NBA Player News

Kornet (thigh) said Friday that he'll miss about a week, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.

Kornet missed Thursday's win over the Cavaliers and was already ruled out for Friday's contest against the Magic. The backup big man is now slated to miss at least a handful of contests, opening up playing time for Neemias Queta, Lamar Stevens and Oshae Brissett.

Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford said Mensah will be available to make his NBA debut during Friday's game against New Orleans, Sam Perley of the Hornets' official site reports.

The Hornets will be shorthanded in the frontcourt Friday with Mark Williams (back) and P.J. Washington (shoulder) unavailable, so Mensah will have an opportunity to see some minutes, likely off the bench. He's averaged 10.3 points and 8.4 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game over 14 appearances for the G League's Greensboro Swarm this year and signed a two-way contract with the Hornets on Thursday, but he's unlikely to see as much work with the parent club.

Williams (back) won't play in Friday's game versus the Pelicans.

Williams will miss his third straight game Friday after being downgraded from doubtful to out with a lower back contusion. His next chance to suit up is Saturday's matchup with Philadelphia.

Adebayo (hip) won't play in Saturday's game versus the Bulls.

Adebayo's absence streak will extend to seven games Saturday due to a left hip contusion. Orlando Robinson will likely continue to start in his absence, though his minutes have been slipping. Adebayo's next chance to suit up is Monday's matchup with Minnesota.

Robinson put up one point (0-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and two rebounds over 14 minutes in Thursday's 124-116 loss to Chicago.

After promising performances in his first two starts, Robinson has since cooled off, seeing his minutes gradually decrease as he splits time at center with Thomas Bryant. He has averaged 8.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.5 steals across 21.7 minutes per game in his six starts, but he will likely return to the third-string role once Bam Adebayo (hip) is cleared to return.

Sabonis contributed 18 points (8-14 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 16 rebounds and seven assists across 40 minutes during Thursday's 128-123 win over the Thunder.

De'Aaron Fox stole the show with his 41-point performance Thursday, but there's no question Sabonis played a prominent role in the win as well. Aside from containing the threat of Chet Holmgren, Sabonis was impressive on offense and played his usual facilitator role, ending just three dimes away from recording what would've been his third triple-double of the season. Sabonis has averaged 17.7 points, 14.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game since the start of December.

Lively totaled 15 points (7-9 FG, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, two blocks and one steal over 32 minutes during Thursday's 119-101 loss to the Timberwolves.

Lively was efficient from the field and continues to benefit from a pick-and-roll rapport with Luka Doncic, as the former's above-average length and athleticism allow him to finish near the rim with confidence. The former Duke standout has been better than advertised this season and has settled into a starting role right away. He's averaged 9.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game over his last 10 contests.

Reid notched 27 points (8-14 FG, 7-11 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds, three assists and one steal in 31 minutes during Thursday's 119-101 victory over the Mavericks.

Reid tied a franchise record with seven threes made off the bench in the win, and his contributions were pivotal as Minnesota sparked a comeback following a slow start in the first quarter. Reid has been forced to play off the bench since Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns are the starting frontcourt, but he's finding ways to make an impact, particularly on the offensive end. Over his last 10 games, Reid is averaging 14.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while also scoring in double digits in each of his last five appearances.

Towns logged 21 points (8-14 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 17 rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes during Thursday's 119-101 victory over Dallas.

Towns was one of the main reasons why the Timberwolves were able to overcome a slow start and win on the road against Luka Doncic and Dallas, as the star big man made his presence felt on both ends of the court with his aggressiveness on the glass and efficiency with his shooting. Towns has formed an excellent frontcourt partnership alongside Rudy Gobert, and he's making a big impact on a Minnesota team that looks every bit of a contender following the first seven weeks of the season. Towns has five double-doubles over his last seven contests, averaging 21.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in that span.

Horford (rest) is out for Friday's game versus the Magic due to rest purposes, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston reports.

Horford hasn't suffered any injury but will sit out the second leg of Boston's back-to-back against Orlando. With Luke Kornet (groin) out and Kristaps Porzingis (calf) doubtful, Neemias Queta will likely be the Celtics' only available big man. Horford should be able to suit up for Sunday's rematch with the Magic.