NBA Player News

Shead totaled 17 points (6-11 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 0-1 FT), one rebound and two assists over 28 minutes during Saturday's 126-113 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Getting the start to open the playoffs with Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) unavailable, Shead was locked in from long distance, and his five made three-pointers was more than he's produced in any regular-season game during his career to date. The 17 points also represented the second-year guard's best offensive output since Jan. 11, when he dropped 22 points on the Sixers. With Quickley's status uncertain for Game 2 on Monday, Shead could be in line for a significant role in the Raptors' backcourt once again.

Gobert accumulated 17 points (8-9 FG, 1-5 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists and one steal over 38 minutes during Saturday's 116-105 loss to the Nuggets in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

While Nikola Jokic still recorded a triple-double, Gobert did a decent job containing Denver's star and protecting the paint. He also contributed on the glass with three offensive rebounds and was highly efficient, missing just one shot across his 38 minutes.

Durant (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's Game 1 against the Lakers, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Durant bumped knees with a teammate in practice and won't suit up Saturday due to a right knee contusion. With the superstar sidelined, Tari Eason and Josh Okogie are candidates for expanded roles, while Jae'Sean Tate and Dorian Finney-Smith could see increased run. Durant's next chance to play will come in Game 2 in Houston on Tuesday.

McDaniels had 16 points (6-14 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT), eight rebounds and three assists across 33 minutes during Saturday's 116-105 loss to the Nuggets in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

McDaniels was Minnesota's leading scorer through the first three quarters of play, but the Nuggets completely shut him down in crunch time, holding the sixth-year forward to zero points with just one shot attempt in the final frame. He missed all four of his three-point attempts and finished with a team-worst minus-17 differential in the loss.

Edwards logged 22 points (7-19 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 6-7 FT), nine rebounds, seven assists and three blocks over 38 minutes during Saturday's 116-105 loss to the Nuggets in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Edwards was everywhere on defense, matching his postseason career-high in swats by halftime, and he did a good job of making things difficult for Jamal Murray. Edwards showed nice explosion off the dribble, and logged a team-high 38 minutes in the defeat, so his knee didn't seem to give him too much trouble.

Gordon posted 17 points (5-10 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 6-8 FT), eight rebounds and three assists over 29 minutes during Saturday's 116-105 victory over the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Gordon did an excellent job of containing Julius Randle, holding Minnesota's star power forward to just 16 points on 7-for-16 shooting. He was shoved by Randle late in the match and landed hard on his rear, but despite some grimacing, he played through it and finished the game. Gordon should be fine for Game 2 on Monday.

Barnes notched 21 points (6-14 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 6-9 FT), one rebound and seven assists across 32 minutes during Saturday's 126-113 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The fifth-year forward delivered a solid performance to open the Raptors' playoff run, but Barnes wasn't able to match the output of Donovan Mitchell (32 points) for the Cavs. Barnes may need to find another gear on offense if Toronto is going to avoid an early exit -- he's scored 20-plus points only twice in eight April contests, averaging just 15.8 points, 6.9 assists, 5.4 boards, 1.1 steals and 0.9 threes on the month.

Jokic supplied 25 points (11-19 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 13 rebounds, 11 assists and one steal across 40 minutes during Saturday's 116-105 win over Minnesota in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Jokic got off to a slow start, scoring just six points on four shots through the first half of play, but he came alive after halftime and helped the Nuggets open the third quarter with an 18-6 run. "To win a championship, you need the guys to step up at the right moment," Jokic said during a recent interview. "If it is not your night one game, it's OK because the next one is coming soon."

Murray recorded 30 points (7-22 FG, 0-8 3Pt, 16-16 FT), five rebounds and seven assists across 39 minutes during Saturday's 116-105 victory over the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

While Murray struggled to get his shot to drop and missed all eight of his three-point attempts, he did an excellent job of creating contact and getting to the charity stripe for easy buckets. He finished perfect at the line, only committed two turnovers in his 39 minutes of floor time and ended his evening with a team-best plus-13 differential in the 11-point win.

Mitchell (ankle) isn't listed on the injury report for Sunday's Game 1 against the Suns.

Mitchell missed two consecutive contests due to left ankle injury management to end the regular season, but he's good to go for the playoffs. The second-year guard averaged 10.2 points, 3.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds across 22.8 minutes per tilt over his final 10 regular-season appearances (four starts).