Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Ejected from Saturday's game

Shocking and frankly terrifying news broke regarding Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant on Sunday afternoon. The story doesn’t quite paint the 2022 Most Improved Player or his associates in the most positive of lights either. The Athletic delivered a bombshell report that detailed the shocking incident. It occurred last month after a game between Morant’s Grizzlies Read more... The post NBA world reacts to absolutely shocking Ja Morant news appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.

Kyrie Irving is officially leaving the Brooklyn Nets to join forces with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Irving requested to be moved ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline, and his wish was granted when the Mavs dealt for him on Sunday -- a move that drew plenty of reactions from the NBA world.

The NBA trade deadline is now less than a week away, and Kyrie Irving's request to be moved out of Brooklyn has added a whole new layer of intrigue. There are plenty of other rumors outside of Irving too, as teams are starting to kick things into hyperdrive leading up to deadline day.

Over the years, the Golden State Warriors have been more dependent on Stephen Curry than the whole "Strength in Numbers" mantra would suggest. Even during the Kevin Durant super years, there were two decidedly different Warriors teams: With and without Curry. Well, they're going to be without Curry for these...

Gobert has been downgraded to questionable ahead of Sunday's game against the Nuggets due to right groin soreness. The towering big man hasn't exactly set the world on fire in his first season with the Timberwolves, but losing him before a matchup against Nikola Jokic is less than ideal. If Gobert can't go Sunday, then Naz Reid would be in line for a bigger role. Gobert is averaging just 11.4 points and 10.7 rebounds per game across his last 10 outings.

Stephen A. lets us in on a private conversation between him and Isiah Thomas about Steph Curry.

Saric is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Pistons. Saric accumulated 14 points (5-13 FG, 4-7 3Pt), 13 rebounds and three assists across 30 minutes during Friday's 106-94 victory over the Celtics, but he heads back to the bench with Cameron Johnson (knee) being available and in the starting unit. Saric is averaging 4.4 points and 3.5 rebounds across 11.1 minutes per game when coming off the bench this season.

Murray is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Timberwolves due to left knee injury management. One night after registering a season-high 41 points (15-24 FG, 7-12 3Pt, 4-4 FT) to go along with seven assists, five rebounds and one steal across 36 minutes, Murray looks like he'll take a seat for the second half of a back-to-back set. Even though Murray played both ends of the Nuggets' previous back-to-back set (Jan. 17 and 18), Denver isn't expected to ask the point guard to shoulder big minutes for the second day in a row, especially since the Nuggets are traveling to Minnesota rather than playing at home. With three other starters (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon) also listed as doubtful for Sunday's contest, the Nuggets offense could primarily run through Michael Porter and sixth man Bruce Brown.

Brown (illness) has been ruled out for Monday's matchup against the Pistons, Sean Grande of NBC Sports Boston reports. Brown was a late addition to the injury report Monday afternoon and will ultimately be sidelined versus Detroit due to an illness. In his absence, Malcolm Brogdon, Payton Pritchard and Grant Williams figure to garner increased roles, though Jayson Tatum will presumably dominate the playmaking opportunities when he's on the court.

Brown is questionable for Monday's game against the Pistons due to a non-COVID-19-related illness. Brown was a late addition to Monday's injury report, and it's not yet clear whether he'll be able to play against Detroit. He's been dominant since returning from a three-game absence in mid-January, averaging 25.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 38.9 minutes per game over his last seven appearances. If he's sidelined Monday, Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon will likely handle increased roles for Boston.

Middleton logged 24 points (9-14 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 5-5 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and one steal in 20 minutes during Saturday's 123-115 win over the Heat. The Bucks have continued their slow ramp-up process with Middleton, who has played between 15 and 20 minutes in each of his seven appearances since returning Jan. 23 following a five-week absence due to a sore right knee. Aside from some issues with turnovers (2.7 per game), Middleton has more or less looked like himself in his first seven contests back in action, averaging 14.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 three-pointers and 0.9 steals in 17.6 minutes while shooting 48 percent from the field and 95.2 percent from the free-throw line. Middleton's playing time could be restricted on some level through the All-Star break, but he's producing well enough to warrant an activation in just about every league.

