Basketball : NBA 2012/2013

The Indiana Pacers were without starting guard George Hill in Game 5 against the New York Knicks because of a concussion. Coach Frank Vogel says Hill was hurt after a collision with Knicks center Tyson Chandler during the first half of Indiana's 93-82 victory on Tuesday. Vogel says Hill is day to day and won't play again until he has passed the tests.

Knicks guard J.R. Smith played against the Pacers in Game 3 on Saturday night after being iffy to go because of an illness. Coach Mike Woodson said during his pregame availability that Smith would warm up before a decision would be made. Smith missed the Knicks morning shootaround after spiking a 102-degree fever, but Woodson said the temperature came down throughout the day. Smith averaged 18.1 points and 5.3 rebounds during the regular season and won the NBA's Sixth Man Award.

Warriors guard Steph Curry sustained an ankle injury in the fourth quarter of Friday's 102-92 loss to the Spurs and was spotted limping in the locker room after the game. Although he stayed in the game, Curry did not score after the injury occurred. Curry has had multiple ankle surgeries over the past two years and missed significant time due to related injuries. He tweaked his ankle in the second game of the Denver series but played through it.

Derrick Rose still has not ruled out a return this season for the Chicago Bulls, saying he could play in their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Miami Heat. The 2011 NBA MVP, forward Luol Deng and guard Kirk Hinrich all sat out Game 1 against Miami on Monday. Deng returned to a hospital for more tests and underwent a spinal tap to rule out viral meningitis after becoming ill last week. Hinrich will miss his fourth straight game with a calf injury.

Less than 24 hours after the Chicago Bulls eliminated the Brooklyn Nets from the NBA playoffs, the Nets announced Sunday that they will not offer a new contract to interim coach P.J. Carlesimo. Carlesimo helped the Nets finish 49-33 after replacing the fired Avery Johnson in December, earning the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. However, he could not get his team past the first round of the playoffs.

Houston Rockets forward Carlos Delfino will miss the remainder of the 2013 NBA Playoffs after a CT scan performed Thursday revealed a bone fracture in his right foot that will require surgery. Delfino left midway through the second quarter of Houston's Game 5 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder after experiencing soreness in his right foot. Delfino posted averages of 9.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in five appearances this postseason to help the Rockets fight back from an 0-3 hole to force Friday's Game 6 in Houston.

Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng and guard Kirk Hinrich both missed Thursday's playoff game against the Brooklyn Nets. Deng has flu-like symptoms and was a late scratch from the lineup. Hinrich sat out his second straight game because of a bruised left calf. Besides Deng, Taj Gibson and Nate Robinson were battling flu symptoms. Robinson, however, was starting at point guard in Hinrich's place.

The Bulls were without point guard Kirk Hinrich on Monday against Brooklyn because of a bruised left calf. Hinrich was hurt during Saturday's 142-134 triple-overtime victory, playing through the injury to finish with 18 points and a playoff career-high 14 assists in 60 minutes. With Derrick Rose still not back after tearing his ACL in last year's playoff opener, the only other true point guard option was Marquis Teague, who has made just one appearance in the series.

The NBA suspended Knicks guard J.R. Smith for Game 4 of New York's playoff series against Boston for elbowing the Celtics' Jason Terry in the chin. Smith, the league's Sixth Man of the Year, will be forced to sit out when the Knicks try to complete a four-game sweep Sunday. The Knicks had a big lead Friday night when Smith, holding the ball, swung his elbow into Terry's face with 7:06 remaining. Smith was given a flagrant foul 2, an automatic ejection.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook will be sidelined indefinitely because of a knee injury that will require surgery. Westbrook suffered a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee during Game 2 on Wednesday. He will undergo surgery in the coming days. Westbrook has averaged 24 points, 7 assists and 6.5 rebounds in Oklahoma City's first two playoff games.