NBA Player News

Clingan (head) checked back into Tuesday's game versus the Nets with 10:56 remaining in the second quarter.

Clingan left Tuesday's contest in the first quarter but returned shortly after with a cut on his face, per Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan Portland. Regardless, the rookie big man should continue to operate as Portland's backup center to Deandre Ayton.

Clingan went back to the locker room after sustaining an apparent head injury in the first quarter of Tuesday's game against the Nets, Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan Portland reports.

Clingan took a knee to the head and was helped off the court by the training staff with a towel over his face. The rookie big man will likely undergo further testing to rule out a concussion, and he should be considered questionable to return until the team provides an update on his status.

Okongwu notched 22 points (9-14 FG, 4-5 FT), 21 rebounds, one assist and one steal over 28 minutes in Tuesday's 122-117 win over Phoenix.

Okongwu impressed off the Hawks bench in Tuesday's high-scoring contest, leading all players in rebounds while pacing the Atlanta second unit in scoring in a dominating 20-20 showcase. Okongwu set a new season high in rebounds, blowing past his previous season-best mark of 13 boards set Nov. 15. He has hauled in 10 or more rebounds in seven appearances while scoring north of 20 points on two occasions.

Lively has been ruled out for the remainder of Tuesday's game versus the Nuggets due to a right ankle sprain. He will finish the contest with four points (2-3 FG) and one block in four minutes.

Lively sprained his ankle early in the first quarter and was replaced by Daniel Gafford with 8:04 remaining in the period. The severity of the injury won't be known until Lively undergoes further testing, but he could face an uphill battle to gain clearance for Wednesday's game against the Pelicans. Gafford, Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell are likely to cover most of the minutes at center for the remainder of Tuesday's contest, and any additional games that Lively might miss.

Lively exited Tuesday's game versus the Nuggets with 8:04 remaining in the first quarter due to an apparent right ankle injury, Noah Weber of TheSmokingCuban.com reports.

Lively tallied four points (2-3 FG) and one block in four minutes before exiting Tuesday's contest early. If the second-year center is unable to return to action, Daniel Gafford, Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell could all receive increased playing time.

Clingan will come off the bench in Tuesday's game against Brooklyn, Casey Holdahl of the Trail Blazers' official site reports.

The rookie got the spot start for Deandre Ayton in Saturday's loss to Miami, during which Clingan posted eight points (4-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt), 10 rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal across 27 minutes. The big man should still see significant playing time off the bench against the Nets with Robert Williams (illness) sidelined.

Jokic (illness) has been cleared for Tuesday's game against the Mavericks.

Jokic will face the Mavericks for a second straight game, which bodes well for the Nuggets in this matchup. The veteran big man is having another MVP-caliber season for Denver, averaging a career-high 31.2 points along with 13.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game while shooting 55.5 percent from the floor, including 47.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Claxton (hamstring) is out for Tuesday's game against the Trail Blazers, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports.

The reeling Nets will be without their defensive anchor Tuesday, and Claxton's next chance to suit up comes during the second half of Brooklyn's back-to-back Wednesday against the Clippers. Noah Clowney should take on more responsibility from the starting lineup, and Day'Ron Sharpe appears to be a prime candidate to replace Claxton in the first unit against Portland.

Williams (illness) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Nets, Sean Highkin of Rip City Radio 620 Portland reports.

Williams will miss a third straight game, with the first being due to rest and the last two being the result of an illness. Deandre Ayton (calf) is returning from a one-game absence and should start Tuesday, while Donovan Clingan is locked in as the team's backup center. With that in mind, Williams likely would have been outside of the rotation against the Nets even if he had been available.

Landale (personal) is out for Wednesday's game against the Nuggets.

Landale won't be available for personal reasons Wednesday, and his next shot to rejoin Houston's lineup arrives Thursday against the Kings. Veteran big man Steven Adams has taken over as the top backup center behind Alperen Sengun lately, and the former should have a clear pathway to that role against Denver with Landale out of action.