Shams: Hornets waive Pat Connaughton

Miami trailed by 21 points entering the fourth quarter, but Mitchell fueled a monster comeback, mostly with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the bench. That didn’t result in a win, but it was another strong performance for him. He has been fantastic this year, averaging 17.0 points, 8.7 assists and 2.3 three-pointers per game, all of which would be career bests for him. He has been a bright spot despite a rough start to the year for Miami.

After a rough start to the year offensively, Larsson was able to get things going in this one. He totaled nine points on 1-of-9 shooting across his first two outings, so this performance was a huge step in the right direction. Larsson was a late-round flier for fantasy managers hoping he would take a step forward for the Heat this season. He’s trending in the right direction, but he’ll need to produce to this level more consistently to be worth keeping rostered.

It has been a rough start to the year for Bam, but after totaling 19 points in Miami’s first two games, he was able to surpass that mark in this one. It wasn’t enough for them to get in the win column, but it was good to see him have a productive outing. He’ll try to build on this performance in their next game, which comes against the Mavericks on Monday.

So far this season, the story for Miami has been that Giannis hasn’t had enough help. Well, his teammates stepped up more in this game, but Antetokounmpo wasn’t quite as productive. They went on a big run without him to tie things up in the fourth quarter. He entered with about four minutes left, committed two fouls in three minutes, and the Hornets took a six-point lead. It was a rough performance for him, but there is no reason for managers to worry. He averaged 35.5 points through their first two games and should get back on track against the Mavericks on Monday.

Following a rough shooting performance against the Pistons on Friday, Thompson was able to find his shot in this one. He set season highs for points and three-pointers, though it wasn’t enough for them to get their first win of the season. For now, Thompson should continue to start and provide floor spacing. If you’re looking for production outside of triples, it’s best to look elsewhere.

The Nuggets are down two rotation wings for Saturday’s game, as Cameron Johnson (ankle) and Alpha Diallo (wrist) will not play. Hopkins gets the starting nod, keeping DeMar DeRozan in the sixth-man role. The other four starters are unchanged.

Green was ruled out ahead of Saturday’s tilt against the Suns due to bilateral low back soreness, adding to the lengthy injury report for the Warriors. Gui Santos will likely get the start in place of Green.

Kennard is set to make his Suns debut after sitting out Wednesday’s loss to the Trail Blazers. His return will likely result in fewer minutes for fellow reserve Jordan Goodwin.

Murray, who played 26 minutes in Friday’s loss to the Trail Blazers, is dealing with left ankle capsulitis. If he can’t play Sunday, the Kings may turn to Precious Achiuwa to fill the void in the starting lineup.

Coward missed Friday’s game against Golden State, which allowed GG Jackson to start in his place. Coward should start if he’s back, but if not, Jackson may start again, though he only played 15 minutes on Friday, while Jerami Grant played 26 minutes.