Philadelphia’s Michael Carter-Williams cleared for return: “While he is listed as a game-time decision, coach Brett Brown and Carter-Williams indicated that, barring any setback, he would play Friday. “Nobody is making a 100 percent commitment that he is playing. We think he is, he has practiced well,” Brown said after Thursday’s workout. “We assume he will be in the lineup.” Carter-Williams was also making that assumption. “I hope so,” Carter-Williams said when asked if he expected to play. “I had two good practices and I felt good and I was shooting after, and I am ready to go.” His return couldn’t come soon enough from a Sixers perspective. They lost the last seven games that he has been sidelined. In addition, Carter-Williams also missed four earlier games with a left arch bruise. The Sixers (7-19) are 1-10 without Carter-Williams and 6-9 with him.
Blazers rookie C.J. McCollum has been cleared for practice: “The team announced on Friday that rookie guard C.J. McCollum has been cleared for full contact practice drills, which means a return could be really close. McCollum has been out since training camp because of a broken foot. He never had an official timetable, but recently started working in 3-on-3 drills a few weeks ago. And without any setbacks, is progressing to 5-on-5 stuff. There are some concerns though because it’s the same injury he suffered in January while still in college that kept him out 10 weeks and caused him to miss the remainder of the NCAA season. Putting him in Portland’s rotation would only strengthen an already improved bench, and add him to a stacked backcourt featuring Damian Lillard, Wesley Matthews and Mo Williams. McCollum is an excellent perimeter shooter and was an elite scorer in college.”
Grizzlies G/F Quincy Pondexter will have surgery on his foot: “Grizzlies guard/forward Quincy Pondexter has had surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot that has him sidelined indefinitely. The Grizzlies announced Pondexter had the surgery Friday at the Campbell Clinic in Memphis. Team physicians Dr. Fred Azar and Dr. Drew Murphy performed the surgery. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Pondexter hurt his foot Dec. 7 in a loss to Golden State. The 25-year-old Pondexter was averaging 6.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 18 minutes this season after signing a four-year contract extension Oct. 31.”
Only an idiot would doubt Kobe Bryant: “After six games this season, here’s the solace today: Six weeks beats six months. Six weeks beats surgery, beats losing the rest of a season, beats losing the time left on a clock ticking closer and closer to the end of a prodigious basketball life. Once again, Bryant is back to that excruciating place he had never dealt with in his career, the rest, recovery and rehabilitation as the Los Angeles Lakers and the rest of the NBA goes on without him. Everything is conspiring against Bryant now, and the declarations of his demise promise to grow louder and louder. He is 35 years old, fighting back from an Achilles tear, a fractured kneecap and awaiting the start of a $48.5 million extension over the next two years. The walls are closing, his path to restoration never so perilous, and yet here was Kobe Bryant on Thursday afternoon making clear his belief on those who’d dare doubt his resolve again.”
“Only an idiot would,” Bryant told Yahoo Sports.
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