NBA Player News

Adebayo finished Friday's 112-91 Play-In Game win over the Bulls with 13 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-4 FT), four rebounds, four assists and two blocks over 32 minutes.

Adebayo didn't have the type of performance one would expect in a big-time game, but he was calculated in his chances and enjoyed the show as Tyler Herro led the Heat to victory with a massive showing. Friday marked Adebayo's lowest rebounding total since April 10, so he'll need to get back on track on the glass early during Miami's upcoming series against Boston if the Heat are going to pull off another upset.

Davis (back) is probable for Saturday's Game 1 against Denver, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.

Davis continues to be added to the injury report due to low back soreness, but the issue isn't expected to keep him out of Saturday's action. The team should confirm his availability closer to tipoff.

Drummond (ankle) is available for Friday's Play-In Game against the Heat, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Drummond missed the final three games of the regular season with a left ankle sprain but returned to action for Wednesday's victory over Atlanta, putting up four points, four rebounds, three blocks and a steal in 11 minutes. In a win-or-go-home scenario, the Bulls may limit Drummond's playing time again, especially if Nikola Vucevic stays out of foul trouble.

Embiid is questionable for Game 1 of the first-round series against the Knicks on Saturday due to left knee injury recovery.

Embiid appeared in five of the final seven regular-season matchups, averaging 30.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks in 30.6 minutes, after returning from a 29-game absence at the beginning of April. He also posted 23 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and a steal in 38 minutes during Philadelphia's Play-In victory over Miami on Wednesday. Embiid will likely be a regular on the injury report throughout the postseason, but barring a setback or new injury, it'd be surprising if the reigning MVP missed time.

Coach Jason Kidd said Friday that Lively (knee) is trending in the right direction and is on track to play in Sunday's Game 1 against the Clippers, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Lively missed the final eight regular-season games due to a right knee sprain but returned to full practices this week and has avoided a setback thus far. If available, the rookie will likely handle a backup role behind Daniel Gafford, but Lively has proven to be an excellent fit in Dallas and should still play around 20 minutes per game in the playoffs.

The Spurs announced Thursday that Collins suffered a torn labrum in the regular-season finale against the Pistons on April 14 and will undergo surgery in the offseason, Nick Moyle of The San Antonio Express News reports.

Collins will undergo shoulder surgery in the coming days, and even though a specific date has not been determined yet, the Spurs expect the veteran big man to fully recover for the start of the 2024-25 season. He averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.8 blocks per game across 69 appearances this year, which included a career-high 29 starts.

Drummond (ankle) is questionable for Friday's Play-In Game against Miami.

Drummond returned to action for Wednesday's Play-In Game against Atlanta after missing the final three games of the regular season due to a sprained left ankle. He tallied four points (2-4 FG), four rebounds, three blocks and one steal in 11 minutes in the Bulls' 131-116 win. Though he's listed as questionable heading into Friday's contest, Drummond will most likely be available to serve as the Bulls' backup center in a win-or-go-home game for both teams.

Embiid logged 23 points (6-17 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 15 rebounds, five assists and one steal over 38 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game victory over Miami.

Embiid had a complicated matchup against Bam Adebayo, arguably one of the best defensive centers in the NBA, and even though Embiid's efficiency was subpar, he still led Philadelphia in scoring while coming through with a clutch performance from the charity stripe. Embiid should be in line for a productive first-round series against the Knicks, and even though he only faced them once in the regular season, he delivered a 30-point, 10-rebound, three-block performance on Jan. 5.

Adebayo posted 10 points (5-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt), 12 rebounds, one assist and two blocks across 31 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game loss to the 76ers.

Adebayo wasn't as involved as expected on the offensive end of the court, as he had to deal with a tough matchup against Joel Embiid, but he still found a way to finish with a double-double even though the Heat lost. Knowing the Heat will be without Jimmy Butler (knee) for Friday's game against the Bulls, Adebayo should experience an uptick in usage rate and volume while matching up against Nikola Vucevic, who's not as talented as Embiid on the defensive end of the court.

Vucevic notched 24 points (11-21 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 12 rebounds and two assists in 37 minutes during Wednesday's 131-116 Play-In Game victory over the Hawks.

Although Coby White's heroics headlined the game, the most interesting positional battle occurred inside, where Vucevic and Clint Capela went toe-to-toe. Although Capela out-rebounded Vucevic, the Chicago big man displayed his ability to stretch the floor, forcing Capela to play further out. The result was a vulnerable interior defense for the Hawks, and the rest of the team took advantage with productive slashes to the basket. Things won't get any easier for Vucevic in the next game, as he'll face Bam Adebayo in a battle for the eighth seed.