NBA Player News

Hayes will come off the bench Wednesday against the Timberwolves, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.

After being in the starting lineup for 36 straight games, Hayes will have a bench role in Game 5, with Dorian Finney-Smith taking his place as a starter. It has been a rough series for Hayes, as he has averaged 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game across only 7.5 minutes per contest despite being in the starting lineup for the previous four games.

Kleber (foot) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.

Kleber will make his debut for the Lakers on Wednesday after missing the last 43 games while recovering from surgery on his right foot. It remains to be seen whether Kleber will play a significant role in this pivotal Game 5, as it could potentially be the last game of the season for Los Angeles, with JJ Redick's squad facing elimination down 3-1. Before being moved ahead of the NBA trade deadline in the Luka Doncic trade, Kleber played in 34 games for the Mavericks, averaging 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 38.5 percent from the floor and 26.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Jokic amassed 13 points (4-13 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 10 rebounds, 12 assists, two blocks and one steal over 37 minutes during Tuesday's 131-115 victory over the Clippers in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Jokic had an off night by his lofty standards and still managed to post a triple-double. Jamal Murray snapped out of a slump to pour in 43 points, so Jokic was happy to let him and Aaron Gordon do the heavy lifting -- Gordon had 23 points. With the Nuggets holding a 3-2 series lead, the series will shift back to Los Angeles on Thursday.

Kornet had nine points (3-3 FG, 3-3 FT), four rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 23 minutes during Tuesday's 120-89 win over the Magic in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Kornet had a minimal role prior to Tuesday, but with Kristaps Porzingis picking up a few fouls and the Celtics running away with this game early, Kornet capitalized on some garbage time. Through five postseason games, Kornet is averaging 3.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 16.4 minutes. He's unlikely to see a spike in playing time as long as Porzingis and Al Horford are healthy.

Porzingis ended Tuesday's 120-89 victory over the Magic in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with nine points (3-8 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), two rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 21 minutes.

The Celtics ran away with this game by the third quarter, and Porzingis had three fouls, so the team was able to dial him back Tuesday. The big man has had a very quiet postseason so far, as he's shooting 35.2 percent from the field and 11.8 percent from beyond the arc with 12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 blocks and 1.8 steals in 27.4 minutes. Some positive regression with his shooting is likely around the corner.

Bitadze posted no counting stats over two minutes during Tuesday's 120-89 loss to the Celtics in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Bitadze saw just a total of 11 minutes in this series, as the Magic relied mostly on Wendell Carter at center. He saw some decent playing time in the regular season, however, posting averages of 7.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.7 steals in 20.4 minutes while shooting 61.1 percent from the field. Bitadze is under contract for two more years and is likely to open the 2025-26 season as Carter's backup.

Duren chipped in nine points (4-8 FG, 1-3 FT), 14 rebounds, six assists and two blocks over 33 minutes during Tuesday's 106-103 win over the Knicks in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Duren chipped in across the board Tuesday, finishing one assist shy of his career high. The third-year center is thriving in his postseason debut, averaging a double-double with 10.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.0 blocks on 64.5 percent shooting from the field.

Sims finished Tuesday's 119-118 overtime loss to the Pacers in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with four points (2-2 FG) and five rebounds across 11 minutes.

Sims was used sparingly by the Bucks during the regular season and the playoffs. In 53 regular-season appearances, Sims produced 1.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game. Sims, along with veteran center Brook Lopez, will both hit the free agent market this offseason.

Lopez accumulated two points (0-1 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT) across eight minutes during Tuesday's 119-118 overtime loss to the Pacers in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Lopez, who was averaging 16.8 minutes in this series prior to Tuesday, was predictably benched in favor of Bobby Portis with coach Doc Rivers making several rotation tweaks. Although he had a brutal postseason, Lopez was one of Milwaukee's most reliable players in the regular season, averaging 13.0 points on 50.9 percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.9 blocks over 31.8 minutes per game. The 37-year-old center will hit the free agent market this offseason and could potentially find a new home outside of Milwaukee.

Carter supplied 12 points (5-10 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist and two steals over 34 minutes during Tuesday's 120-89 loss to the Celtics in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Although the Magic were bounced out of the playoffs in short order, Carter enjoyed success against a formidable Boston frontcourt, posting some of his best rebound totals of the season. Low shot volume resulted in only two double-doubles during the series, but he averaged 10.8 rebounds over the five-game set. Moritz Wagner's season-ending knee injury opened the door for Carter to emerge as a full-time starter, and he should begin next season with the first unit if he remains with the team.