The Boston Celtics have seemingly dodged any long-term issue with Jaylen Brown, who suffered an ankle sprain in Tuesday’s win over the Hawks.
Boston Coach Ime Udoka said Brown missed Wednesday’s practice with the injury, and the guard is “unlikely” to play Thursday game against the Grizzlies.
Udoka added Brown has some added swelling and pain for his right ankle, but the injury still shouldn’t be anything long-term.
“We’re going to be smart at this point of the season regardless,” Udoka said. “The fact that it’s not Grade 2, 3 tear or whatever where ligaments have been torn obviously bodes well for him. It’s a little bit different than a muscular injury where you have to kind of take your time on that. It’s really about pain tolerance and getting the swelling out and flexibility back in.”
FINES: The NBA fined Indiana Pacers forward Jalen Smith $20,000 for directing profane language toward an official after he was ejected during a game and fined San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray $20,000 for throwing the ball off the legs of a referee.
The incident involving Smith occurred Monday night following his ejection with 7:04 remaining in the third quarter of the Pacers’ 119-103 loss in Orlando to the Magic. Smith picked up two technical fouls after arguing calls and was ejected in the middle of a 14-2 run by the Magic. The Pacers never recovered.
Murray was given a technical foul and was ejected Monday night late in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies after he threw the ball back to a referee who had just called a foul on his teammate, and the ball hit the ref in the lower leg.
Murray finished with 21 points and eight assists in the 118-105 loss.
SUNS: All-Star guard Devin Booker has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocol and will missed Wednesday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Booker is a three-time All-Star and the team’s leading scorer, averaging 25.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists. The 25-year-old’s absence is another blow to the Suns, who are also missing fellow All-Star guard Chris Paul.
Paul broke his thumb on Feb. 16 and could miss the rest of the regular season, though the team is hopeful he’ll return before the playoffs.
NETS: Kevin Durant is expected to return from a left knee injury that has sidelined him since mid-January when the Brooklyn Nets host the Miami Heat on Thursday night.
Durant wasn’t listed on the injury report Wednesday by the Nets, who tweeted a picture of Durant with a caption “The return.”
It’s a desperately needed one for the Nets, who have fallen apart without their superstar forward and tumbled all the way to eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
Brooklyn is 5-16 since Durant sprained his left medial collateral ligament Jan. 15. The Nets were 27-15 at the time, second in the East.
Durant is averaging 29.3 points. He was leading the league at the time but would now rank third behind Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo if he had played enough games to qualify.
PELICANS: Zion Williamson’s recovery from a right foot injury has improved to the point where he can gradually resume basketball activities, the New Orleans Pelicans said.
However, there remains no timetable for when he might play in a game.
The announcement came after physicians examined recent imaging of Williamson’s foot and saw evidence of “improved bone healing.”
Williamson, who averaged a team-high 27 points and was an All-Star last season, was trying to return to practice in mid-December from an injury that occurred during the summer. But imaging of his foot at that time revealed a setback and the club said Williamson would stop practicing and focus on healing.
Williamson then received a “biologic injection” meant to improve bone healing. And with the Pelicans’ permission, Williamson left New Orleans in early January to continue his recovery on his own in Oregon.
Drafted first overall out of Duke in 2019, Williamson played in just 24 games as a rookie because of a preseason right knee injury (lateral meniscus). In his second season, he played in 61 of 72 games.
He hurt his foot last summer while performing basketball drills with his stepfather, with whom he has entrusted his offseason training.
The Pelicans revealed the injury on the first day of training camp in September, saying they hoped he’d be ready to play by the regular-season opener on Oct. 20. Williamson initially agreed with that timeline, which has since proved overly optimistic by at least five months.
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
HORNETS 119, CAVALIERS 98: Terry Rozier scored 29 points and carried Charlotte’s backcourt with LaMelo Ball in foul trouble, leading the Hornets to a win at Cleveland.
Rozier added seven assists and seven rebounds, and Isaiah Thomas scored 10 points in his debut for Charlotte. The Hornets made 17 3-pointers and improved to just 3-11 since Jan. 28.
PACERS 122, MAGIC 114: Malcolm Brogdon had 31 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as visiting Indiana overcame a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Orlando in overtime.
Tyrese Haliburton, who finished with 21 points and six assists, scored five of Indiana’s 12 points in OT.
Franz Wagner led Orlando with 28 points.
76ERS 123, KNICKS 108: James Harden had a packed house in a frenzy from the moment he was introduced as “making his Philadelphia home debut,” then flashed his MVP-form with 26 points, nine assists and nine rebounds to lead the 76ers.
Joel Embiid had 27 points and 12 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points.
The Sixers moved to 3-0 with Harden in the lineup and his dynamic duo hookup with Embiid has suddenly stamped the Sixers as legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference.
PELICANS 125, KINGS 95: Brandon Ingram scored 33 points on 15-of-19 shooting and host New Orleans won its third straight.
Ingram scored 28 of his points before being briefly forced out of the game by an elbow to the face from Damian Jones. But he returned in the fourth quarter to make a tough turnaround, a transition 3-pointer and a couple of heady assists that helped New Orleans snuff out any hope the Kings had of coming back.
BUCKS 120, HEAT 119: Jrue Holiday banked in a jumper from the paint with 1.9 seconds left and host Milwaukee rallied from a 14-point deficit in the final six minutes to beat Miami.
The Bucks outscored Miami 21-6 down the stretch to snap the Heat’s four-game winning streak.
After Khris Middleton made a 3-pointer with 13.5 seconds remaining to get the Bucks within one, Giannis Antetokounmpo forced a jump ball against Jimmy Butler on the ensuing inbounds pass.
Antetokounmpo won the tip and got it to Bobby Portis. Holiday got the ball from Portis, worked his way to the other end of the court and made the winning basket.
The Heat had no timeouts left, and Tyler Herro missed a desperation 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Comments are no longer available on this story