NBA Player News

Clingan (illness) is available to play Saturday against the Hornets.

Clingan was a true game-time call after missing Thursday's game against the Bulls. The second-year center is going to give it a go, and that means Robert Williams could be less involved for Portland.

Embiid did not participate in Saturday morning's practice due to soreness on his right side, Austin Krell of OnPattison.com reports.

Embiid felt the issue crop up after Thursday's 124-117 win over the Heat, when he logged 26 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and one steal over 31 minutes. Per Ky Carlin of USA Today, Embiid will consult with team doctors Saturday, and the injury report should provide more clarity on the 2023-24 MVP's status ahead of Sunday's Atlantic Division road tilt against the Celtics. Andre Drummond and Adem Bona would likely take on more sizable roles if Embiid is not cleared to play Sunday.

Jokic provided 23 points (9-25 FG, 2-10 3Pt, 3-5 FT), 17 rebounds, 14 assists and one steal in 45 minutes during Friday's 127-121 overtime loss to the Thunder.

The triple-double was his 22nd of the season -- Atlanta's Jalen Johnson is second in the league with 11 -- but it wasn't quite enough to steal a road win in OKC. Jokic wraps up February having averaged 25.6 points, 14.0 boards, 9.6 assists, 1.7 threes, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks over 11 games.

Powell recorded 13 points (3-4 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 6-7 FT), 11 rebounds and one assist over 23 minutes off the bench during Friday's 124-105 loss to Memphis.

The veteran center produced his second double-double of the season, with the first coming Jan. 22 against the Warriors. Powell has struggled to get consistent court time even with Dereck Lively (foot) out for the season and Anthony Davis (finger) now in Washington. Friday's 23 minutes represented Powell's highest workload in February and just the third time in eight appearances this month he logged double-digit minutes.

Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter told reporters that Clingan (illness) "felt better" but is still considered a game-time decision for Saturday's game against the Hornets, Owen O'Connor of SI.com reports.

Clingan will go through pregame shootaround, at which point the Trail Blazers' medical staff will have a better idea of whether the second-year center will be able to suit up for Saturday's matinee. Scoot Henderson entered the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Bulls and would likely remain in an elevated role if Clingan is not cleared to return.

Allen logged 25 points (10-12 FG, 5-8 FT), nine rebounds, four assists and one block over 31 minutes before fouling out of Friday's 122-119 overtime loss to the Pistons.

Allen took on a more prominent role on offense for the second game in a row due to the absences of Donovan Mitchell (groin) and James Harden (thumb). Allen led the Cavaliers in scoring and finished with 25-plus points for the third time in his last five games, though he fell one rebound shy from logging his sixth consecutive double-double. The veteran center struggled offensively for much of the season but wrapped up a strong February having averaged 22.3 points on 74.0 percent shooting along with 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 blocks and 0.8 steals over 29.5 minutes per game.

Duren posted 33 points (11-19 FG, 11-15 FT), 16 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal across 42 minutes in Friday's 122-119 overtime win over the Cavaliers.

Duren stepped up on the offensive end in this one, matching his career high in points while reaching the 30-point threshold for the fourth time this season. The star big man scored 18 of his game-best 33 points in the second half and was crucial for the Pistons down the stretch, as Cade Cunningham fouled out with just under two minutes remaining in regulation. Duren also grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds, securing his fourth consecutive double-double. The 22-year-old has scored 25 or more points in all four of those outings.

Vucevic supplied 28 points (9-13 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 7-7 FT), 11 rebounds, four assists and one steal over 25 minutes during the Celtics' 148-111 win over the Nets on Friday.

Vucevic struggled during the Celtics' four-game road trip, when he averaged 7.0 points and 6.3 rebounds over 22.8 minutes while connecting on just 39.4 percent of his field-goal attempts. He looked much better at TD Garden, scoring 10 and 11 points in the first and third quarters, respectively, while leading Boston in rebounds en route to his third double-double in eight games with the Celtics. Perhaps playing on the parquet floor was enough for Vucevic to break out of his recent slump, and the good news for him is that the Celtics will be at home for three of their next four games, starting with Sunday's Atlantic Division clash against the 76ers.

Missi (calf) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Jazz.

Missi is in danger of missing a sixth straight game due to a left calf strain. If the second-year big man is ultimately ruled out, Karlo Matkovic and DeAndre Jordan would be candidates for increased playing time.

Phoenix assigned Maluach to the G League's Valley Suns on Friday.

The rookie first-rounder hasn't seen the floor at all in four of Phoenix's last eight games. That said, Maluach will look for steadier reps in the G League in the interim. The 19-year-old big man is averaging 15.8 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game through four G League regular-season outings.