There were 10 games on the NBA schedule for Sunday, and the biggest news came from a team that wasn’t on the slate. Charlotte may have lost its rookie phenom for the remainder of the season due to a broken bone in his right wrist, which would impact both the Hornets’ playoff prospects and the race for Rookie of the Year honors. That’s where the Daily Dose will begin.
Sunday’s Scores
Pacers 109, Heat 106 (OT)
Thunder 114, Rockets 112
Pelicans 113, Nuggets 108
Celtics 112, Magic 96
Nets 113, Wizards 106
Cavaliers 116, Raptors 105
Bulls 100, Pistons 86
76ers 101, Knicks 100 (OT)
Suns 111, Lakers 94
Mavericks 132, Trail Blazers 92
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Hornets’ Ball (wrist) sidelined indefinitely: Charlotte wasn’t among the teams in action Sunday, but they’ve got a major injury issue to deal with. LaMelo Ball, who took a hard fall during the second quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Clippers, has been diagnosed with a broken bone in his right wrist. There’s concern that Ball could miss the remainder of the season, but he has officially been ruled out indefinitely for the time being. Ball’s presence in the starting lineup has been big for the Hornets, and fantasy-wise he has been a top-50 player in both 8- and 9-cat formats.
The obvious answer for Charlotte to the question of who fills the void left by Ball is Devonte’ Graham, who has been coming off the bench since returning from a knee injury. Rostered in 65% of Yahoo leagues, Graham hasn’t been a great fantasy option when healthy enough to play. But he’ll have every opportunity to change that now that Ball is sidelined. Terry Rozier is dealing with a hip contusion, so it’s possible that he won’t be able to play in Monday’s game against the Spurs.
Lakers begin life without LeBron: The reigning champions played Sunday’s loss to the Suns without LeBron James, who is out indefinitely with a high right ankle sprain. The resulting void in the starting lineup was filled by Wesley Matthews, who went scoreless in his 16 minutes on the floor and contributed just one rebound and one assist. Matthews doesn’t offer any fantasy value when the Lakers are healthy, and the same can be said now. The players that fantasy managers need to have rostered are Kyle Kuzma, Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell and Talen Horton-Tucker.
Kuzma had a rough night shooting the basketball, going 5-of-16, as he finished with 13 points, six rebounds, six assists, one steal and two 3-pointers. Schroder (22/1/3 with two 3-pointers), Harrell (23/10/1 block) and Horton-Tucker (17/6/3/1/1) had better nights, and in the case of Horton-Tucker his minutes are going to jump considerably. He played 28 minutes off the bench Sunday night, and after the game Lakers coach Frank Vogel said that we’re going to see more of THT moving forward.
Of these four players, Harrell (rostered in 86% of Yahoo leagues) will be the most difficult to pick up at this point in the season. Schroder (79%) and Kuzma (65%) are still lingering on a few waiver wires, while Horton-Tucker is rostered in just 20% of Yahoo leagues. Also of note Sunday was Marc Gasol continuing to sit out. He’s no longer in the league’s health and safety protocols, but due to conditioning he’s likely to miss a few more games before being cleared to return.
CP3 makes history, while Johnson returns: Suns point guard Chris Paul recorded the 10,000th assist of his NBA career during Sunday’s win over the Lakers, and he finished the game with a line of 11 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists, three steals and one block in 32 minutes. He’s the third player in NBA history with at least 10,000 assists and 2,000 steals in a career, joining John Stockton and Jason Kidd. Paul didn’t shoot the ball well, going 3-of-11 from the field, but Deandre Ayton (26/8/2/1 block) and Devin Booker (26/9/4/1 with one 2-pointer) helped make up fro their point guard’s struggles. And Phoenix’s rotation was one man deeper, as Cameron Johnson made his return after missing time due to health and safety protocols. He played 16 minutes off the bench, finishing with eight points, three rebounds, two blocks and two 3-pointers.
Rostered in just 12% of Yahoo leagues, Johnson offers late-round value in deep leagues. His presence means that Abdel Nader and Langston Galloway both lose out on playing time, and their fantasy values take a hit as well. Neither Nader nor Galloway is worth rostering, regardless of league format, when the Suns are healthy on the wings.
Frustration mounts in Houston as Rockets drop another one: Houston’s losing streak is now 20 games, by virtue of their two-point loss to the Thunder. There were questions before the game regarding the availability of Kevin Porter Jr. (quad) and KJ Martin (health and safety protocols), but both were able to play. Neither had much of an impact coming off the bench, however, as Porter Jr. (4/1/5) played 20 minutes and Martin (one rebound) 14.
