NBA Player News

Coach Joe Mazzulla said Sunday that Kornet (calf) is "week-to-week" after suffering a calf injury at practice this week, Brian Robb of The Springfield Republican reports.

Kornet's injury opens the door for Xavier Tillman to log third-string center minutes and step into the occasional frontcourt mismatch scenario with his strength. Kornet averaged just 2.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 4.0 minutes across eight postseason appearances last year, so there isn't precedent for much rotational change in Boston.

Robinson racked up eight points (3-5 FG, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds, one assist, four blocks and one steal across 30 minutes during Saturday's 111-104 victory over the 76ers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Robinson's blocked shots came as a mix of interior defense and swatting jumpers on the perimeter while also racking up seven offensive rebounds as part of his dominant presence in the paint. He and Isaiah Hartenstein accounted for all of the team's minutes at center, with the latter logging just 18 minutes of action Saturday.

Embiid notched 29 points (8-22 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 11-12 FT), eight rebounds, six assists and two steals in 37 minutes during Saturday's 111-104 loss to the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Embiid exited late in the second quarter of Saturday's contest after lobbing a dunk off the backboard to himself and landing solely on his left leg. He returned after halftime, with Philadelphia battling to take leads late in the third and early in the fourth quarter. Embiid also tweaked his knee April 12 in his fifth game back following meniscus surgery, but he returned to that contest as well. On Saturday, Embiid touched on the still-growing trust in fully utilizing his athleticism, acknowledging that feeling tweaks and dealing with pain will be a natural occurrence down the stretch, but that his knee is structurally sound. Mitchell Robinson is a formidable matchup against a less-explosive Embiid, but Embiid's scoring gravity and defensive anchoring were huge for Philadelphia on Saturday. He finished with a plus-14 net rating during his time on the court, representing a notable margin of victory across 37 minutes

Davis had 32 points (12-23 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 8-9 FT), 14 rebounds, five assists and four blocks over 44 minutes during Saturday's 114-103 loss to the Nuggets in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Davis led the Lakers in scoring and posted a massive stat line, but his efforts were not enough for the Lakers, as the Nuggets ran away with the game in the second half despite their slow start. Regardless of the outcome, Davis was one of the top individual performers in Saturday's playoff slate, and he should continue to operate as a key asset for the Lakers on both ends of the court in Game 2 on Monday.

Jokic closed with 32 points (15-23 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 12 rebounds, seven assists and two steals over 39 minutes during Saturday's 114-103 victory over the Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

The Nuggets endured a slow start, but Jokic was the architect behind the offensive revival in the second quarter, and his play down the stretch was simply unstoppable. Jokic ended just three assists away from a triple-double, and while he has a tough matchup in Anthony Davis, Jokic should continue to fill the stat sheet with absolute ease regardless of who he matches up against.

Allen finished Saturday's 97-83 victory over the Magic in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals with 16 points (6-10 FG, 4-6 FT), 18 rebounds, two assists and two steals in 35 minutes.

Allen and Evan Mobley formed a devastating tandem in the frontcourt, and Allen made his presence felt on the glass due to his length and tenacity defensively. Allen recorded his fifth double-double over his last six appearances, and the big man should continue to perform at a high level in a favorable matchup.

Embiid (knee) started the third quarter of Saturday's game against the Knicks, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reports.

Embiid left Saturday's contest in the second quarter following an awkward fall after throwing an alley-oop to himself. However, the star big man, who was helped off the court after that sequence, started the third quarter, and he's expected to play for as long as he's able to.

Davis (back) has been upgraded to available for Game 1 against the Nuggets on Saturday, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.

Similar to what happens with LeBron James, Davis has been listed on the injury report pretty much the entire season but has been available for every important game, so his availability is not surprising here. The star big man should handle his regular workload, as well as his regular usage rate, in the playoff opener.

Embiid headed to the locker room during the second quarter of Saturday's game against the Knicks with an apparent knee injury, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reports.

Embiid made a spectacular play after throwing an alley-oop to himself, but he grabbed his left knee after landing and was helped off the court before going to the locker room. If Embiid can't return, that would mean a significant turn of events for a Sixers team that struggled massively without the star big man. Paul Reed should see more minutes if Embiid is unable to return to the game.

Gafford (elbow) is not on the official injury report and will be available for Game 1 of the opening-round series against the Clippers on Sunday.

With Dallas already locked into its playoff matchup, Gafford didn't play in the Mavericks' final game of the regular season. He shouldn't have any limitations for the playoff opener against the Clippers. He averaged 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game over his last 10 appearances and should continue to start at center, though Dereck Lively (knee) will also be available.