NBA Player News

Ayton logged only 17 minutes on the floor Friday against the Gizzlies before not returning due to back spasms, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.

Ayton was available to return in the fourth quarter, according to head coach JJ Redick. However, the team chose to keep him sidelined as a precaution. The veteran big man finished with nine points (4-6 FG, 1-1 FT) and no other stats across the board.

Jackson logged nine points (4-7 FG, 1-2 FT), 11 rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes during Friday's 128-108 loss to the Hawks.

Jackson turned in his best scoring performance of the young season. However, his opportunities continue to be limited, as Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith and Jarace Walker were the focal points of the offense Friday evening. Jackson also posted a season high in rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double. The Kentucky product should continue to see his name listed in the starting lineup moving forward.

Okongwu collected 14 points (5-8 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks across 26 minutes during Friday's 128-108 win over Indiana.

Okongwu was calculated on the offensive end, making the most of his opportunities. He led the bench in scoring, rebounds and blocks on the way to a solid showing across the board. Okongwu has now scored in double figures in all six matchups so far this season.

Robinson finished with four points (2-3 FG), 11 rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes during Friday's 135-125 loss to the Bulls.

Robinson played his first game of the season, leading the team with 11 rebounds. He slotted straight into the starting lineup, and although he was apparently not on a minutes restriction, he did manage just 20 minutes. As expected, he was non-existent on the offensive end, but the other aspects of his game appeared fine. His availability moving forward remains a mystery, although simply being back on the court is a step in the right direction.

Embiid produced 20 points (6-13 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 7-7 FT), six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and four turnovers in 25 minutes during Friday's 109-108 loss to the Celtics.

This was a season-high in minutes for Embiid, who has looked a little better with each game this season. He did take an elbow to the face from Derrick White, but he was able to play through it, so that shouldn't be something that impacts his status for Sunday's game in Brooklyn.

Williams (knee) will play Friday against the Nuggets, Sean Highkin of Rip City Radio 620 Portland reports.

Williams is set to make his regular-season debut after being recalled from the G League, where he was getting extra practice reps. However, he'll likely have a tight minutes cap. He could have value in a 20-minute role, but this is a wait-and-see situation for now. It'll be interesting to see how he impacts Donovan Clingan's playing time once he's fully up to speed.

Lively (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Pistons.

Lively will miss his third consecutive game due to a right knee sprain, and his next opportunity to play will come Monday against the Rockets. Dwight Powell is likely to see an uptick in playing time, especially if Daniel Gafford (ankle) is downgraded from questionable to out.

Gafford (ankle) is questionable for Saturday's game in Detroit.

This is the first time this season Gafford is getting hit with the questionable tag, and they sure could use him with Anthony Davis (calf) going down. He'll likely be eased back into things if he's cleared for Saturday's game, but his return would mean fewer minutes for Dwight Powell.

Davis (calf) is out for Saturday's game against the Pistons and Monday's game against the Rockets.

Davis has been diagnosed with a low-grade left calf strain, and he'll be re-evaluated ahead of Wednesday's tilt against the Pelicans. The Mavericks are already dealing with injuries to Daniel Gafford (ankle) and Dereck Lively (knee), which will make it even more difficult to plug up the center position for the time being. Dwight Powell could be thrust into big minutes down low, while P.J. Washington could be used as a small-ball center more frequently.

Towns (quadriceps) will play in Friday's game against the Bulls, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports.

Towns has been a regular on the injury report to start the season, though he will shed his probable tag due to a right quadriceps strain and suit up Friday. The star big man is coming off his worst game of the season in Tuesday's loss to the Bucks and will look to bounce back against Chicago. Over four regular-season games, he's averaging 17.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks in 33.8 minutes per game.