The Mavericks are in good shape to avoid a play-in game, but they may have to finish the regular season without big men Kristaps Porzingis and Maxi Kleber, writes Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
Porzingis has already been declared out for Sunday’s game against the Cavaliers, marking the sixth straight game he will miss and the ninth in the last 10 games. He suffered a sprained left ankle on March 22, then returned three games later and had to leave with soreness in his right knee. He tested the knee before Friday’s game, shooting for about 15 minutes.
Kleber has sat out the past three games with pain in his right Achilles. He is officially listed as questionable for Sunday, but coach Rick Carlisle doesn’t expect him to play.
“Not having Kleber or Porzingis puts us in a more precarious situation,” Carlisle said. “But we’ve just got to figure it out. Five games left. Every game is super meaningful. We understand it. We’re just going to stay in the present, stick to the process and keep working.”
Here are some more injury-related updates:
- Celtics forward Jaylen Brown will miss Sunday’s showdown with the Heat because of a sprained right ankle, per Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. Boston had hoped Brown could be ready, but he will sit out his third straight game. Robert Williams is considered probable for Sunday with turf toe, but coach Brad Stevens said there will be a lot of game-time decisions for him for the rest of the season, Murphy adds.
- Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter will be a game-time decision at best on Monday, according to Kevin Chouinard of NBA.com. Coach Nate McMillan indicated that a final decision will be made after Sunday’s practice and Monday’s walkthrough. Hunter has missed the past 24 games and has played only twice since January 29.
- Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. is dealing with blurry vision and slightly impaired depth perception, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic. He will miss Sunday night’s game with a left eye abrasion.
- Rockets coach Stephen Silas said there’s no timetable for a return by guard Avery Bradley, who is out for personal reasons, relays Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston.
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