NBA Player News

Nurkic (ankle) was removed from the injury report ahead of Wednesday's game versus Sacramento.

Nurkic was sidelined for Tuesday's win over the Jazz due to left ankle soreness after aggravating the injury in Sunday's loss to the Kings. His absence from the front end of the back-to-back set Tuesday may have been for maintenance purposes more than anything else, but Nurkic could still have his playing time monitored closely as he returns to action Wednesday.

Williams has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves due to rest.

Williams has missed considerable time due to injuries over the previous two seasons, so Portland's decision to hold him out for the second leg of a back-to-back set comes as little surprise. The 27-year-old logged a season-high 25 minutes Tuesday and should be fresh for the Trail Blazers' next game Sunday versus Atlanta.

Ayton (finger) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against Minnesota.

A right finger sprain will cost Ayton his second consecutive contest, but he will now have some extra time to heal up before Sunday's game against Atlanta. Robert Williams (rest) is also out, so Donovan Clingan and Duop Reath are likely to share the minutes at center for Portland on Wednesday.

Filipowski produced 18 points (7-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 23 minutes during Tuesday's 120-112 loss to Phoenix.

Filipowski poured in a career-high 18 points, logging at least 23 minutes for the second straight game. It's been an up-and-down season for the rookie, his role seemingly changing on a nightly basis. Given what we have seen thus far from the Jazz, there is certainly a world in which they are eliminated from the postseason discussion sooner rather than earlier. Should this be the case, Filipowski's minutes could increase on a more consistent basis.

Plumlee produced 15 points (6-9 FG, 3-4 FT), 14 rebounds, two assists and one block across 26 minutes during Tuesday's 120-112 victory over the Jazz.

Plumlee turned back the clock, recording his first double-double of the season. Jusuf Nurkic was sidelined with an ongoing ankle concern, allowing Plumlee to start for the first time since joining the Suns. If Nurkic is forced to miss additional time, Plumlee is likely to hold onto the starting role, making him a nightly double-double threat, with a proven ability to provide serviceable assist numbers from the center position.

Holmes (illness) will be available to play in Wednesday's game against San Antonio.

Holmes will return after a one-game absence due to illness. He has appeared in only two of nine possible games for the Wizards this season and is unlikely to be part of the rotation Wednesday.

Embiid won't play Wednesday against the Cavaliers due to left knee injury management, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

As expected, Embiid will be held out of the second leg of a back-to-back set after he made his season debut in Tuesday's 111-99 loss to the Knicks following a six-game absence due to the left knee injury followed by a three-game suspension. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey had suggested prior to the start of the season that Embiid will play only one game of back-to-back sets for the foreseeable future. The 76ers are also holding out Paul George (knee) for rest Wednesday, so players such as Kelly Oubre, Jared McCain and Andre Drummond could dominate the usage for Philadelphia. Embiid should be back in action Friday in Orlando and will likely have his playing-time restriction loosened a bit after he logged 26 minutes Tuesday.

Allen (leg) participated in Wednesday's morning shootaround, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Allen is currently listed as questionable for Wednesday, marking his first time on the injury report this campaign. His level of play has dropped off in recent games, so his leg strain could be a reason why. A final decision could come after warmups.

Hayes will be re-evaluated in 1-to-2 weeks after suffering a left ankle sprain in Tuesday's practice, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.

After suffering the injury, Hayes underwent an MRI, which confirmed what is apparently a mild-to-moderate sprain. With Hayes expected to miss a handful of games, Christian Koloko will have an opportunity to step up as the top backup to starting center Anthony Davis.

Horford will not play Wednesday against the Nets due to a left big toe sprain, Marc D'Amico of the Celtics' official site reports.

Though Horford is being listed with an injury, he's essentially getting Wednesday's contest off for rest purposes since the Celtics are playing on the second leg of this back-to-back set. With Horford sidelined, Neemias Queta is likely to pick up the bulk of the center minutes with Luke Kornet stepping up as well.