NBA Player News

Okongwu underwent a non-surgical procedure Tuesday to address ongoing inflammation in his left big toe and will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks, Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Okongwu hasn't played since March 21 due to the left big toe injury. Unless the Hawks can come out of the Play-In and go on a miraculous playoff run, the 22-year-old big man has essentially been shut down for the rest of the season. Okongwu will end the regular season with averages of 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks in 25.5 minutes across 55 appearances, including eight starts.

Collins amassed 20 points (8-17 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal in 26 minutes during Wednesday's 127-89 loss to the Thunder.

The center led the Spurs in scoring as he got the start with Victor Wembanyama (ankle) sidelined. Collins last scored at least 20 points back on March 7 against the Kings, and his workload and usage have varied wildly at times this season depending on Wembanyama's availability. The team hasn't yet indicated whether the superstar rookie will play again this season with only two games left on San Antonio's schedule, so Collins could be a solid fantasy option in those contests.

Nurkic notched three points (1-1 FG, 1-2 FT), 19 rebounds, 10 assists and one block across 30 minutes during Wednesday's 124-108 victory over the Clippers.

Nurkic returned after missing Tuesday's game against the Clippers due to a sprained right ankle. He ended this rematch with just a trio of points, though still recorded a double-double while leading all players in Wednesday's outing in rebounds and assists. Nurkic set a new season high in assists while posting his eighth game with 18 or more boards this year.

Plumlee posted 12 points (4-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 12 rebounds, four assists and one steal across 35 minutes during Wednesday's 124-108 loss to the Suns.

Plumlee got the starting nod Wednesday's despite Ivica Zubac being active, going on to lead all Clippers in rebounds while ending as one of five players with a double-digit point total in a double-double performance. Plumlee tied a season high in rebounds, a mark he also tallied Jan. 26 against Toronto. He has hauled in 10 or more boards in five outings, notching a double-double in two of those contests.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was non-committal after Wednesday's 127-89 loss to the Thunder regarding whether Wembanyama (ankle) will be available for Friday's game against the Nuggets, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports. "We don't have a plan yet. Just see how his ankle is and we'll go from there," Popovich said of the rookie.

After appearing in seven straight games, Wembanyama sat out Wednesday with what the Spurs termed as "right ankle injury management." Based on that label, Wembanyama's absence in Oklahoma City was believed to be mainly for rest purposes as the Spurs played the second leg of a back-to-back set, but Popovich's comments suggest that the star center is dealing with a legitimate injury that could keep him out again Friday. If the Spurs opt to hold out Wembanyama for a second straight game, Zach Collins would be in store for another start at center and would make for an attractive streaming option.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that Porter (personal), who is under investigation by the league following multiple instances of betting irregularities over the past several months, could face a permanently ban from the league if the investigation finds that the 24-year-old had any involvement in the increased betting interest surrounding his prop bets earlier in the season, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports. "I have an enormous range of discipline available to me," Silver said. "But it's a cardinal sin, what he's accused of in the NBA, and the ultimate, extreme option I have is to ban him from the game. Because there's nothing more serious, I think, around this league when it comes to gambling: betting on our games. And that is a direct player involvement. And so, the investigation is ongoing, but the consequences could be very severe."

Porter hasn't suited up for Toronto since March 22, with the Raptors listing him out for "personal reasons" while the investigation is ongoing. He'll almost certainly remain away from the Raptors for the rest of the season, and based on Silver's comments, Porter's future in the NBA moving forward would appear to be in significant question. The league's investigation stems from prop bets involving Porter for games played Jan. 26 and March 20, when the center exited those contests early due to an eye injury and an illness while playing just four and three minutes, respectively. According to the DraftKings Sportsbook, "unders" on Porter prop bets ended up being the biggest moneymakers for NBA bettors on both of those dates. For his part, Porter has yet to issue a public comment on the NBA's investigation.

Gobert logged 13 points (6-7 FG, 1-3 FT), 15 rebounds, three assists, one block and two steals in 39 minutes during Wednesday's 116-107 loss to Denver.

Although Gobert couldn't contain Jokic's scoring barrage, he fared about as well as possible off the glass against the presumptive MVP. The defensive stalwart played 39 minutes and seemed to run out of gas in the final frame, allowing Jokic to contribute nine points during a 22-7 run. The Timberwolves hope to have Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) back for the playoffs, and his presence could be the difference-maker if Minnesota meets Denver again in the Western Conference Finals.

Jokic closed with 41 points (16-20 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 7-12 FT), 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 38 minutes during Wednesday's 116-107 win over the Timberwolves.

Jokic turned in a majestic performance with the top seed in the West on the line. Jokic recorded this number despite being guarded by Rudy Gobert, who is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner. Despite the critical win, the Nuggets are only one game ahead of Minnesota and Oklahoma City, so Jokic should still be on the floor for the final two games and probably won't get any pre-playoff rest.

Zubac didn't play in Wednesday's 124-108 loss to the Suns on Wednesday after being listed as available for the contest.

Shortly before tipoff, the Clippers were officially locked into the Western Conference's fourth seed in the NBA Playoffs. With most of their starting lineup out with injury, Zubac also got the night off after dealing with left ankle inflammation heading into Wednesday's contest. Instead, Mason Plumlee and Daniel Theis handled the majority of the center work. The Clippers have two games left in the regular season -- the first of which comes Friday against the Jazz -- and it's unclear how much, if at all, Zubac will play in those contests given the ankle issue and the team's locked-in playoff slot.

Zubac is not on the court during pre-game introductions for Wednesday's game against Phoenix, Justin Russo of the 'Clip & Roll' podcast reports.

Zubac was deemed available for the contest after being listed as questionable with an ankle injury. However, after not being listed in the starting lineup, Zubac isn't on the court during pre-game activities and could end up being inactive Wednesday, though nothing's been made official yet.