NBA Player News

Jovic (back) is out for Friday's game against Charlotte.

Jovic will be sidelined for a seventh straight game and remains without a timetable to return. His next chance to play comes Sunday against the Pistons.

Wiggins (knee) is doubtful for Friday's game against the Hornets.

Wiggins is dealing with bilateral tendinitis and is expected to be held out for maintenance for the second leg of this back-to-back set. With this news, the Heat could rely more on Kel'el Ware after his monstrous showing Thursday against Brooklyn.

Embiid (oblique) will be re-evaluated in approximately one week, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports Friday.

Embiid has been sidelined since Feb. 26 after sustaining a right oblique strain during a win over the Heat. While he remains out for the immediate future, the 76ers announced that the big man has begun individual strength work, a positive sign in his recovery process. Philadelphia has a busy slate over the next week, and Embiid will miss at least the next four contests based on this timeline. Andre Drummond should continue to start at center in the interim, with Adem Bona serving as the primary backup. Embiid's next realistic chance to suit up will likely come in mid-March, although Philadelphia might opt to take a cautious approach with the injury-prone Embiid.

Oubre (illness) was able to practice Friday and will be back in action Saturday against the Hawks, Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com reports.

After missing a pair of games, Oubre is set to return to the rotation. VJ Edgecombe (back) remains day-to-day for the 76ers, so Oubre may be needed in an expanded role.

Edgecombe (back) did not practice Friday, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Edgecombe was limited to an individual session after Friday's practice. The rookie suffered a lumbar contusion Tuesday against the Spurs, and it's unclear if he will be able to return from a one-game absence Saturday against Atlanta.

Smith (ankle) registered three points (0-8 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 42 minutes Thursday in the Rockets' 115-113 overtime loss to the Warriors.

Though Smith couldn't get any shots to fall in his return from a two-game absence, the heavy minutes he received are an indication that the Rockets aren't concerned about the health of his right ankle moving forward. The poor shooting performance should be viewed as an outlier for Smith, who had hit double figures in the scoring column while converting at a 55 percent clip from the field and 45.1 percent clip from downtown over his previous 13 appearances.

Melton ended Thursday's 115-113 overtime victory over Houston with 23 points (10-22 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and three steals in 30 minutes.

Melton not only ended as one of the top scorers for the Warriors in this game, but he also posted a loaded line that included two or more tallies in each of the five major categories. Melton also bounced back from the seven-point output (3-14 FG) in the loss to the Clippers on Monday. He's averaging 17.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game since the All-Star break and should continue to see an elevated role as long as Stephen Curry (knee) remains sidelined.

Horford contributed 17 points (7-15 FG, 3-6 3Pt), six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal across 33 minutes during Thursday's 115-113 overtime victory over the Rockets.

Horford has alternated between the starting lineup and the bench most of the season, but he's been productive when handed a first-unit role. He has scored in double digits in his four starts since the All-Star break, averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists across 28.5 minutes per game.

Cryer (hamstring) tallied 12 points (4-9 FG, 4-8 3Pt), three rebounds and one assist in 20 minutes off the bench in Thursday's 115-113 overtime win over the Rockets.

Suiting up at the NBA or G League level for the first time since Jan. 25 after completing his recovery from a left hamstring issue, Cryer ended up being included in the rotation for a Warriors squad that was down seven players due to injury. The rookie two-way guard out of Houston acquitted himself well during his time on the court to help lead Golden State to an upset win, but Cryer could drop back out of the rotation for the Warriors' next game Saturday at Oklahoma City if any of Moses Moody (wrist), Will Richard (ankle) or Gary Payton (ankle) return to action.

Santos notched 14 points (6-12 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), six rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal across 42 minutes during Thursday's 115-113 overtime win over Houston.

Santos returned to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the loss to the Clippers on March 2. He's been a regular starter of late and has been putting up solid numbers recently, averaging 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game since the end of the All-Star break.