Tom Thibodeau said he was hopeful that Julius Randle would be able to play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat on Sunday.

Randle remains questionable due to a sprained ankle.

"He's better today than he was [Thursday], and that was the big thing. So we're hopeful," said Thibodeau on Friday.

Randle initially injured the ankle on March 29, before re-injuring the ankle in Game 5 of the first round.

In other injury news, Quentin Grimes is expected to be available for Game 1 after missing this past week with a shoulder contusion. 

Game 5 between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings averaged 4.29 million viewers on TNT, up 7% from last season.

Sunday's Game 4 between the two teams registered the highest viewership of any first round game in 21 years. 

Game 5 was the second lowest viewed game of the series after Game 3.

Game 5 between the Heat and Bucks on the same night averaged 934,000 viewers on NBA TV, the largest playoff audience on the network since 2014.

It was also the largest overall audience on NBA TV since 2016. 

The Philadelphia 76ers remain unsure of whether Joel Embiid will be ready for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals as he recovers from a sprained knee.

"I'm just going to wait. They'll call me later and we'll see where he's at," said Doc Rivers on Thursday.

Rivers did admit that the Celtics-Hawks series going six games improved Embiid's chances of playing in Game 1.

"If we played on Saturday, I don't know how realistic it would have been, so that's a good thing," added Rivers.

Embiid is averaging 36.8 points and 11.8 rebounds against the Celtics this season. 

What happened in four snapshots in the NBA Playoffs on Wednesday, April 26, 2023.

Game 4 of the series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies averaged 4.26 million viewers on TNT.

The number, representing a 34% increase from last season, is also the third highest viewership on cable for the first round of the playoffs.

It was also the sixth highest viewership across all networks, with the Lakers-Grizzlies and Warriors-Kings combining for seven out of the top eight most-watched first-round games (Game 4 of the Warriors-Kings included the highest viewership of any first round game in 21 years).

The Bucks-Heat Game 4 averaged 3.5 million viewers, with all four games in the series declining from last year's equivalent window.

Julius Randle's sprained ankle will be re-examined on Thursday, Tom Thibodeau confirmed following the New York Knicks' series-clinching win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Randle missed two weeks at the end of the season after spraining the same ankle, though Ian Begley of SNY reported that the latest sprain is not as severe as the previous.

"It would be premature for me to comment. We're hopeful that it's not bad," said Thibodeau.

Game 1 of the Knicks-Heat series is scheduled for Sunday.

The NBA announced they will start weekday games of this year's Finals thirty minutes earlier than they have in recent years. Those games will start at 8:30 PM ET instead of 9:00 PM ET.

Viewership for the 2022 NBA Finals on ABC increased by 22 percent from the previous year.

Full 2023 NBA Finals schedule
Game 1 — Thursday, June 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 2 — Sunday, June 4 at 8 p.m. ET
Game 3 — Wednesday, June 7 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 4 — Friday, June 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 5* — Monday, June 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 6* — Thursday, June 15 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 7* — Sunday, June 18 at 8 p.m. ET
* If needed

What happened in three snapshots in the NBA Playoffs on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.

De'Aaron Fox went through a non-contact practice on Tuesday and is planning to play in Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors despite a fractured index finger on his shooting hand.

"No ifs, ands or buts. I'm playing," said Fox following the practice.

Fox was seen wearing a splint on his finger during practice.

"For me right now, it's just tolerance of the pad on my finger, making sure I can shoot the ball," said Fox, who added he has no issues with dribbling or passing.

Mike Brown said it would be a joint decision whether Fox will play in Wednesday's game. Fox was upgraded from doubtful to questionable on Tuesday. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo needed IV fluids after the Milwaukee Bucks lost 119-114 to the Miami Heat. 

Antetokounmpo played 38 minutes in the game, scoring 26 points to go with 10 rebounds and 13 assists. Antetokounmpo had missed Games 2 and 3 with a back injury, meaning he hadn't played in eight days.

Antetokounmpo missed the media availability postgame as he was receiving the IV treatment.