NBA Player News

Williams (hand) is out for Boston's game Thursday against Bucks, Zack Cox of the Boston Herald reports.

Williams needs to miss at least one contest due to a hairline fracture in his hand. It's unclear how much time he'll be sidelined with the injury, but the two-way player appears to be getting evaluated on a day-to-day basis after missing the Maine Celtics' G League win over the Capital City Go-Go on Wednesday.

Lively is slated to undergo season-ending surgery in the coming days to address lingering discomfort in his right foot, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

Lively sought multiple opinions on his foot since suffering a setback in his last appearance Nov. 21, but doctors determined that surgery was the best course of action. The 21-year-old is expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2026-27 season. He made just seven appearances during his third NBA season, posting averages of 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per contest. Daniel Gafford is likely to have a higher minutes floor for the rest of the season with Lively out of the mix, and Moussa Cisse and Dwight Powell could continue to see more opportunities in backup roles.

Poeltl posted 10 points (5-7 FG), nine rebounds, three assists and two steals over 25 minutes during Tuesday's 117-101 loss to New York.

Poeltl has been a steady presence in the interior, averaging 11.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks in his last 14 games. He figures to continue holding down his role as the team's starting center, shooting a whopping 71.7 percent from the field.

Bitadze ended with seven points (3-4 FG, 1-1 FT), six rebounds, one assist and two blocks across 17 minutes during Tuesday's 117-108 win over the Heat.

Bitadze extends his block streak to eight games, averaging 6.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.5 blocks across 17.4 minutes in that span. He has done a fine job backing up Wendell Carter and continues to be a great source of blocks and rebounds for fantasy managers.

New York assigned Hukporti to the G League's Westchester Knicks on Tuesday.

Hukporti has 16 appearances to his name at the NBA level this season for an average of 7.9 minutes per contest, so this move will allow him to get some additional reps.

Robinson produced two points (2-8 FT), five rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal in 16 minutes during Tuesday's 117-101 victory over the Raptors.

Robinson shifted back to the bench with Karl-Anthony Towns returning from a one-game absence due to calf tightness. After being a regular fixture in the starting lineup to begin the season, it appears as though New York has gone away from the idea of playing two bigs, instead opting to play Robinson as the backup behind Towns. Through 16 games, Robinson has averaged 8.2 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 17.5 minutes per contest, making him nothing more than a streaming option in standard formats.

Towns accumulated 14 points (4-11 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 16 rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal in 31 minutes during Tuesday's 117-101 victory over the Raptors.

Towns was back in action after missing the previous game due to a minor calf concern. Despite being banged up for much of the season, Towns has missed just one game. He continues to be the second option on offense behind Jalen Brunson, averaging 22.1 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.9 three-pointers in 33.0 minutes per game.

Carter supplied 14 points (6-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt), 10 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal over 31 minutes during Tuesday's 117-108 victory over the Heat.

After scoring eight points on 2-of-8 shooting during Sunday's loss to New York, Carter bounced back and delivered an extremely efficient performance in Tuesday's NBA Cup quarterfinals win. The big man also grabbed a game-high mark in rebounds, securing his first double-double since Nov. 18 and fourth on the campaign. While the 26-year-old isn't guaranteed to score in double figures on a nightly basis, his efficiency against Miami is encouraging after he shot just 31.8 percent from the field in his last three appearances.

Adebayo logged 19 points (7-14 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 5-6 FT), eight rebounds, three blocks, two assists and one steal over 36 minutes during Tuesday's 117-108 loss to Orlando.

After scoring nine points in a quiet offensive performance during Saturday's loss to Sacramento, Adebayo bounced back and finished as one of four Heat players with 19-plus points. The 28-year-old has now scored at least 19 points in four of his last five appearances. The star big man led Miami in rebounds as well, grabbing seven or more boards for a seventh straight game. Additionally, he matched his season-high mark in blocks, tallying multiple swats for the third time in his last five appearances.

Kleber is listed as questionable for Wednesday's NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup against the Spurs due to a lumbar muscle strain.

It's unclear when Kleber sustained the injury, given that he hasn't played in coach's decisions in two of the Lakers' last three games. His potential absence Wednesday won't open up extra playing time for other Los Angeles reserves.