Jaguars place DTs Brian Price, Dontavius Russell on injured reserve

The Jags got a little thinner at the DT spot Sunday after placing Brian Price (knee) and Dontavius Russell (hip) on injured reserve.

The Jacksonville Jaguars placed defensive tackles Brian Price (knee) and Dontavius Russell (hip) on injured reserved the team announced Sunday. With the Jags making the decision to remove both off the active roster, it put them at 78 players upon both transactions.

Price, 26, joined the team last October through their practice squad. In late December, he signed a reserve/future contract with the Jags and looked to be a candidate for the practice squad again this regular season.

Russell, 24, was drafted by the Jags in the seventh-round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Auburn. He participated in three games last season and registered four tackles. With the team losing Al Woods due to his decision to opt-out, Russell had a good chance to make the team so hopefully his injury doesn’t keep him down too long.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

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LeBron James to miss Thursday’s game vs. Rockets with sore groin

The Rockets are reportedly expecting Russell Westbrook to sit out, while the Lakers have listed LeBron James as out with a sore groin.

Thursday’s potential playoff preview between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers won’t feature two of its usual All-Star heavyweights.

The Rockets are expecting Russell Westbrook (right quad contusion) to sit out, while the Lakers officially declared LeBron James as out on their injury report, citing a sore right groin.

Guard Alex Caruso is questionable for the Lakers with left neck muscle spasms, while a series of other players — including superstar big man Anthony Davis — are listed as probable with various injuries.

The Lakers (51-16) have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and are in a back-to-back sequence of games after playing Wednesday, so they have every motivation to play it safe. After all, the 2020 NBA playoffs will begin in less than two weeks.

The Rockets (42-25), meanwhile, have much more incentive to try and win Thursday’s game, since they’re not on a back-to-back and are tied in the loss column with Utah (43-25) and Oklahoma City (42-25) in a tight battle for the No. 4 through No. 6 playoff seeds in the West.

If the Rockets, Jazz, and Thunder finished tied in the standings, Houston would be No. 4, Oklahoma City at No. 5, and Utah at No. 6. That would mean a Rockets-Thunder battle in the first round, with the top-seeded Lakers likely looming for the winner in the second round.

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Nonetheless, the Rockets have to balance the seeding race with the need to be as healthy as possible once the playoffs begin, and that’s the logic that will likely lead to them resting Westbrook. With Houston not playing again after Thursday’s game until Sunday versus Sacramento, it could give Westbrook an opportunity to rest for four full days between games.

With fellow guard Eric Gordon already out with a sprained left ankle, the Rockets could be quite thin in the backcourt for Thursday’s nationally televised game. Either Austin Rivers or Ben McLemore will replace Westbrook as a starter alongside James Harden, and veteran DeMarre Carroll could be a candidate to receive spot minutes off the bench.

Thursday’s tip-off between the Rockets (42-25) and Lakers (51-15) is set for 8:00 p.m. Central, with a national broadcast on TNT and a regional telecast (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

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Russell Westbrook questionable to play vs. Lakers with bruised quad

It isn’t yet clear when Westbrook suffered the injury, but it might help explain his subpar performance in Tuesday’s loss to Portland.

All-Star guard Russell Westbrook is listed on the official Houston Rockets injury report as questionable to play in Thursday’s marquee game against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a bruised right quad.

It’s unclear when Westbrook suffered the injury, but it might help explain his subpar showing in Tuesday’s loss versus Portland.

After scoring a team-high 31 points (on 47.6% shooting) in Sunday’s statement victory over Milwaukee, Westbrook was limited to 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting (35.7%) versus Portland.

With fellow guard Eric Gordon already out due to a sprained left ankle, the Rockets would be quite thin in the backcourt for Thursday’s big game if the former MVP isn’t able to play.

It’s a delicate balance for head coach Mike D’Antoni and the Rockets, who entered Wednesday tied in the loss column with Utah (42-25) and Oklahoma City (41-25) in the close race for playoff seeding in the Western Conference. Yet, with the start of the playoffs less than two weeks away, they also have every incentive to be careful with any injuries.

Neither D’Antoni nor Westbrook mentioned the injury in Tuesday’s postgame comments, and D’Antoni also did not cite it before Wednesday’s practice. Westbrook was not scheduled for an interview.

Now 31 years old, Westbrook is averaging 27.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in 36.1 minutes per game in his debut season in Houston. A nine-time NBA All-Star, he’s shooting a career-high 47.2% from the field with the smaller Rockets — whose unconventional style has helped open up more opportunities for Westbrook to attack the rim.

