NBA Player News

Morris is in the starting five for Friday's Game 6 against the Magic.

Morris will replace Isaac Okoro in the starting lineup Friday, while Jarrett Allen (hip) misses his second consecutive contest. Morris will make his first start of the season for Cleveland but averaged 11.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.6 minutes across seven starts in 2023-24 for Philadelphia.

Harris (hamstring) has been ruled out for Friday's Game 6 against the Cavaliers, Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com reports.

Harris will miss his first game of the series due to a right hamstring strain he suffered during Game 5. Jonathan Isaac will start in Harris' absence, but Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony are also candidates for increased roles.

Allen (ribs) is out for Friday's Game 6 against the Magic.

Allen has been downgraded from questionable to out due to a right rib contusion, marking his second consecutive absence. Isaac Okoro started Game 5, but Marcus Morris will enter the starting lineup Friday.

Murray (calf) is listed as questionable for Saturday's Game 1 against the Timberwolves.

Murray has been in and out of Denver's practices this week but was able to play in all five of Denver's first-round games against the Lakers. Murray averaged 39.8 minutes per contest against Los Angeles, and his calf is feeling even better heading into Saturday's matchup, Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com reports.

Mann (leg) was seen at shootaround ahead of Friday's Game 6 against the Mavericks, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.

Mann is officially deemed questionable for Friday's contest due to a right lower leg contusion. However, Mann's presence at shootaround is a good sign he will suit up for the Clippers' win-or-go-home playoff game.

Hield amassed 20 points (6-10 FG, 6-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds and one assist over 21 minutes during Thursday's 118-115 loss to the Knicks in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Hield went scoreless in two of the first three games of the series and was a DNP-CD in Games 4 and 5, but he provided a lift with his scoring off the bench in Game 6, particularly when the Sixers were in a complicated spot during the second and third quarters. Hield struggled in the series, but this 20-point effort will be a reminder of what he can do when he's given a consistent role on offense, regardless of his role.

Embiid provided 39 points (12-25 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 13-13 FT), 13 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 40 minutes before fouling out of Thursday's 118-115 loss to the Knicks in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Embiid was clearly not 100 percent healthy throughout the series, and the limitations were more noticeable as the series progressed but still posted outstanding stat lines, scoring 29 or more points in four of the six contests. He also recorded three double-doubles and a triple-double, but he couldn't do the heavy lifting on his own in the games where Tyrese Maxey struggled. Between the Play-In win over the Heat and the first-round series against the Knicks, Embiid averaged 31.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.3 blocks across 41.0 minutes per game.

Maxey recorded 17 points (6-18 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), five rebounds, five assists and two steals over 43 minutes during Thursday's 118-115 loss to the Knicks in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Maxey was coming off a heroic performance in Game 5, scoring 46 points and making some clutch buckets to keep the 76ers alive in the series. However, he wasn't able to deliver in Game 6 and finished with more field-goal attempts than points scored. Maxey posted her lowest-scoring tally of the series in Thursday's loss, but he still averaged 29.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game in the first round of the playoffs.

Hart closed with 16 points (5-11 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 14 rebounds and seven assists over 46 minutes during Thursday's 118-115 win over the 76ers in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Hart finished just three assists away from recording a triple-double as the Knicks clinched a 4-2 series win over the 76ers, and the small forward played a prominent role on both ends of the court throughout the first round. Hart recorded three double-doubles in the series but grabbed double-digit rebounds four times and scored 15-plus points in all but one of the six contests. Hart should have a tougher matchup in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and it wouldn't be surprising if he ends up being matched up against Pascal Siakam for stretches.

DiVincenzo racked up 23 points (8-18 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and two steals across 48 minutes during Thursday's 118-115 victory over Philadelphia in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Jalen Brunson carried the Knicks to victory in this series-clinching win, but DiVincenzo deserves credit for stepping up when the team needed him the most. He was coming off a few subpar performances, as he had shot 8-for-28 from the field in the previous three games of the series, but he reached the 20-point mark for the first time in the current playoff run while also filling out the stat sheet as he normally does. The Knicks need DiVincenzo at his best if they also want to get past the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He averaged only 12.0 points while shooting 36.4 percent from the field in the first round.