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Logs 10 minutes in elimination game Matthews missed the Hawks' final three games of the regular season with hamstring tightness, but he was able to make it back for what ended up being the team's lone postseason contest. The 37-year-old was an irregular member of the Atlanta rotation in 2023-24, appearing in 36 regular-season contests (three starts) while averaging 3.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.7 three-pointers and 0.6 assists in 11.5 minutes while shooting 35.1 percent from the field. Matthews is scheduled for free agency this summer and could be headed for retirement.

Considered questionable for Game 1 The Clippers announced Thursday that Leonard received an injection in his left knee, and there's "cautious optimism" that he'll be ready for Sunday's matchup, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. While Leonard returned to practice Monday, he hasn't yet been cleared for 5-on-5 drills. Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Thursday that he isn't sure whether Leonard will need to participate in full-contact work before he's cleared to return to game action but said that the inflammation needs to continue to reduce. Lawrence said that he's hopeful the issue is trending in the right direction and that Leonard will play but also indicated that the 32-year-old's status remains up in the air.

Likely to be game-time decision Wojnarowski reported Wednesday night that Caruso had sustained a "significant" left ankle sprain Wednesday against Atlanta that put his availability for Friday's matchup in doubt. However, the 30-year-old appears to be trending in the right direction and will likely be a game-time decision as the Bulls attempt to secure the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. If Caruso is unavailable against Miami, Javonte Green, Torrey Craig and Dalen Terry could see additional playing time.

Probable for Friday Robinson missed the final four games of the regular season due to his back injury, and although he was available for Wednesday's Play-In Tournament matchup against the 76ers, he didn't see any playing time. It appears likely that he'll be able to suit up again Friday, and he could see some minutes since Jimmy Butler (knee) has been ruled out.

Remains out for Friday Rozier, who will miss a sixth straight contest, has been diagnosed with a neck sprain rather than neck spasms, so it seems the injury is more severe than initially expected. The loss of Rozier will be huge for the Heat, and it will translate in a higher usage rate for Tyler Herro, while there will be more minutes available for Patty Mills and possibly Delon Wright.

Officially has sprained MCL Butler suffered his right knee injury late in the first quarter of Wednesday's Play-In Game loss to the 76ers, but he remained in the game down the stretch despite a limp. However, the injury is significant enough to sideline him for multiple weeks, so even if the Heat take down the Bulls on Friday, it seems unlikely that Butler will be in the mix to return during a first-round series against Boston. Jaime Jaquez will likely take on a starting role in Butler's absence, while Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin could also see additional playing time.

Leads bench in scoring Since the All-Star break, the 27-year-old averaged 6.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.7 assists on 45.8 percent from the field, playing valuable minutes during Trae Young's (finger) absence. With the Hawks looking to test the trade market around Young and possibly Dejounte Murray after a disappointing year, Atlanta will have until June 29 to decide whether they want Mathews back next season, which would fully guarantee his contract.

Unable to find shot Despite struggling with his shot in April, when Hunter averaged 37.0 percent from the field and an abysmal 24.1 percent from deep, this season was fairly successful for the 26-year-old. Hunter was a consistent part of Atlanta's rotation, starting in 38 of his 57 games and averaging 15.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting a career-high 38.5 percent from deep.

Continues to struggle from deep Since Philadelphia acquired Hield on Feb. 8, the sharpshooter has averaged 12.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 0.8 steals in 25.5 minutes on 38.4 percent from deep. Hield has struggled to live up to his usual standards in April, as he's averaged 9.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 19.8 minutes, shooting just 35.2 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from three.

Struggles from three in win Harris struggled to get his shot going Wednesday and was outperformed by Nicolas Batum, who came off the bench and added 20 points and five rebounds on 6-for-10 shooting from the perimeter. Harris' inefficiency from deep has been a constant problem this season, as his 35.8 percent three-point percentage has been his worst mark since 2016-17. Since the All-Star break, the 31-year-old has averaged 15.7 points and 7.6 rebounds on 35.4 percent from three, which could be a consequence of an uptick in playing time from Joel Embiid's (knee) absence.

