Minnesota Timberwolves forward/center Joan Beringer (nose) was ruled out for the remainder of Friday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans after suffering a nasal fracture, the team announced. Beringer was elbowed in the face during the second quarter and finished with two points, three rebounds, and one block in seven minutes. The 19-year-old has served as Rudy Gobert's primary backup this season, while Trey Lyles offers another small-ball option. If Beringer is unavailable for Sunday's home matchup with Utah, Lyles could pick up extra minutes while Gobert handles a larger share of the center workload.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Sam Merrill (elbow) did not return to Friday's 119-95 win over the Philadelphia 76ers after getting hurt in the first half, according to Serena Winters. Merrill made his first start of the season with Jarrett Allen (knee) unavailable and went scoreless with three rebounds and two steals in 13 minutes. The 30-year-old entered Friday averaging 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 34.1 percent from deep. Meleek Thomas replaced Merrill to begin the second half, putting the rookie in position for additional minutes if Merrill misses time.

Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (groin) left Friday's 119-80 loss to the Boston Celtics in the second quarter and did not return. Miller finished with eight points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal on 3-for-10 shooting in 14 minutes before exiting. The 23-year-old is averaging 20.6 points per game this season, though he is shooting just 35.9 percent from the field. With Kon Knueppel (hamstring) and Dennis Schroder (thigh) also sidelined, Sion James would be in line for more minutes if Miller cannot play Monday against Cleveland.

Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis (illness) announced Friday that he is stepping away from basketball to prioritize his health. The 31-year-old has not played this season and said he will work with the Warriors to find a solution that makes sense. Porzingis appeared in 15 games after joining Golden State last February, averaging 16.1 points and 5.3 rebounds. His decision does not create any new rotation openings since he has been unavailable all season. Golden State has won six straight while leaning on its current frontcourt, with rookie Yaxel Lendeborg emerging as one of the early-season standouts.