NBA Player News

Lopez is part of the first unit for Saturday's game against the Mavericks.

Lopez will take the place of his brother, Brook Lopez (personal), for his first start of the regular season. While he should certainly take on a sizeable workload, it's likely that Lopez won't receive full starter minutes with Bobby Portis and Giannis Antetokounmpo expected to see action at the five spot.

Collins (ankle) is available for Saturday's game against the Cavaliers.

Collins returned from a three-game absence Friday against the Pelicans and finished with nine points (4-9 FG, 1-2 FT), three assists and two rebounds in 20 minutes, and it's a good sign that the Spurs are comfortable enough to let him play the second leg of this back-to-back set.

Allen (ankle) will be available for Saturday's game against San Antonio barring a setback during pre-game warmups, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Allen exited Thursday's game against the Grizzlies after sustaining a left ankle injury and did not return. However, it appears he's avoided serious injury and won't have to miss any time. Prior to the injury, Allen had recorded a double-double in 16 consecutive appearances.

Lively (nose) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against Milwaukee and won't be available for Monday's contest versus the 76ers, Grant Afseth of SI.com reports.

Lively is scheduled to undergo a procedure Monday to reset his broken nose, and though he had already been ruled out for the Mavericks' game in Philadelphia that day, he had a chance at being available Saturday if he felt comfortable playing with a fitted mask. The Mavericks ultimately decided to hold Lively out Saturday, so he'll end up missing at least three games due to the nasal injury before potentially returning for the second leg of a back-to-back set Tuesday in Brooklyn if he responds well to his upcoming procedure. Maxi Kleber, Richaun Holmes and Dwight Powell will likely absorb most of the minutes at center for whatever length of time Lively is sidelined.

Lopez (personal) won't play in Saturday's game against Dallas.

Lopez will miss the opening leg of the Bucks' back-to-back road set for personal reasons. In his absence, Bobby Portis and Robin Lopez should be expected to handle most of the center duties.

Gobert is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Rockets with a sprained left ankle.

Gobert lands a questionable tag for a second straight contest with a sprained ankle. He played through the injury Friday and logged a double-double across 39 minutes. If he can't suit up Sunday, Naz Reid and Luka Garza would likely handle larger workloads.

Muscala (concussion) is questionable Sunday against the Magic.

No surprise here, as Muscala was diagnosed with a concussion Friday. If he can't suit up, Kevin Knox would be a candidate for increased playing time.

Turner (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Hornets.

Turner missed Friday's game against the Kings, though it was the second leg of a back-to-back set and it's possible the Pacers were being cautious. Jalen Smith (back) is also questionable for Indiana, meaning they may have to rely on Isaiah Jackson again if they are shorthanded versus the Hornets.

Zubac (ankle) is considered questionable for Sunday's game versus Miami, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.

The Clippers slapped a four-week timetable on Zubac back on Jan. 16, but their starting center appears to be way ahead of schedule. Mason Plumlee has been holding down the fort at center in Zubac's absence with Daniel Theis soaking up the backup minutes. If Zubac does get the green light to return, he'll likely have restrictions early on.

Bagley (back) won't play in Sunday's game against the Suns.

Bagley will sit out for a second straight game, and it's unclear if he'll be ready to return Wednesday against the Cavaliers. On Friday versus Miami, the Wizards utilized a lot of smaller lineups, with Corey Kispert seeing extended minutes at power forward.