The Egg Bowl is over.
Kyle Palmieri Leaves Friday Islanders Game vs. Flyers With Lower-Body Injury
New York Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri left Friday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers with a lower-body injury.
Palmieri went down with over five minutes played in the second period. He was racing to the left wing corner with Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim. After Sanheim went to the ice, Palmieri fell onto the ice back-first, before getting up and skating over to the Islanders' bench mid-play.
Before leaving the ice, Palmieri stripped Flyers' defenseman Emil Adrae, leading to the Islanders' first goal of the night:
The hardest earned assist in Kyle Palmieri’s career. Hope he’s ok.
— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) November 28, 2025
pic.twitter.com/TvYbN9rEVY
This story will be updated following the game.
Mike Sullivan Feels The Rangers Are Beginning To Buy In After Win Over Bruins
The New York Rangers came away with a 6-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Friday afternoon.
Despite a win in Carolina on Wednesday night, Mike Sullivan made a slight change to the offensive lines, putting J.T. Miller with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafrenière, while placing Will Cuylle on a line with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck.
Cuylle seemed to thrive on his new line, forcing a turnover early in the first period, which led to a 2-on-1 chance in which he found Panarin for a goal.
On the Rangers’ second goal of the first period, Cuylle’s nifty play to keep possession in the offensive zone and get the puck to Vincent Trocheck developed into a Carson Soucy goal.
Through the first 20 minutes of the contest, the Rangers dominated the pace of play. A large part of that was due to the aggressive forechecking from New York’s forwards.
The Blueshirts’ relentless forechecking allowed for them to generate multiple high-quality scoring chances through the turnovers they were creating.
The Bruins provided some pushback to start the opening frame, but momentum quickly shifted back into the Rangers’ favor after they were awarded two consecutive power plays, including a four-minute double minor.
New York cashed in with two power-play goals from Mika Zibanejad to take a commanding 4-0 lead.
The power play was clicking on all cylinders, led by the first unit consisting of Adam Fox, Zibanejad, Panarin, Miller, and Trocheck.
“The power play, obviously, was the difference maker in the game,” Mike Sullivan emphasized.
It was in the third period, up 4-0, when the Rangers began to take their foot off of the gas and let the Bruins creep back into the game with two quick goals.
While the Rangers managed to hold off the Bruins’ attempted comeback, Sullivan still feels it’s imperative moving forward to remain aggressive even when the team is attempting to maintain a lead.
Rangers Recall Scott Morrow With Will Borgen Still On Injured Reserve The New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> have recalled Scott Morrow from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, while sending Connor Mackey back down to the AHL.
“When you get a four-goal lead heading into the third period, you are guarding against human nature,” said Sullivan. “You want to exhale, but you can’t in today’s game. I just think it's so important that you continue to keep your foot on the gas. Continue to play the game that has brought you success.”
Any time the Bruins did seize momentum, the Rangers adapted and were able to take control back, which is a sign of a well coached unit that is able to manage the ebbs and flows of a game.
Panarin also had a notable performance, recording four points on the day. His offensive game has begun to come alive as of late, and that’s no surprise to Sullivan.
“He has game-breaking ability with his playmaking. Once again, it was on display tonight. He was dynamic,” Sullivan said of Panarim. “Just his ability to create time and space for himself. He uses the width of the rink really well to create just this amount of separation that he needs to make that next play. He has such great vision. He sees the play away from the puck so well. He's one step ahead of everybody on the ice.”
Early on in the season, the Rangers’ top forwards were struggling to produce offense. That has not been the case through the team’s most recent stretch.
Over the past five games:
Panarin: 6 points
Zibanejad: 6 points
Miller: 4 points
Trocheck: 5 points
Cuylle: 3 points
Lafrenière: 2 points
The Rangers’ offense operates effectively when their top-six forward core is producing, and after a slow start, they are beginning to score at a high level and build confidence.
The Blueshirts have rattled off two road victories in a row. Maybe it hasn’t been perfect, but there are a lot of positives to take away from this Thanksgiving road trip.
Players are beginning to fully buy into Sullivan’s system and are growing accustomed to the way that he wants them to play.
