NBA Player News

Boston recalled Williams from the G League's Maine Celtics on Thursday.

Williams has rejoined the parent club after a solid G League performance in which he tallied 29 points, seven rebounds and five blocks against the Motor City Cruise. The center will now aim to earn a place in the first team's rotation, although he may not play a huge role, having made just two starts while averaging 2.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game at the NBA level in 2026.

Gafford won't return to Thursday's game against the Lakers due to right ankle soreness. He tallied two points (1-2 FG), six rebounds, one assist and one block in 28 minutes.

Gafford was ruled out late in the fourth quarter with the game already decided, so his absence shouldn't have much of an impact on his team's rotation. The 27-year-old will have over a week to rest going into the All-Star break, with his next chance to take the court arriving Feb. 20 in Minnesota.

Clingan collected 23 points (8-12 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 7-9 FT), 18 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks across 31 minutes during Thursday's 135-119 victory over the Jazz.

Clingan posted a strong shooting performance, drilling 66.7 percent of his field-goal attempts on the night. He finished second on his club in scoring behind Jrue Holiday's 31 points, and Clingan dominated on the boards for a team-high 18 rebounds while also setting a new career high with his seven assists. He's now secured four double-doubles in seven February appearances.

Nurkic isn't in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Trail Blazers.

Nurkic will be available for Thursday's matchup, but the fact that he's not listed in the starting lineup is likely a sign that he won't see much if any playing time. Instead, it'll be up to Kyle Filipowski and Kevin Love to eat up minutes at center.

Ayton (knee), who has been ruled out for Thursday's game against Dallas, is being considered day-to-day, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.

All signs point to Ayton being cleared for a return after the All-Star break. The big man was sent for imaging to rule out a significant injury, and the results came back clean, per Dan Woike of The Athletic. Ayton will have just over another week to recover and rehab before the Lakers face off against the Clippers on Feb. 20.

Williams (knee) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Jazz.

Williams will be shut down Thursday due to left knee injury management. Yang Hansen should pick up some additional playing time with Williams out of commission.

Turner won't play Thursday against the Thunder due to right calf soreness.

Turner hadn't been added to the injury report leading up to Thursday's game, though he seemingly felt the calf issue pop up during warmups. Pete Nance, Bobby Portis and Ousmane Dieng should draw more opportunities in Turner's stead.

Ayton won't play in Thursday's game against Dallas due to right knee soreness, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.

Given the nature of the issue, it's fair to anticipate Ayton being able to return right away once the Lakers return from the All-Star break. Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber are primed to split the center minutes Thursday, with the former being the more appealing fantasy option of the two.

Nurkic finished with eight points (4-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt), nine rebounds, four assists and one steal in 26 minutes during Wednesday's 121-93 victory over Sacramento.

Utah's intentions when it comes to how much Nurkic will play down the stretch remain unclear, but what's certain is that the veteran center is producing at a high level when available. Nurkic has averaged 14.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.1 three-pointers in 29.4 minutes per contest in his last 16 games, shooting 47.2 percent from long range during this period.

Gobert contributed 17 points (5-7 FG, 7-10 FT), eight rebounds and one assist over 28 minutes during Wednesday's 133-109 victory over the Trail Blazers.

Gobert took a step in the right direction at the free-throw line Wednesday, but he's hitting a career-low 50.2 percent for the season. As for his counting stats, Gobert is averaging a double-double with 11.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.7 dimes and 1.6 blocks per contest.