NBA Player News

Kyrie was uncharacteristically below average in Friday’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Irving shot 3-of-15 from the field and was held to only 10 points. With Luka Doncic out (personal reasons), many thought Irving would produce a substantial scoring performance. They were sadly mistaken. This was Irving‘s lowest point total this season and although he managed to dish five dimes and grab five boards, it was a lackluster showing. This may be an opportunity to execute a quick buy-low. Look for Irving to bounce back in Saturday’s matchup against the red-hot OKC Thunder.

Miller logged 31 minutes on Thursday, which was enough to score in double figures for a second straight game and finish one rebound shy of back-to-back double-doubles. The third-year forward has seen his opportunities increase in his short tenure in Chicago following a midseason trade from Minnesota. So far, he’s showing potential to be a double-double threat if the minutes are high enough.

On the heels of a career-best 41-point outing against the Warriors, Buzelis finished Thursday’s contest as one of seven Bulls players to score in double figures; his four three-pointers led him to the second-highest scoring total on the team. Meanwhile, his four stocks on the defensive end were the most of any Chicago player on Thursday. Buzelis has been trending in the right direction for quite a while now and should remain one of the Bulls’ most relied upon players down the stretch of the season.

The Bulls had a fine night on the offensive end, as they were carried by their do-it-all point guard. Giddey shot the ball with extreme confidence from beyond the arc and was masterful as a playmaker en route to his 23rd double-double of the season. He did commit six turnovers, but was otherwise very productive from a fantasy standpoint. He’s now tallied three straight double-doubles with a chance for a fourth consecutive on Friday against the Clippers.

Ayton was one of several Lakers starters to produce big numbers against Chicago on Thursday. In the win, he finished third on the team in scoring and was one of two players to log double-digit rebounds before finishing with a second straight double-double. Ayton has had his least productive season as a pro to this point, but perhaps he is finding his way down the stretch of the season. He’ll have a chance to log a third consecutive double-double on Saturday against the Nuggets.

Reaves was part of a Lakers backcourt that combined for 81 points, 13 three-pointers, and 16 assists on Thursday. Alongside Luka Dončić, he impressed in his 39 minutes of action, securing a second straight 30-point game. The fifth-year guard has enjoyed a career-best season so far and should remain a reliable option and one of the best guards for fantasy managers as the fantasy playoffs inch closer.

Dončić was spectacular on Thursday against the Bulls. In the win, he dominated from beyond the arc before logging his first 50-point game as a Los Angeles Laker. He was one of two Lakers to reach double-figures in rebounds, and he finished one assist shy of a triple-double. The Lakers have now won four straight games and are the current No. 3 seed in the Western Conference standings. Fantasy managers should expect Dončić to have a similar workload the rest of the way as L.A. tries to avoid the Play-In Tournament.

Scheierman played his role well on Thursday as a three-point specialist. In the start, he drained at least three three-pointers for the eighth time during his sophomore campaign and tallied his fourth double-digit scoring outing of March. He was also one of Boston’s better rebounders and facilitators in the loss. While he may not have a ton of value across fantasy leagues, he’s proven to be a consistent part of the Celtics’ nightly rotation.

Having missed the Grizzlies’ last three games with sesamoiditis in his right great toe, Pippen will now undergo a season-ending sesamoidectomy to address the issue. He underwent a similar procedure in October, which delayed the guard’s season debut until early February. Pippen only appeared in ten games this season, finishing with averages of 11.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.0 three-pointers in 21.2 minutes. With Ty Jerome having recently missed some games, Javon Small and Cam Spencer will have added fantasy value for the rest of this season.

Pritchard struggled with his shooting on Thursday, especially outside the arc. The subpar shooting efficiency led to a relatively unspectacular scoring performance in the loss, on a night when the Celtics desperately needed offensive production. Pritchard also didn’t provide much as a facilitator, and didn’t come away with any stocks. Fantasy managers will hope for a bounce-back performance on Saturday against the Wizards.

In his first appearance after being ejected from Tuesday’s game against the Spurs, Brown logged perhaps his best stat line of March. In the loss, he hit the 30-point mark for the first time since February 22, which was also the last time before Thursday that he got up at least 25 shot attempts. Brown’s aggressiveness was needed while playing without Jayson Tatum against a very tough Thunder defense. He did commit six turnovers and shot somewhat inefficiently, but was otherwise productive.