Christian Wood (27/8/2/1/2 with two 3-pointers), Victor Oladipo (23/5/6/2/1 with four 3-pointers) and John Wall (24/2/7/3 with one 3-pointer) were Houston’s most productive players, while Danuel House added 18 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and three 3-pointers. Wood somehow attempted just two shots during the fourth quarter, and following the game he said that he would like to be more involved in the late-game offense moving forward. Houston hosts Toronto Monday night, so there could be some changes to the rotation for that one. D.J. Augustin was held out of Sunday’s game due to a stomach illness.
Oklahoma City started the second-youngest lineup in league history, with an average age of 21 years, 36 days. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Al Horford both sat this one out, with Theo Maledon (12/4/2/3 with two 3-pointers) and Moses Brown (13 points, 14 rebounds and one steal) filling the resulting voids in the starting lineup. Brown, who’s rostered in 33% of Yahoo leagues, has been a top-100 player over the last two weeks. Maledon hasn’t been nearly as productive, but Oklahoma City’s desire to play their younger players is a positive with regard to his fantasy value.
Luguentz Dort (23/3/3/1/1 with three 3-pointers) put up 22 shots, while Isaiah Roby (18/8/2/1 block) also posted a solid stat line. And Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk was much better in his second game with the Thunder than he was in the first, scoring 15 points with four rebounds, three assists, one steal and three 3-pointers in 21 minutes off the bench. We’ll see what happens with Horford between now and the trade deadline, but if he stays fantasy managers wouldn’t be wrong to assume that he will have even more opportunities to “rest.”
Griffin makes his Nets debut, but Claxton shines: Blake Griffin made his long-awaited debut in Brooklyn Sunday night, and he was on a limit of 15 minutes. Griffin, who threw down his first dunk since December 2019 during the win over the Wizards, played 15 minutes off the bench and accounted for two points, two rebounds and one blocked shot. So long as the minutes restriction remains, it will be difficult for Griffin to generate much in the way of fantasy value. And the number of options at Steve Nash’s disposal needs to be taken into account as well.
DeAndre Jordan started but played just 17 minutes, accounting for 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one blocked shot. Nicolas Claxton played more than either veteran, tallying 16 points, three rebounds, one steal and three blocks in 26 minutes off the bench. Maybe his fantasy value won’t disappear due to the arrival of Griffin, after all. Claxton offers the most in the way of upside, and he’s rostered in just 10% of Yahoo leagues. Some managers may be hesitant to roll the dice on Claxton given the minutes split, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do so at this point in the season. Brooklyn plays three games this coming week, including a Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back.
James Harden (26/5/8/3/1 with three 3-pointers) suffered a head injury during Sunday’s win, but he was able to play 39 minutes and didn’t sound too concerned after the game. Kyrie Irving (28/7/6/3 with one 3-pointer) led the way offensively for the Nets. Landry Shamet played just 12 minutes due to a sprained ankle, which would free up additional time for Tyler Johnson should he have to miss some game action.
Russell Westbrook (29/13/13/2 with two 3-pointers), Rui Hachimura (20 points, 10 rebounds and two 3-pointers) and Alex Len (20/9/1/2 blocks) all scored at least 20 points on the night for Washington, with the latter being one of two centers used. Len started and played 29 minutes, with Robin Lopez (12/5/1/1 block) getting the other 19 available minutes. Moritz Wagner was a DNP-CD. Scott Brooks’ willingness to change things up at the center spot makes all three difficult options to use in standard leagues, but based upon the minutes distribution managers can leave Wagner on the waiver wire.
Davis Bertans, who the Wizards are reportedly looking to move, did not play Sunday. He has really struggled this season, but due to Bertans’ contract it will likely be difficult to move him ahead of the trade deadline. Isaac Bonga played 12 minutes off the bench and Deni Avdija 11, with neither offering much in the way of production.
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Lillard (knee) plays but struggles in blowout loss: Damian Lillard tweaked his left knee during Friday’s win over the Mavericks, and as a result it was not known until shortly before tipoff if he would be healthy enough to play in the rematch. He was, but the MVP candidate struggled in the Blazers’ 40-point defeat. Lillard shot 7-of-16 from the field and 5-of-5 from the foul line, finishing with 19 points, one rebound, four assists and one steal. Portland will play four games this coming week, so as long as Lillard is healthy he won’t lack for opportunities to bounce back. Lillard and C.J. McCollum (13/2/1/1) combined to shoot 0-of-12 from three on the night. Gary Trent Jr. continues to retain a small amount of value coming off the bench, and he put up 16 points, two rebounds, one assist, two steals and three 3-pointers in 22 minutes played.
