Cleveland Cavaliers center Robin Lopez (illness) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. It's the second game of a back-to-back set, so the Cavs will rest their veteran big man here. His absence won't have a huge impact on the rotation. The expectation is that Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley will have a few more minutes on Monday. Lopez should be back in the rotation for their next contest.

Orlando Magic center Robin Lopez has entered COVID-19 health and safety protocols and won't suit up against the Bucks. Orlando is short-handed as it is, so losing another body certainly isn't ideal. Nonetheless, Wendell Carter Jr. should handle most of the minutes in the middle on Thursday night, with Moritz Wagner potentially in line to get more work.

Orlando Magic center Robin Lopez will move into the starting five for Tuesday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. He has played 16 minutes over the last two games. Although, Lopez is averaging 15.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.3 blocks in four starts this season. That being said, Lopez sounds like he'll be a solid low cost DFS option for Tuesday's slate. The fact he's starting alongside Wendell Carter Jr. could potentially hurt his value. Despite that, Lopez should be rostered in the short term while the Magic are banged up.

Orlando Magic center Robin Lopez produced another strong effort on Wednesday, compiling a double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 assists in a 104-98 win over Atlanta. He added five rebounds, one steal and one block to his tally with one turnover, shooting 5-for-10 from the field. Lopez is filling in for Wendell Carter Jr. (leg) and has averaged 12 points, 7.3 rebounds, six assists and one block across the last three games. Carter Jr. was listed questionable for Wednesday and he'll hope to return again on Thursday against New Orleans, but if he doesn't, then Lopez will remain a good fantasy option.

