TITLE: Jalen Green Suffers Hamstring Setback; Fox Sparks Spurs in Return; Cavaliers Rally Past Bulls
SLUG: jalen-green-injury-fox-spurs-return-cavaliers-bulls-win
CONTENT:
Saturday’s NBA action delivered a fresh injury concern for Phoenix, a long-awaited comeback in San Antonio and a second-half surge in Cleveland.
Suns: Green Leaves Early With Re-injured Hamstring
Phoenix guard Jalen Green exited after aggravating his right hamstring late in the first quarter of Saturday’s 116-109 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The 22-year-old pulled up on a drive in the final minute of the period, required assistance from team trainers and was ruled out shortly afterward.
Green had already missed the Suns’ first eight games with the same injury, first sustained during training camp and then re-injured on the club’s preseason trip to China. Thursday’s meeting with the Clippers marked his season debut; Saturday was only his second appearance, and he finished with two points in seven minutes.
Acquired from Houston in the Kevin Durant blockbuster, Phoenix envisions Green as a secondary scorer next to Devin Booker. With hamstring issues considered notoriously unpredictable, the Suns are expected to proceed cautiously.
Spurs: Fox Returns, Delivers Game-Sealing Bucket
De’Aaron Fox played for the first time since March 12 and immediately lifted San Antonio to a 126-119 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The All-Star guard logged 27 minutes, scoring 24 points and hitting a floater with 29 seconds left that served as the dagger. “I am good at basketball,” Fox joked afterward, acknowledging some residual rust.
Rookie guard Stephon Castle said the Spurs had anticipated Fox’s return since summer workouts. Saturday was only the sixth contest in which Fox shared the floor with Victor Wembanyama; the 7-foot-4 center contributed 18 points and 18 rebounds. Eight Spurs finished in double figures as the club offered its most complete glimpse yet of the Fox-Wembanyama pairing.
Cavaliers: Second-Half Surge Overwhelms Bulls
The Cleveland Cavaliers erased a poor defensive first half to beat the Chicago Bulls 115-101, their fourth consecutive victory. Chicago shot 10-for-14 from three and scored 19 fast-break points before halftime, but Cleveland answered with 72 points after the break.
Evan Mobley jump-started the turnaround by accounting for 12 straight points—either scoring or assisting—early in the third quarter. Donovan Mitchell, limited to three points in the opening half, erupted for 26 after intermission to finish with 29.
The night also featured a highlight crossover from De’Andre Hunter that sent Josh Giddey briefly to the locker room, and an unexpected playmaking burst from Sam Merrill, who dished four first-quarter assists. Head coach Kenny Atkinson compared Merrill’s impact to Joe Harris’s early Brooklyn days.
Source: Hoops Wire