Dorian Finney-Smith, who was back with the Mavericks after missing two games due to the birth of his child, was big reason why Lillard struggled. He started and played 28 minutes, posting a line of 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and three 3-pointers. Finney-Smith, who’s rostered in just 9% of Yahoo leagues, is providing late-round value in both 8- and 9-cat formats. His return meant a move back to the bench for Tim Hardaway Jr., who finished the win with 11 points, six rebounds and one 3-pointer in 19 minutes. Hardaway Jr.’s fantasy value doesn’t take much of a hit when he comes off the bench, as he is Dallas’ most consistent reserve scorer.
Luka Doncic (37/7/4 with eight 3-pointers) and Josh Richardson (21/3/4 with two 3-pointers) led the way for the winners, while Kristaps Porzingis (12/8/4/1/2 with two 3-pointers) posted a full stat line.
Simmons returns for 76ers: After missing Saturday’s win over the Kings due to a sore knee, 76ers point guard Ben Simmons was back in the starting lineup for Sunday’s win over the Knicks. And this wasn’t his best effort, as he posted a line of 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block and seven turnovers in 37 minutes. With Simmons back in the fold Shake Milton returned to the bench, but he still played 29 minutes. And Milton had a very good night, scoring 21 points with three rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block and one 3-pointer. With Joel Embiid still sidelined, Milton’s in a position where the 76ers will need more from hm offensively. Milton still sits outside of the top-200 in 9-cat formats, so he’s more of a deep league option, but the reward outweighs the risk with regard to rostering him.
Tobias Harris (20/4/4/2 with one 3-pointer) shot just 5-of-18 from the field on the night, and he said after the game that he couldn’t feel his hand while shooting two free throws that would have sealed the outcome in regulation. He missed both attempts, and on the other end Julius Randle (24/7/3/5 with four 3-pointers) hit a 3-pointer to tie the score at 88 apiece. Philadelphia continues its six-game road trip at Golden State Tuesday night, and with Harris able to remain in the game Sunday night, he should be good to go for that one.
While Philadelphia welcomed back Simmons, Immanuel Quickley (ankle) and Mitchell Robinson (hand) returned the Knicks rotation. Quickley made another start at the point, playing 26 minutes and finishing with 10 points, three rebounds and two 3-pointers. The assist tally, which has been low on most nights, was non-existent Sunday. That is a bit of a concern fantasy-wise, especially if Quickley is going to continue to occupy a point guard role. He won’t progress from being a late-round player until things change in that area.
As for Robinson (4/6/1), he came off the bench and played 17 minutes. Nerlens Noel (13/10/2 steals/1 block) made another start, playing 36 minutes, and it’s likely that he will remain in this role until Robinson is able to take on a full workload. Taj Gibson was a DNP-CD, and fantasy managers should have dumped him as soon as it was announced that Robinson would play.
Magic’s Ennis (calf) plays well in return: After missing nearly a month, James Ennis was back in the rotation for Sunday’s loss to the Celtics. He played 21 minutes off the bench, shooting 5-of-6 from the field and 5-of-7 from the foul line and finishing with 18 points, five rebounds, one assist and three 3-pointers. No other Magic reserve scored more than five points, and with Terrence Ross (knee) ruled out there was a need for more offensive production from Ennis. If Ross can’t make it back for Tuesday’s game against Denver, Ennis would be worth streaming consideration due to Orlando’s lack of consistent best scorers.
Michael Carter-Williams was also back, starting at the point and accounting for seven points, two rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 22 minutes. With MCW back Chasson Randle practically dropped out of the rotation, playing just seven minutes. Randle was already on the waiver wire in most leagues, so there’s little need for any fantasy managers to adjust their rosters. Ennis, Nikola Vucevic (22/13/3 with three 3-pointers) and Aaron Gordon (12/6/5 with two 3-pointers) are three players to watch heading into the trade deadline, and it has been reported that Orlando wants a lot (including a first-round pick) in exchange for Gordon.
