NBA Player News
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Victor Wembanyama C | SA
Spurs' Victor Wembanyama: Could return Saturday
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said Wednesday that there's "very much" a chance that Wembanyama (calf) will return for Saturday's NBA Cup Semifinals game against the Thunder, Jared Weiss of The Athletic reports.
Wembanyama has missed 12 straight games with a strained left calf, but he's been a full participant in practice recently. Johnson also said that Wembanyama had "a very good day" Wednesday. The Spurs have gone 10-2 without the star center, but he'd offer a massive boost against a Thunder team that's been nearly unbeatable. Even if Wembanyama is cleared to face OKC, he'd likely have his minutes monitored due to the lengthy absence and touchy nature of the injury.
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LeBron James SF | LAL
Lakers' LeBron James: Big double-double in loss
James generated 19 points (7-14 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 15 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks across 36 minutes of Wednesday's 132-119 loss to San Antonio.
Since being cleared for action in mid-November, James has taken a back seat to Luka Doncic and, occasionally, Austin Reaves from a scoring standpoint. Still, the 40-year-old has been productive elsewhere, and he thrived in the peripheral categories against the Spurs. He more than doubled his previous season high of seven rebounds, and he surpassed his previous season total of two blocks Wednesday night.
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Stephon Castle PG | SA
Spurs' Stephon Castle: Drops 30 points against Lakers
Castle generated 30 points (10-14 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 7-9 FT), 10 rebounds and six assists across 27 minutes during Wednesday's 132-119 win over the Lakers.
Castle set a season high in points, and he got anything he wanted offensively against a lackluster Lakers defense. His three three-pointers tied a season high. It was Castle's second game back after a nine-game absence due to injury, and he saw his playing time jump from 23 to 27 minutes. The second-year guard is averaging 18.2 points, 7.3 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game this season.
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Cason Wallace PG | OKC
Thunder's Cason Wallace: To be evaluated Thursday
Wallace (undisclosed) did not return to Wednesday's 138-89 win over the Suns, and he'll be evaluated further Thursday, Brandon Rahbar of DailyThunder.com reports.
Thunder head coach Mark Daignault didn't offer much of an update on Wallace's health postgame, but he mentioned that the young guard will be checked out Thursday. Wallace logged nine points (4-5 FG, 1-2 3Pt), four rebounds, two assists and four steals across 19 minutes. His next chance to play will come Saturday.
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Chet Holmgren C | OKC
Thunder's Chet Holmgren: Another stellar outing
Holmgren generated 24 points (9-13 FG, 4-4 3Pt, 2-3 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and three blocks across 25 minutes of Wednesday's 138-89 win over the Suns.
Holmgren has been unstoppable in the last two games, totaling 49 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks across 48 minutes. He's made 21 of his 28 shot attempts during that span. While the Thunder's dominance may occasionally limit his minutes played, his efficiency has offset that. In 21 games this season, Holmgren is averaging 18.8 points and 8.0 rebounds on 67.1 percent true shooting.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander SG | OKC
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Efficient in blowout win
Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 28 points (11-15 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT), eight assists, two rebounds, two steals and one block over 27 minutes during the Thunder's 138-89 win over the Suns in Wednesday's NBA Cup quarterfinal match.
Gilgeous-Alexander was cleared to play Wednesday after missing one game due to left elbow bursitis. The injury didn't appear to impact the reigning MVP whatsoever, as he contributed to the Thunder's dominant win that saw all five OKC starters sit out of the fourth quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander's numbers this season are similar to what he produced during the 2024-25 regular season, though he's connecting on 56.2 percent of his field-goal attempts and 45.4 percent of his three-point tries, both career highs.
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Grayson Allen SG | PHO
Suns' Grayson Allen: Ejected Wednesday
Allen has been ejected from Wednesday's game against the Thunder after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul, Andrew Schlecht of The Athletic reports.
Allen threw his body into Chet Holmgren while attempting to fight through a screen, and the foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 2 after a review. He'll finish the game with 10 points (3-9 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four assists, one rebound and one steal across 22 minutes. The Suns are down nearly 40 points late in the third quarter, so Allen's departure shouldn't change much. If anything, Phoenix may turn to its reserves a little earlier.
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Al Horford C | GS
Warriors' Al Horford: Won't play Friday
Horford (back) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Timberwolves, Danny Emerman of SFStandard.com reports.
Horford is slated to miss a third consecutive game due to a sciatic nerve issue in his back, and his next opportunity to play is Sunday against the Trail Blazers. Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis will continue to see more minutes for as long as Horford is sidelined.
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Stephen Curry PG | GS
Warriors' Stephen Curry: Scrimmages Wednesday
Curry (quadriceps) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, Anthony Slater of ESPN.com reports.
While Curry hasn't been officially cleared for Friday's matchup with Minnesota, he's on track to play. The veteran point guard was a full go for Wednesday's practice, which included a scrimmage. Curry's return would mean fewer opportunities for Pat Spencer and Gary Payton.
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Cason Wallace PG | OKC
Thunder's Cason Wallace: Heads to locker room
Wallace went back to the locker room during Wednesday's game against Phoenix for undisclosed reasons, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.
Wallace intentionally fouled so he could depart the contest, but it's unclear what prompted the decision. While the guard is out, Alex Caruso and Ajay Mitchell could see more playing time.