Cavaliers’ Thompson out with sprain

Cleveland lost another big man Sunday as the team said starting center Tristan Thompson sprained his right ankle in Saturday’s loss and is expected to miss “multiple games.”

Thompson’s loss is another blow to the defending Eastern Conference champions, who are struggling without All-Star forward Kevin Love (broken hand) and could be without forward Jeff Green (sore back) for a few more games.

Thompson injured his heel when he was stepped on by one of Denver’s players during the first half of the 126-117 loss to the Nuggets, Cleveland’s fourth loss in five home games. Thompson stayed in the game and finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, but the team said he experienced “significant swelling” overnight and tests revealed the sprain. Thompson, one of four players remaining from the team’s 2016 NBA title squad, is averaging 6.5 rebounds and 6.3 points in 42 games — 21 starts.

Pelicans

Emeka Okafor sat out a 126-109 win against Dallas with a sprained right ankle. It was just the third time Okafor has not played since signing with the Pelicans on Feb. 3 after five seasons out of the NBA. “It’s just one of those things that it’s better to have one more day to recover,” coach Alvin Gentry said.

Hawks

Teams can’t say publicly they’re vying for a bad record and more chances in the NBA lottery, but Kent Bazemore, Atlanta’s second-leading scorer, had a rest day for the second time in the past six games. Bazemore had a careerhigh 29 points in Friday’s home loss to Golden State.