NBA Player News

The Magic announced Tuesday that Wagner (ankle) continues to make progress, but an official target date for his return will depend on how he responds to further rehabilitation.

Wagner seemingly hasn't had any setbacks since being shut down coming out of the All-Star break due to soreness in left ankle that he first sprained back on Dec. 7, but the Magic's latest update doesn't provide much evidence that his return is imminent. With Anthony Black (abdominal) facing a similarly murky timeline for his return, the Magic are likely to continue to lean more heavily on players such as Tristan da Silva, Jett Howard and Noah Penda to pick up extra minutes on the wing and at the forward spots.

The Magic announced Monday that Black underwent an MRI on Monday that revealed a left lateral abdominal muscle strain. A timeline for his return will depend on how he responds to treatment.

Black exited the Magic's 119-92 win over the Timberwolves on Saturday with what the team had termed as a low back strain, but upon further evaluation, the third-year guard is dealing with an abdominal injury. A clearer target date for Black's return won't be known until he resumes on-court work. Based on the Magic's latest update, he appears on track to miss at least the team's remaining three contests of the week, and likely additional contests beyond that.

The Cavaliers recalled Strus from the G League's Cleveland Charge after he practiced with the affiliate Monday.

Strus has been sidelined all season while recovering from August surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot, but he's expected to be cleared to play at some point within the next week, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The 29-year-old wing took a big step forward in his recovery process by practicing in the G League on Monday, and he may just need to get another session or two under his belt before the Cavaliers give him the green light to play. Whenever he's formally cleared to play, Strus will likely be operating with a significant minutes restriction.

The Heat recalled Johnson from the G League's Sioux Falls Skyforce on Tuesday.

Johnson will rejoin the Heat ahead of Tuesday's game against the Wizards but hasn't been a regular part of the rotation this season and is unlikely to be in store for much more than garbage-time minutes. The 24-year-old appeared in four games during his most recent stint in the G League and averaged 13.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.0 three-pointers, 1.8 blocks and 1.5 steals in 32.2 minutes per contest during that stretch.

Hart closed Monday's 126-118 loss to the Clippers with 12 points (5-7 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 13 rebounds and three assists over 36 minutes.

Hart got back on track against the Clippers, logging his 10th double-double of the season in the loss. He didn't make a significant impact in the loss to the Lakers on Sunday as the Knicks dropped two games in two days in Los Angeles, but he averaged a solid 12.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.0 steals over a four-game stretch before this back-to-back set. Although the 31-year-old wing came off the bench earlier in the season, he's been a fixture with the first unit since late November.

Anunoby closed with 22 points (8-15 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds, two assists and two steals across 37 minutes during Monday's 126-118 loss to the Clippers.

Although Anunoby's scoring totals tend to jump around a bit, he's usually able to salvage his fantasy production with ample numbers in secondary categories. He's enjoying a nice run of production off the glass, totaling 21 rebounds over the past three games. He also sizzled by notching his highest scoring total of the season with 34 points against Denver on Friday.

Brunson notched 28 points (12-23 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 2-3 FT), four rebounds, eight assists and one steal across 38 minutes during Monday's 126-118 loss to the Clippers.

Brunson had a solid outing and helped mount a few rallies in the second half, but it ultimately wasn't enough to upend the Clippers on the road. The stop in Los Angeles hasn't gone according to plan, as Brunson's 24-point outing wasn't enough to generate a victory against the Lakers on Sunday. The team will continue the grueling five-game road set Wednesday against the Jazz, and it's reasonable to expect continued strong totals from one of the league's elite point guards.

Garland closed with 23 points (7-16 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 4-6 FT), one rebound, seven assists and two steals over 30 minutes during Monday's 126-118 win over New York.

Garland is still sitting out at least one game during back-to-back sets, but his production is starting to find signs of life. He followed up a 21-point performance against the Grizzlies with another total over 20 points, drilling five three-pointers in the process. His perimeter game and assist production are his strongest suits, and Monday's line is reminiscent of the totals he compiled with the Cavaliers earlier in the season.

Mathurin logged 28 points (9-20 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 8-9 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and one steal in 36 minutes during Monday's 126-118 win over the Knicks.

Mathurin's acquisition has played a big role in the Clippers' resurgence, and they have a legitimate chance to escape the Play-In bracket if they can string together more victories. Although the team looked like a squad in tank mode after dealing away James Harden and Ivica Zubac, the Clippers have thrived with the addition of Mathurin and Darius Garland. The team is 7-3 over the past 10 games, and Mathurin's continued work with the second unit will remain a critical part of the game plan.

Leonard finished with 29 points (10-19 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 7-7 FT), seven rebounds, eight assists and two steals over 35 minutes during Monday's 126-118 victory over the Knicks.

While the Knicks put up an admirable fight, Leonard and his supporting cast answered at every turn. Leonard has now scored 20-plus points in 42 consecutive games. Leonard made deft plays all over the court, and Darius Garland's insertion after missing several games post-trade is freeing Leonard up to play his best basketball of the season.