RADIO
Jabari Smith Jr. Cleared After Resting in Season Finale
Houston Rockets forward/center Jabari Smith Jr. is not on the injury report for Saturday's Game 1 against the Lakers after sitting out the regular-season finale. Smith averaged 15.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 2.3 three-pointers per game this season, and he enters the playoffs in strong form with 19.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.4 three-pointers over his last five outings in 33.6 minutes. His scoring remains tied to perimeter efficiency, making him a streaky DFS option. Alperen Sengun continues to command usage inside, while Tari Eason could absorb minutes if Smith cools.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Alperen Sengun Cleared for Game 1 Against Lakers
Houston Rockets forward/center Alperen Sengun isn't listed on the injury report for Saturday's Game 1 against the Lakers after sitting out the regular-season finale. Sengun averaged 17.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in 30.8 minutes over his last five games while posting a 26.7 usage rate, reinforcing his role as Houston's offensive hub. His multi-category production makes him a strong DFS anchor with a stable floor and ceiling combination. Clint Capela is expected to remain in a limited backup role, which should keep his minutes and overall production low.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Aaron Gordon Available for Game 1 Against Timberwolves
Denver Nuggets forward/center Aaron Gordon (hamstring) will be available for Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. He is set to return from a two-game absence after the team removed him from the injury report. Denver and Minnesota met four times during the regular season, but Gordon was in the lineup for only two of the games. He averaged 16.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, making 50 percent of his attempts from outside. If Gordon can maintain his efficiency against the Timberwolves in the playoffs, he should easily overcome the consistency issues he faced late in the regular season.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Julius Randle Cleared for Playoffs
Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Julius Randle (hand) isn't listed on the injury report before Saturday's Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets. A hand injury kept Randle sidelined for the last three regular-season games. During the regular season, Randle faced Denver four times and exceeded his averages. Despite being limited to 26.3 percent efficiency from behind the arc, Randle notched 24.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.0 steals against the Nuggets. With Anthony Edwards (knee) potentially out for Game 1, Minnesota could lean heavily on Randle in Saturday's game.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Jaxson Hayes Available Saturday Night
Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (foot) will return to action on Saturday against the Houston Rockets. The former Texas Longhorn didn't play in the last four regular-season games due to a foot injury, but the Lakers haven't included him on the injury report ahead of their playoff opener. Hayes finished the regular season strong, averaging 14.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in his last seven appearances. It would be a major boost for the injury-hit Lakers if they could get the same level of production from Hayes in the playoffs. Hayes' role during the regular-season series against Houston was minimal, as he contributed 0.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game over two contests.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Grayson Allen Will Play Against Warriors
Phoenix Suns guard/forward Grayson Allen (hamstring) will be in action on Friday against the Golden State Warriors. The team has listed Allen as available after initially tagging him as questionable. Allen has been dealing with a hamstring injury and sat out two of the last three regular-season games. The 30-year-old will add some offensive oomph to the Suns. Allen has played well against the Warriors this season, posting averages of 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 steals across two games. He has netted 40.9 percent of his triples in this matchup. With Allen back in the fold, Jordan Goodwin and Royce O'Neale may see their workload decrease.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Kristaps Porzingis Cleared for Friday's Game
Golden State Warriors forward/center Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) will play on Friday night against the Phoenix Suns. He came away from Wednesday's win over the Clippers with an ankle injury and was initially listed as questionable for Friday's tilt. But the team has upgraded Porzingis' status to available ahead of tip-off. Porzingis had a strong all-around performance on Wednesday, and Golden State's chances to reach the playoffs will be good if he can maintain his momentum. In 28 minutes, Porzingis notched 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and one steal against the Clippers.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Kevin Durant Iffy for Saturday's Game 1
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (knee) is considered questionable for Saturday's tilt against the Los Angeles Lakers. The veteran star is bothered by a right knee contusion ahead of his 14th postseason campaign. This doesn't seem like a very serious issue, but if Durant misses the game, guys like Tari Eason and Josh Okogie are likely to get a lot more burn. In this situation, there will also be a lot of extra offensive usage to be shared across the team, with Alperen Sengun set to be the head honcho.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Mark Williams Won't Play Friday Night
Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams (foot) has been ruled out for Friday's decisive Play-In Tournament matchup against the Golden State Warriors. After missing two of the last three regular-season games, Williams logged 22 minutes in Tuesday's play-in loss to Portland, but his foot flared up during the contest. Phoenix initially listed Williams as questionable for Friday before ruling him out. Oso Ighodaro is expected to slide into the first unit to replace Williams. Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming will also move up on the depth chart. Ighodaro started 24 games during the regular season, averaging 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Spencer Jones is Questionable for Game 1 on Saturday
Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones (hamstring) is listed as questionable ahead of Saturday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Fellow teammate Peyton Watson (hamstring) has already been ruled out for Game 1, but Jones has a chance to play through his injury. The absence of Watson could potentially mean a bigger role for Jones, assuming he's able to play. It's worth noting that Jones hasn't played since late March. When healthy, Jones was averaging 22.1 minutes per game, but the Nuggets might not push him too hard considering he hasn't played in a few weeks. If they both sit out, Cameron Johnson and Aaron Gordon would likely play heavy minutes with Tim Hardaway Jr. possibly seeing more of a role as well.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Peyton Watson is Ruled Out for Game 1 on Saturday
Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (hamstring) has been ruled out ahead of Saturday's Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Watson missed the final five games of the regular season due to a lingering hamstring issue. He has been limited to non-contact work in practice. With that being said, Watson hasn't made enough progress to get back on the court yet. Cameron Johnson should start with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown seeing expanded roles off the bench. Johnson could be an interesting DFS option without Watson available for at least the first game of this series.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Moussa Diabate is Available on Friday
Charlotte Hornets center Moussa Diabate (hip) is available to play ahead of Friday's Play-In game against the Orlando Magic. Diabate will shake the questionable tag and suit up for this elimination contest. The big man finished with eight points and 14 rebounds during the first Play-In victory over the Miami Heat. He played 36 minutes during that game and figures to have a similar role during Friday's game. DFS players should take a look at Diabte as a possible double-double threat against the Magic. Ryan Kalkbrenner and Grant Williams will see backup minutes behind him, but they won't be as appealing DFS options.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Ayo Dosunmu is Available for Saturday's Game
Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Ayo Dosunmu (calf) has been removed from the injury report ahead of Saturday's playoff contest against the Denver Nuggets. Dosunmu missed the regular season finale due to a calf issue, but he appears to be fine now. The Wolves are glad to have Dosunmu back for the beginning of this series. Over the last 10 games, Dosunmu is averaging 18.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. It's unclear if he'll start or come off the bench, but regardless, Dosunmu should play an important role for the Wolves during the postseason.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Anthony Edwards Questionable for Saturday's Action
Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Anthony Edwards (knee) is questionable for Saturday's Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets. Due to a knee issue, Edwards played in only three of the last 14 regular-season games, and it looks like he still hasn't fully recovered. Minnesota would be in serious trouble against the Nuggets if Edwards can't play. Mike Conley, Ayo Dosunmu, and Bones Hyland all benefited from Edwards' ongoing health issues late in the regular season and could now also get extra work during the playoffs.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Jonathan Isaac Remains Out Friday
Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac (knee) will miss Friday's Play-In Tournament Game against the Charlotte Hornets. The team has downgraded his status from questionable to out. Isaac is struggling to overcome a left knee sprain, having last played on March 12. That said, the Magic can cope just fine with his absence. During the regular season, Isaac averaged only 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
