NBA Player News

Curry and Green were initially questionable for Sunday’s game, which still holds some value for the Warriors. Depending on results, Golden State can finish anywhere from eighth to tenth in the West. The absences free up additional minutes for Brandin Podziemski, while Jonathan Kuminga will also be in play if available. Kuminga is a game-time decision with a pelvic contusion.

Zubac tied his season-high with 33 points against the Rockets on Wednesday. Almost as surprising as the high scoring output for Zubac was that he’s been held to seven and six rebounds in two of his last three games. The Clippers are back in action Monday against the Grizzlies.

Smith had some good games with Alperen Sengun sidelined and had another good game with Sengun back in the lineup against the Clippers Thursday. The 22-year-old power forward has provided top-100 value this season, but has a limited ceiling playing alongside Sengun and Kevin Durant.

Thompson was just one rebound and two assists shy of a triple-double against the Clippers on Wednesday. The 22-year-old point guard has scored at least 20 points in four of his last five games. The Rockets are off until Monday when they’ll take on the Nuggets.

Sengun hadn’t played in over a week due to an illness, but he still had a great game Thursday. The 23-year-old center has recorded a double-double in three consecutive games played. Only Nikola Jokic has more games with at least 20 points, at least 15 rebounds and at least five assists this year.

Brown has now had exactly 30 points in three consecutive games. Boston had won six of its last seven games before losing to the Bucks 116-101 on Wednesday. Brown wasn’t blameless in the loss as he had four turnovers and was -15 in 29 minutes. Still, he was the Celtics’ leading scorer and will continue to operate as the top scoring option with Jayson Tatum sidelined.

Eubanks exited Thursday’s game after playing just under four first-quarter minutes after suffering a right thumb injury. The severity and how much time he could potentially miss won’t be learned until Friday, but Eubanks’ exit leaves the Kings light on options in the post. Maxime Raynaud will play plenty, with Precious Achiuwa slotting into the backup center role. That has also opened up rotation minutes for Doug McDermott.

Portis is averaging 11.2 points per game this year, but with Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the lineup he’s put up at least 22 points in two of his last three games. The 30-year-old power forward was very efficient with 27 points on 13 attempts and five made three-pointers. He’s still in a reserve scoring role, but with Giannis sidelined there’s more of a runway for Portis to hit his ceiling.

There’s a lot of slack to pick up with Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the lineup. That’s certainly playing into some of the numbers Porter and his teammates have put up recently, not that fantasy managers are complaining. Porter was one assist and three rebounds shy of a triple-double last week against the 76ers. He was able to pull of the triple-double Thursday against the Celtics, but the bigger takeaway is Porter has consistently put up solid numbers this year and Giannis being out has only added to has value in the short-term.

For the first time since November 19, Cissoko was used in a reserve role, with Shaedon Sharpe reclaiming his place in the starting lineup. However, this did not negatively affect Cissoko’s opportunities, as he played 32 minutes. And the former second-round pick had the best night of his NBA career, recording his first 20-point game. Cissoko still isn’t at the point where he should be rostered in most fantasy leagues. However, he will get his opportunities while the Blazers await the returns of players such as Jrue Holiday, Matisse Thybulle and Scoot Henderson.

Grant shot 1-of-7 from beyond the arc on Thursday, which did a number on his overall field-goal percentage. Over the past two weeks, the Trail Blazers forward has been a top-75 player in eight-cat formats. And that’s with him shooting 38.8 percent from the field. Grant has been more productive as a rebounder and shot-blocker, which has boosted his fantasy value. Rostered in 43 percent of Yahoo! leagues, he’ll be worth a look ahead of Portland’s final game of Week 8 on Sunday against the Warriors.