Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (calf) and point guard Mike Conley (knee, rest) have been ruled out for Monday's game vs. the Suns. Gobert has recently battled an ankle ailment but he will now be sidelined due to a strained left calf. Conley's absence comes as a form of load management after playing 29 minutes Sunday. Without the league's leading rebounder in the mix, Hassan Whiteside is likely to see a significant jump in both time on the floor and usage, making him a hot commodity in the DFS market, particularly during the four-game slate. Conley's absence (along with that of Donovan Mitchell) should funnel more intrigue toward Jordan Clarkson, although Jared Butler could be a sneaky upside DFS option in his own right. Gobert's next chance to return comes Wednesday in a rematch with Phoenix, a matchup Conley should have the green light for.

The Utah Jazz will be massively shorthanded for Friday's contest vs. the Raptors, with the starting backcourt of Donovan Mitchell (back) and Mike Conley (rest) among those unavailable. With other key contributors such as Rudy Gobert (health and safety protocols), Bojan Bogdanovic (finger), Jordan Clarkson (back) and Royce O'Neale (knee) also sidelined, any healthy member of the Jazz stands to see enormous DFS upside. Jared Butler should see all the minutes and offensive duties that he can handle, while Eric Paschall and Hassan Whiteside also should step into higher usage. Conley should be back in action Saturday against Indiana, although fantasy managers will want to check back for an update on Mitchell.

Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley (rest) has been removed from the injury report ahead of Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. The Jazz remain cautious with their veterans, but Conley will return for this one. His return will mean less usage and minutes for Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson. Also, Donovan Mitchell won't be handling the ball as much. Fantasy managers can feel safe firing up Conley for Tuesday's slate.

Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley had his best offensive game of the young season in Tuesday's win over the Sacramento Kings. He shot 11-for-19 from the field, including 6-for-9 from beyond the arc, on the way to a season-high 30 points. He also added three rebounds, two assists and a steal while turning the ball over four times. Conley averaged just 13.6 points per game over five games in October and he averaged 16.2 points per game last season, so don't expect Tuesday's offensive explosion to start a trend. He's an efficient point guard who should continue to deliver solid assists, threes and steals for fantasy managers.

Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley (knee) won't suit up against the Bulls on Saturday. With the team playing the front half of back-to-back outings, the 34-year-old will get the night off to rest his right knee. As a result, Joe Ingles should automatically show up on the radar as a viable DFS value option, with Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson also a virtual lock to benefit from a usage perspective.

Free-agent guard Mike Conley remains on the Jazz's wish list heading into the regular season. Although the veteran had played well during his time in Utah, a nagging hamstring issue relegated him to 98 games throughout the last two seasons. Brining Conley back is considered a "top priority" for the team, although it may take a hefty amount to retain his services, reportedly around $75 million over three years.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Once again, the Utah Jazz endured a postseason collapse. Making an early exit from the NBA playoffs stung much more this time. The top-seeded Jazz fell to the Los Angeles Clippers in six games after blowing a 2-0 series lead. Injuries to All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley, coupled with defensive deficiencies exposed by the Clippers’ small-ball lineups, took down a Utah team after a dominating in the regular season. For a team that surrendered a 3-1 series lead to Denver a season earlier, this latest postseason setback left an extra bitter taste. “This hurts more than last year because we were up again and lost again,” Mitchell said. “This is going to eat at me. Even when I go to the grocery store, I’m going to be thinking about it.” Mitchell took another step forward during the postseason as a rising superstar for the Jazz, even while playing through pain after reinjuring his right ankle early in the series against the Clippers. The two-time NBA all-star missed... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The NBA's top playoff seeds, Philadelphia and Utah, are on the brink of being eliminated. The 76ers have blown leads of 18 and 26 points in back-to-back losses to the Atlanta Hawks, who now lead the Eastern Conference semifinal series 3-2. Atlanta, the No. 5 seed, can clinch the series at home on Friday night after storming back for an improbable 109-106 win on Wednesday night in Philadelphia. “Our backs are against the wall right now and we have to play like it,” said Philadelphia's Tobias Harris. Seth Curry said the 76ers should not have psychological scars from losing big leads in back-to-back losses. “It shouldn’t,” Curry said. “We’re grown men over here. Watch the film and learn from it and bounce back.” Led by Trae Young, the Hawks are attempting to advance to a conference final for only the second time since moving to Atlanta in 1968. The Hawks were swept by Cleveland in the 2015 conference final. The Hawks won their only NBA championship in 1958, when the team was... [More]

