NBA Player News

Nurkic finished with 10 points (5-11 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-2 FT), 14 rebounds and four assists over 31 minutes during Tuesday's 105-93 loss to Minnesota in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Nurkic grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds to go with 10 points, tallying his first double-double of the series. While he was more involved, the Suns still came up short, falling behind 2-0 in the series. Game 3 will be in Phoenix on Friday, where Nurkic will look to be even more of a force on the interior against the size of the Timberwolves.

Gafford (back) returned to Tuesday's Game 2 against the Clippers with 7:54 remaining in the second quarter.

Gafford was deemed questionable to return after sustaining a lower back injury, but he returned to the court after missing approximately one quarter. The 24-year-old big man will look to make a bigger impact than he did in Game 1, when he tallied just three points and zero rebounds.

Gafford is questionable for the remainder of Tuesday's Game 2 against the Clippers due to a lower back injury.

Gafford recorded no stats in three minutes of action before exiting Tuesday's contest with 8:34 remaining in the first quarter due to a lower back injury. If Gafford is unable to return, Dereck Lively will likely serve as Dallas' primary center.

Jokic closed Monday's 101-99 win over the Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals with 27 points (9-16 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 7-7 FT), 20 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals across 41 minutes.

Jamal Murray might have grabbed most of the headlines after draining a buzzer-beating, game-winning shot to lift Denver to victory, but Jokic's contributions can't be overlooked, as the MVP favorite posted a triple-double while dealing with the menace of Anthony Davis on both ends of the court. Jokic extended an impressive run that has seen him record a double-double or a triple-double in each of his last 16 games, a span in which he's averaging 28.3 points, 13.4 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game.

Davis ended Monday's 101-99 loss to the Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals with 32 points (14-19 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 39 minutes.

Davis has led the Lakers in scoring in each of the first two games of the series, but despite producing back-to-back 30-plus point efforts in the matchup against Nikola Jokic, the Lakers have fallen short of victory both times. Davis will likely land on the injury report ahead of Game 3, but given the situation and the workload he's handled in the first two games of the series, the star big man shouldn't have problems being active for Game 3 on Thursday.

Embiid totaled 34 points (12-29 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 8-12 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists and one block over 39 minutes during Monday's 104-101 loss to the Knicks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Despite laboring up and down the court at times, Embiid showed no ill effects of his lingering knee injury and logged a full workload in the loss, but his prolific line wasn't enough to turn the tide. Embiid and Tyrese Maxey got no help from their teammates as the rest of the roster ended with fewer points than Embiid alone.

Allen finished with 16 points (6-10 FG, 4-8 FT), 20 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals over 39 minutes in Cleveland's 96-86 win over Orlando in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series.

Allen did it all to help Cleveland take a commanding 2-0 series lead, leading all players in Monday's contest in rebounds while pacing the Cavaliers in blocks to go along with a pair of steals in a double-double performance. Allen has owned the glass over the first two games of the opening-round series, recording at least 18 rebounds and a double-double in both contests.

Davis (back) has been cleared to play in Monday's Game 2 against Denver, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.

Davis was labeled as probable for Monday's matchup due to low back soreness, and he's since been given the green light to suit up. He'll need another big performance in Game 2 for LA to even the series.

Embiid (left knee injury recovery) has been cleared to play in Monday's Game 2 against the Knicks, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.

Embiid and Tyrese Maxey (illness) will suit up Monday, although coach Nick Nurse noted that Maxey will operate at less than 100 percent while still dealing with symptoms. Embiid logged 37 minutes of action despite briefly exiting Saturday's contest before halftime, so he'll likely be leaned on even if gimpy.

Embiid (left knee injury management) is a game-time decision for Monday's Game 2 versus the Knicks, Derek Bodner of AllPHLY.com reports.

Embiid and Tyrese Maxey (illness) will both be game-time calls Monday. Coach Nick Nurse remarked that "availability will be determined after they each go through their pregame workout routine" in advance of a 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff.