Kyle Goon: Nick Nurse says Kyle Lowry will probably take a few weeks to heal; Serge Ibaka has a sprain that’s severe enough for him to fly home from the road trip early.
Storyline: Kyle Lowry Injury
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Kyle Lowry suffered a small fracture in his left thumb and Serge Ibaka suffered a “pretty bad” sprained ankle, coach Nick Nurse said after Friday’s 122-104 win over the Pelicans. Lowry is set to see a hand specialist when the team travels to Los Angeles on Saturday.
“It felt weird from the rip,” Lowry said. “I kept playing through it and kept playing through it. Originally we thought it was something in the nailbed because the nailbed turned black and blue. We got some X-rays and we sent the X-rays off to the doctors and there was a small fracture in the thumb.”
Doug Smith: No Kyle Lowry sighting at the Raptors scrimmage; Nick Nurse told us yesterday Lowry had to go to NY to see a doctor Raptors leave Sat. for games in Tokyo. Lowry hasn’t had a single practice. Chance of him flying halfway around the world to watch pre-season games? Who knows
Kyle Lowry still awaiting clearance to practice
Josh Lewenberg: Raptors are also holding Kyle Lowry out of contact drills and scrimmages for now after undergoing surgery on his thumb over the summer. There’s no timetable for his return to full practice. They’ll ease him in.
Tim Reynolds: Expect De’Aaron Fox to get a big look from the powers that be at USA Basketball when camp opens tomorrow in Las Vegas. Also, Kyle Lowry is planning to meet his docs in the next few days and hopes to practice with USAB in Los Angeles next week. He wants to play World Cup.
The injury dates to Game 7 of the conference semis, and he’s has been playing with it heavily taped. Sources told me the injury, specifically, is a ligament, and Lowry has said publicly that whatever the injury is, it can’t be addressed until the offseason. When he isn’t playing, Lowry has his hands stuffed into a blue, oversized oven mitt for compression to help with circulation. He looks like Cookie Monster with that thing.
“It’s about passing. I’m a big passer,” Lowry said during an appearance on ESPN’s The Jump. “It’s about passing. I’m a big passer,” Lowry said during an appearance on ESPN’s The Jump. “You know, the flicking of the passing, the kind of — the ball movement, handling the ball. During the game, honestly, I can’t feel my thumb,” he said, alluding to the treatment he is receiving to numb the pain in his non-shooting hand.
“I’ll have to take care of it after the season but I don’t want to talk about it as much,” he said on The Jump as his Raptors prepare to face the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the Finals on Thursday in Toronto. “I haven’t complained about it, I won’t complain about it, I don’t care about it; I’m going to continue to do the things I need to do to make sure I can play at a high level. And that’s it.”
“Kyle’s hand is not great,” Nurse said. “You know, he’s — it’s hurt and it’s sore and it causes him a lot of pain. But he seems to be able to manage it through the game and do what he can do. “He’s obviously scoring and playing great on top of the other things he always does, and we’re really [seeing] a heck of a lot of toughness and again, the spirit that he just wants to be out there and help his team any way he can.”
“Kyle’s hand is not great,” Nurse said. “You know, he’s — it’s hurt and it’s sore and it causes him a lot of pain. But he seems to be able to manage it through the game and do what he can do.”
Josh Lewenberg: Lowry said he’s had some trouble gripping the ball because of his injured thumb, but insisted he’ll be fine. He was wearing what looked like an oven mitt to help with circulation. “I was learning how to cook so it comes in handy too.”
Josh Lewenberg: Lowry says his ankle is OK, but still sore. “It’s going to be a process but I’ll get there, hopefully. It’s not going to be 100% the whole season I can tell you that right now… It takes time. It’s a work in progress. This is a good first step for me.”
Josh Lewenberg: Lowry: “I just wanted to get out there. I could sit out until the playoffs with the type of injury I have but I want to play, keep a rhythm, get out there with the guys and play some basketball. If I can get out there and play I’m going to go play.”
Michael Grange: Lowry will play tonight vs. Hornets. First time Raps have post deadline group intact, I believe.
Eric Koreen: As of 1:30, Lowry is the only Raptors on the injury report, questionable with a sprained ankle. Leonard not listed. This would be his first time playing three games in five days since Dec. 30-Jan 3.
Josh Lewenberg: Lowry is listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game vs Charlotte, though Nurse had indicated he’s expected back sometime next week.
Ryan Wolstat: Lowry expected back “next week sometime” per Nick Nurse
Josh Lewenberg: Raptors rule Lowry OUT for tomorrow’s game vs OKC.
Kyle Lowry injury not serious?
Adrian Wojnarowski: Raptors guard Kyle Lowry is undergoing testing on right ankle injury that caused him to leave game, but belief is that it’s not serious, league sources tell ESPN.
Doug Smith: Raptors PR: Kyle Lowry, right ankle soreness, will not return. Duh
Doug Smith: Words matter Lowry now “probable” for tonight vs. Knicks as opposed to “questionable” earlier in the day
Doug Smith: Couple of injury report changes for the Raptors today in Detroit Kyle Lowry goes to “doubtful” from “questionable” Fred VanVleet goes to “probable” from “questionable” And, both, really, are day-to-day in the grand scheme of things, as we all are
Doug Smith: Raptors list Lowry and VanVleet as questionable for Sunday in Detroit but nary a word about “load management” going into the start of the back-to-back. It’s early, though
Tim Bontemps: Kyle Lowry won’t play tonight against the Lakers because of a sore ankle. Danny Green will. Jeremy Lin will start in Lowry’s place.
Josh Lewenberg: Lowry and Green are both listed as questionable for tonight’s game vs the Lakers with left ankle sprains. VanVleet is still out but Nurse hopes to have him back in the next week. Ibaka begins serving his 3-game suspension.
Josh Lewenberg: Lowry twisted his left ankle, per Raptors. He won’t return tonight, which probably goes without saying considering there’s 2 minutes left in a 20-point game.
Eric Smith: Kyle Lowry will not play today (back)
Eric Smith: Kyle Lowry working out with Raptors staff/cosches (& Alex McKechnie) before Toronto’s shootaround officially begins this morning. His status still TBA
Ryan Wolstat: Nurse said he still thinks Lowry’s getting closer to a return. Will get some shots up today and see how he’s feeling.
Tim Bontemps: “I think it’s now into a pain management stage a little bit,” Nurse said. He added Lowry was scheduled to get shots up pregame, and that the team will be monitoring him each day to see how he progresses.
Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has received pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory injections for lower-back soreness, the team announced Tuesday. The four-time all-star has been dealing with back and hip ailments that have kept him out of seven of Toronto’s last eight games.
The Raptors said Lowry met with Dr. Patrick O’Leary at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York for the injections last Friday. Coach Nick Nurse was optimistic about Lowry’s improvement on Monday. “I think things are progressing really well,” Nurse said. “Shouldn’t be too long.”
Tim Bontemps: The Raptors announce Kyle Lowry had pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory injections in his back last week at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. pic.twitter.com/RKhm5vV5mP
Eric Koreen: Lowry will be out vs. Utah again.
Raptors coach Nick Nurse admitted he has been concerned that point guard Kyle Lowry has been sidelined for virtually all of the past two weeks with quad and back issues that have limited him to playing in just one of Toronto’s past eight games. “Yeah, I think a little bit,” Nurse said before the Raptors faced the Chicago Bulls here at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday evening. “You’re always concerned. You want an All-Star player back as soon as possible. “Any of our guys, we want them back as soon as possible … I think we’re positive and hopeful that it’s going in the right direction, and we’ll see him back soon.”
Eric Smith: Kyle Lowry (back) did not practice today on Orlando.
Tim Reynolds: Kyle Lowry downgraded to out.
Doug Smith: Raptors PR reports from Miami this morning that Lowry is doubtful for tonight vs. Heat, Ibaka is probable and Valanciunas is out.
Leonard and Lowry have only been in the lineup together for four of the 12 Raptors games this month, though the expectation ahead of a late Christmas practice was that both would be in to face the Heat on Boxing Day in Miami. Rotating starting centres Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas have also been banged up, with Valanciunas still out for a while due to his thumb injury, with only shooting guard and Pascal Siakam reliably good to go just about every night.
