NBA Player News

Simmons received an epidural injection to help with the recovery process, which was a planned part of the process, according to the team. With Simmons sidelined, Dorian Finney-Smith will continue to start, while the recently cleared Dennis Smith Jr. will be in line for more minutes off the bench.

It has been a largely unproductive season for Lopez, but he has started at center in every game since Ivica Zubac suited up for the last time as a Clipper, and he has been productive, especially recently. He has 16 blocks over his last five games and has scored in double figures in all but one of those. Lopez has provided fifth-round value over the past two weeks, and they’ll need him to stay productive in Thursday’s game against the Spurs.

Garland had a shaky start to this game, turning the ball over five times in the first half, which contributed to the Clippers’ 16-point halftime deficit. He cleaned things up after the break, but that wasn’t enough to help the Clippers make a comeback. That ended their five-game winning streak, and they’ll look to get back on track against the Spurs on Thursday. Garland has been excellent recently and will look to stay hot in that one.

This was an offensive outburst for Holiday, which led to his third 30-point game of the season. This performance was only surpassed by his outing against the Grizzlies on March 4, where he contributed 35 points and eight three-pointers. Holiday has been a strong starter for the Blazers this season, though performances like this haven’t come often. He’ll look to carry some of this production into Thursday’s matchup with the Pelicans, which will be their final game of the week.

Rough free throw shooting has limited Avdija’s value as of late, but he was able to have a productive night from there in this game while also recording his third double-double of the month. Avdija has enjoyed a breakout season, though he has certainly cooled off over the past two months. The back injury that has forced him to miss time is certainly a reason, and Portland will hope to have him at 100 percent for the postseason.

This was LaRavia’s fifth straight game as a starter, with the most recent start before that coming before the All-Star break. He had some solid stretches earlier this year, but March was a rough month for him. This was his only double-digit scoring game of the month, and it took him not missing a shot to reach that. He has been able to contribute more defensive stats as a starter, which gives him a little upside, but he hasn’t truly taken advantage of the extra minutes.

Hachimura was pushed back to the bench for this game with Luka Dončić back in the lineup after serving a one-game suspension on Monday. Hachimura scored 14 points as a starter in that game and added 14 more in this one, though he didn’t contribute much in other categories, which has been the case all season. Hachimura is a strong rotation piece for the Lakers, but he shouldn’t be relied on in fantasy basketball.

After serving a one-game suspension on Monday for being assessed a 16th technical foul, Dončić was back in the lineup for the second leg of this back-to-back. The fresh legs allowed him to put together a third straight 40-point game while also shooting at least 50 percent from the floor in each game. He’s been effective from the free throw line as well, shooting 25-of-26 during this three-game stretch. Free throw percentage is typically a weakness, but he as been red-hot recently and will look to keep that going into Thursday’s game in Oklahoma City.

Strus was back in the lineup after sitting out the first leg of this back-to-back, and he ended up starting for the first time this season. He wasn’t able to match his season-high 29 points that he scored on Friday, but he remained efficient. Still, the lopsided score limited him to 23 minutes, so it ended up being a subpar night. If he remains a starter when Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson and Dean Wade are all healthy, Strus should be a reliable option for fantasy managers for the rest of the season.

Allen sat the first leg of this back-to-back, but he was able to lead the Cavaliers in scoring in his return to the lineup. All 18 of his points came before halftime, and he didn’t end up seeing the floor much after the break. This was an ugly loss for the Cavs that was somewhat redeemed on the scoreboard during the fourth quarter. Allen only played 19 minutes in this game after playing 18 in his return on Friday, though both games were blowouts. He’ll likely continue to have his minutes managed in Golden State on Thursday.

Ingram was a late scratch for Sunday’s win over the Magic, but returned Tuesday with 22 points in the loss to the Pistons. The 28-year-old small forward didn’t do much else in his 31 minutes, adding just one rebound and one three-pointer. The Raptors still have three games left in Week 23 for Ingram to have a more complete game.