Leaves defensive impact Wright has struggled to gain a consistent role in Miami's rotation since joining the team after the All-Star break, averaging 5.5 points, 2.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 20.5 minutes. The key to staying on the court for the 31-year-old has been his defensive impact; Wright has averaged 1.5 steals in 12 appearances since March, chipping in four steals twice in that span. Despite losing Jimmy Butler's (knee) defensive abilities, Wright should not be expected to see much of an increase in playing time buried behind Tyler Herro, as well as Terry Rozier (neck) and Duncan Robinson (back), if they are available for Friday.

Does it all in loss Highsmith has seen an increase in both playing time and production in April, when he averaged 7.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 26.7 minutes. This is a significant improvement from March, where the 27-year-old averaged 5.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.3 steals in 16.7 minutes. With Jimmy Butler (knee) out for Friday's matchup against the Bulls, Highsmith is expected to garner an uptick in playing time behind Jaime Jaquez.

Will undergo shoulder surgery Collins will undergo shoulder surgery in the coming days, and even though a specific date has not been determined yet, the Spurs expect the veteran big man to fully recover for the start of the 2024-25 season. He averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.8 blocks per game across 69 appearances and 29 starts, with that latter figure being a career-high mark for him.

Receives injection in knee Leonard was unavailable for the Clippers' final eight games of the regular season due to right knee inflammation. He returned to practice Monday but hasn't yet been cleared for 5-on-5 drills. The Clippers will likely wait to see how his knee responds to his recent treatment before determining his status for the start of postseason play Sunday, but even if he isn't cleared for Game 1, it wouldn't be surprising to see him return sometime during the Clippers' first-round series.

Won’t play Friday Phillips continues to deal with a right mid foot sprain and will be unavailable as the Bulls attempt to secure the No. 8 seed Friday. Even if the Bulls advance to the first round of the playoffs, it seems unlikely that Phillips will be able to return.

Iffy for Friday Drummond returned to action for Wednesday's Play-In Game against Atlanta after missing the final three games of the regular season due to a sprained left ankle. He tallied four points, four rebounds, three blocks and a steal in 11 minutes against the Hawks, and it's possible he'll be available once again Friday.

Questionable to play Friday The Bulls are facing a win-or-go-home scenario Friday against the Heat, and the potential loss of Caruso would be massive due to his ability on defense and contributions across the board. Javonte Green, Torrey Craig and Dalen Terry would be the main candidates to take on more minutes if Caruso ends up being ruled out.

Questionable for Friday Dosunmu sat out the final four games of the regular season due to a right quadriceps contusion but returned to action to begin the postseason Wednesday against Atlanta. He tallied 19 points, three assists, two blocks and a rebound in 41 minutes in his return to action, and he should see plenty of playing time if he's cleared to play once again, especially if Alex Caruso (ankle) is unavailable.

Shines off bench Wednesday It was widely known that Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey were going to carry the Sixers in this matchup against the Heat, but the truth is that Philadelphia wouldn't have gotten the win hadn't it been for Batum's impressive effort off the bench. The 20-point output was a season-high mark for the veteran, and even though his role is not going to change drastically in the first-round matchup against New York, he should continue to see decent minutes on a regular basis. Perhaps surprisingly, he went scoreless in the four times he faced the Knicks during the regular season.

Leads Sixers to win Wednesday Embiid had a complicated matchup against Bam Adebayo, arguably one of the best defensive centers in The Association, and even though his efficiency was subpar, he still led Philadephia in scoring while coming through with a clutch performance from the charity stripe. Embiid should be in line for a productive first-round series against the Knicks, and even though he only faced them once in the regular season, he delivered a 30-point, 10-rebound, three-block performance on Jan. 5.

Scores 19 in win over Miami Maxey had a rough night from three-point range, but he still salvaged his stat line by sniffing the 20-point mark and dishing out six assists. Maxey is expected to play a prominent role on offense in the first-round matchup against the Knicks, and it's worth noting he averaged 26.3 points per game in three games vs. New York during the regular season.

Decent stat line in loss Jaquez looked good despite coming off the bench and was one of Miami's top contributors on offense. He's widely expected to move into the starting lineup for Friday's matchup against the Bulls due to the absence of Jimmy Butler (knee), and that would translate into an uptick in his usage rate.

