Heat forward Jimmy Butler will miss his third straight game in Indiana on Friday as he continues to recover from a right ankle sprain, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Butler, who sustained the injury in the first quarter of last Friday’s loss in Denver, did not practice on Thursday. While the Heat will be playing without their six-time All-Star, they expect … [Read more...] about Injury Notes: Butler, Kyrie, Nets, S. Barnes, O. Robinson
Warriors Notes: Thompson’s Return, Curry, Kuminga
Klay Thompson didn’t want a spectacle to surround his return to San Francisco Tuesday night, but the Warriors felt a need to do something special to honor their longtime star, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. That included having about 400 team employees lined up to cheer for him when the Mavericks‘ bus arrived at the arena and passing out captain’s hats to all fans in … [Read more...] about Warriors Notes: Thompson’s Return, Curry, Kuminga
Western Notes: Lively, Timberwolves’ Ownership Dispute, Williamson, Finch
Mavericks second-year big man Dereck Lively could return to action on Tuesday, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. Lively had missed last four games due to sprained right shoulder. He told MacMahon he had a “good practice” on Monday in San Francisco and hopes to play against the Warriors. “Just got to see how I feel when I wake up, but it’s been steady progress and I’m feeling good,” … [Read more...] about Western Notes: Lively, Timberwolves’ Ownership Dispute, Williamson, Finch
Pacific Notes: Thompson, Melton, Leonard, Bamba, Monk
Before Klay Thompson decided to join the Mavericks in free agency, he met Warriors coach Steve Kerr for breakfast in late June, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Although Thompson had seen a reduced role in his final season with the team, Kerr assured him that the organization still valued him and wanted him to stay. However, Kerr was also honest about Thompson’s … [Read more...] about Pacific Notes: Thompson, Melton, Leonard, Bamba, Monk
Texas Notes: Kidd, Mavs, Vassell, Wembanyama
Jason Kidd ripped the Mavericks‘ effort following Friday’s last-second loss to Phoenix, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required), who says it was the most frustrated he has seen Kidd in his four seasons as Dallas’ head coach. “For whatever reason, we get off to a slow start,” Kidd said. “It’s got to be addressed. We’ve talked about it. … [Read more...] about Texas Notes: Kidd, Mavs, Vassell, Wembanyama