With the NBA playoffs set to start on April 16, teams around the league have just a couple of weeks left as they jockey for playoff positioning.
While all eyes are on the upcoming playoffs, there is plenty of news going on around the league. Here are some of the biggest stories of the week.
Paul George Returns
Out since December 22, when he suffered a torn ligament in his shooting elbow, Los Angeles Clippers’ star Paul George returned to action on Tuesday.
In fact, George not only played, he starred in the Clippers’ 121-115 win over the Utah Jazz. George scored 34 points to go along with six assists, two rebounds, and four steals.
Trailing 94-82 heading into the fourth quarter, the Clippers outscored Utah 39-21 in the fourth.
At 37-39, the Clippers enter play Thursday, sitting in eighth in the Western Conference, 5.5 games behind the Timberwolves for seventh but four games ahead of the Pelicans.
If the season ended today, the Clippers would have to play New Orleans as part of the play-in tournament.
At +2300, the Clippers have the seventh-best odds of winning the Western Conference, and they are +5500 to win the NBA Finals.
Lakers Trying To Cling Onto Playoffs Without Stars
While the Clippers seem firmly entrenched in a playoff spot, the Lakers are desperately trying to cling onto one. They currently sit in 10th in the Western Conference, but they sit just a half-game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs.
Making matters worse for the Lakers, they are without two of their biggest stars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. For James, he has missed two games this week due to a sprained ankle he suffered last Sunday.
James is in L.A. getting treatment, and there is a hope that he will be able to return during the regular season, but his return is questionable at best at this point.
This season, James is averaging 30.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks in 55 games. He is shooting 52.3 percent from the field, his highest clip since the 2017-18 season.
For their other star, Anthony Davis, a return might be a little more imminent. After spraining his foot and MCL back on February 16, Davis is hoping to play for the first time Friday night. While his status is questionable at best for that game, it does appear that he isn’t too far off from returning.
In just 37 games, Davis is averaging 23.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game.
The Lakers are currently +8000 to win the West and +18000 to win the NBA Finals.
Injuries Affecting Playoff Races
As the season winds down, injuries can always have an effect on teams as they make their playoff pushes. In addition to both Los Angeles teams, there are several others that are dealing with their own injury issues. Here are some news and notes on some of those injuries:
The Celtics are currently without big man Robert Williams. On Wednesday, Williams had surgery on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus. Despite the surgery, the Celtics, who have the fifth-best odds of winning the NBA Finals at +900, hope to have him back in four to six weeks.
This season, Williams is averaging 10 points, 9.6 rebounds, two assists, and 2.2 blocks per game.
The Cavaliers have already been without All-Star Jarrett Allen, and now they are without big man Evan Mobley. On Monday, Mobley suffered an ankle sprain and will be out for at least three games.
The third-overall pick from this year’s draft has been sensational for Cleveland, who sit in seventh in the East, averaging 14.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
After having surgery to repair a torn meniscus back on April 15 of last season, the Golden State Warriors were hopeful that they could get big man James Wiseman back this season. Last Friday, the Warriors officially abandoned those hopes.
In a statement from the team, the Warriors announced that Wiseman would be shut down for the rest of the season.
Even without Wiseman, the Warriors are 48-29, good for fourth in the Western Conference. They currently have the second-best odds of winning the West at +340 and the fourth-best odds of winning the NBA Finals at +700.
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