Dragic (2013-14), Boris Diaw (2005-06), Hedo Turkoglu (2007-08), and Gheorghe Muresan (1995-96).
Via the Houston Chronicle:
Step one of a pivotal summer for the Houston Rockets is now complete as the franchise reportedly reached a deal Monday to hire Ime Udoka as its next head coach, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Udoka, 45, comes to Houston following an NBA career that spans two decades. He played for five different franchises from 2002-12, and then quickly moved to coaching as he took an assistant role on Gregg Popovich’s staff in San Antonio. Udoka parlayed that role into the head coaching job with the Celtics in 2021-22, in which Boston went 51–31 before reaching the NBA Finals.
Via the Sun Sentinel:
The news was major for the Milwaukee Bucks and relatively minor for the Miami Heat on the injury front for the two teams ahead of Monday night’s Game 4 in their opening-round Eastern Conference playoff series at Kaseya Center.
Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the court Monday morning for the Bucks’ shootaround, the latest step in his recovery from the lower-back contusion sustained in the Heat’s Game 1 victory a week ago Sunday in Milwaukee.
Via the Sun Sentinel:
As Victor Oladipo moves toward surgery later this week for the torn patellar tendon in his left knee sustained in Saturday’s playoff victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra offered a window into the previous relentless approach by the guard from such procedures.
“I think all these times behind the scenes, when no one is watching, I feel like I’ve had a front-row seat at that on all these off days the last three years, on weekends, when no one is here, but he’s on the training table and then working his way to the weight room,” Spoelstra said, with the Heat hosting the Bucks on Monday night at Kaseya Center in Game 4 of their best-of-seven opening-round series. “And it’s usually like a four- or five-hour process, and then finishing up with all the post-rehab work after working out.”
This will be the third major procedure Oladipo will attempt to return from during his Heat tenure, since being acquired in March 2021, with a $9.5 million player option with the team for next season.
It’s not yet known yet if the Bucks will have Giannis Antetokounmpo back in action for Game 4 of their first-round playoff series against the Heat.
Via ESPN.com:
“We’ll continue to monitor him,” Budenholzer said following a team film session Sunday. “We’ll see how he feels from the session today and see how he wakes up tomorrow.”
Antetokounmpo, who is listed as questionable for Monday’s game, missed the past two games with a lower-back contusion, which has limited him to 11 total minutes in the series. He has not played since April 16.
The Heat currently lead the series 2-1.
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro underwent open reduction and internal fixation surgery of the third and fourth metacarpal of his right hand.
The 90-minute procedure was performed by Dr. Ann Ouelette and observed by HEAT team physician Dr. Harlan Selesnick at Doctors Hospital Ambulatory Surgery Center. He is expected to miss a minimum of six weeks.
Herro, who suffered the injury during Miami’s Game 1 win in Milwaukee on April 16, appeared in 67 regular season games (all starts) averaging 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 34.9 minutes. He shot a league-best and HEAT single-season franchise record 93.4 percent from the foul line. Additionally, he paired with Jimmy Butler (22.9) and Bam Adebayo (20.4) to become the first trio in team history to each average at least 20 points in a season.
Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon has been named the 2022-23 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, the NBA announced today.
Brogdon becomes the third Celtic to win the league’s annual honor, joining Kevin McHale (1984, 1985) and Bill Walton (1986).
“From day one, Malcolm has eagerly embraced his role as a game changer off the bench,” said Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations. “His emphasis on winning has been reflected daily in his work, his play, and his selflessness. Malcolm winning the award named after John Havlicek, an all-time Celtic, could not be more appropriate.”
In the 41 years since the award’s creation in 1982, only eight other players have won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in their first season with their team.
Brogdon was the only player in the NBA ranking in the top three in scoring, rebounding, and assists among players who didn’t start in a regular-season game as he finished with 14.9 points (1st), 4.2 rebounds (3rd), and 3.7 assists (2nd).
Brogdon finished the year ranked fourth in the NBA in three-point percentage with a career single-season high 44.4 percent from beyond the arc. He tied Ray Allen (2010-11) for the third-best single-season three-point percentage by a Celtic since 1979 behind Allen’s 2011-12 season (45.3%) and Al Horford this season (44.6%).
As an NBA reserve, Brogdon ranked first in minutes played (1743.8), second in made field goals (354), third in total points (1,000) and clutch points (42), and fourth in assists (248). Brogdon became the fourth player in Celtics history to score at least 1,000 points in a season off the bench, behind Ricky Davis in 2004-05 (1,121 points) and Kevin McHale twice, in 1989-90 (1,109) and 1990-91 (1,031).
The Georgia native earns his third NBA honor including winning the 2016-17 NBA Rookie of the Year award and the 2019-20 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.
The Sixth Man of the Year trophy honors Celtics Hall of Famer John Havlicek, who excelled off the bench like no player before him. Havlicek came off the bench for the first seven seasons of his career and was an All-Star in four of those seasons. His career highlights include eight NBA championships, 13 NBA All-Star selections, 11 All-NBA Team selections, an NBA Finals MVP, eight NBA All-Defensive Team selections, and inclusion on the league’s 35th, 50th, and 75th Anniversary Teams.
Via the San Jose Mercury News:
Jordan Poole posing more of a downhill threat and getting to the free-throw line could be the difference-maker the Warriors need to counter the upstart Sacramento Kings.
Poole can be most impactful when he’s aggressive attacking the rim and making smart plays with the ball. He led the team with 550 points in the paint this season. He also got to the free throw line a team-high 415 times. But concern over his bum left ankle might hinder him from being able to do that.
Poole started this first-round series strong. He was smart and effective on offense and disrupted some on defense.
Poole scored 13 points on 4 of 7 shooting and got to the free-throw line four times in the first half of Game 1 on Saturday.
But he sprained his ankle late third quarter and hasn’t been the same since.
Statement from Ted Leonsis, Founder, Principal Partner, Chairman & CEO, Monumental Sports & Entertainment:
Tommy Sheppard was relieved from his duties as General Manager and President of the Washington Wizards. Failure to make the playoffs the last two seasons was very disappointing to our organization and our fans.
A search for new leadership will begin immediately for an executive from outside the organization.
I would like to thank Tommy for his dedication to the Wizards organization and wish him the best in his future endeavors.
Per the Washington Post, “Sheppard’s downfall was Washington’s inability to progress during his tenure despite multiple roster revamps and a new coach. The team finished 35-47 for the second consecutive season and missed the postseason for the fourth time in five years. Overall, the team went 129-179 under his leadership, a winning percentage of just .419. Sheppard took over the team from longtime general manager Ernie Grunfeld in an official capacity in July 2019 and led the Wizards during a time of great change both within the organization and for the NBA broadly.”