NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 5/16
Each day, this column will provide live updates for all NBA news. Enjoy up-to-the-minute alerts for injuries and lineup confirmations. The Key News to Watch section will highlight notable injuries to monitor for the current NBA slate.
Key NBA News to Watch
Mike Conley (calf) — In
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Denver Nuggets News
Confirmed Lineup: Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Vlatko Cancar (knee) — Injured
On the night that Jokic received his third MVP trophy, he showed the world why he's deserving of that honor with an all-time performance: 40 points, 13 assists, seven rebounds, and zero turnovers in a win over the Wolves. Since turnovers became an official stat, no player in history, regular-season or playoffs, has ever posted a box score with those numbers.
Minnesota Timberwolves News
Confirmed Lineup: Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert
Mike Conley (calf) — In
Conley's availability for Game 6 is the most crucial piece of injury news in this contest. Nickeil Alexander-Walker started in his place in Game 5 and was effective enough with 14 points and five assists, but the Wolves missed Conley's veteran presence and leadership. Alexander-Walker played 39 minutes and should once again start if Conley were unable to return for Thursday's elimination game. One concerning update is that the Wolves changed Conley's injury designation from a sore right Achilles to a strained right soleus, which Is the same calf muscle that has hindered Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kristaps Porzingis this postseason.
In Game 5, Denver altered its defensive plan on Edwards by sending a significantly elevated amount of double teams at him. The Wolves' star was only able to post 18 points on 15 shots in the loss. In a series that has been defined by coaching adjustments, all eyes will be on Chris Finch and the Wolves to see if they can push the right buttons and send this series to a Game 7, which would be held on Sunday.