Tim Bontemps: Kyle Lowry and Danny Green are playing tonight.
Tim Bontemps: Nick Nurse admits he’s a little surprised Kyle Lowry is able to play today in his native Philadelphia, but that Lowry was “aggressively treated” this week and was deemed ready to go for tonight’s game.
Josh Lewenberg: For the second straight game, the Raptors will be without Lowry, Ibaka and Valanciunas tonight.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Kyle Lowry will miss Toronto’s game at Portland with thigh bruise — Kawhi Leonard will play, per Raptors.
Eric Koreen: I asked Lowry how his back was. “It’s great. I’m alive.” Funny, same way I woke up this morning. (This is not an official injury update.)
Josh Lewenberg: Lowry (back) went through shootaround today and will play tonight.
Ryan Wolstat: Kyle Lowry out. Sore back for Raptor
Ryan Wolstat: VanVleet starts for Lowry
Josh Lewenberg: Looks like Lowry will play tonight after all. He’s starting with the usuals (Green, Leonard, Siakam, Ibaka).
Eric Smith: OG Anunoby, CJ Miles, Norman Powell are out, according to Nick Nurse. Kyle Lowry is a game time decision.
Eric Koreen: Here was Nurse’s full explanation for why Lowry was in when he hurt his ankle pic.twitter.com/AXGsP9y2rA
Tim Bontemps: No Kyle Lowry tonight for the Raptors.
Joe Vardon: As expected, Kyle Lowry won’t play tonight for the Raptors
Adrian Wojnarowski: Toronto guard Kyle Lowry is day-to-day on a return from a bone bruise on his tailbone, league source tells ESPN.
Dave McMenamin: Kyle Lowry on if he’s going to play today: “Nope.”
Marc J. Spears: Raptors say All-Star guard Kyle Lowry (left ankle sprain) is out for tonight’s game versus Cavs. Center Lucas Nogueira will be active.
The Raptors are going to be without All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry for Game 4 against the Cavs because of the same sprained left ankle that cost him Game 3. “I don’t think he’s going to go,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.
Michael Grange: Lowry says he’s doubtful for G4, ankle sore, may have made it worse trying to get ready for G3.
Eric Koreen: Lowry worked out. No decision made. Will know something definitive in next hour.
Michael Grange: Lowry (ankle) did a light workout just after 4; in some pain but view is he is going to try to play in G3 vs. Cavs, nothing official yet.
All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry didn’t participate in the Toronto Raptors’ shootaround Friday morning and will be a game-time decision for Game 3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a left ankle sprain.
“It’s still pretty sore,” Lowry said. “I have to be able [to] play defense, run up and down, make cuts, and I think the making cuts part will be most important. Going straight forward will be OK.” If Lowry can’t play, Cory Joseph likely would start in his place.
Marla Ridenour: No structural damage in left ankle of #Raptors Kyle Lowry. Will be game time decision tonight vs #Cavs
Eric Smith: Lowry: “I’m alright. We’ll see how it feels later.” Game time decision. Says he hasn’t tested it or really tried anything
Adrian Wojnarowski: Toronto All-Star Kyle Lowry still getting treatment on ankle injury, uncertain on his status for Game 3 tonight, he tells @The Vertical.
November 13, 2019 | 4:49 pm UTC Update
Memphis plans to wait on a buyout with Iguodala until February’s trade deadline. The Grizzlies are still holding out hope that a trade can be worked out and have been holding firm on their asking price of a first-round pick. If not, Iguodala will be cut loose from Memphis and free to sign with whomever he chooses—around the league, that’s expected to be the Lakers.
But there are still teams in the mix. All, according to speculation from league executives, are in the Western Conference. “He’s got more value in the West,” one GM told Heavy.com. “I can’t see a team in the East moving for him. He has the experience guarding LeBron and that’s what you want out of him. That and you want to keep him off the Lakers, you want their bench to be a weak spot. He doesn’t have those same kinds of good matchups in the East. You don’t want to put him on Giannis (Antetokounmpo) in a seven-game series, for sure.”
