Rockets' Eric Gordon: Won't play against Atlanta

The 2023 NBA trade deadline is next week and the rumor mill has begun to overflow with potential trade targets. We're starting to get a clearer picture of who the buyers and sellers are ahead of the deadline, but we've yet to see any deals that will seriously change the landscape for the rest of the season. As we get closer to the Feb. 9 deadline the rumors will only heat up and we should start to see some deals happen over this week.

We have seen NBA players pick up technical fouls for taunting. We've seen them get technicals for cursing, for obscene gestures and for making unnecessary contact with an official. On one hilarious occasion, we even saw Tim Duncan get T'd up for laughing. But never in the history of the NBA have we seen a technical foul quite like the one Eric Lewis hit Patrick Beverley with at the end of regulation of Saturday's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

LeBron James is steaming toward Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record. With another 41 points on Saturday, albeit in a losing effort at Boston, James is now legitimately within three or four games of the NBA record. However, James will sit out the Lakers next game Monday against the Nets in Brooklyn. He's likely to play next Tuesday against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Going into Sunday's NFC Championship game, the 49ers were already down to their third-string quarterback (Brock Purdy), but after an injury to the rookie, San Francisco is now just one big hit away from being forced to play a quarterback who has never actually played quarterback. With Purdy on the...

Antetokounmpo (knee) is available for Sunday's game against New Orleans. Antetokounmpo dealt with knee soreness ahead of Sunday's matchup but was listed as probable and will be able to suit up for a fourth consecutive game. Over his last three appearances, he's averaged 34.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 30.7 minutes per game.

Nurkic (calf) played 26 minutes and finished with 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 0-1 FT), five rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in Monday's 129-125 win over the Hawks. Nurkic missed just one game on account of the calf injury he suffered in last Wednesday's win over...

Looney isn't starting Monday's game against the Thunder, Madeline Kenney of The San Jose Mercury News reports. Looney recently lost his starting spot to Jordan Poole as the Warriors turn to more of a small-ball look, but he was reinserted into the starting lineup last Friday with Andrew Wiggins out due to an illness. However, Wiggins has been cleared and will return to the Warriors' first five Monday, sending Looney back to a bench role. The veteran center has made just three appearances as a reserve this season, but he's posting 6.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 20.0 minutes in those contests.

Embiid is questionable for Monday's matchup against the Magic due to left foot soreness. Embiid showed why he's an MVP candidate Saturday, posting 47 points (18-31 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 7-10 FT), 18 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks across 38 minutes in a win over Denver. However, the star big man continues to battle left foot soreness, which has cost him four games in January, and may have his workload managed again Monday. If that's the case, Montrezl Harrell and Paul Reed would be candidates for expanded roles.

Gobert (groin) is questionable for Monday's game against Sacramento. Gobert has been dealing with a sore right groin recently but has appeared in the last four games, averaging 13.0 points and 13.8 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game. If he'd be unavailable Monday, Naz Reid would presumably see increased run for Minnesota.

Pippen did not play in Sunday's 152-118 win over the G League Warriors with a concussion. Pippen missed Sunday's contest after being placed in concussion protocols. However, his usual scoring impact was not missed by South Bay as the team dominated Santa Cruz. It's unclear when Pippen will clear protocols, but his next chance to play will come Wednesday.

Ingram has been ruled out for Sunday's matchup against the Bucks due to left toe injury management, Jim Eichenhofer of the Pelicans' official site reports. Ingram has appeared in back-to-back games following a two-month absence due to a toe injury, but he'll be sidelined for the second half of New Orleans' current back-to-back set to manage his workload. Barring a setback, it's safe to presume Ingram will return to action Tuesday in Denver. Meanwhile, CJ McCollum (thumb) has also been ruled out Sunday, so Jose Alvarado, Devonte' Graham and Kira Lewis are all candidates for increased roles against the Bucks.

The Los Angeles Lakers, against all odds, have found a way to maximize Russell Westbrook in the regular season. He may be a bit overrated, but he's at least actively contributing to a Lakers team that spent an entire offseason trying to trade him. Without his playmaking, they may not have been able to stay afloat when they were without stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. As a regular-season player, he has been solid.

The Super Bowl LVII matchup is set, as the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will face off in Glendale, Arizona on Feb. 12. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have played on this stage before, while the Eagles are back in the Big Game for the first time since the 2017 season thanks to Jalen Hurts and the ferocious Eagles defense.

McCollum (thumb) is off the injury report ahead of Tuesday's game in Denver. McCollum missed Sunday's game with a sprained right thumb but will be back in the starting lineup Tuesday alongside Brandon Ingram (toe). His return will likely take opportunities away from Jose Alvarado, Kira Lewis and Devonte' Graham. In the month of January, McCollum has averaged 24.9 points, 5.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds across 35.3 minutes per game.

Middleton posted nine points (4-9 FG, 1-3 3Pt), three rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal across 18 minutes during Sunday's 135-110 win over the Pelicans. Fantasy managers who are hoping for a quick return from Middleton may have to wait a bit longer. A minute limitation is currently capping his potential, and there's no definitive timetable on how long the restriction will last. His next chance for increased usage comes Tuesday against the Hornets.

Andersen will patrol the home crease Sunday against Boston, Chip Alexander of The Raleigh News & Observer reports. Andersen will play for the first time since leaving Wednesday's game against Dallas after the first period with an upper-body injury, though he was able to serve as Antti Raanta's backup Friday versus San Jose. Andersen has a 9-3-0 record this season with a 2.49 GAA and a .905 save percentage in 13 appearances. Boston is tied for first in the league with 3.76 goals per game.

A late-January, Monday-night game between the Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs is not exactly a marquee matchup. Still, there was more on the line in this contest than most people probably realized. With their 127-106 win, the Wizards ended one of the NBA's strangest losing streaks. Before this game,...

Love (back) is listed as probable for Tuesday's game against the Heat. After experiencing a recurrence of back spasms shortly before Sunday's eventual win over the Clippers, Love ended up sitting out a third game in a row. He participated in practice Monday, however, and avoided any apparent complications, setting the stage for him to rejoin the rotation Tuesday. In his last nine appearances prior to the back injury, Love averaged 4.8 points and 5.2 rebounds across 16.4 minutes per game.

After going off for 38 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists in the Golden State Warriors' 128-120 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, Steph Curry weighed in on the load management debate, which has been raging across the league in recent weeks. "I campaign to play every...

Saturday's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics was much more than just a battle between the NBA's two greatest franchises. No, it also served as a duel between the NBA's two Sixth Man of the Year award favorites. One of those players finished with 26 points, six assists and four rebounds. He defended Anthony Davis for lengthy stretches despite giving him half a foot in height, and thanks in large part to his performance, his team won. The other player missed 10 of his 14 shots, committed five turnovers and didn't play in the fourth quarter.