NBA Player News

Williams (foot) won't play in Friday's game versus the Celtics.

Williams will miss his fifth game to start the season Friday while dealing with a left foot strain. Nick Richards should continue to start in his absence. While there is no timetable for Williams' return, his next chance to suit up is Saturday's rematch with Boston.

Claxton (hamstring) is available for Friday's game versus the Bulls, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Claxton will return to action Friday after sitting out the second leg of Brooklyn's back-to-back. While the 25-year-old big man is expected to re-enter the starting lineup soon, it is unclear if that will come against Chicago.

Bitadze (foot) is listed as questionable for Friday's game versus the Cavaliers, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Bitadze could miss his third straight game Friday due to a left foot strain. However, Bitadze's potential absence shouldn't significantly impact Orlando's rotation.

Kornet notched eight points (1-5 FG, 6-6 FT), nine rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes during Wednesday's 135-132 overtime loss to Indiana.

Kornet's perfect shooting from the charity stripe helped him record his most points through the first five games of the 2024-25 campaign. The 29-year-old big man is averaging 3.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.0 minutes.

Sarr registered 11 points (3-9 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, two assists, four blocks and one steal in 23 minutes during Wednesday's 133-120 win over the Hawks.

Sarr continued to struggle with his efficiency but managed to make a strong defensive impact. The rookie big man has tallied at least two blocks and one steal in each of his last three appearances. However, Sarr is still shooting 29.7 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from three.

Wembanyama closed with six points (1-5 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and three blocks in 27 minutes during Wednesday's 105-93 loss to the Thunder.

An undisclosed reason caused Wembanyama to briefly exit Wednesday's contest as he played his fewest minutes of the season. When the 20-year-old big man was on the court, he was on the losing end of a marquee matchup with Chet Holmgren. Wembanyama is off to a slow start this season, shooting just 40.7 percent from the field and 19.0 percent from three.

Poeltl finished with 20 points (10-14 FG), 16 rebounds, two assists and two steals in 35 minutes during Wednesday's 138-133 loss to the Hornets.

Poeltl has posted back-to-back double-doubles despite the Raptors coming up short in Wednesday's contest. The 29-year-old big man is off to a great start to the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 13.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 blocks in 31.8 minutes across five regular-season appearances. However, Poeltl's field-goal percentage is down to 56.0 percent after shooting 65.6 percent last year.

Jackson-Davis posted 15 points (7-9 FG, 1-2 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and one block over 20 minutes during Wednesday's 104-89 victory over the Pelicans.

Jackson-Davis recorded a season-high 15 points and tied his high-water mark with nine rebounds in Wednesday's win. The second-year big man has started in each of his first five regular-season appearances, averaging 9.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 19.0 minutes. Jackson-Davis is also shooting 77.7 percent from the field over that span.

Edey totaled 13 points (6-9 FG, 1-2 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one steal across 18 minutes during Wednesday's 119-106 loss to the Nets.

Edey tied his personal-best scoring mark in this game. Even though he's scored in double digits in just two of his five contests so far, the rookie seems to be getting more comfortable with each passing game. Excluding his NBA debut in which he fouled out after playing just 15 minutes, Edey is averaging 9.8 points and 4.3 rebounds across a mere 17.0 minutes per game.

Okongwu had two points (1-5 FG, 0-4 3Pt), three rebounds and two assists over 24 minutes during Wednesday's 133-120 loss to the Wizards.

Okongwu returned to action Wednesday after missing Washington's previous contest with a toe injury. While the 23-year-old big man had a great Opening Night, he is averaging just 7.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.3 minutes in his last three appearances. Until he can officially supplant Clint Capela as the Hawks' starting center, Okongwu's statistical output will likely continue to be inconsistent.