NBA Player News

Gobert (back) will not play in Friday's game against Utah.

Gobert will now miss his sixth consecutive game due to his back injury, and it is uncertain when he will return. With Julius Randle (groin), Anthony Edwards (suspension) and Gobert all out, Minnesota will turn to its second unit to step up in Friday's matchup with the Jazz. Naz Reid will likely start again in Gobert's absence.

The Spurs will sign Biyombo to a contract for the remainder of the season following the expiration of his second 10-day pact, NBA reporter Chris Haynes reports.

The veteran center impressed the Spurs enough to earn a rest-of-season contract, and he should continue to see significant playing time with Victor Wembanyama (shoulder) out for the season. Biyombo has started in all five appearances with San Antonio, averaging 6.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while shooting 66.7 percent from the field in 19.0 minutes per game. He logged back-to-back outings with a double-double in that five-game span.

Porzingis (illness) is questionable for Friday's game against Cleveland, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports.

Porzingis was a late addition to the injury report due to the non-COVID illness. The big man missed Tuesday's win over the Raptors due to an illness, though he was able to suit up during Wednesday's loss to Detroit, during which he posted 11 points (4-11 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 1-3 FT), three steals, two rebounds and one assist over 26 minutes. If Porzingis is sidelined Friday, Al Horford, Luke Kornet (personal) and Neemias Queta are all candidates for a bump in minutes.

Embiid (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against Golden State, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Embiid will miss his third consecutive contest due to the left knee injury, and his next chance to play will come Monday against Portland. However, the star big man was held out of Friday's practice, which bodes poorly for his return to game action by Monday. Embiid has appeared in only eight outings since Jan. 1, averaging 23.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 0.9 blocks across 31.5 minutes per contest.

Embiid (knee) did not participate in Friday's practice, Kyle Neubeck of AllPHLY.com reports.

Embiid has missed the club's last two outings due to the left knee injury, and his absence from practices does not bode well for his potential return ahead of Saturday's game against the Warriors. The Sixers are expected to update the star big man's status Friday afternoon, though he can be considered questionable at best for Saturday's contest until then. Embiid has appeared in only eight games since Jan. 1, averaging 23.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 0.9 blocks across 31.5 minutes per contest.

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said prior to Thursday's 111-102 loss to the Lakers that Gobert (back) and Julius Randle (groin) are both "close" to playing in games, but no formal target date for either player has been established, Charlie Walton of ZoneCoverage.com reports. "We don't anticipate either of them in the near, near future, but they are both going in the right direction," Finch said of Gobert and Randle.

Though Minnesota returned Donte DiVincenzo (toe) from an extended absence Thursday, the team looks as though it'll have to wait a bit longer to get back to full strength while Gobert and Randle are on the mend from injuries. Based on Finch's comments, Gobert and Randle can both be ruled out for the second leg of Minnesota's back-to-back set Friday in Utah, and a return from either player in the final game of the road trip Sunday in Phoenix may be ambitious. Naz Reid and Jalen McDaniels should continue to benefit from elevated playing time in the frontcourt until Gobert and Randle return. Gobert hasn't played since Feb. 12 due to low back injury maintenance.

Reid recorded three points (1-10 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 12 rebounds and two assists across 31 minutes during Thursday's 111-102 loss to the Lakers.

Reid delivered an abysmal performance from the field, recording single-digit points for the 13th matchup this season. The big man also failed to hit a three-pointer for just the eighth time during the 2024-25 campaign. On the bright side, Reid logged at least 10 rebounds for the seventh time across his last 10 outings, and he has reached double-digit rebounds in 10 outings this season.

Holmgren is listed as questionable for Friday's game against Atlanta due to a right calf contusion, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.

Holmgren was a late addition to the injury report due to the calf contusion, which is a new injury for the big man. If the 22-year-old is sidelined, Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams are candidates for an uptick in playing time. Over his last five outings, Holmgren has averaged 16.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 blocks, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals across 28.6 minutes per contest.

Williams finished with 26 points (10-18 FG, 6-7 FT), 16 rebounds, three assists and one block over 31 minutes during Thursday's 103-96 loss to the Mavericks.

Williams capitalized on a depleted Mavericks frontcourt by registering his 10th double-double of the season and scoring a game-high 26 points Thursday. The star big man has been rolling since the middle of January, as evidenced by his averages of 18.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 blocks in 30.0 minutes while shooting 54.4 percent from the field across his last 14 appearances. As long as he stays healthy, Williams should continue playing a featured role in the middle for the injury-ravaged Hornets.

Jokic recorded 32 points (13-16 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 5-7 FT), 14 rebounds, 10 assists and one steal over 37 minutes in Thursday's 121-112 loss to Milwaukee.

Jokic once again shined for Denver in Thursday's contest, shooting a near-perfect mark from the field while pacing all Nuggets in scoring, rebounds and assists in another triple-double performance. Jokic has been a triple-double machine all season long, and he recorded his fifth triple-double over the last 10 games.