NBA Player News

Poeltl (back) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Warriors.

Poeltl will miss his third straight game due to a lower back strain. Though the Raptors have been updating Poeltl's status on a game-by-game basis, it wouldn't be surprising if he missed additional time beyond Sunday, given that his back has been a recurring problem for him throughout the season. With Poeltl sidelined Sunday, Sandro Mamukelashvili will likely remain in the starting five, while Collin Murray-Boyles (illness) could see increased burn if he's cleared to play.

Ware (quadriceps) is listed as probable for Saturday's game against the Pacers.

Ware was not included on the Heat's initial injury report but is now listed as probable due to a right quadriceps contusion. Still, the second-year center is likely to suit up in the second leg of the team's back-to-back set. He has started five consecutive contests, racking up four double-doubles over that stretch.

Williams (knee) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against New Orleans.

Williams is in jeopardy of missing the second leg of Phoenix's back-to-back set against New Orleans due to right knee injury management. During Friday's win over the Pelicans, the big man posted 24 points (9-13 FG, 6-8 FT), 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block across 27 minutes. If he's held out of Saturday's contest, Oso Ighodaro will likely step into the starting lineup, while Nick Richards and Khaman Maluach are candidates to enter the rotation.

Jackson (concussion) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Heat.

Jackson will miss his third straight game due to a concussion, and his next opportunity to suit up will come Monday against the Rockets. Tony Bradley and Micah Potter are candidates for increased playing time behind Jay Huff with Jackson sidelined.

Adebayo (back) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Pacers.

Adebayo will miss his second consecutive contest due to soreness in his lower back, and his next chance to play will come Monday against the Nuggets. With the big man sidelined, Kel'el Ware (quadriceps) and Nikola Jovic are candidates for increased playing time.

Wagner (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Nuggets.

Wagner has yet to make his season debut after undergoing surgery this past January to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. According to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel, head coach Jamahl Mosley said Friday that Wagner has "no real timeframe" for when he might be ready to play again, adding that the veteran center will first need to advance to 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 work and then take begin taking contact in practice before a clearer target date for his debut emerges. With that in mind, Wagner would still appear to be multiple weeks away from being a factor for the Magic.

Bitadze (knee) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Nuggets.

Bitadze has missed Orlando's last two games due to a strained left knee and could miss a third Saturday. If the big man remains sidelined, Jonathan Isaac will likely continue to see increased playing time. Over his last five appearances, Bitadze has averaged 4.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals across 15.8 minutes per game off the bench.

Duren totaled 11 points (5-7 FG, 1-1 FT) and four rebounds across 22 minutes during Friday's 131-129 loss to the Jazz.

Jusuf Nurkic and Lauri Markkanen had Duren's number during the upset, as the youngster cooled off after a solid run of production. He was in the midst of a four-game double-double streak coming into Friday's game and was essentially Detroit's second-highest producer during that stretch. Despite the loss, Detroit remains a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference, and Duren's improvement this season is key to the team's success.

Nurkic totaled 16 points (6-9 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal across 32 minutes during Friday's 131-129 win over the Pistons.

The veteran center faced a tough challenge opposite Jalen Duren, but Nurkic effectively neutralized him in the upset win. Although Nurkic has missed three games this month, he's come up big in some key moments. Still, consistency remains a big problem for the big man. He's alternated between double-doubles and dreadful totals quite often, and although his rebound totals usually come close to or exceed double digits frequently, his scoring totals haven't experienced the same success.

Williams finished Friday's 115-108 victory over New Orleans with 24 points (9-13 FG, 6-8 FT), 13 rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals across 27 minutes.

Williams' dominant presence inside was a primary difference-maker in the victory, and he found himself on the receiving end of assists from Devin Booker and Collin Gillespie quite often. The most memorable was an alley-oop from Booker that was part of an 18-8 run to end the game. Williams' numbers have jumped around of late, but he has recorded six double-doubles so far this month. He'll try to replicate the feat in a rematch against the Pelicans Saturday evening.