“I think our execution can continue to improve, just getting a little bit sharper with our puck possession game, but I think the guys are buying into the game that we’re trying to play as a team,” Sullivan said. “We're trying to continue to build our team game. It's essential to win in this league consistently. Obviously, we've gone into some pretty tough buildings. … I think the group is buying in.”
The Rangers will be back in action on Saturday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
2 Blackhawks Ranked Among Hockey's Best Young Players
Chicago Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar and defenseman Sam Rinzel have landed themselves some big praise.
Nazar and Rinzel have both made The Hockey News' Top 100 Hockey Players 21-And-Under list. THN's Ryan Kennedy gave Nazar the No. 35 spot, while Rinzel picked up the No. 36 spot.
Nazar making THN's list is not surprising in the slightest, as the 21-year-old forward has been continuing to improve as he gains more experience. In 21 games so far this season with the Blackhawks, the young forward has recorded five goals, 10 assists, 15 points, and an even plus/minus rating. This is after he posted 12 goals, 14 assists, and 26 points in 53 games for the Blackhawks during his rookie year.
Rinzel, on the other hand, is well on his way to becoming a very good NHL defenseman. The 21-year-old blueliner has played in 22 games this season with the Blackhawks, where he has recorded one goal, six assists, seven points, and a plus-2 rating. He also had five assists in nine games for Chicago this past season.
Both Nazar and Rinzel have the potential to blossom into very impactful NHL players and are already impressing early on. Due to this, them making THN's list is entirely justifiable.
Xaivian Lee scores 20 and No. 10 Florida’s frontcourt excels in 90-78 win over Providence
Xaivian Lee scored 17 of his game-high 20 points in the second half, Thomas Haugh and Reuben Chinyelu each had double-doubles, and No. 10 Florida beat Providence 90-78 on Friday in the third-place game at the Rady Children's Invitational. Haugh had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Chinyelu had 13 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double in five games. Florida's frontcourt has 11 double-doubles this season.
Sabres Big Prospect Featured On Top Young Players List
With the ninth-overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Buffalo Sabres selected defenseman Radim Mrtka. With the Sabres needing help on the right side of their blueline, they are hoping that the 6-foot-6 defender will be a big part of their roster in the future.
With Mrtka having high potential, he has now landed a spot on The Hockey News' Top 100 Hockey Players 21-And-Under list. THN's Ryan Kennedy gave Mrtka the No. 37 spot on the rankings.
Mrtka is showing off his potential this season with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League (WHL). In 10 games with the WHL squad so far this campaign, he recorded one goal, 11 assists, 12 points, and a plus-4 rating. This was after he posted three goals, 35 points, and a plus-10 rating in 43 games with the Thunderbirds back in 2024-25.
Mrtka also played in four games this season with the Rochester Americans, where he recorded one assist, seven penalty minutes, and an even plus/minus rating.
Overall, there is a lot to like about Mrtka, so it is understandable that he has made this list. It will be fascinating to see how he continues to grow his game from here.
"A Little Fragile": Dylan Larkin Makes Tough Admission After Third Straight Red Wings Loss
It's not easy to score three goals on Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy during a game, but it's what the Detroit Red Wings managed to do on Saturday afternoon.
The only problem was that once again, they weren't able to keep the puck out of their own net.
Multiple defensive turnovers spelled defeat for the Red Wings, as they dropped a 6-3 final score at Little Caesars Arena for their third consecutive regulation defeat.
Perhaps even more worrying is the fact that it was the fourth time in the last five games that the Red Wings have allowed at least four goals.
While head coach Todd McLellan has repeatedly spoken of essentials like mental fortitude, team captain Dylan Larkin acknowledged that the club is a bit brittle right now.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
"Even when we were winning games, we were down a goal or two early and right now, we're just a little fragile and mistakes seem to be compounding," Larkin said. "We're finding ourselves down early in games and that's the way it's going right now. There's a blueprint in how we play well and you saw it parts (Friday) but in this league against a team like that, you have to be ready all 60 (minutes) and show what you are made of all those 60."
Among the mistakes in Detroit's end was a misplay on the puck by young defenseman Albert Johansson as he was stripped of the puck from behind by Gage Goncalves, who scored Tampa's second goal a moment later.
Rookie Nate Danielson inadvertently sent the puck right into his own crease from the slot after getting his stick on a Tampa pass attempt, setting up the first of what would be two goals from Yanni Gourde on the afternoon.
