Jazz center Gobert tests positive for COVID-19

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George admitted that he’s playing through an injury to finish this season. It was recently reported that George is receiving painkilling injections on a regular basis to be able to play.

“I’m hanging in there,” George said after the Sixers home loss to the Boston Celtics. “I’m just trying to give this team everything I have.

“The report is true. I’m taking some sorts of medicines to kind of, I guess, play through pain. But yeah, I’m going to try to give everything I got.”

George has missed 19 games this season due to a series of injuries. He’s dealt with knee injuries, an ankle injury and a strained groin, and is now playing through a damaged tendon in his left pinky finger.

Marc Lore has made it a priority to sign Tim Connelly to a contract extension once he assumes full control of the Minnesota Timberwolves, sources tell ESPN. Lore and Alex Rodriguez have yet to gain control of the Wolves despite an arbitration ruling in their favor over Glen Taylor.

Connelly agreed to an amendment in his contract last year that pushed his opt-out to this offseason. The Wolves signed Connelly away from the Denver Nuggets in May 2022 on a five-year, $40 million deal. Connelly quickly moved forward with a trade for Rudy Gobert in his first offseason with the team.

If Connelly were to hit the open market, he would figure to receive considerable outside interest given his role in building the eventual champion Nuggets while also constructing a Wolves’ roster that reached the Western Conference Finals.

Gersson Rosas and then Sachin Gupta were the two previous lead decision-makers for the Wolves before Connelly’s tenure.