But the Grizzlies have yet to show interest in that deal and whether the Mavs would revisit the offer is a question. Sources indicate that the Mavs’ intent as the season progresses is to hunt for a piece with the trade exception they hold from the Harrison Barnes deal, worth $11.7 million. The Mavs can take on a player with a contract less than that value without giving up anything in return.
Alykhan Bijani: The #Rockets have recalled forward Gary Clark and center Isaiah Hartenstein from their single-affiliation G League partner Rio Grande Valley.
During an episode of ESPN’s “The Jump” on Tuesday, former Celtic Paul Pierce and longtime NBA reporter Jackie MacMullan touched on the difference in the team’s leadership. Specifically, the departure of Kyrie Irving and the arrival of Kemba Walker. “They got better leadership in there,” Pierce said. “Let’s just call it how it is.”
After ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols — the show’s host — offered a clarification that the leadership was simply “different,” Pierce jumped back in. “It’s better,” reiterated Pierce. “Kemba, he’s known throughout the league as being a great leader. I mean, he played on losing teams, he stayed positive. He went out and played hard every night, and that can be infectious. That can be the difference between losing and winning and chemistry. That’s what he’s brought to the Celtics.”
November 13, 2019 | 3:54 pm UTC Update
Through their first nine games, James had assisted Davis on 26 baskets, 10 more than any other teammate, per ESPN Stats & Information research. Compare that to his first nine games with Bosh, when it was 17 assists, and his first nine with Love, which produced only 11. Their pick-and-rolls have resulted in the highlight dunks that fans love and a schematic nightmare for opposing coaches. And even though they sometimes are caught a little out of position, there’s a natural flow that’s easy to see. “I think that’s part of [LeBron’s] genius that he’s able to morph into whatever he needs to be, to bring out the best out of the other players,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, whose team faced the Lakers last week. “His connection with [Bosh] was pretty natural, and I think this is, this just fits like a glove. … When both guys want to do it, commit to the process of getting better with it, you’re just going to see that improve dramatically as the season goes on.”
If he wanted to, Chris Bosh could coach up a different niche group: big men playing with LeBron James. “Playing with LeBron was like buying a Ferrari,” Bosh said. “You know it’s the best in the world. It looks amazing when you see it. But you have no idea how powerful it is once you try to drive it. You can go right off the road.”
Amid the ongoing debate about resting players in the NBA, count Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban among those openly willing to support load management. “The problem isn’t load management, per se,” Cuban told reporters in Boston on Monday. “I think teams have to be smarter about when to load manage. I’m all for load management. Worse than missing a player in a [regular-season] game is missing him in the playoffs.”
“It’s all data-driven,” Cuban said. “We’re not going, ‘OK, let’s just mess with the league and our meal ticket to fans to do something just because it might be interesting. We spend so much money, not just on analytics for predictive reasons, but also for biometrics so we know how smart we can be. “The dumb thing would be to ignore the science.”
Cuban said that while it might be frustrating to see players on the bench now, it all pays off in the postseason. “You actually get more of your stars [in the playoffs],” Cuban said. “You get shorter rotations of more of the guys playing in the playoffs, which is what you want to see anyway, right?”
“He had a tough couple of weeks before training camp,” Dunn said. “Most people, when I get at them and I see fear, they’re done. They’re outta there.” But White didn’t budge. He showed no fear, no quit. He refused to back down. He just kept coming. “Training camp came and he turned it on,” Dunn said. “That showed he’s still learning, but he’s going to bring it. He’s going to keep bringing it. He kept the same intensity. He kept the same energy. And I love it.”
Justin Kubatko: The @Jaryd Wilson Trae Young has joined LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to reach 10 career 30-point, 10-assist games before turning 22 years old. James had 11 such games before his 22nd birthday.
Though some of the feelings were foreign to him, he could recognize them as a threat to his well-being. “That kills more dreams, careers, on and off the court, basketball-related and just (in) regular life,” Brown says. “As soon as you start not believing in yourself, it’s over. So I had to quiet that voice that was in the back of my head. Everybody has it. It’s not something that, like, just Jaylen has been through it. I think everybody on this planet probably has that voice in the back of their head telling them to stop or to quit or not to keep going. And that voice had been louder last year than it had ever been. So I had to make sure to quiet that fucking voice because it was pissing me off.”