Finally, Moritz Seider misplayed the puck behind his own net during the third period, leading directly to Jake Guentzel's deflection goal seconds later that put the game out of reach.
The Red Wings have shown at various points this season that they're capable of putting together consistent, 60 minute efforts. A prime example of it was their victory earlier on Nov. 16 over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, arguably their most complete defensive performance of the campaign.
Conversely, the Red Wings have also strayed away from what has made them successful at various points, with their recent losses to the NHL-worst Nashville Predators and on Saturday against Tampa Bay being prime examples.
J.T. Compher, who scored the game’s opening goal, said that although younger players’ fear of making a mistake can sometimes cause exactly that, good players and teams find ways to stay consistent regardless of how long they’ve been in the NHL.
"You're going to learn in this League a bunch of different ways. Even guys that aren't in their first year, it could be their third, fourth, sixth, seventh years. It's a battle to be consistent in this League, and the good players do it, the good teams do it."
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Why the needless mystery from Australia over Cummins and Khawaja for second Test? | Geoff Lemon
Mixed messages over captain Pat Cummins’s potential return to bowling in the Ashes are a curiously dismissive attitude towards the paying public
You could speculate about whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be opaque regarding player availability and team plans, or whether it just has a deficiency in communications, but once again the fitness of players and the makeup of the XI is left to be inferred from the selection in the larger squad of 14 players for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane.
Normally, a board naming an unchanged squad would not be much news. This time it is, thanks to the possible movement in either direction of Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has now eventuated.
Continue reading...Observations after Sixers beat Nets, Drummond exits early with knee injury
Observations after Sixers beat Nets, Drummond exits early with knee injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
NEW YORK — The Sixers reached double-victories on Black Friday in Brooklyn.
With a 115-103 win over the Nets, they improved to 10-8 on the season. Brooklyn fell to 3-15.
Friday’s game was the Sixers’ final NBA Cup contest of 2025. They went 1-3 in East Group B and did not advance to knockout play.
Tyrese Maxey had 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Quentin Grimes scored 19 points and dished out nine assists. Jared McCain added 20 points and five steals.
Nets rookie Egor Demin posted 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
The Sixers began the night down Joel Embiid (right knee injury management), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain), VJ Edgecombe (left calf tightness) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain).
“They’ve been thinking he’s been trending toward getting there and he just isn’t yet,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said of Embiid, who’s missed nine straight games. “They just haven’t cleared him to go. That’s all it is.”
Edgecombe ran through a pregame workout with Sixers assistant coaches.
“He is on court and getting some workouts individually,” Nurse said. “He hasn’t done any team stuff yet. I’ll get a report here in a little bit, but I think he’s doing OK with his on-court workouts and hopefully trending upward quickly.”
Andre Drummond also exited Tuesday’s game with a right knee injury. More on that below.
Brooklyn’s injuries included Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain) and Michael Porter Jr. (lower back tightness).
The Sixers will host the Hawks on Sunday night. Here are observations on their win over the Nets:
George and Bona back
Paul George returned after missing the Sixers’ loss Tuesday to the Magic with a right ankle sprain. Adem Bona also came back from a sprained right ankle that had sidelined him the past five games.
The Sixers immediately established superiority over the young, lowly Nets. Their first three hoops were all layups, including a lefty George bucket in transition. The Sixers’ first made jumper was a Drummond corner three-pointer. Drummond did a little bit of everything in his first stint, posting seven points, four rebounds, a block and an assist.
George had a nice start as well.
He played over nine minutes in his first run, hit a top-of-the-key three-pointer and scored seven points on 3-for-4 shooting in the opening period. The opposition was obviously not elite, but George was a smooth, self-assured shotmaker in the first half Friday.
Drummond goes down, Sixers patch things together at center
Bona helped the Sixers grow their lead early in the second quarter, scoring inside on three occasions. He continued swatting shots in high-flying fashion, too. The 22-year-old had 13 points, six rebounds and four blocks in his 23 minutes.
The Sixers started the second with an extremely surprising substitution. Kyle Lowry came in to spell Maxey.
