Middle Notes: Sabonis, Nance Jr., Bucks, Bickerstaff



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MRI on Pacers star Domantas sabonis revealed a bruise on his injured knee with no structural damage, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Sabonis, who suffered the injury from hitting his knees with a player against Toronto on Monday, should be listed on a day-to-day basis, Wojnarowski reports.

In 17 games this season, Sabonis, a 2020 All-Star, is averaging 20.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. The Pacers also posted a positive update on Caris LeVert Tuesday and recently hosted Jeremy lamb, who suffered an ACL tear about a year ago.

There is more to the central division today:

  • Riders forward Larry Nance Jr. missed Monday’s game against the Lakers with a sprained right wrist, according to a team statement. The injury came on Sunday against the Celtics. Nance is enjoying a respectable season so far, averaging 10.5 points and 2.3 steals per contest.
  • Despite a slight change in approach, the Bucks are still one of the best offensive teams in the league – even though Giannis AntetokounmpoThe numbers have dropped slightly, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Milwaukee currently leads the NBA in offensive efficiency with 117.9 points per 100 possessions. “It’s weird, it’s weird, but like I said, I get it,” Antetokounmpo said. “I would love to go out and be 30, 35 and it will be easy. Easy layups and dunks and all that. But having someone in ‘the dunker’ might make things a little more difficult. But at the end of the day, there are other things you need to do to impact the game. Find your teammates. Define better screens. Opt for transfers. Roll when you set screens. You just have to find ways.
  • Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff thinks his team aren’t getting enough respect, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavs fought hard against the defending Lakers champions on Monday, ultimately losing the game 115-108. Bickerstaff didn’t seem too happy with the refereeing, however, giving a direct assessment after the fight. “I think these are game-changing calls that have been made or have not been made,” he said. “I think our guys showed up and made the effort to earn the respect that both teams should earn. Tonight, I don’t think so. The Lakers are one hell of a basketball team, don’t get me wrong. They deserve all they have to come. But our guys give up and play hard and deserve the same. Were there any plays that we made during the period when we could have made better decisions? Sure. But it’s hard to defeat the champions anymore.



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