Thursday’s tip-off between the Rockets (42-25) and Lakers (51-15) is set for 8:00 p.m. Central, with a national broadcast on TNT and a regional telecast (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. With the Lakers having already clinched the West’s No. 1 seed, it was not yet clear on Wednesday whether they planned to play all of their key players.

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Injury Report: Kevon Looney ‘100%’ recovered from core muscle surgery

According to his agent Todd Ramasar, the Golden State Warriors big man Kevon Looney is “100%” recovered from his core muscle surgery.

While Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were the headliners, a lengthy group of names ran up and down the Golden State Warriors injury report throughout the 2019-20 season.

After signing a three year, $15 million contract to stay in Golden State, Kevon Looney missed 45 games with a bevy of different injuries. The UCLA product suffered a neuropathic condition along with injuries to his hamstring, abdomen and hip.

In May, the Warriors announced Looney underwent successful surgery to repair a core muscle injury. Two months later, the former first-round pick is back in the gym.

In a conversation with Wes Goldberg of the Bay Area News Group, Looney’s agent Todd Ramasar shared positive news about the big man’s recovery. According to Ramasar, Looney is “100%” recovered from his core muscle surgery.

Via @wcgoldberg on Twitter:

After recovering from his surgery, Looney is back at San Francisco’s Chase Center working out. With Golden State’s extended offseason on the calendar, Ramasar said, “there’s no reason to push it” with Looney’s recovery.

In 20 games over the 2019-20 season, Looney averaged 3.4 points on 36.7% shooting from the field with 3.3 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game. Looney’s top stretch of the season came in February when he recorded a pair of double-figure scoring efforts. In Looney’s final game, the 6-foot-9 big helped lead the Warriors to a win in Phoenix with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting with six boards and three assists.

Once the Warriors are back on the court, Looney will compete with Marquese Chriss and potentially a top center prospect like James Wiseman or Onyeka Okongwu for playing time in Steve Kerr’s frontcourt.

Bob Myers: ‘There hasn’t been a setback’ with Klay Thompson’s recovery

Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers is still unsure if Klay Thompson is 100% healthy, but he says there hasn’t been a setback with his knee injury.

With the Golden State Warriors left out of the NBA’s 22-team return plan in Orlando, their 2019-20 campaign is officially over. While the Warriors season is ending, one of their All-Star shooter’s year was decided before the league was put on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After missing a majority of the year due to an injury he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals, the Warriors officially ruled out Klay Thompson for the season in late February.

On a conference call with Bay Area media, Golden State general manager Bob Myers spoke about Thompson’s path back to the court. While he’s unsure if Thompson is 100% healthy, Myers said there’s been no setback in his recovery.

I don’t know. I think we’ve got to take a look at him when we see him, and there’s different versions of 100%. 100% for you or I to walk around the street is not 100% of an NBA basketball player playing basketball. So until we kind of test him and see him and you start him one-on-one and then two-on-two and obviously the pandemic has not allowed him the opportunity to do those types of things. There’s no rush clearly.

As far as I’ve heard, he’s recovering fine. There hasn’t been a setback. But one thing that’s been a little bit difficult in the last couple months is our ability to oversee those things as much as you might normally would. So I imagine at some point when we all collectively get together, I can also answer that better or would hope to answer that better as to he’s been doing— I think what people really want to know is has he been playing and what’s he look like, and that’s really the answer to 100%, and we won’t know that until we kind of reach that point in time.

Listen to Myers full presser via Warriors SoundCloud:

With Golden State getting an early jump on the offseason, the team has plenty of time to get Thompson back to 100%. Once healthy, Thompson will need to work back to game speed after facing a significant layoff from the court. Over the offseason, Thompson will have his first opportunity to get familiar with teammates like Andrew Wiggins, Eric Paschall and Marquese Chriss in the lineup.

During the NBA’s suspension, Thompson released a documentary that features an inside look at his rehab from injury. “Above The Waves” follows Thompson from the time he injures his knee in the Finals against the Toronto Raptors.

While the Warriors won’t be traveling to Orlando with 22 other teams, their San Francisco practice facility is back open for business. With Chase Center available for individual workouts, Golden State will have a better chance to evaluate where Thompson is at in his rehab.

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Texas safety B.J. Foster suffers broken hand after punching car

Texas head coach Tom Herman announced on Thursday that safety B.J. Foster has a broken hand.

It’s been quite the offseason for Texas safety B.J. Foster. Continue reading “Texas safety B.J. Foster suffers broken hand after punching car”

Injury Report: Draymond Green returns to lineup vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Draymond Green will return to action against the Los Angeles Lakers after missing the past two games with a pelvic contusion.

