Parker plans to have an MRI on Thursday on his troublesome left calf, although he doesn't expect to miss any playing time in the Western Conference finals.
Analysis: Parker says the MRI is ``just to make sure'' he's improving on schedule from the injury, which limited his effectiveness in the final two games of the Spurs' second-round series against Golden State. Parker had 15 points and a career-best 18 assists in San Antonio's Game 2 win against Memphis on Tuesday night. The Spurs lead the series 2-0. Game 3 is Saturday night in Memphis.
Pacers forward David West is expected to play Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at Miami, despite an injured right leg.
Analysis: Team doctors held West out of Monday's practice with what coach Frank Vogel described as a calf strain or lower leg strain. He did shoot around with his teammates after practice ended. Vogel said doctors thought it would be best to give West a day off.
Hill has been cleared to play Saturday night against the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Analysis: Hill missed Game 5 on Thursday night in New York because of a concussion. The Pacers released a statement about 1 1/2 hours before the scheduled tipoff saying Hill passed the NBA's return protocol as part of the league's concussion policy.
Barnes left a playoff game against San Antonio in the second quarter Thursday night with an injury. Barnes fell awkwardly after leaping to contest a drive from Boris Diaw. He hit the court hard and his teammates immediately called for the training staff to come attend to him.
Analysis: Barnes is averaging 19 points through the first five games of the series, including 51 points in the past two contests. He had eight points at the time of the injury as the Warriors try to avoid elimination down 3-2 in the series.
Waiters has been named to the NBA All-Rookie first team and forward/center Tyler Zeller to the second team.
Analysis: Waiters, the No. 4 overall selection in last year's draft, averaged 14.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists this season. Among all rookies, he ranked second in points, fourth in assists and fourth in steals per game. Waiters was joined on the first team by Portland's Damian Lillard, the league's Rookie of the Year, Washington's Bradley Beal, New Orleans' Anthony Davis and Golden State's Harrison Barnes.
Martin and guard J.R. Smith, who missed practice Sunday and Monday because of illness, are expected to play in Game 4 of the Knicks' Eastern Conference semifinal against the Pacers on Tuesday night.
Kenyon Martin and Smith, who missed practice Sunday and Monday because of illness, are expected to play in Game 4 of the Knicks' Eastern Conference semifinal against the Pacers on Tuesday night.
Shumpert will start Tuesday night at Indiana despite having a sore, swollen left knee.
Analysis: Coach Mike Woodson told reporters before the game that Shumpert was told there was no structural damage to the knee - the same one that required surgery last May after he tore a ligament. The scare came Saturday night when Shumpert landed in awkward twisting motion in an 82-71 Game 3 loss to the Pacers. Afterward, the knee swelled up, causing enough concern Tuesday that the team flew an orthopedic doctor to Indy to examine Shumpert, who did not participate in the
Smith played against the Pacers in Game 3 on Saturday night after being iffy to go because of an illness.
Analysis: Smith, the NBA's top sixth man, entered the game late in the first quarter and missed his first two shots -- both came up short. Coach Mike Woodson said during his pregame availability that Smith would warm up before a decision would be made. Smith missed the Knicks morning shootaround after spiking a 102-degree fever, but Woodson said the temperature came down throughout the day.
Curry scored 22 on an injured left ankle and the Golden State Warriors rallied past the San Antonio Spurs 97-87 in overtime Sunday to even the Western Conference semifinal at two games apiece.
Analysis: The tight turnaround from Friday night's game to the early afternoon start Sunday surely didn't help Curry's cause to recover. Curry clearly favored his left ankle and never showed any burst off the dribble, often getting face-guarded by Spurs defenders and taken out of the offense. Despite not going through his usual pregame shooting routine, he still hit a pair of 3-pointers at the start of the game to give Golden State fans hope.
The NBA has fined Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson $25,000 for an outburst at a referee in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Miami. The league announced the fine Friday.
Analysis: The Heat were well on their way to a 115-78 victory when Gibson went off at an official early in the fourth quarter. With 10:13 remaining, he did not leave the court in a timely fashion after he and teammate Joakim Noah were ejected by referee Scott Foster. Gibson continued to shout at Foster. The Bulls were called for six technicals during that game and Miami three. The game was the most lopsided postseason win for Miami and the biggest playoff loss for Chicago.
New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith has been fined $5,000 by the NBA for a flop during Game 1 of their playoff series against Indiana. The NBA instituted a system of penalties for flopping this season. The Sixth Man of the Year on Friday became the third player to be fined during the postseason, following Indiana's Jeff Pendergraph and Oklahoma City's Derek Fisher.
Analysis: Smith was defending Pacers guard Lance Stephenson when he ran into a pick set by David West. Smith fell to the court and threw his arms up, exaggerating the contact and fooling the referee into believing it was much more severe than it really was.
The New Orleans Pelicans say guard Eric Gordon has undergone successful arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle. The club says the procedure, performed Thursday by Dr. Richard Ferkel of the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles, was aimed at alleviating pain caused by scar tissue. Last summer, he signed a four-year, $58 million contract.
Analysis: Gordon is expected to begin rehabilitation immediately and return to basketball later this summer. Gordon missed the first two months of the 2012-13 season while recovering from a right knee injury, but still had the highest scoring average on the team after his return, with 17 points per game in 42 games. Gordon played in only nine games the previous season because of his knee injury, for which he also had arthroscopic surgery in February 2012.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have waived guard Brandon Roy, likely bringing an end to an All-Star career that was shortened by knee problems. The second season of the two-year contract Roy signed with the Wolves was not guaranteed, making his release inevitable. The 28-year-old Roy was a three-time All-Star with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Analysis: The Timberwolves announced the move Friday. Roy retired before last season due to knee issues, then attempted a comeback with the Timberwolves this season after going through a procedure that gave him hope that the chronic pain in his knees would be reduced. But after a promising training camp, Roy's knee issues returned early in the regular season. He played just five games.
© 2013 by STATS LLC.