Toronto Raptors Injuries

Bruised back won't slow Randolph

NEW YORK -- Despite sitting out the second half of Boston's regular-season finale against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday with a sore lower back, Celtics forward Shavlik Randolph said before the team's final pre-playoffs practice on Friday that the injury is nothing more than a bruise. Randolph said he isn't expecting to be limited when the Celtics open their Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series with the New York Knicks with Game 1 on Saturday. Boston Celtics Blog | ESPN Boston

Bruised back won't slow Randolph

NEW YORK -- Despite sitting out the second half of Boston's regular-season finale against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday with a sore lower back, Celtics forward Shavlik Randolph said before the team's final pre-playoffs practice on Friday that the injury is nothing more than a bruise. Randolph said he isn't expecting to be limited when the Celtics open their Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series with the New York Knicks with Game 1 on Saturday. Boston Celtics Blog | ESPN Boston

Hamilton's minutes not limited as he returns from back injury

Bulls guard says he feels good, but limited himself Friday night when he was tossed for flagrant 2 foulTORONTO — Richard Hamilton's minutes were supposed to be limited significantly as he returned from the lineup from a lower back injury. But Thursday night against the Knicks, the Bulls veteran logged 25-plus minutes in an overtime victory — 11 more minutes than he play against the Raptors on Tuesday.     Bulls Blog | Chicago Breaking Sports

Bulls at Raptors Points Per Game + Thoughts on Kobe Bryant’s injury

Let’s start with the news of the day, which obviously is Kobe Bryant’s devastating torn Achilles. Brutal. For Bryant, for the Lakers, for Lakers fans and for basketball fans in general. Instead of slowing down, Bryant inexplicably has had one of his best seasons and for a guy who is probably one of the 10 [...] Courtside | Toronto Sun

Raptors rookies Jonas Valanciunas, Terrence Ross may miss Bulls game

Toronto coach Dwane Casey wants to give rookies more playing time with four games to go in season, but injuries to Raptors’ Valanciunas and Ross upset plan. Toronto Star

Jonas Valanciunas returning to Toronto after neck injury

Toronto Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas has been diagnosed with a flexion extension injury of the neck National Post

Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas neck injury doesn’t appear significant

A huge sigh of relief had to wash over the Air Canada Centre late Wednesday morning. Toronto Star

Rip makes surprise return vs. Raps

CHICAGO -- After missing the past 19 games because of a lower back injury, veteran shooting guard Rip Hamilton will make his return to the lineup against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. "Yeah, we're going to play him tonight," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said before the game. "He's going to have a chance to play some minutes. Not a lot. He's come along. He's feeling better so we'll see where he is. "It's one thing to be able to do that in practice and it's another to be able to do it in a game, and then of course, we have to see how he responds tomorrow after the game. Chicago Bulls Blog | ESPN Chicago

Raptors best banged-up Bulls 101-98

Jimmy Butler has made it a practice throughout most of the season to focus on the players the Bulls do have in uniform for any given game. Admittedly, that’s getting harder and harder with each hit that the team takes on the injury front, especially adjusting to all the different faces that are coming in and out of the lineup. “A lot because there are a lot of different guys that bring a lot of different skillsets to the table, so it’s like everybody has to make up for it and max out,’’ Butler said of the adjustments b... Chicago Sun-Times

Deng (hip) sits; Noah, Belinelli return

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Just when the Chicago Bulls get a pair of injured players back, another one gets sidelined. The Bulls will be without forward Luol Deng for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Pistons. “My right hip is just a little sore,” Deng said before the game. “It’s nothing serious, just precautionary.” Deng said the injury occurred on April 2 against Washington. Deng said if Sunday’s game with the Pistons was a playoff contest he would have been able to play, but he didn’t know if he would be ready to go Tuesday at home against the Toronto Raptors. Chicago Bulls Blog | ESPN Chicago