標籤: thumb

Brooklyn Nets center De’Ron Sharp will miss the remainder of the season with a thumb injury that will require surgery, the team announced Thursday.

“Deron Sharp has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb. Sharp will require surgery to repair the ligament and will miss the remainder of the season. Further updates will be provided following the procedure,” the Nets said in a statement.

Sharp missed the Nets’ big loss against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday due to his injury. The 24-year-old big man continued to solidify himself as one of the league’s best backup centers this season after a breakout 2024-25 campaign.

Deron Sharp shut down for the season with thumb injury

Sharp posted career-highs across the board, averaging 8.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals on 60.1 percent shooting in 18.7 minutes per game. He was one of three players, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic, to average 16 points, 12 rebounds and four assists per 36 minutes on 55 percent or better shooting.

Sharp’s absence should boost Brooklyn’s tank amid a tight race in the draft lottery standings. According to CleaningTheGlass, his performance on the court versus off has led the Nets to outscore opponents by seven more points per 100 possessions, the team’s highest net rating swing and sixth among 35 centers who played more than 1,100 minutes.

Consecutive wins over the Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies dropped the Nets from second to fourth in the lottery standings. Brooklyn has one more win than the second- and third-place Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards, respectively, and two more than the first-place Pacers.

Sharp has a $6 million team option for next season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and James Harden were nearly dealt a season-deciding injury blow on Wednesday. An X-ray of the star point guard’s right thumb revealed he suffered a non-displaced fracture against the New York Knicks on Tuesday. While the injury usually requires surgery, Harden never considered it an option.

“It’s too much time,” the Cavaliers star said after Sunday’s 106-102 win over the Brooklyn Nets. “Thought about playing the last game, thought about playing in Milwaukee. There’s going to be some discomfort, so just figuring out ways to fight. There’s no other option.”

James Harden asked if he’s considering surgery on his broken thumb:

“No. It’s too much time… there’s going to be some discomfort, so just figuring out ways to fight it… I have no other choice.” pic.twitter.com/PG2qe37o07

– Eric Slater (@erikslater_) 2 March 2026

Harden’s injury could have been a devastating blow to Cleveland’s title hopes. After a disappointing start to the season, the Cavaliers traded an injured Darius Garland for the 36-year-old Harden at the trade deadline. The availability of the latter was a driving force in its acquisition.

However, after injuring his thumb, it was unclear whether Harden would be able to play during the stretch run to end the regular season. With Donovan Mitchell also out with a groin injury, Harden missed the first two games of Cleveland’s road trip, suffering tough losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons.

The Cavaliers arrived in New York on Saturday and Harden went to the NBA Players Association gym to get his thumb tested.

“See if I can dribble,” he said of the goal of the workout. “If I can dribble, I can play. I still couldn’t dribble the way I wanted to, but it was good enough.”

Initially listed as questionable, Harden took the field against the Nets on Sunday.

James Harden playing for Cavaliers despite broken thumb

To the relief of Cavs fans, he broke through in the game and played well enough to earn the win. Harden logged 36 minutes, posting 29 points on 5 of 9 shooting from the field, 4 of 7 from three and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line, along with nine rebounds, eight assists and five turnovers.

“Too many turnovers,” he said of his performance. “Not being able to handle the ball properly. After this game, hopefully I’ll take a few days to rest and let it heal and then go from there.”

While Harden finished with a near triple-double, Kenny Atkinson noticed that he was not his usual self.

“You could see in the first half that he wasn’t 100%, obviously,” Atkinson said. “Just tipping the ball. Some of those turnovers weren’t his. Then I noticed he was tipping the ball a few times while bringing it up. Which he never does. Just probably needed to give it a break. It’s tough, especially for a guy who handles it as much as he does.

“I thought in the second half, we had that stretch where we were struggling and he kind of took over. Got to the free-throw line and then hit a couple threes. He’s a gamer. Kind of made it tough… We needed him. He played handicapped. But he still played well.”

The Cavaliers are currently the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference standings, two games ahead of the Toronto Raptors and 1.5 games behind the New York Knicks. Their next two games include two of their toughest tests since acquiring Harden.

Cleveland returns home for a rematch with the Pistons on Tuesday. They will then have four days off to rest Harden before back-to-back home contests against the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.

Harden’s thumb will continue to be one of the top stories surrounding the Cavaliers in the coming weeks. However, the 11-time All-Star is adamant that he will do whatever it takes to remain on the court during his 36-year-old season.

“I love playing basketball even with no money,” Harden said. “Basketball is a thing that we do, and it’s a safe place. As you get better and start studying the game and start learning more and get comfortable, it’s the same with anything, you just get used to it. I’ve been fortunate to play in this league for as long as I have, and I’m still doing it at a high level. Even now, as I’ve gotten older. When I was younger, I’ve always been It felt like that, but I still realize I have a few more years left to play basketball, so I definitely cherish them and have no regrets about playing.

KNThe Cleveland Cavaliers will need less time for their showdown against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Friday as star guard James Harden has been sidelined with a thumb injury, according to the team. Harden was the Cavs’ major trade deadline acquisition in hopes of making a jump in the East standings and making a push into the postseason.

James Harden initially suffered the injury during the Cavs’ win against the New York Knicks on Tuesday, and has been sidelined since. Shortly after the Cavs traded for the former All-Star guard, the team won five consecutive games before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder last weekend.

The Cavs lost 118-116 against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday with Harden out due to injury. Overall, the Cavs have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games, and are currently in fourth place in the East standings. They are 37-23, and only a half-game behind the No. 3 Knicks.

Since the deal, Harden has appeared in seven games at a rate of just over 32 minutes per game. He averaged 18.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists with splits of 49.4 percent shooting from the field, 48.8 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 86.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line. It’s a small sample size, but if those field goal and 3-point shooting percentages hold up, they’ll be career highs for the 17-year veteran.

Before the trade, Harden had spent the previous three and a half seasons playing for his hometown LA Clippers. He was acquired by the Clippers in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers at the beginning of the 2023–24 season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers got a big win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, 109-94. Unfortunately, it appears that James Harden was a casualty in that win, as he has been confirmed injured.

Harden, who is 36, is said to be suffering from a thumb fracture. The organization announced his injury. He is considered questionable for Wednesday’s contest against the Milwaukee Bucks, and an update on his status will be provided before the start of that game.

“Cavaliers guard James Harden injured his right thumb in last night’s 109-94 win over New York,” the franchise said. “A post-game examination by the Cavaliers’ medical staff, followed by X-rays taken today, confirmed a non-displaced fracture of the distal phalanx. Harden will be treated and continued to be evaluated and will be listed as questionable for tonight’s game against Milwaukee. An update on his status will be provided as appropriate.”

Despite the injury, the 11-time All-Star still played 32 minutes in the Cavaliers’ win over the Knicks. He finished the contest with 20 points, two rebounds and four assists while shooting 44.4% from the field and 57.1% from beyond the three-point line. Despite suffering a thumb injury, he was one of the main contributors in the competition.

Although he is dealing with a fracture, it is a good sign that Harden is still considered questionable to play in Wednesday’s game against the Bucks. His situation suggests that, even if he misses time, it could be a short stint. Either way, the Cavaliers will monitor the injury closely. Especially considering that James Harden was brought in to help make the club more competitive in the playoffs.