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Hornets star LaMelo Ball (calf) out at least two weeks

Mon Dec 2 1:24pm ET
Field Level Media

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball will be sidelined at least two weeks with a left calf strain, the team announced on Saturday.

Ball sustained his injury late in the fourth quarter of Charlotte's 98-94 loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday.

He sat out the Hornets' 99-98 setback to the New York Knicks on Friday and has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the visiting Atlanta Hawks.

The Hornets have dropped four in a row and six of their last seven games.


Ball, 23, is averaging an NBA second-best 31.1 points per game to go along with 6.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds this season.

The NBA's Rookie of the Year in 2020-21 and an All-Star the following season, Ball has contributed 21.0 points, 7.4 assists and 6.2 rebounds in 202 career games (182 starts).

Ball was selected by the Hornets with the third overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft.

Player Notes
Dorian Finney-Smith Mon Dec 2 4:40pm

Brooklyn Nets forwardDorian Finney-Smith(ankle)will not suit up against the Bulls on Monday due to a left ankle sprain. It will be the third game in a row that he has missed. The 31-year-old is averaging 10.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 29.0 minutes across 15 appearances this season. On Monday, the Nets will also be without other key contributors, Ben Simmons (back) and Ziaire Williams (knee).

Ben Simmons Mon Dec 2 4:30pm

Brooklyn Nets guard/centerBen Simmons(back) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Chicago Bulls. Simmons played 13 minutes before exiting Sunday's game against the Magic due to a left knee contusion. His knee is not mentioned on the team's injury report, so he's likely not suiting up due to maintenance related to his back. Brooklyn will also have Dorian Finney-Smith(ankle)and Ziaire Williams(knee) missing in action.

Ziaire Williams Mon Dec 2 4:10pm

Brooklyn Nets guard/forward Ziaire Williams (knee) will not play on Monday against the Chicago Bulls. Williams sustained a left knee sprain late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Magic. The severity of the sprain is currently unknown. Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) and Ben Simmons (back) have also been ruled out. The 23-year-old Williams should also be considered questionable for Wednesday's game against the Pacers.

D'Angelo Russell Mon Dec 2 3:50pm

Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (illness) may be dealing with an illness right now, but it doesn't seem to be too severe since the team has listed him as probable. He was forced to sit out against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, so the rest day seemed to get him ready for the second half of the back-to-back. He'll likely take on the Minnesota Timberwolves who has a middle-of-the-pack defense against point guards and one of the slower paces in the league. Meanwhile, Russell has averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game.

Anthony Davis Mon Dec 2 3:40pm

Los Angeles Lakers center/forward Anthony Davis (foot) remains on the injury report for official purposes but is considered probable to play against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. The Kentucky product is firmly in the MVP race this season and has put up some monstrous numbers to start off the year. Through 19 appearances, he's averaging 28.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.0 blocks, and only 1.9 turnovers per game. He's been a force in every fantasy format.

Cameron Johnson Mon Dec 2 3:40pm

Brooklyn Nets forwardCameron Johnson(ankle) is listed as questionable for Monday's contest with the Chicago Bulls. Johnson injured his ankle on Sunday and was diagnosed with a sprain. The 28-year-old has been in fine form this campaign, putting up a career-high 18.1 points and is 42.2 percent shooting from three-point range. If Johnson cannot suit up, the Nets will be very shorthanded. Ziaire Williams (knee), Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle), and Ben Simmons (back) have all been ruled out.

Herbert Jones Mon Dec 2 3:30pm

New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (shoulder) isn't expected to play on Monday against the Atlanta Hawks since he's still dealing with a right shoulder strain. The 26-year-old hasn't been able to play since October 29, and will likely miss at least one more game. Yves Missi has joined the starting five since Zion Williamson (hamstring) has also been out, and he's averaged 8.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game over the last 15 games. He could serve as a big man streamer in deeper leagues.

Brandon Ingram Mon Dec 2 3:20pm

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (calf) appeared on the injury report again as questionable while he still suffers from tendonitis in his calf. He's been forced to miss the last four consecutive games with the same issue. If he's downgraded to out again on Monday, Trey Murphy III and Javonte Green should see a big boost in minutes. Murphy would be the stronger option as a normal starter. Green has only averaged 7.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game across 10 starts.

Derrick White Mon Dec 2 3:10pm

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (foot) drew another questionable tag on Monday while he deals with a right foot sprain which caused him to be downgraded to out on Sunday. Since it was painful enough to downgrade him on the first half of the back-to-back, there's a decent chance he will take another game off. If that's the case, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser would be strong streaming options with Jayson Tatum (knee) and Jaylen Brown (illness) listed as questionable and Jrue Holiday (knee) ruled out.