Rubio has been ruled out for Monday's matchup against the Wizards due to left knee injury management, Danny Cunningham of 850 ESPN Cleveland reports. Rubio will sit out the second half of the Cavaliers' current back-to-back set to manage his surgically repaired left knee. Since making his season debut Jan. 12, the veteran point guard has appeared in 11 of 13 contests and is averaging 5.7 points, 3.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game. In his absence, Raul Neto and Cedi Osman are candidates for increased roles behind Darius Garland.

The Dallas Mavericks made a major splash in trading for Kyrie Irving Sunday afternoon. Dallas sent Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round pick and two future second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Irving and Markieff Morris. Irving requested a trade from the Nets just a few days ago after he couldn't agree to a contract extension with the team, an issue that dated back to last summer when he was seeking a max contract extension from the Nets.

Kuzma went to the locker room with an apparent left ankle injury during the second quarter of Saturday's game against the Nets, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports. Kuzma rolled his ankle after stepping on an opponent's foot on a drive to the hoop. He should be considered questionable to return until further updates are provided.

McCollum had 23 points (8-16 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 5-5 FT), two rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 39 minutes during Saturday's 131-126 win over the Lakers. McCollum has taken a step back in his scoring duties since the return of Brandon Ingram, but the veteran guard continues to find ways to impact the game while also putting up solid scoring figures. Over his last 10 games, McCollum is averaging 21.4 points, 5.9 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 0.9 steals and has reached the 20-point plateau in all but two contests during that stretch.

The Dallas Mavericks sent shockwaves around the league when they traded for Kyrie Irving Sunday afternoon. Many considered it a forgone conclusion that Irving would go to the Lakers given his prior championship experience playing with LeBron James. However, the Mavericks won out because the Brooklyn Nets viewed their package of Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round picks as a way to keep the team competitive this season, per The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Kuzma (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's matchup against the Cavaliers. Kuzma left Saturday's game against the Nets with a left ankle sprain and will be sidelined for at least one contest due to the issue. The severity of the sprain isn't known yet, but his next chance to suit up will come Wednesday against the Hornets. Anthony Gill (COVID-19 protocols) remains sidelined, so Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert will presumably see increased minutes in Kuzma's absence, while Will Barton, who's played sparingly since the since the end of December, may get another chance in the rotation.

Jokic finished with 14 points (5-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 18 rebounds, 10 assists, two blocks and one steal across 34 minutes during Saturday's 128-108 win over the Hawks. Jokic took only five shots in the first half, knocking down three of them for eight points to go along with 11 boards and six assists. He added just six points in the second half on 2-of-3 shooting from the floor and played more of a facilitator role as Jamal Murray led the scoring charge with his season-high 41 points. The Nuggets' center finished with a game-high 18 rebounds and also tied Dejounte Murray with a game-high 11 assists, giving him his third consecutive triple-double. Jokic continues to pack the stat sheet despite being hampered by a hamstring injury as of late.

Ingram is listed as out for Sunday's matchup against the Kings with left big toe soreness, Jim Eichenhofer of the Pelicans' official site reports. Ingram was left off the initial injury report, but he'll ultimately be sidelined for the second half of the Pelicans' back-to-back set, likely for maintenance-related reasons following his recent return from a two-month absence due to the same injury. The star forward was rusty in his first three games following the lengthy layoff, but he turned in a dominant display in Saturday's 131-126 win over the Lakers with 35 points (15-28 FG) in 32 minutes. In Ingram's absence, Naji Marshall, Kira Lewis, Devonte' Graham and Jose Alvarado are all candidates to take on increased roles to varying extents.

The Portland Trail Blazers got stomped by the Milwaukee Bucks by a score of 127-108 on Monday. That's nothing new for a Portland team that has rarely sniffed true contention over the past decade. During the Damian Lillard era, the Blazers have finished above .500 against teams with a record of .500 or better only once, during the 2018-19 season, which also happens to be the last time this team won a playoff series.