NBA Player News
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Pelle Larsson SG | MIA
Heat's Pelle Larsson: MRI scheduled for Wednesday
Larsson's X-rays on his sprained left ankle came back negative, and he'll undergo an MRI on Wednesday, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
Larsson sustained the ankle injury in the second quarter of Tuesday's 117-108 NBA Cup quarterfinals loss to the Magic and was unable to return. He finished with two points (1-2 FG), two rebounds and one assist over 11 minutes. The Heat will determine the severity of the injury Wednesday, and his next chance to play comes Sunday against the loser of the Knicks vs. Raptors matchup Tuesday.
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Pelle Larsson SG | MIA
Heat's Pelle Larsson: Doesn't return Tuesday
Larsson (ankle) did not return to Tuesday's 117-108 NBA Cup quarterfinals loss to the Magic. He finished with two points (1-2 FG), two rebounds and one assist over 11 minutes.
Larsson sprained his left ankle during the second quarter of Tuesday's game, and he was not cleared by medical staff to return. He'll undergo further tests to determine the severity of the injury, but he could miss the Heat's next game, which will take place Sunday against the loser of the Knicks vs. Raptors matchup.
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Norman Powell SG | MIA
Heat's Norman Powell: Paces Miami in loss
Powell posted 21 points (8-19 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, three steals and two assists across 34 minutes in Tuesday's 117-108 loss to the Magic.
Powell didn't deliver his most efficient performance, though he still led Miami in points and triples, albeit in a losing effort. The veteran swingman was productive on both ends of the floor, grabbing at least seven boards for the third time this season while tallying a game-high mark in steals. Powell has scored 18-plus points in five straight games, averaging 25.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game during that span.
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Desmond Bane SG | ORL
Magic's Desmond Bane: Drops 37 points in NBA Cup quarters
Bane posted 37 points (14-24 FG, 6-9 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six rebounds, five assists and one steal over 38 minutes during the Magic's 117-108 win over the Knicks during Tuesday's NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup.
Bane and the Magic got off to a slow start to Tuesday's NBA Cup clash, but the sixth-year guard proceeded to score in double digits in each of the final three quarters of the game, including 15 points in the fourth, to help punch a ticket to the NBA Cup semifinals Saturday. Bane has scored exactly 37 points in three of his last six games, and he has opened his first year in Orlando averaging 19.0 points, 4.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 threes and 0.8 steals over 33.2 minutes per game.
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Marcus Smart PG | LAL
Lakers' Marcus Smart: Off report for Wednesday
Smart (back) isn't listed on the injury report for Wednesday's game against the Spurs, NBA reporter Marc Stein reports.
Smart will snap a six-game absence due to a back injury. With the veteran guard back in action, Gabe Vincent, Adou Thiero and Jake LaRavia are candidates for a dip in playing time. Smart has averaged 9.3 points, 2.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 26.8 minutes per contest over 14 regular-season games thus far.
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Maxi Kleber C | LAL
Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Questionable to play Wednesday
Kleber (back) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup against the Spurs, NBA reporter Marc Stein reports.
Kleber is working through a lumbar muscle strain, though it's unclear when he sustained the injury given that he's been a healthy DNP in two of the Lakers' last three games. He has seen some playing time off the bench since mid-November, so his absence could lead to more rotational minutes for the likes of Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes.
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Jordan McLaughlin PG | SA
Spurs' Jordan McLaughlin: Iffy for Wednesday
McLaughlin (hamstring) is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Lakers, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.
McLaughlin has missed San Antonio's last 10 games due to a strained left hamstring, though he has a chance to return Wednesday after logging a full practice Sunday. Even if he's cleared to play, the 29-year-old guard's return shouldn't cause any significant waves in the rotation.
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Mitchell Robinson C | NY
Knicks' Mitchell Robinson: Reverting to bench Tuesday
Robinson is not in the Knicks' starting lineup against the Raptors on Tuesday.
Robinson started in the Knicks' win over the Magic on Sunday, but he'll come off the bench for Tuesday's NBA Cup quarterfinals match after Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) was cleared to play. Over his last five outings, Robinson has averaged 3.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals over 18.6 minutes per game.
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Ja'Kobe Walter SG | TOR
Raptors' Ja'Kobe Walter: Coming off bench vs. New York
Walter is not in the Raptors' starting lineup against the Knicks on Tuesday, Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic reports.
Walter will cede his spot in the starting lineup to Ochai Agbaji for Tuesday's NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup. Walter has started in seven of the Raptors' last eight games due to the absence of RJ Barrett (knee), and over that span, the former has averaged 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.3 threes and 1.1 steals over 23.0 minutes per game.
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Ochai Agbaji SF | TOR
Raptors' Ochai Agbaji: Starting Tuesday
Agbaji will start against the Knicks on Tuesday, Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic reports.
The 25-year-old forward will get the starting nod for just the second time this season, pushing Ja'Kobe Walter to the bench. In his last five outings, Agbaji has averaged 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game.