NBA Player News

Make it four straight games on the sideline due to illness for Rivers. This will not impact fantasy basketball, as he’s on the back end of the rotation when healthy.

George has been downgraded after initially being listed as questionable. Justin Champagnie is the likely candidate to start in his stead, and with this being the first of a back-to-back, Champagnie could see multiple starts.

Curry underwent an MRI on his lower back that revealed a sciatic nerve issue. He will be re-evaluated around Jan. 11. Curry has already been sidelined for a couple weeks, but before that, he wasn’t part of the rotation. His continued absence won’t change much for the Warriors.

After initially being listed as questionable, Murray-Boyles has been downgraded and is now expected to miss a second straight game. Jonathan Mogbo and Jamison Battle took on a few extra minutes off the bench, but not enough for either to make an impact for fantasy managers.

Wiggins eclipsed the 20-point barrier for the first time since December 1, scoring 18 points in the second-half as Miami shot 58 percent from the floor (31-of-53) to score 83 points over the final two quarters. The 30-year-old has contributed seventh-round fantasy value this season, averaging 16.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks over 28 games.

Siakam was a one-man wrecking crew in the first half, pouring in 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. It didn’t end up making a difference as the Pacers surrendered a whopping 142 points to drop to a league-worst 6-26 overall this season. The Pacers have lost eight straight games since December 12. They’ll open a four-game week on Monday with a road tilt against the Rockets.

Jaquez supplied a spark off the bench in this one, knocking down 11-of-15 from the floor to help lift Miami past the floundering Pacers. The 24-year-old is averaging 22.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.3 blocks over his last four games across the past week.

Mathurin put together a monster second half, scoring 23 points on 8-of-11 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. The 23-year-old impending free agent is still capable of heating up with the best scorers in the league, averaging 18.5 points over 21 games this season.

Nesmith made his long-awaited return to Indiana’s lineup following a six-week absence due to a left knee sprain. The 26-year-old wing will play a prominent role for the rebuilding squad for the remainder of the season but he’s likely to be on a minutes restriction for at least a couple games.

Antetokounmpo didn’t show any signs of rust in his first game action since December 3 after an eight-game absence due to a right calf strain. He dropped 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the first half and nearly reached the lofty 30-point plateau in just 24 minutes. He also uncorked a windmill dunk in the final seconds with the game in hand that drew a strong reaction from the Bulls and led to a benches-clearing incident. It seems likely he’ll have a bit of a minutes restriction for at least a couple additional games but it’s a welcome development for fantasy managers to get him back in the lineup. The Bucks have four games on tap next week including a pair against the Hornets in addition to the Wizards and Kings.

The Bulls saw their five-game win streak snapped as they shot just 41.9 percent (39-of-93) from the floor and scored just 103 points, their lowest total since December 7. The Bulls have a four-game week on tap that includes matchups against the Timberwolves, Pelicans, Magic and Hornets. White has scored at least 20 points six times in 10 games since returning from a calf injury.