Lowry’s only two appearances this season have come in Brooklyn. His first was a garbage-time stint in the Sixers’ blowout win on Nov. 2. Lowry wasn’t in the middle of much action, but he did his job. The 39-year-old dished to George for a three that gave the Sixers a 49-31 advantage. They led by as many as 21 points in the second quarter.
The Sixers were struck by more injury misfortune in the second.
Drummond leapt for a rebound, landed awkwardly and stayed down on the baseline grabbing his right leg. He was assisted back to the locker room with 6:52 to go in the first half.
At halftime, the Sixers ruled Drummond out with a right knee sprain. We’ll see how long he’s out, but the injury is clearly a bummer for Drummond, who’d been a substantially better (and healthier) player than last season. Entering Friday, Drummond had played 16 games, averaged 24.2 minutes and recorded 8.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per contest.
Once Drummond left, Nurse turned to everyone he had available in the frontcourt. Jabari Walker and Johni Broome shared the floor in a zone defense. Though the Sixers maintained a comfortable lead, Walker, Broome, Bona and Dominick Barlow all committed at least two fouls in the first half.
Grimes, McCain with big buckets in 2nd half
The Nets stayed competitive early in the third quarter and cut into their deficit. The Sixers’ offense was a bit less crisp and featured more rushed, contested jumpers. A Demin three trimmed the Sixers’ lead to 74-65.
George had no points on 0-for-2 shooting in the third quarter and didn’t appear in the fourth. He played 21 minutes and ended with 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Through four games this season, the most minutes he’s played is 25.
In contrast to Maxey, who generally let the defense and flow of the game dictate his decision-making, Grimes was ultra-aggressive in the second half. He made several timely driving layups and constantly attacked the rim.
McCain helped the Sixers avoid any true late-game stress by canning two key threes. He had a quick, confident trigger all night.
Bona also knocked down an improbable corner three late in the shot clock for the first triple of his career.
Former Sabres Forward Placed On Injured Reserve
Former Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno is going to be missing some time.
The Minnesota Wild have announced that they have placed Foligno on injured reserve. In addition, the Wild shared that the former Sabres forward will be out week-to-week due to a lower-body injury.
This is certainly tough news for Foligno, especially when noting that the 34-year-old forward has been looking to bounce back from a tough start to the season. In 23 games so far this campaign with the Wild, the former Sabre has posted zero goals, two assists, and a minus-10 rating. This is after he recorded 14 goals, 15 assists, 29 points, and a plus-7 rating in 77 games with the Wild this past season.
Foligno kicked off his NHL career with the Sabres after being selected by them with the 104th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. In 347 games over six seasons with the Sabres from 2011-12 to 2016-17, the 6-foot-3 forward posted 49 goals, 67 assists, 116 points, 334 penalty minutes, and 1,023 hits.
Foligno's time with the Sabres ended when he was traded to the Wild during the 2017 NHL off-season.
Report: Mavericks have no interest in trading Kyrie Irving; Anthony Davis might be different story
Buzz is growing around the league that — with a new front office in place — Dallas is going to be active around the NBA trade deadline next February.
Just don't expect Kyrie Irving to be one of the players moved. Anthony Davis on the other hand...
On his Howdy Partners podcast, ESPN's Tim MacMahon echoed his previous reporting, and that of others, that Irving is off the table in trade talks with Dallas. The focus, instead, is likely on what the Mavericks might land for Anthony Davis.
"What I would tell you about Kyrie is the Mavericks do not want to trade him...
"Trading AD is a real possibility—and I would even say likelihood—this season. Trading Kyrie is not something that's on the Mavericks' priority list, or it's just straight up not something that they are interested in doing right now."
Irving, who is still out recovering from ACL surgery (but could return later this season), is on a reasonable contract ($35.6 million this season, a guaranteed $39.5 million next season, followed by a $42.4 million player option for 2027-28), which is part of the reason for the interest in him. However, it likely would take an over-the-top, Godfather offer to get the Mavericks even to consider it.
Davis is a different story.
He is set to return to the court tonight against the Lakers after missing 14 games with a calf strain. Any serious discussion of a Davis trade has to start with him staying on the court through December and January, putting up big numbers and showing teams that he is still an All-Star, maybe an All-NBA level player.
Dallas' challenge in trading Davis is that there is a very limited market for his services — he is a 32-year-old (33 in March) with a history of nagging injuries who is making $54.1 million this season, has a guaranteed $58.5 million next season, and will be seeking a contract extension this summer.