The NBA champion this season will be the last team standing. Perhaps literally. Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers missed Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals with a knee sprain and amid concerns that it could be a far more significant injury. Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving has been sidelined by a badly sprained ankle. Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid is playing through a meniscus tear. Atlanta’s Trae Young is putting heat packs on his shoulder that appear to be roughly the size of a small vehicle. Brooklyn’s James Harden came back despite an ailing hamstring. Those are big names, All-Star names, all nowhere near their best right now because of injuries, and there were plenty of other top players — the Lakers’ duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Denver’s Jamal Murray and Miami’s Victor Oladipo among them — that also either limped to the finish of their seasons or saw them end prematurely because of serious injury. “This is the best time of the year for our league and fans but missing... [More]

The NBA champion this season will be the last team standing. Perhaps literally. Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers missed Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals with a knee sprain and amid concerns that it could be a far more significant injury. Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving has been sidelined by a badly sprained ankle. Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid is playing through a meniscus tear. Atlanta’s Trae Young is putting heat packs on his shoulder that appear to be roughly the size of a small vehicle. Brooklyn’s James Harden came back despite an ailing hamstring. Those are big names, All-Star names, all nowhere near their best right now because of injuries, and there were plenty of other top players — the Lakers’ duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Denver’s Jamal Murray and Miami’s Victor Oladipo among them — that also either limped to the finish of their seasons or saw them end prematurely because of serious injury. “This is the best time of the year for our league and fans but missing... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid and the 76ers barely have a leg to stand on. Embiid can’t jump. He can’t get any lift in his shots -- notable in a blown layup that should have won Game 4 -- and couldn’t make any buckets in the second half. Embiid is day to day. So, now, are the top-seeded Sixers. Embiid continues to suit up and play through torn cartilage in his right knee -- admirably, perhaps -- but at the point of diminishing returns for the Sixers. The big man is hurting as the Sixers return home Wednesday for Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks. Embiid and Ben Simmons’ failures in Game 4 keyed the Sixers collapse down the stretch and let the Hawks pull away with the win and tie the series 2-2. The Western Conference semifinals between the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers. The Jazz return to Salt Lake City with their young star Donovan Mitchell playing with a sore right ankle and all the momentum in the series now with the Clippers. Los Angeles dominated Utah in in Game 3 and Game 4... [More]

The Los Angeles Clippers find themselves in familiar territory — down 2-0 in their second straight playoff series and seeing one player outplay their two superstars. While the Clippers proved they could work their way out of a deep hole before, the challenges are steeper as they prepare to face the Utah Jazz on Saturday as the scene shifts to Staples Center for Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal series. The downtown Los Angeles court, which has been the franchise's home since 1999, has not given them any advantages when it comes to the postseason. They have lost nine of their last 11 home playoff games. Last Sunday's 126-111 victory over Dallas in Game 7 snapped a eight-game home playoff losing streak. Paul George said after Thursday night's 117-111 loss that they are approaching this two-game deficit the same way they approached being down to Dallas. “We still feel we have a lot of possessions that we can clean up and a lot of possessions that are hurting us that’s our fault,”... [More]

Phoenix general manager James Jones was the guy who would routinely hold court at his locker a half-hour before games and engage in all sorts of conversations in his playing days. Books he was reading, what the financial markets were doing, current events, political matters, the nuances of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement. It was all fair game. He was smart. He knew it, too. These days, the rest of the NBA — if they didn’t know previously — has figured that out as well. The eight general managers left in the NBA playoffs all had success stories to tell long before their postseason runs of 2021 started. For the team that winds up winning the NBA title, it’ll be a breakthrough since none of the remaining franchises have won a championship since 1983. And for the winning GM, it’ll be another breakthrough -- since none of them have won rings in their current capacities either. “I took this job saying this would be a challenge for me to help young guys who are here in Phoenix, trying... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies fans cheered Mike Conley earlier this year when he finally earned All-Star recognition in his 14th season. Now they're trying hard not to boo the guard they loved for so long. “Sometimes you live long enough to become the villain, and I’ve become that for I guess the Memphis Grizzlies now," Conley said. Conley is trying to lead the top-seeded Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals, which eluded him during a seven-year playoff run in Memphis. Conley is taking on his replacement in Memphis in Ja Morant, who has the Grizzlies back in the playoffs for the first time in four years. Morant is leading the youngest roster in this postseason with 33.7 points per game, trailing only Luka Doncic and Kawhi Leonard. Conley, who scored 27 in a 121-111 win that gave the Jazz a 2-1 lead, says it feels he's come full circle in a way he never expected. “It’s amazing to be playing against a guy like Ja first off, just seeing a guy that is so talented, a young superstar in the... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker won't play in the NBA All-Star Game this weekend because of a mild sprain in his left knee, opening up space for Utah's Mike Conley to make his first All-Star appearance. The Suns announced Booker's injury on Friday. Conley will be making his first appearance in the NBA showcase in his 13th season. Conley seemed surprised by the announcement that came about 48 hours before Sunday's game. The point guard posted “Lol What just happened” in response to a congratulatory message from teammate Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Conley will all represent the Jazz in the All-Star Game. Booker was hurt in the first quarter of a victory over Golden State on Thursday. He appeared to bump knees with Golden State's Kent Bazemore and fell to the floor with a grimace on his face. He remained in the game and finished with 16 points. Booker was set to play in his second All-Star Game after he was put on the roster as an injury replacement for Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis. Conley's addition to the All-Star roster is a feel-good story for the veteran point guard. The 33-year-old has routinely been in the All-Star discussion for a decade but always was snubbed when rosters were announced. Conley is averaging 16.1 points and 5.7 assists for the Jazz, who have the NBA's best record at 27-9. ___ Follow David Brandt at www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Looking at individual stats reveals nothing about the Utah Jazz. They have one player among those with the 50 highest scoring averages so far this season. They have only one player among the top 50 per game in rebounding. They don’t have anyone with a top-30 assist average. And they have the NBA’s best record — by a considerable margin. Take note: The Jazz are off to the best start in franchise history, are on pace to shatter the NBA record for 3-pointers made per game, have won 20 of their last 22 games and just handed the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers their worst loss of the season. “They’re the hottest team in the league,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said after his team, which was without Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroder, lost 114-89 in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night. “Nobody’s playing as well as the Utah Jazz in the NBA right now.” At 26-6, the Jazz sit atop the NBA. That alone is impressive. The rest of the team numbers only adds to the story. They have led by double figures... [More]