Al Horford Mon Dec 2 3:10pm

Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (knee) and center Al Horford (toe) have both been ruled out for Monday's game against the Miami Heat. Horford was expected to take a rest day after playing in the first half of their back-to-back. Holiday, on the other hand, seems to be dealing with tendinopathy in his right knee which caused him to draw a questionable tag at first for their game Sunday. With both of them out, Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta should get some more minutes at center while Payton Pritchard likely moves into the starting five.

Jayson Tatum Mon Dec 2 3:00pm

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (knee) has been tagged as questionable on Monday and may sit out against the Miami Heat. The 26-year-old hasn't been forced to miss a game yet this season, so a rest day may be in order to deal with his patella tendinopathy. If he actually is unable to play, Jaylen Brown (illness) and Derrick White (foot) are also questionable, so Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, and Drew Peterson may all get some added playing time.

Jaylen Brown Mon Dec 2 3:00pm

Boston Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown (illness) is dealing with a non-COVID illness which has landed him on the injury report as questionable. He was unable to play in their last game against the Cleveland Cavaliers as well, so the team will likely wait for warm-ups to see if he can give it a go. If he can't suit up, with Jayson Tatum (knee) and Derrick White (foot) questionable, Sam Hauser and Drew Peterson will likely step up again and receive some added playing time. Especially with Jrue Holiday (knee) already ruled out.

Terry Rozier Mon Dec 2 2:40pm

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (foot) has officially been deemed available for the team's Monday night matchup against the Boston Celtics. He's dealing with a neuroma in his foot which is a swollen nerve or group of nerves in the ball of the foot. So, it becomes more of a pain tolerance issue as he continues to play on it. Unfortunately, Rozier is averaging some of his lowest numbers since the 2018-19 season which has rendered him useful in deeper leagues, but not much in 12 or fewer team leagues.

Kevin Love Mon Dec 2 2:40pm

Miami Heat forward/center Kevin Love (back) continues to deal with back spasms and has been ruled out for the team's Monday night contest against the Boston Celtics. He was able to play in their last two games but only registered 13 and nine minutes respectively. With Love out of the rotation, it shouldn't cause that many waves, but Haywood Highsmith and Jaime Jaquez Jr. might see some extra minutes at power forward.

Paolo Banchero Mon Dec 2 1:40pm

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (oblique) hasn't played since October 30 due to an oblique injury but seems to be trending in the right direction. He told Sports Illustrated that he was feeling good and returned to the court where he got some ball-handling and spot-shooting work done. He wasn't able to do any sprinting or cutting just yet but has made some steps toward getting healthier. Banchero said before that he wants to return before Christmas, but the timetable hasn't been clarified just yet.

Joel Embiid Mon Dec 2 1:30pm

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee/personal) will reportedly be ruled out again for Tuesday's matchup with the Charlotte Hornets. According to Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey, Embiid will miss another game due to left knee injury management and personal reasons. This will mark his 15th missed game of the season, and Guerschon Yabusele will likely see heavy minutes in his place. Andre Drummond (ankle) may start again if the ankle sprain he suffered isn't too severe, otherwise Adem Bona could play the backup role.

Nikola Jokic Mon Dec 2 1:00am

Denver's C Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 28 points, 11 assists and 14 rebounds in a 122-126 loss to the Clippers on Sunday, Dec. 1.

Victor Wembanyama Mon Dec 2 1:00am

San Antonio Spurs' C Victor Wembanyama recorded a triple-double, finishing with 34 points, 11 assists and 14 rebounds in a 127-125 win over Sacramento on Sunday, Dec. 1.

Coby White Sun Dec 1 8:30pm

Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (ankle) is considered questionable to play against Brooklyn on Monday. After dealing with a wrist injury, White hurt his left ankle against Boston on Friday. Talen Horton-Tucker has provided excellent bench scoring for the Bulls lately and might see extra action with White unavailable on Monday. At the same time, Lonzo Ball may also play a larger role in the rotation. He logged a season-high 22 minutes on Friday night. Ball was limited to two points but handed out five assists and tallied three rebounds with two steals.

Bogdan Bogdanovic Sun Dec 1 8:20pm

Atlanta Hawks guard/forward Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring) is expected to rejoin the lineup on Monday versus New Orleans. The team has listed him as probable for the game. Bogdanovic sat out Saturday's contest against Charlotte as Atlanta completed a back-to-back. The veteran scorer has returned from a hamstring injury, and the Hawks don't want to overwork him. Since his return to the lineup on Nov. 18, Bogdanovic has averaged 12.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 24.3 minutes. New Orleans gives up the fifth-most bench points in the league, so Atlanta's second unit, led by Bogdanovic, looks to be set for a good night on Monday.


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