NBA Player News

Porzingis (foot) is available for Monday's game against the Clippers, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.

As expected, Porzingis has been upgraded from probable to available and will make his season debut Monday. With Al Horford (illness) and Luke Kornet (hamstring) out, Porzingis will start Monday but probably won't play 30-plus minutes.

Claxton is doubtful for Monday's game against the Warriors due to lower back soreness.

Claxton was a very late addition to the injury report and is now expected to sit out the second half of Brooklyn's back-to-back set. The Nets were already going to be shorthanded, but Claxton's expected absence puts their frontcourt in serious jeopardy, with Trendon Watford (hamstring) and Cameron Johnson likely playing heavy minutes at center.

Carter (foot) has been ruled out for Monday's game against Charlotte.

Carter will miss his 12th straight game due to left plantar fasciitis, and his next opportunity to play will be against Chicago on Wednesday. Goga Bitadze should continue to serve as the Magic's starting center due to Carter's injury.

Adams (knee) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Timberwolves.

Adams will miss the first half of Houston's upcoming back-to-back set, marking a second straight absence after he missed the second half of a back-to-back set Saturday. This is the first multi-game absence for the veteran since the beginning of the season, and he can be considered questionable for Wednesday's game in Philadelphia.

Hayes (ankle) is probable for Tuesday's game against the Suns, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.

Hayes has been sidelined for nearly two weeks due to a left ankle sprain, but he's progressing towards a return which is great news for the Lakers. In 10 appearances this season, Hayes made a strong impact in limited minutes with averages of 6.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks.

Turner (calf) is questionable for Monday's game against the Pelicans.

Turner has appeared in three straight games for the Pacers, but he's back on the injury report with a familiar issue. Monday's game is the second leg of a back-to-back set, so the Pacers could hold him out as a precaution. If Turner is unable to play, the Pacers could turn to Jarace Walker and Obi Toppin to pick up the slack.

Charlotte assigned Richards (ribs) to the G League's Greensboro Swarm on Monday.

Richards will miss his 12th game in a row when Charlotte plays the Magic on Monday, but he and fellow center Mark Williams (foot) will both link up with the Swarm to take part in practice. Expect Richards to be immediately recalled after participating in practice, though it's unclear if he'll be ready to return to action for Charlotte's second game of the week Wednesday versus the Heat.

Charlotte assigned Williams (foot) to the G League's Greensboro Swarm on Monday.

Though Williams won't be available to play in the Hornets' game Monday against the Magic, he'll presumably be linking up with Charlotte's G League affiliate to take part in practice. Williams will likely rejoin the Hornets shortly after Monday's practice, but it's unclear if he'll be ready to make his season debut when Charlotte plays its second game of the week Wednesday versus the Heat. Nick Richards (ribs) looks to be on a similar timeline for a return as Williams, so Charlotte could get both of its top two centers back in action in relatively short order.

Bamba will not play Monday against the Celtics due to left knee injury recovery, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Bamba will miss the second leg of the Clippers' back-to-back set. Nicolas Batum could end up seeing more run as a small-ball center Monday behind starter Ivica Zubac while Bamba rests.

Sabonis racked up 13 points (6-12 FG, 1-3 3Pt), 18 rebounds, seven assists and one steal over 35 minutes during Sunday's 108-103 loss to the Nets.

The Kings endured a slow start Sunday. Despite the team's overall struggles, Sabonis was productive and finished just three assists away from a triple-double. The star big man has recorded either a double-double or triple-double in each of his outings except for the season opener. Sabonis' consistency levels are truly remarkable. He's averaging 18.4 points, 13.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.1 steals-plus-blocks in 11 outings since the beginning of November.