Kon Knueppel leaves his season debut after six minutes with left leg soreness, as Vít Krejčí fractures his ankle or leg and Jarrett Allen hurts his knee

Kon Knueppel made his season debut at Brooklyn on Wednesday night and lasted less than six minutes. The Hornets said the guard left the first quarter with soreness in his left leg and would not return, after he was upgraded to available that afternoon, and Charlotte went on to lose 114-104 to the Nets. Three other players also left games with injuries on a busy night around the league, and one of them, Portland’s Vít Krejčí, has a fracture.

INJURY UPDATE: @hornets forward Kon Knueppel left the 1Q of tonight’s game in BKN with soreness in his left leg and will not return to the game.

— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) November 5, 2026

Knueppel exits after 6 minutes

Knueppel had missed training camp and Charlotte’s first eight games with a left hamstring strain. He scored three points before going to the locker room, and the Hornets did not say whether the soreness is related to the strain that kept him out. Coach Charles Lee said after the game, “I don’t have an update yet,” and that the team would evaluate Knueppel more when it returned home from the road trip.

It was another blow for a roster that is also without Grant Williams (right hamstring strain). Rod Boone reported that Coby White, who returned Monday after a calf strain, got raked in the face and had to check out in the second quarter:

Kon Knueppel left in the first with soreness in his left leg and will not return, #Hornets say. Coby White got raked in the face and had to check out in the second quarter.

More injuries for the #Hornets.

— Rod Boone (@rodboone) November 5, 2026

Vít Krejčí fractures his ankle or leg in Portland’s win at Phoenix

Krejčí went down late in the third quarter when he tried to take a charge against Miles Bridges and landed on his left ankle. He had to be helped off the floor during a timeout, and the Trail Blazers said he would not return. He had five points, three rebounds and two assists in 12 minutes. After the game, coach Micah Nori told reporters Krejčí had suffered a fracture, but it was not clear whether it was in the ankle or the leg, and the guard left the locker room on crutches. Portland has not announced a diagnosis or a timeline.

Vít Krejčí headed to the Locker Room suffers ankle injury, he will not return #ripcity pic.twitter.com/b6ennMxvtM

— DJACK (@DJACK_RipCity) November 5, 2026

Portland, which improved to 6-1 with the win, plays at the Lakers next, and the Blazers will need to find wing minutes without Krejčí in the rotation.

Jarrett Allen’s knee

In Oklahoma City, Jarrett Allen left the Cavaliers’ 124-116 loss in the first quarter after what Brett Siegel described as some sort of right knee injury. Allen played seven minutes without a point and was ruled doubtful to return, then did not come back. Kenny Atkinson said it was too early to say what the injury is, that the knee had been wrapped after a collision and that Allen would be examined Thursday. Tyrese Proctor, who started to defend Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, also left the game after what Atkinson called a pretty good twist.

Jarrett Allen suffered some sort of right knee injury on this play and is now doubtful to return against OKC. https://t.co/Fhnv9Op56V

— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) November 5, 2026

Allen told reporters after the game, “I’m alright.” Cleveland’s next game is against Philadelphia, and the Cavaliers will have an update on Allen’s knee once he is examined.

Jalen Smith’s hand

The Bulls ruled Jalen Smith out for the rest of the game at Madison Square Garden after he fell awkwardly while contesting a shot early in the second quarter and came up holding the left hand. Smith had been listed as probable with a left finger sprain, and he had played seven minutes with three points, two rebounds and a block. Bulls reporter K.C. Johnson said Smith told him afterward that he does not think the injury is serious, is optimistic about playing Sunday and mainly fell on the hand where he already had the finger sprain. Smith had been starting in place of Nic Claxton (hamstring), who was questionable on the overnight report, and Zach Collins took his minutes in the 135-105 loss to New York.

The NBA’s overnight report for Thursday’s two games lists no changes: Orlando is still without Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Noah Penda and Izaiyah Nelson at Phoenix, and Golden State is without Jimmy Butler III, Kristaps Porziņģis, Moses Moody and Gui Santos against Miami. Our injuries page tracks every team’s latest list.