NBA Player News

Hardaway got back on track Monday night after laying an egg in Saturday’s loss to the Grizzlies. He’s scored at least 19 points in five of his last six games, and the recent surge is why he’s ranked just outside the top-50 in nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. For managers in active leagues, the Pistons don’t play again until Thursday, so there’s no need to consider adding Hardaway yet. But the Pistons are one of 10 teams that will play three games over the final four days of the regular season, so there may be some deep-league streaming appeal then.

White paced Chicago’s offense throughout the contest — knocking down five of their 21 three-pointers on the night — but opted to dish to teammate Kevin Huerter in the corner for a go-ahead trey with 0.2 seconds left in regulation. The 25-year-old scoring guard has been scorching hot over the past week, leading Chicago to four straight wins, averaging 23.8 points during that span. The Bulls are in line for a busy four-game week that includes showdowns against the Lakers and Pacers before a double dip against the Heat.

Chicago’s decision to guard Brown one-on-one without help proved costly, as he torched them for 20 first-half points on an absurdly efficient 7-of-10 shooting from inside three-point range. The 29-year-old franchise cornerstone’s effort was even more impressive considering he played a whopping 46 minutes during Friday night’s double-overtime win over the Nets and has been dealing with a lingering hamstring issue. He saved his best for the final minute going coast-to-coast for a game-tying layup with 14.2 seconds left in regulation. The herculean effort wasn’t enough for Boston as Chicago knocked down 21 three-pointers to squeak out a narrow win. The Celtics have a four-game week on tap that includes matchups against the Trail Blazers, Hawks, Kings and Bucks.

Simons helped nearly spoil Derek Rose night in Chicago by doing his best impression, getting downhill and attacking the rim in addition to supplying his usual barrage of three-pointers. It was his first 20-point effort since going off for 39 points against the Heat back on January 15. The 26-year-old scoring machine contributed a strong all-around fantasy effort in this one, supplying a handful of rebounds, assists and steals. He remains a defensive liability but he’s capable of scoring in bunches when he gets hot.

It doesn’t show up from a fantasy perspective, but Smith played a pivotal role from a defensive and rebounding standpoint in the second half, helping Chicago pull out a narrow victory. The 25-year-old big man fell one rebound shy of a double-double and also knocked down a pair of three-pointers. He’s graded out as a borderline top-100 overall fantasy contributor over the past two weeks, averaging 13.3 points and 9.1 boards over his last seven games.

LaVine was not on the initial injury report released by the Kings. If he’s unable to play, rookie Nique Clifford may be the player picked to move into the starting lineup. It may also mean that there’s room for Malik Monk and Keon Ellis in the rotation, but don’t bet on that happening.

Mitchell topped 30 points for the second consecutive contest as he hoisted a season-high 30 shot attempts while also dishing out nine assists. It was an impressive all-around effort for the 29-year-old fantasy star as he continues to deliver first-round fantasy value, averaging 29.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.2 blocks through 43 games. The Cavaliers have a rematch against the Magic on Monday before closing out a four-game week with matchups against the Lakers, Suns and Trail Blazers.

It’s been a frustrating season for Banchero and the Magic as they’ve consistently struggled to generate enough offense to turn things around. The 23-year-old playmaker has scored at least 20 points in seven of 10 games since Janaury 1, but the Magic are just 4-6 overall during that span. He’s dropped from 25.9 points per-game last season to just 21.1 through 34 contests this season. The Magic have a rematch against the Cavaliers on Monday before facing the Heat, Raptors and Spurs to close out a four-game week.

Tyson has been hot-and-cold from a scoring standpoint but he’s scored in double figures in eight consecutive games since January 10. It looked like he was on the verge of a monster performance, supplying 15 first-half points on 5-of-6 shooting, including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. He cooled off considerably in the final two quarters, notching just two points. The 23-year-old has made a significant leap this season, morphing into a borderline top-100 overall fantasy contributor.

Orlando’s marquee offseason addition, Bane has been a consistent scoring threat, averaging 18.9 points through 44 games in his Magic debut. The 27-year-old guard has struggled from three-point range this season and was just 2-of-6 from downtown in this one. Simply put, Bane and Banchero haven’t supplied enough from an offensive standpoint which makes it critical to get Franz Wagner (ankle) back as quickly as possible.

Proctor was perfect from the floor and came up just a couple points shy of matching his previous season-high mark, despite playing just nine minutes off the bench in this one. The 21-year-old guard has gotten some additional run while Darius Garland (toe) remains sidelined, but he can be safely ignored in most fantasy leagues.