Teams have been mentioned in Davis rumors — Chicago, Golden State, New York and Phoenix (though those final two are highly unlikely) — but even if they are interested, actually constructing a trade is next to impossible. AD's huge salary and the fact that Dallas is right up against the second-apron hard cap make it incredibly challenging to actually put together a trade that works financially and makes sense for both sides. For example, to make a trade to "win now" and struggling Golden State work, the Warriors would have to send back either Jimmy Butler (straight up) or a trade package built around Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga, and neither of those makes much sense for both sides.
That's not going to stop the Davis rumors. Just know the ones about Kyrie are not coming together this season.
Ole Miss effectively clinches spot in College Football Playoff as Lane Kiffin’s decision looms
The Rebels are 11-1. Will they host a first-round playoff game? Will Kiffin continue as the team's coach?
Top 100 Hockey Players 21-And-Under: 21 To 40
We're already getting to some very exciting NHL players and prospects as the online countdown of The Hockey News' top 100 hockey players aged 21-and-under continues.
The Hockey News' Prospects Unlimited issue's annual ranking of hockey's youngest talent is compiled by Ryan Kennedy, and while he uses our Future Watch rankings as a resource, this is a completely independent compilation.
Future Watch is based on a survey of NHL scouts, while the PU Top 100 is cobbled together by Kennedy based on his projections of what the players will be once they hit their primes.
Since different positions have different prime years, take that to mean we are projecting how good these forwards will be when they are 23 or 24 years old, the defensemen when they are 24 or 25 and the goalies when they are 25 or 26.
The birth year cutoff for this year’s list is 2004. Ages noted are as of Oct. 1.
As we share the top 100 list on TheHockeyNews.com, you can see the full list with player bios and draft information for each of them right now by being a subscriber to The Hockey News and accessing the Archive or by opening the magazine if you've already received it in your mailbox.
Catch up on the players ranked 41st to 60th, 61st to 80th and 81st to 100th. Here are the next 20.
40. Ryan Lin, D, 17 years old, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
NHL Draft: 2026
39. Cole Hutson, D, 19, Washington Capitals
Boston Univ. (HE)
38. Ryan Roobroeck, LW, 16, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
NHL Draft: 2026
37. Radim Mrtka, D, 18, Buffalo Sabres
Seattle (WHL)
36. Sam Rinzel, D, 21, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago (NHL)
35. Frank Nazar, C, 21, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago (NHL)
34. Cayden Lindstrom, C, 19, Columbus Blue Jackets
Michigan State (Big Ten)
33. Axel Sandin-Pellikka, D, 20, Detroit Red Wings
Detroit (NHL)
32. Jake O'Brien, C, 18, Seattle Kraken
Brantford (WHL)
31. Roger McQueen, C, 18, Anaheim Ducks
Providence College (HE)
30. Cutter Gauthier, LW, 21, Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim (NHL)
29. Caleb Desnoyers, C, 18, Utah Mammoth
Moncton (QMJHL)
28. Michael Hrabal, G, 20, Utah Mammoth
UMass (HE)
27. Ethan Belchetz, LW, 17, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
NHL Draft: 2026
26. Brady Martin, C, 18, Nashville Predators
Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
25. Will Smith, C, 20, San Jose Sharks
San Jose (NHL)
24. Ryan Leonard, RW, 20, Washington Capitals
Washington (NHL)
23. Carter George, G, 19, Los Angeles Kings
Owen Sound (OHL)
22. Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, 21, St. Louis Blues
St. Louis (NHL)
21. Sam Dickinson, D, 19, San Jose Sharks
San Jose (NHL)
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Defensive Issues Harm Red Wings Once Again In 6-3 Loss To Lightning
The Detroit Red Wings said all the right things after their regulation loss to the NHL-worst Nashville Predators on Wednesday evening.
However, the same kind of defensive miscues that hurt them during that setback were once again at the forefront of Friday afternoon's tilt against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Lightning took advantage of multiple giveaways by the Red Wings and made life hard for goaltender John Gibson, who allowed five goals as part of their 6-3 loss at Little Caesars Arena.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 28, 2025
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It was also the fourth time in the last five games that Detroit has allowed at least four goals against. With the loss, the Red Wings, who briefly were the top team in the Atlantic Division earlier this month, fell to 13-11-1 and are now in a fifth-place tie in the division standings.
