Victor Wembanyama, Kevin Durant Lead NBA Playoff Injury Reports Ahead of Friday's Action
Some big names are dotting the injury reports for Friday's NBA playoff games, while some unexpected news has caught the league's attention. And after a late report on Thursday revealed that Aaron Gordon was out for the night's game against the Wolves, it's clear that things can change fast in terms of injury timelines in the NBA.
While Luka Dončić is the most impactful player who will definitely miss Friday night's action, several impact players may be out as well. Then there's the curious case of Damian Lillard. He has missed the entire season after tearing his Achilles tendon last April, but on Thursday, his head coach cracked the door open to his return this postseason.
Here's a look at the injury reports for all three games slated for Friday.
Celtics-76ers injury report
| PLAYER | INJURY | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
| Joel Embiid, 76ers | Abdomen | Doubtful |
| Tyrese Maxey, 76ers | Finger | Available |
Joel Embiid underwent an appendectomy on April 9 and hasn't played since. Perhaps surprisingly, he has been upgraded to doubtful for the 76ers' matchup with the Celtics on Friday. With the series tied 1-1, his return could be huge for Philadelphia. It's worth noting that in the previous five times Embiid was listed as "doubtful" on the Sixers' injury report this season, he was upgraded to "available" before the game twice and ruled "out" three times. The odds say he won't be playing in Game 3, but we'll see.
Maxey has been dealing with a strained tendon in his right pinky finger, but has played through it and looked fine. He scored 29 points, while adding four rebounds and nine assists in Philly's Game 2 win over Boston.
Lakers-Rockets injury report
| PLAYER | INJURY | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
| Luka Dončić, Lakers | Hamstring | Out |
| Austin Reaves, Lakers | Oblique | Questionable |
| Steve Adams, Thunder | Ankle | Out |
| Kevin Durant, Thunder | Ankle | Questionable |
| Fred VanVleet, Thunder | Knee | Out |
As expected, Dončić remains out due to a hamstring injury he suffered late in the season. While he's unlikely to return in this series, Austin Reaves has been upgraded earlier than expected. Reaves suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain on April 2, and his timeline for return was four to six weeks. The fact that he's been upgraded to questionable for Game 3 after three weeks is great news for the Lakers.
On the Rockets' side of things, Durant missed Game 1 due to a knee contusion and is now again questionable for Friday's Game 3 due to a left ankle sprain. This, again, tilts things to the Lakers' favor. Los Angeles won the first two games, and having Durant hobbled can only increase L.A.'s chances for a swift resolution to the series.
Spurs-Trail Blazers injury report
| PLAYER | INJURY | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan McLaughlin, Spurs | Ankle | Out |
| Victor Wembanyama, Spurs | Concussion Protocol | Questionable |
| Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers | Achilles | Out |
Victor Wembanyama is the big name here and while he is listed as questionable, he likely remains sidelined by the concussion he suffered in Game 2 given the length of time we've seen other players take coming back from concussions in recent years. That said, he is traveling with the team to Portland, and the "questionable" designation is likely better that San Antonio fans expected heading into the weekend.
On the other side of the court, some big news came out on Thursday when Blazers head coach Tiago Splitter opened the door to Lillard returning this season. While he did say it was unlikely the former All-Star would come back during this series, he didn't shut the idea down completely.
Here's the full quote today from Tiago Splitter on Damian Lillard's injury status.
- Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) April 23, 2026
When pressed by @billoram on if he'll play this series: "Probably not." pic.twitter.com/r3g231ItD3
Lillard ruptured his left Achilles tendon during Game 4 of the Bucks' first-round playoff series against the Pacers last season. Milwaukee subsequently waived him in the offseason and he inked a three-year, $42 million deal with Portland. As expected, he has missed the entire season, but Splitter's comments were a bit eye-opening.
This series is tied at 1-1 and depending on Wembanyama's status come game time, things could get wild.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Victor Wembanyama, Kevin Durant Lead NBA Playoff Injury Reports Ahead of Friday's Action.
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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 5:28 PM.