NBA Player News

Hyland (knee) is available for Thursday's Game 6 against the Nuggets.

Hyland was carrying a questionable tag prior to this update, but he was able to go through shootaround without any setbacks. With the team shorthanded, Hyland is expected to play a key role Thursday.

Dosunmu (calf) is questionable for Thursday's Game 6 against the Nuggets.

Dosunmu is a late addition to the injury report, joining Bones Hyland (knee) as questionable. With Anthony Edwards (knee) and Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) out, Dosunmu has stepped up and turned into a go-to player for Minnesota. If Dosunmu and Hyland are in street clothes Thursday, Terrence Shannon, Jaylen Clark and Julian Phillips would likely be thrust into expanded roles.

Durant (ankle) isn't in line to play Friday in Game 6 of the Rockets' first-round playoff series versus the Lakers, Shams Charania reported Thursday in an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up."

Durant will be sidelined for the fifth time in six games of the series while he continues to contend with a left ankle sprain and bone bruise. According to Charania, the bone bruise is believed to be a "two-week minimum" injury for Durant, so the veteran forward may face an uphill battle to make it back on the court for a potential Game 7 on Sunday if the Rockets are able to extend the series with a win Friday. Durant's continued absence will raise the minutes floors for frontcourt mates Jabari Smith and Alperen Sengun, in addition to opening up extra run for Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason, who have both logged at least 29 minutes in each of the past three contests.

Ayton registered 18 points (9-14 FG), 17 rebounds and two blocks in 38 minutes during Wednesday's 99-93 loss to Houston in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

The 17 boards were a series and season high for Ayton, and represented his best performance on the glass since Feb. 3 of last season, when he ripped down 20 rebounds for Portland in a win over Phoenix. Ayton has three double-doubles in five first-round games, averaging 12.8 points, 9.8 boards, 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks for the series while shooting 63.8 percent from the floor, and he'll look to come up big again in Game 6 on Friday.

Reaves (oblique) posted 22 points (4-16 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 12-13 FT), six assists, four rebounds and one block over 34 minutes off the bench during Wednesday's 99-93 loss to the Rockets in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

While Reaves didn't get the start in his return from an oblique strain that had sidelined him since April 2, the fifth-year guard saw a full workload and trailed only LeBron James (25 points) in scoring among all Lakers. Reaves could move back into the starting five for Game 6 on Friday as the Lakers try to punch their ticket to the second round.

James logged 25 points (9-20 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 7-10 FT), three rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 39 minutes during Wednesday's 99-93 loss to Houston in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

It was another strong showing from the 41-year-old as he led all scorers on the night, but a returning Austin Reaves was the only other Laker to score 20 or more. James is averaging 22.2 points, 8.4 assists, 7.2 boards, 1.6 steals and 1.4 threes on the series, and he'll look to drag Los Angeles across the finish line and into the second round in Game 6 on Friday.

Thompson racked up 15 points (4-14 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 5-8 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and four steals over 46 minutes during Wednesday's 99-93 win over the Lakers in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

The third-year guard posted his highest steals total of the series while scoring at least 15 points for the fifth straight game. Thompson has been a stabilizing force in the Rockets' backcourt, averaging 19.4 points, 6.8 boards, 6.2 assists, 2.4 steals and 0.8 blocks on the series, and he'll likely need to be productive again in Game 6 on Friday back in Houston if his team is going to keep its season alive.

Eason posted 18 points (6-11 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 4-5 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one block across 31 minutes during Wednesday's 99-93 victory over the Lakers in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Making his third straight start in place of Kevin Durant (ankle), Eason stepped up once again after he delivered 20 points in Game 4. The fourth-year forward is averaging 13.8 points, 7.0 boards, 2.4 steals, 1.6 assists and 1.6 threes in the first round so far, but the Rockets are still holding out hope Durant could return before the end of the series.

Smith notched 22 points (6-13 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 6-8 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks across 42 minutes during Wednesday's 99-93 victory over the Lakers in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

The 22 points led the Rockets on the night as they staved off elimination in Los Angeles. Smith has drained multiple three-pointers in every game of the first round so far, averaging 19.2 points, 7.8 boards, 3.6 threes, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals as his team continues to navigate the absence of Kevin Durant (ankle). Smith will look to stay productive as the series shifts back to Houston for Game 6 on Friday.

Mitchell provided 19 points (7-17 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal across 31 minutes during Wednesday's 125-120 win over the Raptors in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Mitchell scored no more than 20 points for the third straight game, as he continues to deal with some inefficiencies on the offensive end. During that three-game span, he has averaged 18.0 points on 35.1 percent shooting from the field, well below his regular season average of 48.3 percent. Cleveland now leads the series 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Friday in Toronto.