Detroit found the back of the net first in the opening 20 minutes of play after J.T. Compher beat goaltender Andrei Vasilevsky with a quick blocker-side shot from the face-off circle.
But the Lightning knotted the score later in the frame after a blast from the point by defenseman Darren Raddysh beat Gibson through the five-hole.
Gibson’s five-hole was exposed in the opening seconds of the second period when Gage Goncalves stripped the puck from Albert Johansson near the top of the slot and snapped a shot through his pads.
Less than three minutes later, another Detroit defensive miscue set up the first of Yanni Gourde’s two goals on the afternoon. Gourde had multiple whacks at the puck during a goal-mouth scramble before he got the last one to successfully go in.
Detroit gained some life after Michael Rasmussen poked a loose puck past Vasilevsky a moment after Compher's shot rang off the post, but Gourde capitalized by firing the puck past Gibson, who wasn't properly set after Nate Danielson inadvertently knocked Tampa's Zemgus Girgensons into him.
A quick shot through the five-hole of Vasilevsky by Dylan Larkin late in the period cut the deficit to one, but Tampa would once again take advantage of a defensive miscue by a Red Wings defenseman to restore their two-goal bulge.
Jake Guentzel's deflection goal at 12:37 of the third period following a turnover by Moritz Seider effectively put the game out of reach; the Lightning then added insult to injury with an empty-net tally from Brandon Hagel at 17:13.
The goals-against average and save percentage of Gibson, which were both already at pedestrian levels coming into today's game, weren't helped after he allowed five goals on 27 shots. Meanwhile, Vasilevskiy picked up the win by making 33 saves.
The Red Wings will now travel to Boston for the first of two straight matchups against the Bruins, who will be in Detroit on Dec. 2.
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Slippery subject: Lakers will not use NBA Cup court tonight
The Lakers will not use their special NBA Cup court during a group stage game Friday against the Dallas Mavericks after the team flagged concerns that it was too slippery.
After the Lakers debuted the special yellow court on Tuesday in a win over the Clippers, Lakers superstar Luka Doncic said during his postgame news conference that the floor was dangerously slippery. The team reported the problem to the league, and technicians from the court vendor determined the surface was unplayable for the group stage finale, according to a team spokesperson.
The court could be repaired and available in time for the NBA Cup quarterfinals that begin on Dec. 9, if needed. The Lakers, who are 3-0 in West Group B, have already clinched their spot in the knockout round and will secure home-court advantage in the quarterfinals with a win against the Mavericks.
The colorful NBA Cup courts were designed to help set the in-season tournament games apart from other regular-season matchups. The Lakers played their first two NBA Cup games on the road — in Memphis and New Orleans — but Doncic did not remember having a problem with courts in those games. But it became immediately clear during pregame warmups on Tuesday that the Lakers’ bright yellow NBA Cup court presented issues.
“It just felt weird. Just like oily, slippery,” forward Rui Hachimura said Friday morning. “Everybody was on the floor, literally. Every second. … We’re going to do the normal court [Friday], so it will be fine.”
In former Lakers star Anthony Davis’ highly anticipated return to L.A., the Lakers will also get their own big man back as center Deandre Ayton was upgraded to available for Friday’s game after morning shootaround.
Read more:Luka Doncic owns the Clippers again as Lakers win NBA Cup matchup
Ayton missed Tuesday’s game because of a knee contusion. He suffered the injury in the previous game against the Utah Jazz when he took a knee-to-knee hit. He said the impact was so strong that it felt almost like he broke his knee cap, but after an MRI exam revealed no major damage, he was able to get treatment and medication to help alleviate the swelling.
“It's not really something that’s stopping me from playing,” Ayton said. “It hurts, but it is something I could play through.”
Davis has been sidelined since Oct. 29 when he suffered a calf injury. The Mavericks' forward is expected to play his first game against the Lakers in L.A. after last year’s blockbuster trade that sent him to Dallas in exchange for Doncic. Davis missed last year’s game in L.A. because of injury.
Lakers guard Marcus Smart, who was questionable to play tonight, has been downgraded to doubtful because of back spasms.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.