Thursday, October 22, 2026
Injury Report
Jake LaRavia is questionable for Friday's Lakers-Clippers matchup after spraining his right ankle in Wednesday's season opener against Golden State. If he can't go, Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, and Sandro Mamukelashvili are candidates for extra run. On the Clippers' side, the injury list remains lengthy: Bradley Beal (knee), Brandon Ingram (heel surgery), Max Strus (plantar fascia tear), and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Lisfranc surgery) are all out.
Joel Embiid put together a strong performance Thursday and appears to be trending up, but he confirmed he'll sit out one game this weekend. Philadelphia faces Milwaukee on Saturday and Detroit on Sunday — his specific rest game has not been identified. Dominick Barlow will miss at least two weeks with a lumbar spine bone stress response, while Ariel Hukporti has already been ruled out for the season after rupturing his right Achilles.
In San Antonio, De'Aaron Fox (wrist), Keldon Johnson (mouth laceration), and Reed Sheppard (knee bone bruise) are all questionable for Friday's home game against Houston. If Fox sits, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle would absorb the playmaking duties. Johnson, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, required three stitches after Tuesday's opener.
Several other notable absences are confirmed for Friday: Coby White (calf), Kon Knueppel (hamstring), and Grant Williams (hamstring) remain out for Charlotte; Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) is out and expected to miss Chicago's first seven games; T.J. McConnell (hamstring) and Santi Aldama (knee surgery) are out for Indiana; and Kristaps Porzingis remains away from Golden State as he contemplates his future amid a recurring autoimmune condition.
Standout Performances
Ajay Mitchell turned in a defensive gem for Oklahoma City on Thursday, recording 12 points and a remarkable five steals in the Thunder's 96-84 win over Denver. The five-steal performance was the standout individual effort from Wednesday's slate.
Notable Results
No full game results were provided for Thursday's slate beyond Oklahoma City's 96-84 victory over Denver, and Philadelphia's 114-106 win over Cleveland — in which Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 32 points and Embiid added 24 in a second-half comeback. Full standings and box scores can be found on the NBA's official site.