He found the best response was sometimes to detach from a situation, even if others did not always understand the tactic. He wasn’t doing it out of a lack of care, he says, but because he needed to preserve his positive energy and keep moving in the right direction. While he says he didn’t lean much on others for advice, his grandfather recommended a number of helpful books. “A lot of it had to do with astrology and stuff like that,” Brown says. “Finding out what you’re made of. I had to remind myself of who I was. That was good for me.”
Brown has a bigger role again. Head coach Brad Stevens inserted him into the starting lineup from Day 1. Through nine games, the Celtics lead the NBA with an 8-1 record and a plus-9.5 net rating. Brown is averaging 19.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game on 53 percent shooting. Those marks would all establish career highs. He has lived near the rim so far — which he called a conscious decision — but he does not want to pigeonhole himself into a slashing style. If teams start backing up, he says, he may need to start lacing 3-pointers again. “The media or analytics, they always try to put you in a box and say this is the type of player he is or this is the type of player,” Brown says. “I don’t think anybody knows what type of player I am. I can try to continue to grow and get better. In two years I might be improved at anything just because I work on my game that way.”
Brad Turner: After getting X-rays on his ribs (right side) after game Tuesday night that were negative, all signs point to the Lakers holding out Anthony Davis for Wednesday night’s game vs. Warriors at Staples Center, per source. Davis also been dealing with right shoulder issues.
November 13, 2019 | 8:14 am UTC Update
Knicks players back David Fizdale
Despite their frustrations following the loss at Chicago — one in which they turned the ball over 18 times and were outscored 52-46 in the paint — Knicks players were still adamant in their support of the second-year coach. “We’ve got 9-10 new guys? We’ve got 10 guys that have not played together at all and me who hasn’t even been in the league yet,” said rookie RJ Barrett. “You’re gonna have some challenges, but you’ve got to keep pushing, keep pushing through everything. That’s all I can really say. You’ve just got to stay together. “He’s up to the challenge. We believe in him,” he continued. “We’re staying together, and like we said, we’re all-in with him and are just gonna keep fighting together.”
Fizdale didn’t seem fazed by the speculation during Tuesday’s shootaround, telling reporters, “It’s always a media firestorm in New York, so for everybody else this is a big deal, but for us, it’s a normal environment. So, our guys are focused, they’re connected.”
Knicks owner James Dolan spoke with team president Steve Mills and others in management on Monday, the day after Mills and GM Scott Perry held an impromptu press conference to express their frustration with the Knicks. Dolan speaks with Mills and other top decision-makers regularly, just as most NBA owners do, but this conversation seemed to carry a little more weight. Sources familiar with the conversation told SNY that management came away with the impression that their jobs would be secure as long as the Knicks ‘showed progress’ this season.
Despite another defeat, there was a clear attempt to calm roiling waters surrounding Fizdale. Sources indicated Mills and Perry felt their unprecedented James Dolan-inspired press conference Sunday came off as too harsh in the form of pinning the blame on the coach.
Sources told SNY that, in addition to Fizdale, Mills and Perry are also ‘on notice’ in the wake of the Knicks’ slow start. Regardless of what happens with Fizdale, opposing executives expect Mills and Perry to be given the remainder of the season to show Dolan that the team they put together can be competitive.
Stadium: NBA Insider @ShamsCharania reports Dion Waiters will return to the Heat when his 10-game team suspension ends after “gummy” incident. “There isn’t a buyout on the horizon … he has to get back into the good graces of the organization”
Jeff Siegel: The Atlanta Hawks are now eligible to sign a 16th player to their roster, now that John Collins has been suspended for five games and can be moved to the Suspended List. When his suspension is up in late December, they would then have to make a cut to get Collins back.