Double-double in loss Wednesday Adebayo wasn't as involved as expected on the offensive end of the court, as he had to deal with a tough matchup against Joel Embiid, but he still found a way to finish with a double-double even if the Heat came up short of winning. Knowing the Heat will be without Jimmy Butler (knee) for Friday's game against the Bulls, Adebayo should experience an uptick in usage rate and volume while dealing with the matchup of Nikola Vucevic, who's nowhere near as good as Embiid on the defensive end of the court.

Leads Heat in scoring in loss Herro might have needed 27 shots to score 25 shots, but the uptick in usage rate happened since Jimmy Butler suffered a knee injury in the first quarter, which limited him considerably, and Bam Adebayo had a rough matchup with Joel Embiid. Herro has reached the 20-point mark in four of his last six outings, and considering Butler will miss Friday's win-or-go-home matchup against the Bulls, he should be in line for another heavy usage rate vs. Chicago.

Facing multi-week absence Butler sustained the injury in the final minute of the first quarter, and while he remained in the game, he was clearly operating at well below full strength and ultimately finished with 19 points (5-18 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT), five assists, five steals and four rebounds in 40 minutes. The Heat will send Butler in for an MRI on Thursday before providing an updated diagnosis of his injury, but the 34-year-old looks safe to count out for Friday's Play-In Tournament matchup with the Bulls, and quite likely, the first round of the playoffs if Miami should advance. Jaime Jaquez has regularly picked up starts when Butler missed time during the regular season, and the rookie first-rounder, as well as Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin, could all benefit from added minutes Friday.

Posts 21 points in final game Bogdanovic jumped in and out of the starting lineup this season but still managed an average of 30.4 minutes per game, a career-best for the veteran. The sharpshooter saw a modest decline in his three-point percentage this season, averaging only 37.4 percent beyond the arc. He ended the season ranked fifth in the league with 651 three-pointers. Bogdanovic is in the midst of a four-year deal with the Hawks and he's expected to remain with the team.

Ends season with 30-point effort Despite dealing with an extended absence from Trae Young, Murray kept the team afloat and squeaked into the Play-In Bracket. Despite the disappointing end, Murray put together the best campaign of his seven-year career, averaging 22.5 points, 6.4 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals during his second year with the Hawks. While Young will almost certainly be headed elsewhere, Murray is locked into a contract with the Hawks and should continue to be a focal point of the offense next season.

Finishes season with 22 points Young may have played his last game in an Atlanta uniform Wednesday night. Young will definitely test the market after a disappointing end to the 2023-24 season, and it seems to be foregone conclusion that he'll be headed elsewhere. The Hawks went 12-11 during Young's most recent absence, proving that the current roster can play break-even ball without him. Young's departure will free up considerable cap space, and with Dejounte Murray locked into a deal, the Hawks may look for a capable off-the-ball guard to complement him.

Flirts with double-double in win DeRozan put together another successful season during his third season with the Bulls. Perhaps the biggest feather in DeRozan's cap is his attendance record, as he's played at least 74 games per season over three years in Chicago. The veteran will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, and the Bulls will probably make a competitive offer unless another team presents an irresistible package. For the time being, DeRozan's focus will be on advancing with a win against Miami.

Records double-double in win Although Coby White's heroics headlined the game, the most interesting positional battle occurred inside, where Vucevic and Clint Capela went toe-to-toe. Although Capela out-rebounded Vucevic, the Chicago big man displayed his ability to stretch the floor, forcing Capela to play further out. The result was a vulnerable interior defense for the Hawks, and the rest of the team took advantage with productive slashes to the basket. Things won't get any easier for Vucevic in the next game, as he'll face Bam Adebayo in a battle for the eighth seed.

Scores career-high 42 points White enjoyed a career night during the elimination game and led the Bulls in scoring by a wide margin. The fight for the eighth seed seems like a lost cause with the Boson Celtics looming as the eventual opponent, but few teams could have beaten the Bulls Wednesday night, galvanized by White's stellar evening. His stat line is a reminder that White should be considered as a favorite to win Most Improved Player honors.

Dealing with ankle injury Caruso missed portions of the first half after a collision with Andre Drummond. While he managed to return to the game, he was subbed out with 9:43 to play in the third quarter and didn't check back in. Caruso's status is certainly up in the air for Friday's matchup with Miami and is worth monitoring ahead of the contest. If he ends up sitting, Javonte Green, Torrey Craig and Dalen Terry are candidates for more minutes.