DeMar DeRozan sat out the Chicago Bulls' 126-109 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday due to a groin strain which they feared may turn into "something bigger".
The loss meant the Bulls have suffered their fifth loss from their past six games, sliding to a 42-31 record and hanging on to fifth spot in the Eastern Conference.
DeRozan had been feeling some tightness in his groin recently, with a modest return of 21 points, four rebounds and two assists in Tuesday's 126-98 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks before sitting out against the Pelicans.
"DeMar knows his body better than anybody else," Bulls head coach Billy Donovan told reporters before Thursday's game.
"I think he felt like, 'Okay, this could get into something else a little bit more significant if I don't take care of this.'
"We just don't want it to turn into something bigger."
Donovan said the Bulls would know more on DeRozan's status on Friday ahead of their next game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo missed his second game in the Milwaukee Bucks' past three as they won 114-102 over the Washington Wizards but head coach Mike Budenholzer insists there is nothing to worry about.
The reigning NBA Finals MVP missed the game with a sore right knee, leaving Jrue Holiday to star with 24 points and 10 assists as the Bucks improved to 46-27.
Antetokounmpo also missed Saturday's 138-119 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves with knee soreness.
"I don't think it's anything long-term or anything significant, but we'll see whether he travels tomorrow and make decisions on the game Saturday as we kind of see how he feels and learn more," Mike Budenholzer told reporters before Thursday's game.
Khris Middleton has missed Milwaukee's past two games with a sore left wrist but Budenholzer was bullish he would be available to face the in-form Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
"I fully expect him to travel with us to Memphis," Budenholzer said. "I think I'd go as far as to say we're hopeful he'll play against Memphis.
"We'll see how he does in the next day or two, but as of now, I'd expect him to be on the flight and we're hopeful that he'll play."
Memphis Grizzlies ascending superstar Ja Morant will be out for at least two more weeks as he recovers from knee soreness, according to head coach Taylor Jenkins.
Morant has missed the Grizzlies' past three games with the complaint, with the injury perhaps being more serious than first thought as he is scheduled to miss perhaps the entirety of the remaining regular season.
While the Grizzlies are notorious for playing their cards close to their chest when it comes to reporting player injuries, there is likely no hurry to rush Morant back as the team has compiled a staggering 16-2 record in his absences this season.
Speaking before Memphis' 133-103 win against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night, Jenkins said he was confident of Morant making a full recovery, even if the timeline is unclear.
"We expect him to make a full recovery before the playoffs, and we're excited about that with two and a half weeks left in the season," he told reporters.
"We'll offload him early, then he'll start reloading pretty soon here with that two weeks in mind to reevaluate."
Morant is the odds-on favourite to take home the NBA's Most Improved Player award, and will likely also receive some votes MVP further down the ballot.
Devin Booker put on a show with 49 points as Chris Paul returned from a broken wrist as the Phoenix Suns clinched top spot in the Western Conference with a 140-130 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Booker's 49 points was a season-high, while 36-year-old Paul returned for the first time since February 20 with 17 points, including 15 in the first half, and 13 assists as the Suns secured their sixth straight win.
Three-time All-Star Booker shot 16-of-25 from the field and also had 10 assists, with Mikal Bridges contributing 22 points from eight-of-nine shooting.
The win means the Suns have secured the NBA's best record for the third time in franchise history, following on from 1992-93 and 2004-05.
Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic had 28 points with six rebounds and six assists for the Nuggets, who are 43-31 and holding on to sixth spot in the Western Conference.
Grizzlies and Bucks win without stars
The Memphis Grizzlies won again without Ja Morant with a 133-103 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Desmond Bane scored 30 points with five assists and five rebounds as the Grizzlies improved to 16-2 without Morant.
The Milwaukee Bucks triumphed without Khris Middleton (wrist) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) with Jrue Holiday starring with 24 points and 10 assists in a 114-102 win over the Washington Wizards.
Pascal Siakam equalled his season-high 35 points as the Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-104 in a crucial game in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
DeRozan out as Bulls slide continues
The Chicago Bulls slipped to their fifth defeat from their past six games, going down 126-109 to the New Orleans Pelicans. The Bulls are fifth in the east with a 42-31 record, just ahead of the Cavs and Raptors (both 41-32).
The Bulls, who were without DeMar DeRozan due to a left groin issue, were dominated 40-24 by the Pels in the fourth quarter, led by Devonte' Graham (30 points including five three-pointers) and Jonas Valanciunas (16 points and 19 rebounds).
Zach LaVine was Chicago's best with 39 points in DeRozan's absence, going 12-of-23 from the field, while Coby White added 23 points off the bench including five triples.
Paul George has given the Los Angeles Clippers a lift with his return to practice on Thursday for the first time since December.
The Clippers have seen their season wrecked by injuries but have still managed to hover around .500, entering Thursday's games eighth in the West with a 36-38 record.
They are set to finish the regular season in that position, securing a place in the play-in tournament – an impressive achievement given the absence of key players.
Kawhi Leonard is yet to play in 2021-22 due to the partial tear of the ACL in his right knee that curtailed his playoff campaign last year.
George carried the Clippers in his stead, averaging 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals until he tore a ligament in his right elbow late last year.
A trade for Norm Powell sought to breathe new life into the Clippers' season, yet he lasted just three games – scoring 21.0 points per game – before fracturing a bone in his left foot.
The team's competitive results have given the trio time to recover, though, and now George is back in the mix, cleared for practice even if he remains out on gameday.
"He is doing good," coach Ty Lue said on Thursday. "He hasn't felt any pain, so that is a positive thing.
"He is just working on his conditioning and just making sure he can continue to go through the minimal contact without having any issue. So as of right now, it hasn't been a problem."
The Phoenix Suns' All-Star guard Chris Paul is "probable" to return to action on Thursday against the Denver Nuggets.
The 36-year-old suffered an avulsion fracture in his right thumb in a 124-121 win over former team the Houston Rockets on February 16, though he still played two minutes for Team LeBron in the All-Star Game four days later.
Paul has missed the past 15 games for the Suns, his absence coinciding with a slight wobble from the 59-14 league leaders as they lost four of their next nine games.
However, Phoenix have won six in a row since then, and the return of Paul will be a welcome boost with the playoffs on the horizon.
Paul had been a key part of the season up to his injury, averaging 14.9 points and a league-leading 10.7 assists.
Even with his injury, only Atlanta's Trae Young (634) has more total assists this season than Paul's 619, having played nine games more.
Kyrie Irving has been cleared to play home games for the Brooklyn Nets after changes to New York's vaccine mandate were officially announced on Thursday.
It means Irving will be eligible to take to the court when the Nets host the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center on Sunday.
New York City mayor Eric Adams recently removed restrictions requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter establishments including bars, restaurants and sports arenas, but the mandate for private sector employees remained in place.
As a result, Irving – who is unvaccinated – was only able to attend home games as a spectator.
However, at a media conference at Citi Field on Thursday, Adams confirmed the mandate for athletes and performers had been lifted.
"This is about putting New York athletes on a level playing field," he said. "We were treating our performers differently because they live and play in New York City."
Adams did reiterate his previous stance that athletes, including Irving, should reconsider their stance on vaccination.
"Kyrie, you should get vaccinated," he said. "This does not change my message that everyone should get vaccinated."
Irving, who has played just 20 games this season, scored 43 points in Brooklyn's 132-120 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
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