Orlando Magic center Robin Lopez couldn't handle the ball well and posted five turnovers in Saturday's win over Brooklyn, but he had a very good outing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. The big guy also recorded four assists and one block in 38 minutes as a starter, shooting 10-for-22 from the field. The Magic frontcourt has lost Wendell Carter Jr. (leg) and Mo Bamba (health and safety protocols), and it's given Lopez an opportunity to impress. Chuma Okeke, who notched 15 points and six rebounds on Saturday, is also carrying a heavier load.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia star Joel Embiid is out with a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, a potentially critical blow as the 76ers chase their first NBA championship since 1983. Embiid sat out Game 5 against Washington on Wednesday night. He isn't scheduled to have surgery, and the Sixers will treat his injury with physical therapy. He is considered day to day. Sixers coach Doc Rivers said only that he was “hopeful” the All-Star center could return at some point in the postseason. “He's a competitor. The fact that he's not playing tonight, or whenever he can play, it bothers him,” Rivers said. “He's not in a great place that way. But he's good. He's fine.” The Sixers held a 3-1 lead over the Wizards in the first-round Eastern Conference series and a victory would certainly give Embiid more time to rest before the next round. Embiid walked out to big cheers for pregame warmups and shot mostly jumpers around the perimeter and some free throws. He hit fadeaways and appeared... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia star Joel Embiid is out with a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, a potentially critical blow as the 76ers chase their first NBA championship since 1983. Embiid sat out Game 5 against Washington on Wednesday night. Embiid is not scheduled to have surgery, and the Sixers will treat his injury with physical therapy. He is considered day to day. Sixers coach Doc Rivers said only that he was “hopeful” the All-Star big man could return at some point in the postseason. “He's a competitor. The fact that he's not playing tonight, or whenever he can play, it bothers him,” Rivers said. “He's not in a great place that way. But he's good. He's fine.” The Sixers held a 3-1 lead over the Wizards in the first-round Eastern Conference series and a victory would certainly give Embiid more time to rest before the next round. Losing Embiid for a prolonged length of time could end Philly's run at the title — the Sixers played well in spurts without Embiid but went... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee and will miss Game 5 of the playoff series against Washington on Wednesday night. Embiid is not scheduled to have surgery, and the Sixers will treat his injury with physical therapy. Embiid had an MRI on Tuesday and is considered day to day. The Sixers lead the Wizards 3-1 in the first-round Eastern Conference series. Game 5 is in Philadelphia in front of an expected first full house of the season. Losing Embiid for a prolonged length of time would be a critical blow for the Sixers as they chase their first NBA championship since 1983. The Sixers finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference and Embiid was named a finalist for NBA MVP. Embiid, who has a long injury history that includes missing his first two full seasons, was injured in Philadelphia's Game 4 loss. He wound up on the floor behind the baseline after having his shot blocked by Washington’s Robin Lopez on a drive to the basket in the first quarter. After staying down for a moment, a wincing Embiid rose and then put his hand on his lower right back. He remained in the game briefly before eventually heading to the locker room in the last minute of the period. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is doubtful for Game 5 because of a sore right knee. Embiid had an MRI on Tuesday and his status will be decided before Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the decision on his status was not made official. Embiid was listed as doubtful on the NBA injury report and Seth Curry (left ankle) and George Hill (left knee) are both probable. The Sixers lead the Wizards 3-1 in the first-round Eastern Conference series. Game 5 is in Philadelphia in front of an expected first full house of the season. Philadelphia was poised for its first sweep since 1985 before Embiid was hurt and the Wizards rallied to win behind 27 points from Bradley Beal. The NBA MVP finalist wound up on the floor behind the baseline after having his shot blocked by Washington’s Robin Lopez on a drive to the basket in the first... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is doubtful for Game 5 because of a sore right knee. Embiid had an MRI on Tuesday and his status will be decided before Game 5 of Philadelphia's game against the Washington Wizards, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to The AP on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the decision was not made official. The Sixers lead the Wizards 3-1 in the first-round Eastern Conference series. Game 5 is Wednesday night. The NBA MVP finalist wound up on the floor behind the baseline after having his shot blocked by Washington’s Robin Lopez on a drive to the basket in the first quarter. After staying down for a moment, a wincing Embiid rose and then put his hand on his lower right back. He remained in the game for the time being, before eventually heading to the locker room in the last minute of the period. Embiid came into the game averaging more than a point per minute in the best-of-seven series. He scored a postseason career-high 36 points in 28 minutes in a 29-point win for the 76ers in Game 3 on Saturday. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — A fan was tackled after running onto the court during an NBA playoff game between the Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night, the latest example of unruly behavior as teams let more spectators in the stands during the pandemic. “You can tell those people have been in some sort of captivity for the last year, year and change, right?” Wizards center Robin Lopez said. “It’s kind of wild to see the liberties people are taking.” The players were heading toward Washington's basket in the third quarter of the home team's 122-114 victory in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first-round series when the action was halted because of the intruder, who jumped as if pretending to try to dunk. A security guard grabbed and held down the person near the baseline as 76ers center Dwight Howard stood nearby. The fan was escorted away from the court and play resumed after a brief interruption. “I don’t know what he was trying to do,” Washington forward Rui Hachimura said.... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Philadelphia center Joel Embiid headed to the locker room late in the first quarter of Game 4 of the 76ers' Eastern Conference playoff series against the Washington Wizards after taking a hard fall and later was ruled out for the rest of the night because of a sore right knee. The Sixers posted on Twitter at halftime that Embiid would not return because of the knee. Mike Scott took Embiid’s place in the lineup to begin the second half. Embiid did not appear at all in the second quarter, which ended with the 76ers ahead 61-60. He had eight points and six rebounds in 11 minutes when he departed. The NBA MVP finalist wound up on the floor behind the baseline after having his shot blocked by Washington's Robin Lopez on a drive to the basket in the first quarter. After staying down for a moment, a wincing Embiid rose and then put his hand on his lower right back. He remained in the game for the time being, before eventually heading to the locker room in the last minute of the period. Embiid came into the night averaging more than a point per minute in the best-of-seven series, which Philadelphia led 3-0. He scored a postseason career-high 36 points in 28 minutes in a 29-point win for the 76ers in Game 3 on Saturday ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Philadelphia center Joel Embiid headed to the locker room late in the first quarter of Game 4 of the 76ers' Eastern Conference playoff series against the Washington Wizards after taking a hard fall and landing on his backside Monday night. Embiid did not appear at all in the second quarter, which ended with the 76ers ahead 61-60. He had eight points and six rebounds in 11 minutes when he departed. The NBA MVP finalist wound up on the floor behind the baseline after having his shot blocked by Washington's Robin Lopez on a drive to the basket in the first quarter. After staying down for a moment, a wincing Embiid rose and put his hand on his lower right back. He remained in the game for the time being, before eventually heading to the locker room in the last minute of the period. Embiid came into the night averaging more than a point per minute in the best-of-seven series, which Philadelphia led 3-0. He scored a postseason career-high 36 points in 28 minutes in a 29-point win for the 76ers in Game 3 on Saturday ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russell Westbrook’s stat lines have been looking like typos in the box score lately — the 14-point, 21-rebound, 24-assist game this week, for example, or the 18-18-14 five nights earlier — and now he’s on the verge of something historic. The Washington Wizards point guard’s next triple-double, which could come as soon as Saturday in a game at the Indiana Pacers that has playoff implications, will be the 181st of Westbrook's career, tying Oscar Robertson’s NBA record that has stood for nearly a half-century. “That’s one of those records that I read about when I was younger. They always made it sound like nobody was ever going to break that, nobody was ever going to pass that,” Wizards center Robin Lopez said. “And Russ has it in his grasp. That’s pretty special.” Westbrook's stellar play of late not only has guaranteed him his fourth season averaging a triple-double — the current numbers are 21.8 points, an NBA-best 11.4 assists and 11.4 rebounds (sixth in the league) —... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard dropped by point guard John Wall’s workout Monday and they chatted. About their kids. About Thanksgiving Day plans. About their favorite NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys. What they didn’t discuss, according to Sheppard, was the possibility of Washington dealing Wall elsewhere. “There’s no plans to trade John,” were the first words spoken by Sheppard during a video conference Monday, when most questions from reporters were about the five-time All-Star who was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft. Wall missed all of last season, and most of 2018-19, too, with injuries to his left heel, then Achilles tendon, and reports surfaced in recent days that he requested a trade. Sheppard downplayed that with training camp set to begin next week, saying Wall “didn’t request” to be moved when they spoke Monday. He said he and Wall speak “pretty much every other day” and characterized their relationship as “very, very close.” “There’s... [More]

