NBA Player News

Due to Zion Williamson (hamstring) sitting, Murphy was back in the starting lineup for Friday’s “winner-take-all” matchup with the Kings. He was productive, with the turnover count (four) being the most significant issue. During the regular season, Murphy averaged 16.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 3.3 3-pointers per game in 23 starts. At a minimum, the Pelicans will need similar production in their first-round series against the Thunder, which will begin on Sunday.

Podz was initially deemed questionable to return to this game due to lower back soreness. He was only able to play the first minute of the game before exiting. Gui Santos started the second half in his place, though Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II should also see a bump in minutes with Podz out.

Both of the Lakers’ superstars were listed as probable once again, so their availability doesn’t come as a surprise. They will look to guide the Lakers to an eighth-straight on Thursday after combining for 64 points and 21 assists on Tuesday.

Reaves missed the Lakers’ two previous games, but he will be back to take on New York. His return should push Gabe Vincent back to the bench after averaging 30 minutes across two unproductive starts.

Leonard sat out the second leg of Los Angeles’ back-to-back set on Wednesday, but he’ll be back in action to face New York on Friday. Expect Leonard to handle his normal workload.

Jones Jr. will be back after a three-game absence. Kris Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanovic have both been starting recently, but there is a chance that DJJ replaces one of them as part of the opening group. If Jones Jr. comes off the bench, he will likely take away minutes from both Dunn and Bogdanovic.

This will be a fourth-straight absence for Simmons, which is disappointing, since his tenure with the Clippers seemed promising after his first game with them. Hopefully Simmons won’t be out much longer, but Amir Coffey will continue to fill out extra minutes until he returns.

Monk will miss a second-straight game with this toe injury, which should result in another start for Keon Ellis. As a starter on Wednesday, Ellis finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks and one three-pointer in 39 minutes. He should be considered a high-priority streaming option until Monk is back.

This will be a sixth-straight absence for Bassey, and there is no end in sight. Bismack Biyombo will continue to start at center for San Antonio. With Victor Wembanyama sidelined for the rest of the season, Bassey figures to play a significant role when he gets healthy. However, it’s unclear when he’ll be back, so he isn’t worth stashing.

Beal is in danger of missing his 20th game of the season after re-aggravating his calf injury on Tuesday. Should he be sidelined on Friday, Tyus Jones would presumably get the starting nod with Collin Gillespie chipping in some extra minutes off the bench.

Eason will return to the starting lineup in place of Jabari Smith Jr., who will come off the bench after starting Houston’s last two games. Both young forwards will play significant roles, though Eason will have more fantasy upside as a starter.