The Houston Rockets made the signing-and-trading for veteran Chris Paul in the summer of 2017 the landmark move of their offseason, but the All-Star floor general only experienced two seasons in Clutch City before being quickly shipped off again on his career. Speaking to comedian and actor Kevin Hart on his cold tub show that we all knew existed before this moment, the 34-year-old Paul called his 2019 offseason trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder a “stab” in the back (via Dan Feldman of NBC Sports). Hart: Do you feel like there’s been times where, “Damn, that’s a little eye-opening. I got stabbed in the back”? Paul: Absolutely. This last situation was one of them. The GM there in Houston, he don’t owe me nothing. You know what I mean? He may tell me one thing but do another thing. But you just understand that that’s what it is.
James Ham: “F— the headband. No more headband. F— that s—. I’ll burn that s— up next time I see one.” -Buddy Hield after missing his first six 3-pointers while wearing a headband
David Levy is resigning as chief executive officer of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center, abruptly walking away from the fast-growing sports operation owned by Alibaba Group billionaire Joe Tsai. Levy, a 33-year veteran of Turner Broadcasting, was named to the CEO job less than two months ago. Oliver Weisberg, head of J Tsai Sports, will now take over as interim Nets chief.
Turkish NBA player Enes Kanter, a vocal critic of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, teamed up with two Democratic U.S. senators on Tuesday as they introduced a bill to condemn the alleged violation of human rights in Turkey. As Erdogan arrived in the United States for a White House meeting on Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump, Senators Edward Markey and Ron Wyden held up Kanter as a victim of the Turkish government’s targeting of political rivals.
November 13, 2019 | 3:01 am UTC Update
Kyle Neubeck: Joel Embiid’s status for tomorrow will be updated by tomorrow’s 1 pm deadline, Sixers say. Read between the lines on that one
Kyle Neubeck: Brett Brown says Tobias Harris had a stomach virus and that he went through today not knowing if he was going to play.
Casey Holdahl: Sounds like Rodney Hood (back spasms) will not play tonight vs. Kings.
November 13, 2019 | 2:40 am UTC Update
Scott Agness: With five players in the rotation sidelined, Pacers improve to 7-4 entering a back-to-back at Houston, home vs Milwaukee on Fri/Sat. 111-85 over the Thunder, easily the Pacers’ largest win of the season. Sabonis had 18/16 vs his former team.
Derek Bodner: Kevin Love misses an open jumper at the top, scramble for the ball, time runs out and the #sixers, somehow, pull out a 98-97 win over the Cavs. Embiid (27 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists) played great, the Sixers shooters a little less so.
Fueled by the desire to make the Hawks regret trading him, Spellman, 22, shed 55 pounds from his 6-foot-8 frame since July. Able to give all-out effort for longer stretches, he has emerged as the Warriors’ primary backup at center.
Atlanta’s training staff wanted him to take accountability and ask for help, but he was too stubborn. The NBA lifestyle had messed with his priorities. Instead of focusing on his diet and cracking the rotation, Spellman did favors for friends and hobnobbed with celebrities. Today, he calls that dark period a “time of self-sabotage.” And injuries only worsened his depression. A hip issue, likely the result of his rapid weight gain, sidelined Spellman for seven games last winter. In early March, a high ankle sprain ended his season.
Those closest to him have seen a changed man. After slogging through a year-long depression, Spellman is finally finding reasons to smile again. “I have a great opportunity with the Golden State Warriors,” said Spellman, who had his third-year option of $2 million picked up two weeks ago. “They’re helping me every day. I’m losing more and more weight, and I can really get to whatever point they want me at. I know what I need to do.”
Dane Moore: Jeff Teague is questionable to play tomorrow against San Antonio (illness) Shabazz Napier (hamstring) and Jordan Bell (shoulder) are doubtful to play. If Teague can’t play, this again should mean more time for Jarrett Culver and Jordan McLaughlin at the point.
November 13, 2019 | 2:22 am UTC Update
An MRI provided answers to why Gordon had gotten off to such a slow start, even relief Gordon said. But the Rockets lose him when the schedule turns far more challenging. “I haven’t been able to do all I really want all year,” Gordon said. “I’ll be able to be more balanced, more athletic. I knew I wasn’t on balance all year. I’ll be able to get it right, now.”
James Ham: According to Luke Walton, Cory Joseph will start.
Michael Singer: Malik Beasley is out tonight with an illness.
