HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. fractured a bone in his left hand and needs surgery that will keep him out four to eight weeks.
Coach Ime Udoka announced the injury Friday night before a game against the Boston Celtics, saying Smith fractured a metacarpal in his left hand during shootaround Friday morning.
“At some point in practice got hit on the hand — very minimal and the pain got worse … and got it looked at, checked and found it,” Udoka said.
Udoka added that he was waiting on a second opinion before surgery would be scheduled.
Smith has started every game for the Rockets this season, averaging 11.9 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Udoka said Amen Thompson would fill in while Smith is out. But that will have to wait until Sunday with Thompson serving the last of a two-game suspension Friday night for a fight with Miami’s Tyler Herro last Sunday.
Smith, the third overall pick in the 2022 draft, has averaged 13 points and 7.4 rebounds in his three-year career.
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Houston Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. dunks the ball against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Houston Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr., front, drives toward the basket as Dallas Mavericks' Maxi Kleber defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in Houston. The Rockets won 110-99. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) tries to post up New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones, second from left, in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
After a rocky few years and the disbanding of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globes have seemingly stabilized. Now the question is: Can they still put on a good show?
The 82nd Golden Globes, beginning Sunday night at 8 p.m. EST, will hope to rekindle some of the frothy comic energy of the days when Ricky Gervais or Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted. Last year's comeback edition, hosted by Jo Koy, was widely panned, but it delivered where it counted: Ratings rebounded to about 10 million viewers, according to Nielsen. CBS signed up for five more years.
This time, comedian Nikki Glaser will be emceeing the ceremony from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The Globes, now owned by Todd Boehly's Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, will be broadcast live by CBS and available to stream live for subscribers to Paramount+ with Showtime beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern.
While Glaser doesn't have as widely seen contenders as last year, when “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” were the headliners, the show does promise about as much star power as Hollywood can muster. Nominees including Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Angelina Jolie, Daniel Craig, Denzel Washington, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Selena Gomez.
Jacques Audiard's Netflix musical “Emilia Pérez” comes in as the lead nominee, with 10 nods, followed by Brady Corbet's postwar epic “The Brutalist,” with seven, and Edward Berger's papal thriller “Conclave,” with six. Among the top-nominated series are “The Bear,” “Shogun" and “Only Murders in the Building.”
Here are a few things to look for heading into Sunday's Globes:
The best actor in a drama category is a bruiser, with a field of Ralph Fiennes ("Conclave"), Adrien Brody ("The Brutalist"), Daniel Craig ("Queer"), Colman Domingo ("Sing Sing"), Sebastian Stan ("The Apprentice") and Chalamet, for the Bob Dylan film “A Complete Unknown.” While Fiennes or Brody might take it, a win for Chalamet would be the first major award for the 29-year-old star — and surely would get the Oscar talk going.
Just days before the Globes, Blake Lively sued “It Ends With Us” director Justin Baldoni and several others tied to the romantic drama, alleging harassment and a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set. Baldoni, who has denied it, joined in a suit accusing The New York Times for libel in its story on her allegations.
Whether or not any of this gets mentioned on the Beverly Hilton Ballroom stage, it will surely be on the minds of many attendees. Among the nominees for box-office achievement is “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which star and was co-produced by Ryan Reynolds, Lively's husband. Glaser, whose sharply barbed jokes at a roast of Tom Brady helped catapult her to this moment, isn't known for biting her tongue.
“Emilia Pérez” may have be favored over “Wicked” for the best comedy or musical award, but Jon M. Chu’s theatrical hit is also in the mix for the Globes’ nascent cinematic box office achievement award. Either, or both, of the leading ladies of ”Wicked” could also win: Erivo in the leading actress category, and Grande in supporting.
The Globes, taking place about two weeks before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, could get very political if presenters and winners are so inclined to continue what's been a mutually antagonistic relationship between Hollywood and Trump. That may be unlikely, though; so far in Hollywood's awards season, most nominees have tried to stay out of the fray.
That's with a major exception, though, in “The Apprentice,” the young Trump drama starring Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. Both were nominated by the Globes. Stan was also nominated a second time for his performance in “A Different Man.”
It's been an unusually uncertain awards season so far in many respects. No one movie has really stepped forward as the leading best picture contender, though several films — including “Conclave,” “Anora,” “Wicked," “Emilia Pérez” and “The Brutalist” — can all make a decent case. The Globes don't typically do much to sort out the field, but a strong showing from any of the above could add fuel to their Oscar campaign.
For more coverage of the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/golden-globe-awards
Kit Hoover, left, and Scott Evans arrive at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
A general view of atmosphere at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Barry Adelman, from left, Nikki Glaser, Helen Hoehne, and Glenn Weiss roll out the red carpet during the 82nd Golden Globes press preview on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