For Boston, Jaylen Brown absolutely torched the Magic. Shooting 10-of-18 from three, he finished the game with 34 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal in 33 minutes played. Over the last two weeks, he’s providing 3rd-round value in both 8- and 9-cat formats. Jayson Tatum (23/4/4) shot 5-of-8 from three, and as a team Boston made 23 of its 54 attempts on the night.
With this being the first game of a back-to-back for the Celtics, Kemba Walker has been ruled out of Monday’s game against the Grizzlies. Jeff Teague, who was a DNP-CD Sunday night, should jump back into the rotation while fellow reserve Payton Pritchard could see his playing time increase after getting just 11 minutes against the Magic. Neither is a great option when it comes to fantasy basketball, but Teague offers more in the way of rebounds and assists.
Pelicans’ Alexander-Walker goes off in spot start: Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball was held out of Sunday’s win over the Nuggets due to a hip injury, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker replaced him in the starting lineup. In 31 minutes played, Alexander-Walker accounted for 20 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal, two blocks and three 3-pointers. Josh Hart, who also had something to gain with Ball sidelined, put up 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists, one steal and two 3-pointers in 29 minutes. Fantasy managers looking for a player who can offer a bit more in the points department would be better served going with Alexander-Walker. But for those who want a full stat line, Hart is the choice. New Orleans hosts the Lakers Tuesday night, so there may not be an update on Ball until the morning of the game.
“Young Bull” stampedes through Raptors defense: Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton was very good in Sunday’s win over the Raptors, scoring 36 points while also accounting for three rebounds, four assists, two steals and six 3-pointers in 39 minutes. The only negative for him was the turnover count, as he was responsible for a team-high six. In fact all three of Cleveland’s starting guards (Darius Garland and Isaac Okoro) turned the ball over six times on the night. Garland put up a line of 15 points, five rebounds, six assists, one steal and one 3-pointer in 36 minutes, while Okoro (8/7/5/2/1 with two 3-pointers) played 30 minutes and posted a full line.
Jarrett Allen (17/15/1/1 block) and Dean Wade (16/3/3 with four 3-pointers), with the latter finishing the game one point shy of his career-high. Wade really isn’t on the fantasy radar of any league right now, but that could very well change later this season if he somehow gets bumped into the starting lineup. Fred VanVleet (23/1/7/2/2 with five 3-pointers0 led Toronto in scoring but shot 8-of-24 from the field, while Kyle Lowry (18/8/4/1 with four 3-pointers) and Pascal Sikam (9/3/2/2 with one 3-pointer) also struggled to find the mark. Toronto has lost eight straight games, and we’re getting to the point where Masai Ujiri is going to have some tough decisions to make ahead of the trade deadline.
In addition to Lowry, Norman Powell (18 points, two rebounds and two 3-pointers in 33 minutes) has also been the subject of some trade rumors. Having already boosted his fantasy value significantly throughout the season, if traded Powell could find himself in a spot where he won’t enjoy as many opportunities to put up quality points totals.
Pacers’ Turner tweaks ankle in OT win: Indiana center Myles Turner injured his ankle during Friday’s win over the Heat, and it didn’t take long for him to aggravate the injury during Monday’s rematch. Turner left the game briefly during the first half, getting the ankle re-taped before returning to action. He played 30 minutes in the Pacers’ overtime win, accounting for 16 points, six rebounds, one assist, five blocks and three 3-pointers. Indiana has a game in Milwaukee Monday night, so fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on the injury report for an update re: Turner. Should he not be able to play, the Pacers would be facing quite the dilemma.
Justin Holiday (15/5/2/2/2 with five 3-pointers in 42 minutes) is the team’s best defender, but he can’t guard Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton at the same time. Does Doug McDermott move back into the starting lineup? Or would it be Jeremy Lamb, as his presence would give the Pacers a little more with regards to length on the wing. Hopefully Turner will be good to go, which would go a long way towards solving the problem of defender Milwaukee’s two best offensive options.
Miami played Sunday’s game without Goran Dragic, and since he’s a reserve his absence did not impact the starting lineup. But it did impact the bench rotation, as Gabe Vincent played 18 minutes and accounted for nine points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal and three 3-pointers. Vincent, who has appeared in just three games this month, isn’t worth streaming when a player like Dragic or Tyler Herro (11/5/4/1 block in 36 minutes) isn’t available to play. Andre Iguodala (2/2/3/2) played 20 minutes and Trevor Ariza (5/4/1 steal/2 blocks) 19, and both are in positions where they’re more valuable to the Heat rotation than they are to any fantasy roster.
