NBA Player News

Giannis was listed as doubtful for this game, so it isn’t surprising that he won’t be available to suit up. Bobby Portis started in his place to end the regular season, and he should fill the starting void again to start the postseason.

Randle was initially listed as questionable due to soreness in his left thumb, but that won’t keep him sidelined. He has yet to miss a game this season, and that will continue against Cleveland as Minnesota looks to win its fifth game in a row.

Jaquez is a late addition to the injury report due to an illness. He returned to the lineup on Thursday after missing two games with an ankle injury. If he’s back out for this game, Nikola Jović and Pelle Larsson should see a bump in minutes.

Stewart is a late addition to the injury report, which isn’t uncommon when illnesses pop up. He’s been starting with Jalen Duren (ankle) sidelined, but if Stewart is out as well, Paul Reed would likely step in as the starting center and have tons of upside as a streamer.

For just the third time in his career, and the first since October 29, 2022, Dončić fouled out of an NBA game on Friday. His foul of Milwaukee’s Kevin Porter Jr. on a three-point attempt with 16.2 seconds remaining led to two made free throws that gave the Bucks the lead for good. This was a frustrating night for Dončić, who shot 4-of-19 from inside the arc and 4-of-8 at the foul line. The rebounds, assists, steals and three-pointers were useful, but Dončić managers took a hit in the percentages.

With Rui Hachimura (calf) once again unavailable, LaRavia was in the Lakers’ starting lineup for the sixth consecutive game. While the final stat line on Friday was modest, the forward was a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. Since moving into the starting five, LaRavia has been close to a top-50 player in eight-cat formats. As long as Hachimura is unavailable, LaRavia is worth the streaming risk.

James, who finished one rebound shy of a triple-double, had a chance to tie Friday’s game in the final seconds. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to poke the ball away from behind, resulting in James’ third turnover of the night. That was the only issue for the Lakers’ forward, who shouldered more of the offensive workload with Luka Dončić in foul trouble. Over the past two weeks, LeBron has been a top-15 player in eight-cat formats.

Portis has now recorded six double-doubles this season, with all having been recorded since December 14. Over the past month, the Bucks’ forward has offered top-75 per-game value in eight-cat formats. By comparison, Myles Turner (eight points, six rebounds and two three-pointers) has not been a top-150 player during this period. The combination of Portis’ production and the underwhelming return offered by Turner makes the former worth the risk in some 12-team leagues.

Giannis came up with the biggest defensive play of Friday’s game, as he poked the ball away from LeBron James in the final seconds to prevent the Lakers’ forward from attempting a potential game-tying layup. While Antetokounmpo’s shot volume was low, he shot the ball efficiently from the field and the foul line. Having seemingly put to rest any rumors regarding his future in Milwaukee, the question now is what (if anything) the Bucks will look to do to strengthen the roster around Antetokounmpo before the trade deadline. Regardless of the answer, he’ll still provide excellent fantasy value.

After returning from a sprained ankle that sidelined him for over a month, Porter has exceeded the expectations of many fantasy managers. The Bucks’ guard has been a top-20 player in eight- and nine-cat formats, well above his Yahoo! ADP (109). On Friday, Porter joined Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only Bucks players with at least 20 points, and he recorded a complete stat line with solid percentages. Rostered in 71 percent of Yahoo! leagues, KPJ is worth scooping up if available in shallow leagues.

Thompson is averaging 18.2 points per game this year, but has at least 20 points in five of his last six games. The 22-year-old point guard had a good game, his second night in a row with 24 points. Still, it wasn’t enough to prevent the Rockets from blowing a big lead in the fourth quarter with Kevin Durant on the bench. Thompson has provided third-round per game value over the last two weeks. Houston will finish up their road trip Sunday in Sacramento.