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Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant exited during the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals on May 7 at Golden State with right knee soreness. Morant underwent an MRI, and subsequent evaluation has revealed a bone bruise in his right knee.
Morant is doubtful for the remainder of the postseason but is expected to make a full recovery.
Kyle Lowry had returned, and he had returned home.
The Miami Heat point guard and Philadelphia native’s next step is to reclaim his identity.
Lowry was plainly out of sorts in the Heat’s 99-79 road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, cutting the Heat’s lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal.
“I had one good day of working out, kind of a half day, and I’ve just got to find a rhythm,” Lowry said, with the Heat turning their attention to Sunday’s 8 p.m. Game 4 at Wells Fargo Center. “I didn’t expect it to be amazing [Friday]. I didn’t expect to have zero points, but just trying to get a feel for the game, just be out there, especially in this hostile situation.”
Lowry was injured during the second half of the Heat’s first-round road loss to the Atlanta Hawks on April 22. He missed four games before returning. He played 25:21 on Friday night, finishing 0 for 4 from the field, including 0 for 2 on 3-pointers, without a free-throw attempt, while also grabbing four rebounds and dishing out three assists.
Source: Sun Sentinel
The Dallas Mavericks organization has been fined $25,000 for violating league rules regarding team bench decorum, it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations.
Per the league, “on multiple occasions, several players and a member of the coaching staff stood away from Dallas’ team bench and were on or encroaching upon the playing court during game action in the Mavericks’ 129-109 loss to the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of their conference semifinals playoff series May 4 at Footprint Center.”
Memphis Grizzlies guard-forward Dillon Brooks has been suspended one game without pay for having made unnecessary and excessive contact against Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II, resulting in substantial injury to Payton, it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations.
The incident, for which Brooks was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected, occurred with 9:08 remaining in the first quarter of the Grizzlies’ 106-101 win over the Warriors in Game 2 of their conference semifinals playoff series May 3 at FedEx Forum.
Brooks will serve his suspension Saturday, May 7 when the Grizzlies visit the Warriors for Game 3 at Chase Center.
Here’s ESPN.com with some good news on the Miami Heat:
Heat swingman Jimmy Butler is confident he’ll be ready for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night as he continues to deal with right knee soreness.
“It’s all right,” Butler said after Saturday’s practice. “We got another day in between. Get out there, rip and ride. And I know it will be ready to hold up come Monday, but the time off has been great for myself and so many other guys that are nicked up. Everybody’s ready to compete.”
Butler sat out Game 5 of the Heat’s series-clinching win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, but he looked solid taking jumpers and moving around the floor a little bit after Saturday’s practice. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said all the players, a group that included Butler and veteran guard Kyle Lowry, were able to do “a little bit more than [Friday].” Heat guard Tyler Herro said he would be ready for Game 1 after missing Friday’s practice while dealing with a cold.
Here’s the Philly Voice on a major Philadelphia 76ers injury:
This is the last thing the Sixers needed.
Joel Embiid, already banged up with a torn ligament in his thumb, is now out indefinitely with an orbital fracture and concussion that he suffered late in the series-clinching Game 6 against the Raptors.
The Sixers’ second-round series against the top-seeded Miami Heat begins Monday, and they’ll have to go into without their best player on the floor.
This ain’t good.
Is there a chance Embiid could come back later in the series, provided the Sixers are still hanging on? Maybe. But there’s no way to tell right now.
Donovan Mitchell, star guard for the Utah Jazz, said that he will be available for Game 6 against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, a day after an MRI on his left hamstring came back negative.
Mitchell stated he’s suffering from soreness as a result of a bilateral quadriceps contusion, as diagnosed by the team’s medical staff. He did, however, state unequivocally that he would be able to play in Thursday’s home game against the Jazz, who are in danger of being eliminated.
Via ESPN.com
The following is a medical update on Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell:
Mitchell (6-3, 222, Louisville) was re-examined Tuesday morning by the Utah Jazz medical staff and underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) testing on his left hamstring. The results were negative. Mitchell has bi-lateral quadriceps contusions and will continue treatment. His status for Game 6 of Utah’s First Round series against Dallas will be updated on Wednesday.
Jaxson Hayes of the New Orleans Pelicans was ejected from Game 3 of the NBA Playoffs on Friday night in the second quarter after receiving a flagrant foul 2 for shoving Phoenix Suns player Jae Crowder.
Hayes was pounding the boards from the left corner after a made CJ McCollum jumper with 5:15 remaining in the first half when he crashed past Crowder, slamming him to the ground.
Initially, no foul was called, but play was paused and the play was reviewed as Crowder rushed across the floor to confront Hayes and Suns guard Chris Paul quickly sprinted to another official.
– Via ESPN.com. See full article.
Via the New York Daily News:
Steve Nash wants fans to think that the Nets’ playoff aspirations aren’t just dependent on Kevin Durant; his team’s success is a result of good teamwork rather than the superstars they signed to max contracts.
The Nets’ 114-107 Game 2 defeat to the Celtics, as well as a regular season that spiraled while both of those stars were unavailable, proved otherwise. The Nets’ supporting cast couldn’t handle the weight in a game where none of their stars showed up.
Durant, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and four-time NBA scoring champion, bowed to the pressure and intensity of the league-best Celtics’ defense for the second game in a row. And the Nets paid the price with a loss for the second game in a row, which hurt even more than the buzzer-beating game-winner that lost them Game 1.
In Game 2, Durant turned the ball over six times after missing 15 shots and turning the ball over six times in Game 1, and he shot 4-of-17 from the field for 27 points, almost all of which came at the foul line. He went to the free throw line 20 times, converting on 18 of them.