76ers‘ shooting guard Danny Green is unlikely to play in Monday’s Game 4 against the Hawks, writes Kurt Helin of NBC Sports NBA. Green left Game 3 less than four minutes into the game, limping to the locker room with an apparent calf strain and returning later in a walking boot. Green is set to receive an MRI today, but head coach Doc Rivers isn’t optimistic about his chances of being ready for Game Four.
“I’m not ruling Danny out, but I’m pretty much ruling him out,” Rivers said. “I doubt if he plays the next game.”
The 76ers currently hold a 2-1 lead against the Hawks going into Game Four. Furkan Korkmaz took a majority of Green’s minutes in Game Three, but Rivers has yet to make a decision about what Green’s absence will mean to the rotation on Monday.
“Just the next guy has to step up, not sure who that’s going to be yet. We’ll go back, watch film, and decide who that will be.”
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- The Raptors had hoped that forward Pascal Siakam’s shoulder surgery last week could be avoided, tweets TSN Sports’ Josh Lewenburg, but ultimately decided that the risk of re-injury was too high. The five-month timetable for recovery points to a November return to action, meaning Siakam will miss not only the start of the 2021-22 season but also a crucial development offseason following a let-down season for the Raptors’ star and the team as a whole. Siakam had been planning on using his longest off-season in five years to lock himself in the gym and work on expanding his game, writes Lewenburg, but this development means most of his time will be spent rehabbing and watching film.
- The Nets missed James Harden‘s leadership in their Game 3 loss, writes NY Post’s Brian Lewis. With the offense bogging down against the Bucks rejuvenated defense, the Nets weren’t able to execute in the same ways they had been able to earlier in the series, and missed Harden’s ability to organize the offense. “I thought our execution could have been better throughout,” said head coach Steve Nash. “Great experience for our guys, like we said a new group, they’re still learning, they’re still figuring things out together and so it’s a great experience for us even if it was a painful one.”
- Jeff Green is making progress in his rehab from plantar fasciitis and hasn’t been ruled out for Game 4, writes Brian Lewis in the same article. Though Green was still experiencing some discomfort while walking earlier in the week, the forward said he’s hopeful that he’ll be able to return for Sunday’s game. The deciding factor will be how much progress he’s able to make in his ability to cut and change direction, reports NY Post’s Zach Braziller.
- The Athletic’s Blake Murphy details why projected top-three pick Evan Mobley would be the perfect fit for the Raptors if they land the second pick. As a hyper-skilled seven-foot center with an intriguing blend of shooting, ball-handling and dominant defensive tools, Mobley’s fit with Siakam would be nearly seamless.
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