New Orleans forward Zion Williamson now can be called an NBA All-Star, and only three others in the game’s 70-year history have gotten there at a younger age. Williamson is one of four first-time All-Stars, all revealed Tuesday night when the league announced the reserves for the March 7 game in Atlanta. Joining him as fellow All-Star rookies: Boston’s Jaylen Brown, New York’s Julius Randle and Chicago’s Zach LaVine. Phoenix’s Chris Paul is an All-Star for the 11th time, and Brooklyn’s James Harden is one for the ninth consecutive year. The rest of the reserves include Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic from the Eastern Conference, along with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George, Utah teammates Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and Portland’s Damian Lillard from the Western Conference. “It's definitely an honor," Mitchell said. Team captains LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant of the... [More]

Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell was hypercritical of Utah's playoff losses to Denver: His eight-second violation in Game 1. Blowing a big lead in Game 5. Not matching Denver’s intensity in Game 6. Losing the ball late in a back-and-forth Game 7.It all added up to sixth-seeded Utah being on the wrong side of NBA history as the Nuggets became the 12th team in the annals of the league to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series. One thing Donovan won’t quibble with: The direction of the Jazz. He likes the trajectory they’re on with the team making the postseason for a fourth straight season. This was simply another lesson to be learned.“This won’t happen again,” said Mitchell, a third-year player out of Louisville. "I’m ready to go hoop again right now. We all are. This is just the beginning."Mitchell fell to the floor after Mike Conley’s 3-point attempt spun out at the buzzer in Game 7. His first emotion: Shock. “We worked so hard, as a unit, as a whole, to get to a point that we got to,... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — For Utah and Denver, Game 7 awaits.For Toronto, so may a Game 7 approach.The entertaining Western Conference first-round series between Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray — the two leading scorers in the NBA playoffs, averaging a combined 72.7 points per game, a head-to-head show unlike any other in league postseason history — will come to an end Tuesday night, when Denver looks to become the 12th team in NBA history to successfully rally from a 3-1 series deficit.That game gets preceded by Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between Boston and Toronto, with the Celtics leading 1-0 there.“It’s more of the same for us. We welcome the challenge. We welcome the adversity,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Monday. “And, as we talked about, only 11 teams have done this in NBA history. Why shouldn’t we be the 12th? That’s our attitude.”The last team to successfully rally from 3-1 down was Cleveland, which did it against Golden State... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Anyone not giving the Toronto Raptors much of a chance to repeat as NBA champions without Kawhi Leonard might want to reconsider.The Raptors have played mostly under the radar this season, yet earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They are the only No. 1 or 2 seed not to get upset in the first two games of the first round of the postseason.Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam have the Raptors with a 2-0 lead over the Brooklyn Nets entering Game 3 Friday.Their battle-tested playoff experience was on display Wednesday when the Raptors trailed for most of the game but rallied to take a lead in the fourth quarter and then held on to beat the Nets 104-99.“There is no situation we haven’t been in before,” VanVleet said.Raptors coach Nick Nurse called it a “gut it out” win on a night when the Raptors struggled with the Nets continuously switching on defense.In the end, the Raptors found a way to win as they have all season, going with a... [More]