Stephen Curry has yet to make his long-awaited return from his broken hand injury. However, the Golden State Warriors will be getting one former All-Star back against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Draymond Green will return against the Lakers after missing the past two games with a pelvic contusion. Without Green, Steve Kerr started rookie Eric Paschall with Dragan Bender and Kevon Looney filling minutes off the bench.

While the Warriors are getting healthy, their opponent will be without a Most Valuable Player candidate. LeBron James has been ruled out against Golden State with a sore groin. A trip to San Francisco will be only the third contest James has missed all season.

The Warriors dropped both games without Green and are currently riding a seven-game losing streak. Adding the former Defensive Player of the Year back to the rotation gives Golden State a better chance of snapping their losing streak.

Green is averaging 8.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game in the 2019-20 season. Though his number may not standout, Green has been a factor in Golden State’s wins. Ten of the Warriors’ 12 wins have come when the Michigan State product is in the lineup.

Injury Report: Draymond Green (pelvic contusion) will miss second straight game

Draymond Green will be out against the Sacramento Kings as he misses his second straight game due to a pelvic contusion.

As the news ramps up around the nearing return of Stephen Curry, another Golden State Warrior All-Star product is dealing with an injury. Draymond Green has been ruled out for the second straight game with a pelvic contusion.

Green will miss the Warriors’ Northern California rivalry game with the Sacramento Kings. The Michigan State product missed Zion Williamson’s debut at Chase Center with the same injury.

The contest versus the Kings will be Green’s 14th game he’s missed in the 2019-20 season due to injury. The former Defensive Player of the Year has missed games with back, finger, heel and ankle injuries this season.

According to Steve Kerr, Green is expected to return from injury against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

Without Green, rookie Eric Paschall started at power forward for Golden State and tallied 13 points and five rebounds. The newest Warrior Dragan Bender played in his first game with the Warriors and played 20 minutes with Green out.

Green’s absence won’t make things easier against the Western Conference playoff-hopeful Sacramento Kings. The Kings have won five of their last seven, while Golden State is on a six-game losing streak.

Tobias Harris available for 76ers game against Atlanta Hawks

Tobias Harris, who was suffering from a right knee contusion, will be available for the 76ers against the Hawks on Monday.

Tobias Harris was upgraded to active for the Philadelphia 76ers game against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.

Harris suffered a right knee contusion against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday but stayed in the game and finished with about 31 minutes played. He had 11 points and five rebounds.

He has yet to miss a game this season. Over the three years prior to this season, Harris played all 82 games twice and 80 games once. His ability to put the ball on the floor and be able to shoot from deep is a much-needed luxury for this team. Also, he’s continued to improve defensively so this is big for them.

The Sixers are in need of Harris, particularly with Ben Simmons out with a back injury. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted Simmons is undergoing treatment for an injury that is expected to be worse than a day-to-day issue.

Harris is averaging 18.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and three assists per game this season. He is shooting 47.1% from the field and 35.5% from beyond the arc.

The 76ers and Hawks game at Wells Fargo Center begins at 7 p.m. Monday.

Injury Report: Kevon Looney (hip) questionable for Wednesday vs. Suns

In the final game before the NBA All-Star break, the Golden State Warriors could be without Kevon Looney against the Phoenix Suns.

The Golden State Warriors moved a total of six players at the NBA trade deadline, essentially turning their roster upside down. Even with players changing teams, Golden State’s injury bug remained with the team.

After balancing his new rotation over the past two games, Steve Kerr could be without one of his veterans in the Warriors’ final game before the NBA All-Star break.

Center Kevon Looney is listed as questionable against the Phoenix Suns. After signing a new deal to stay with the Warriors over the offseason, Looney has had an injury-hampered year.

The UCLA product has missed 35 games due to a neuropathic condition and an abdomen injury. Now, the Golden State big man could be out with hip soreness against the Suns.

However, if Looney cannot go against the Suns, there’s an opportunity for more Marquese Chriss minutes. Chriss has taken a bulk of the center minutes since the Warriors traded Willie Cauley-Stein, and the former Washington Husky has thrived.

The 22-year-old center has scored in double-figures in eight of his last ten games, including 26 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. In his previous two games, Chriss has grabbed nine rebounds in each contest. Chriss has also registered at least one block in six consecutive games.

If Looney doesn’t suit up against the Suns, Draymond Green could get more time at center with Eric Paschall sliding into more of a power forward role. Behind Chriss and Green, rookie Alen Smailagic could pick up the rest of the pieces inside the Warriors frontcourt.