NBA Injury Report: Trae Young questionable, Kyle Lowry questionable and more updates on Paul George and Ben Simmons (25th March 2023)
Former NBA All-Star Trae Young has been ruled questionable by the Atlanta Hawks for their matchup tonight against the Indiana Pacers. Young is dealing with a left calf contusion which makes his availability iffy.
“Ice Trae” didn’t look like he was bothered by any injury in the Hawks’ thrilling 125-124 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last Wednesday. Young played 32 minutes and finished the night with 29 points, two rebounds, eight assists and a steal.
An @emoryhealthcare injury report for tomorrow’s game vs. Indiana:
De’Andre Hunter (left knee contusion): Questionable
Trae Young (left calf contusion): Questionable
Jalen Johnson (mild left hamstring strain; mild left groin strain): Out https://t.co/PqTD6ijDCj
Atlanta will be playing the first night of back-to-back games starting with a matchup against the Pacers. He may be sidelined tonight or on Sunday night versus the Memphis Grizzlies.
After their loss to the Timberwolves, the Hawks now hold a 36-37 record, which puts them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. They’re 3.5 games ahead of the Indiana Pacers, which gives them a little cushion as they try to nail a spot in the play-in tournament.
The two-time NBA All-Star is averaging 26.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg,10.0 apg and 1.1 spg in 66 games for the Atlanta Hawks.
Bogdan Bogdanovic could be inserted into the starting lineup if Young is unavailable.
Meanwhile, another former NBA All-Star point guard’s availability is also uncertain tonight. Kyle Lowry has been ruled questionable by the Miami Heat for their matchup against the reeling Brooklyn Nets due to a sore left knee.
Lowry has been dealing with the same injury for over three months already. He has, however, played for the Heat in five of the past six games, including the past two.
The 2019 NBA champion has been coming off the bench for head coach Erik Spoelstra over his past six games. Lowry, though, is usually part of Miami's closing lineup, especially in close games.
Kyle Lowry (knee) questionable for Saturday.
Against the New York Knicks last Wednesday, he played 24 minutes and finished with 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal. Spoelstra lauded the veteran point guard’s leadership, pace and playmaking that helped them get the win.
If the six-time NBA All-Star is held out, he could be available on Tuesday when the Miami Heat visit his former team, the Toronto Raptors.
Paul George: Right knee sprain; Injured since: March 21, 2023
Paul George had to be helped off the court when he injured his knee against the OKC Thunder last Tuesday. The NBA All-Star guard collided with OKC’s Lu Dort mid-air before an awkward landing caused him to sprain his right knee.
The bad news for the Clippers is that he will likely not be around to help them push for at least a top-four finish in the Western Conference. “PG13” will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks.
Murray: Paul George's major knee ligaments intact; won't need surgery.
Fortunately, it doesn’t look like he will need surgery to get his knee back 100%. The former NBA Most Improved Player is expected to be back healthy once the postseason starts.
Ben Simmons: Back nerve impingement; Injured since February 15, 2023
Ben Simmons was scheduled for a re-evaluation after knee and lower back issues forced him to be sidelined starting Feb. 15. The results revealed that he has a “nerve impingement,” which ends his regular season.
Before the negative results came out, Brooklyn Nets head coach Vaughn was positive that the former NBA All-Star will be healthy soon.
Ben Simmons has a "nerve impingement" in his back and will be out indefinitely while the Nets determine the best long-term course of treatment https://t.co/AAnV7TOjQP
Simmons hasn’t been contributing much this season, so it is very unlikely that he could be the difference-maker to help the struggling Nets.