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  • 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 50 minutes ago
     
  • 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 56 minutes ago
     
  • 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
     
  • Bench role in the cards for Klay Thompson?
    Warriors coach Steve Kerr mentioned the possibility of Klay Thompson coming off the bench should he remain with the team during his end-of-season press conference.

    Advice: Thompson’s 2023-24 season came to a brutal end, as he missed all ten field goal attempts and went scoreless in Tuesday’s Play-In tournament loss to the Kings. The veteran guard, one of the all-time great shooters in NBA history, will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. And a return to the Warriors could depend on how amenable he is to coming off the bench, which is what happened this season. “I thought Klay really showed that he was agreeable to the sixth-man role the second half of the year, even though eventually we put him back in the starting lineup,” Kerr, who noted that the team needs to add more shooting to the roster this offseason, said. “I think that’s got to be an option going forward. I would prefer not to play him 35 minutes.” Thompson’s future in the Bay Area, beginning with whether or not he’ll re-sign with the team, impacts multiple Warriors, including Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody. Rotoworld Yesterday, 5:04 pm
     
  • Logs 10 minutes in elimination game
    Matthews (hamstring) tallied zero points (0-2 FG, 0-2 3Pt) and one assist in 10 minutes Wednesday in the Hawks' 131-116 loss to the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament.

    Advice: Matthews missed the Hawks' final three games of the regular season with hamstring tightness, but he was able to make it back for what ended up being the team's lone postseason contest. The 37-year-old was an irregular member of the Atlanta rotation in 2023-24, appearing in 36 regular-season contests (three starts) while averaging 3.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.7 three-pointers and 0.6 assists in 11.5 minutes while shooting 35.1 percent from the field. Matthews is scheduled for free agency this summer and could be headed for retirement. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 4:08 pm
     
  • Considered questionable for Game 1
    Leonard (knee) is questionable for Sunday's Game 1 against the Mavericks, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.

    Advice: The Clippers announced Thursday that Leonard received an injection in his left knee, and there's "cautious optimism" that he'll be ready for Sunday's matchup, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. While Leonard returned to practice Monday, he hasn't yet been cleared for 5-on-5 drills. Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Thursday that he isn't sure whether Leonard will need to participate in full-contact work before he's cleared to return to game action but added that the inflammation needs to continue to reduce. Lawrence said that he's hopeful the issue is trending in the right direction and that Leonard will play but also indicated that the 32-year-old's status remains up in the air. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 2:51 pm