NBA Player News

Allen (ankle) posted 10 points (4-6 FG, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal across 21 minutes in Friday's 121-116 loss to the Pacers.

Allen picked up four fouls in the contest, but the Cavaliers may have been planning to limit his minutes anyway since he was making his season debut Friday after missing the team's first five games while recovering from an ankle sprain. Cleveland immediately reinserted Allen into the starting five at center, shifting Evan Mobley over to power forward while Isaac Okoro shifted to the bench. Assuming he's able to avoid foul trouble, Allen could see his minutes tick up a bit in Sunday's game against the Warriors.

Jokic finished Friday's 125-114 victory over the Mavericks with 33 points (14-16 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 3-5 FT), 14 rebounds, nine assists, one block and one steal in 36 minutes.

He went toe to toe with Luka Doncic and both came away with over 30 points and near triple-doubles, but Jokic got more support from his teammates. The Denver big man is already producing at his usual MVP-caliber level, scoring at least 22 points with double-digit boards in six straight games to begin the season, and he's shooting at a career-best pace from both the floor (64.5 percent) and from beyond the arc (40.9 percent).

Jokic (back) is good to go for Friday's game and will start against the Mavericks, Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com reports.

Jokic was carrying a probable tag before this update. It's worth noting that Friday's game is the front end of a back-to-back set, but there's no indication that Jokic will have any restrictions.

Gafford (ankle) is in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Heat, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.

Gafford was listed as available earlier Friday, so his presence in the starting unit is not surprising. His return from a two-game absence will move Mike Muscala to the bench. Gafford averaged 8.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game over his first two appearances this year.

Allen (ankle) is in the starting five for Friday's game versus the Pacers, Serena Winters of Bally Sports Cleveland reports.

Allen has been upgraded from questionable to available Friday after missing the first five games of the season with an ankle injury but will be on a minutes restriction. He will start alongside Evan Mobley in the frontcourt.

Queta (foot) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Nets, Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald reports.

Queta continues to deal with a foot issue and will be unavailable for a third consecutive game. However, his continued absence shouldn't impact the Celtics' rotation.

Eubanks closed Thursday's 132-121 loss to San Antonio with 13 points (5-9 FG, 3-3 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one block in 27 minutes.

Eubanks saw his highest minutes total of the young season during Thursday's matchup since the Suns fell behind early. He performed well with his uptick in playing time, scoring in double figures for the second time in the last three games. The 26-year-old also had more minutes than Jusuf Nurkic, who played 19 minutes. While Eubanks has seen ample playing time early in the year off the bench, it's unclear whether he'll be able to consistently outpace Nurkic in playing time during more competitive matchups.

Gafford (ankle) is available for Friday's game against the Heat.

While Gafford initially carried a questionable designation for Friday's matchup, he'll ultimately be able to suit up after missing the last two games with a sprained left ankle. He averaged 8.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game over his first two appearances this year, and he's not facing any limitations during his return to game action.

Allen (ankle) took part in the Cavaliers' morning shootaround Friday, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Allen hasn't yet made his season debut due to a bone bruise in his left ankle, but he's questionable for Friday's matchup against the Pacers. While his availability for the game is still up in the air, his participation in the team's shootaround is certainly encouraging.

Collins supplied 19 points (7-10 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds and four assists over 35 minutes during Thursday's 132-121 win over Phoenix.

While rookie Victor Wembanyama did most of the heavy lifting for the Spurs, his veteran frontcourt partner also chipped in a season-best effort both in points and boards. Collins is still looking for his first double-double of the campaign after producing a career-high nine in 63 games for the Spurs last season, but with the focus of the team's game plan quickly shifting toward Wembanyama, he may not see the same opportunities he did down the stretch in 2022-23 following the Jakob Poeltl trade.