NBA Player News

Allen (ribs) is out for Saturday's Game 3 against the Celtics, Evan Dammarell of Right Down Euclid reports.

Allen has yet to see the court in the series against the Celtics, but he'll aim to be available for the Game 4 matchup on Monday. This means Evan Mobley will remain at center Saturday, while Isaac Okoro should also remain in the starting lineup.

Gafford (shoulder) has returned for the second half of Saturday's Game 3 against the Thunder, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports.

Gafford briefly went to the locker room in the second quarter grabbing at his left shoulder but was able to take the floor for the second half. If he's restricted due to the injury, Dereck Lively would be next in line for minutes.

Gafford exited in the second quarter of Game 3 against Oklahoma City on Saturday with a left shoulder injury, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports.

An injury to Gafford could be devastating for the Mavericks, as he's been a solid contributor down low for Dallas. If he's unable to return, then Dereck Lively would be in line for a bigger role.

Carter will undergo surgery to stabilize the third metacarpal in his left hand, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reported Saturday. Carter is expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2024-25 season.

In simpler terms, Carter will have a procedure to fully fix his left hand -- the same hand he sustained a fractured middle finger on early this season -- and is expected to be ready for the 2024-25 campaign. Carter missed a month and a half after sustaining the injury (which required surgery) in November but was able to return and appear in 55 games (48 starts) overall. He's set for re-evaluation four weeks after the procedure.

Turner notched 21 points (7-13 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist and three blocks over 35 minutes during Friday's 111-106 victory over the Knicks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Turner made his presence felt on both ends of the court Friday, tying his playoff-high mark in blocks while recording his first double-double of the current playoff run. The Pacers need Turner to continue making a two-way impact if they're going to turn things around in the series, especially considering how depleted the Knicks are in the frontcourt with Julius Randle (shoulder), Mitchell Robinson (ankle) and OG Anunoby (hamstring) all out for Game 4.

Jokic notched 24 points (10-18 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 14 rebounds, nine assists, three blocks and three steals over 38 minutes in Friday's 117-90 win over the Timberwolves in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Jokic did a little bit of everything for Denver in a much-needed Game 3 win on the road, leading all players in Friday's contest in rebounds, assists and blocks while adding a team-high-tying trio of steals and concluding as one of three Nuggets with 20 or more points. Jokic, who ended one dime shy of a triple-double, tallied his second straight double-double and has posted at least 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in every game of the conference semifinals thus far. Jokic looked much more comfortable in Game 3 than we saw earlier in the series, which could be great news for Denver as it tries to even the series.

Gobert tallied six points (3-5 FG, 0-2 FT), four rebounds and one assist over 27 minutes in Friday's 117-90 loss to the Nuggets in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Gobert returned in Game 3 after missing the previous contest due to the birth of his child, putting forth a quiet outing in Minnesota's first loss of the postseason. Gobert failed to reach double figures in both points and rebounds, not tallying 10 or more boards for the third time in the postseason and not crossing the double-digit scoring mark for the third time. In order for Minnesota to bounce back in Sunday's Game 4, Gobert may have to put together a much stronger showing than he did Friday in Minneapolis.

Allen (ribs) is questionable for Saturday's Game 3 against the Celtics.

Allen has missed five straight games and was listed as questionable ahead of each of them, so his current status doesn't provide increased optimism. The Cavaliers were surprisingly able to even the series with a Game 2 victory Thursday, and the potential return of their star big man would be another major momentum shift, especially with Kristaps Porzingis (calf) expected to be sidelined for at least a few more games. However, if Allen remains sidelined, Isaac Okoro would likely draw another start.

Allen (ribs) is out for Thursday's Game 2 against the Celtics, Serena Winters of Bally Sports Cleveland reports.

Allen didn't participate in Thursday's morning shootaround, so his chances of playing in Game 2 were always going to be slim. Isaac Okoro will keep his place in the starting unit as a result, whereas Allen will aim to recover enough to play in Game 3 of the series, scheduled for Saturday.

Gobert (personal) isn't on the injury report for Friday's Game 3 agains the Nuggets.

Gobert will return to action Friday after missing Game 2 due to the birth of his child. The newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year should reclaim his starting spot from Kyle Anderson in Game 3.