Robin Lopez and Frank Mason III both scored 14 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks over the Chicago Bulls 122-112 in preseason action on Monday night.Milwaukee didn't play most of its major contributors, including last year's league Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton.Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game that most of them had a good scrimmage on Sunday so he didn't want to play them in what was essentially a back-to-back stretch.All five of the Bucks' starters scored in double figures. Brook Lopez scored 13 points, Sterling Brown added 12 points and nine rebounds and Wesley Matthews scored 10.Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 16 points. Lauri Markkanen added 14 points, making 4 of 8 of his 3-point attempts.PELICANS 133, HAWKS 109Jrue Holiday led New Orleans with 21 points and Zion Williamson scored 16, including several highlight-reel dunks.Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick in June's draft, threw down his first preseason dunk, a tomahawk... [More]

Robin Lopez and Frank Mason III both scored 14 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks over the Chicago Bulls 122-112 in preseason action on Monday night.Milwaukee didn't play most of its major contributors, including last year's league Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton.Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game that most of them had a good scrimmage on Sunday so he didn't want to play them in what was essentially a back-to-back stretch.All five of the Bucks' starters scored in double figures. Brook Lopez scored 13 points, Sterling Brown added 12 points and nine rebounds and Wesley Matthews scored 10.Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 16 points. Lauri Markkanen added 14 points, making 4 of 8 of his 3-point attempts.PELICANS 133, HAWKS 109Jrue Holiday led New Orleans with 21 points and Zion Williamson scored 16, including several highlight-reel dunks.Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick in June's draft, threw down his first preseason dunk, a tomahawk... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Expectations for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have never been higher.After leading the Bucks to a league-best 60 wins in the regular season and losing to the NBA champion Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals earlier this year, Antetokounmpo is putting his league MVP trophy on the shelf and focusing solely on taking Milwaukee to the next level."We gotta focus on ourselves, which is getting better each day, competing in practice so you can carry over to the game, and just build that winning culture, the great habits that we built last year," Antetokounmpo said. "If we do that, we're going to be one of the teams that will be the last one standing. That's our goal."Antetokounmpo, who is entering his seventh season with the Bucks, had the busiest offseason of this career. He had new press obligations after winning the MVP, launched his signature shoe with Nike, and played on the Greek national team in the FIBA World Cup. Somewhere along the way, Antetokounmpo... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Expectations for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have never been higher.After leading the Bucks to a league-best 60 wins in the regular season and losing to the NBA champion Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals earlier this year, Antetokounmpo is putting his league MVP trophy on the shelf and focusing solely on taking Milwaukee to the next level."We gotta focus on ourselves, which is getting better each day, competing in practice so you can carry over to the game, and just build that winning culture, the great habits that we built last year," Antetokounmpo said. "If we do that, we're going to be one of the teams that will be the last one standing. That's our goal."Antetokounmpo, who is entering his seventh season with the Bucks, had the busiest offseason of this career. He had new press obligations after winning the MVP, launched his signature shoe with Nike, and played on the Greek national team in the FIBA World Cup. Somewhere along the way, Antetokounmpo... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen will miss the rest of the season after experiencing a rapid heart rate and fatigue.The Bulls say tests to determine the cause of the problem have come back normal. He will continue to be evaluated over the next 10 to 14 days for precautionary reasons.Markkanen did not play Wednesday night in the Bulls' loss to Portland. The teams announced afterward he will miss the remaining six games."The long-term health of our players is always our organization's top priority," Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said. "We will continue to monitor Lauri's condition and work with our medical staff and doctors to provide him with everything he may need."Markkanen remained overnight in Toronto after exiting Tuesday night's loss to the Raptors with what the team called "extreme fatigue." He was evaluated in the training room by the Bulls' medical staff and Toronto's team physician and underwent more tests at a hospital.He... [More]