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  • Officially questionable for Game 1
    Embiid is questionable for Game 1 of the first-round series against the Knicks on Saturday due to left knee injury recovery.

    Advice: Embiid appeared in five of the final seven regular-season matchups, averaging 30.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks in 30.6 minutes, after returning from a 29-game absence at the beginning of April. He also posted 23 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and a steal in 38 minutes during Philadelphia's Play-In victory over Miami on Wednesday. Embiid will likely be a regular on the injury report throughout the postseason, but barring a setback or new injury, it'd be surprising if the reigning MVP missed time. Rotowire.com 29 minutes ago
     
  • Kidd: Dereck Lively ‘trending in right direction’
    Dereck Lively II (right knee) is “trending in the right direction” to play in Game 1 against the Clippers on Sunday.

    Advice: Livwly missed the final couple of weeks of the regular season, but there is a chance that he is available to play in Game 1 against the Clippers. If he does return to the rotation, he will play an important role off the bench and split minutes with Daniel Gafford and Maxi Kleber down low. Rotoworld Today, 10:22 am
     
  • Tim Hardaway Jr. (illness) misses practice Friday
    Tim Hardaway Jr. (illness) missed practice on Friday but will join the team in Los Angeles for their game on Sunday.

    Advice: THJ wasn’t able to practice on Friday, but he should be with the team for Game 1. If he doesn’t end up suiting up, Dante Exum and Josh Green will likely see some extra minutes off the bench on the perimeter. Rotoworld Today, 10:21 am
     
  • On track to play Sunday
    Coach Jason Kidd said Friday that Lively (knee) is trending in the right direction and is on track to play in Sunday's Game 1 against the Clippers, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News reports.

    Advice: Lively missed the final eight regular-season games due to a right knee sprain but returned to full practices this week and has avoided a setback thus far. If available, the rookie will likely handle a backup role behind Daniel Gafford, but Lively has proven to be an excellent fit in Dallas and should still play around 20 minutes per game in the playoffs. Rotowire.com Today, 10:19 am
     
  • Dealing with illness
    Hardaway didn't practice Friday due to an illness, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News reports.

    Advice: Hardaway will join the Mavericks in Los Angeles ahead of Sunday's Game 1 versus the Clippers, but his status for that matchup won't be determined until Saturday afternoon. The sharpshooter scored in double figures only twice across eight regular-season appearances in April. Rotowire.com Today, 10:15 am
     
  • Ruled out for Game 1
    Melton (back) has been ruled out for Saturday's Game 1 against the Knicks, Ky Carlin of USA Today reports.

    Advice: Melton was unable to participate in Friday's practice session and will miss the start of the 76ers' first-round series. However, coach Nick Nurse said Friday that the team isn't ready to rule Melton out for the entirety of the series, so he should be considered day-to-day for now. The 25-year-old has appeared in just five games since Jan. 12, so even if he's cleared to return at some point during the playoffs, it wouldn't be surprising to see him face a minutes restriction. Rotowire.com Today, 9:25 am
     
  • De’Anthony Melton (back) ruled out for Game 1
    De’Anthony Melton (back injury recovery) will remain sidelined for Game 1 against the Knicks on Saturday.

    Advice: Melton has played in a total of seven games in 2024, with two coming this month. However, he is back on the sidelines for this one after missing their Play-In matchup with the Heat. Cam Payne and Buddy Hield will continue to fill out the backup guard minutes. Rotoworld Today, 9:23 am
     
  • Alex Caruso (ankle) expects to play vs. Miami
    Alex Caruso (left ankle sprain) said that he expects to play against the Heat in their Play-In matchup on Friday.

    Advice: Caruso was limited to 17 minutes against the Hawks on Wednesday, and early reports indicated that his status against the Heat was “in doubt”. However, Chicago should have their best defender available as they try to win in Miami to move on to take on the Celtics. The Heat won’t have Jimmy Butler or Terry Rozier, so Caruso will be tasked with limiting Tyler Herro. Rotoworld Today, 9:14 am
     
  • Expects to play Friday
    Caruso (ankle), who is questionable for Friday's Play-In Game against the Heat, said that he expects to play in the matchup, Jamal Collier of ESPN.com reports.

    Advice: Caruso was initially believed to have a significant left ankle sprain, but he experienced reduced swelling Thursday. It appears increasingly likely that the 30-year-old will be available for Friday's win-or-go-home matchup, but the Bulls will likely continue to monitor him in the hours leading up to tipoff. Rotowire.com Today, 8:28 am