NBA Player News

With their season on the line, the Knicks could potentially be without Towns for Game 5. Already dealing with a lingering left knee injury, the 7-footer suffered a contusion when he banged knees with Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith during the fourth quarter of Monday’s Game 4 defeat. While Towns stayed in the game, he was limping noticeably. If Towns cannot play on Thursday, Josh Hart will likely return to the starting lineup.

With Kevin Durant (ankle) sidelined for this game, Sheppard started for the first time since Dec. 1 and was able to get off to a strong start by scoring 11 points in the first half. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to add any more points after the break, though he was able to contribute in other categories to make this a well-rounded stat line despite it being a subpar shooting night for him. This isn’t expected to be a long-term absence for Durant, but if he remains out against the Celtics on Wednesday, Sheppard could get another start.

January was a rough month for Şengün, but Indiana didn’t have any answers for him in this game. He matched his season high for scoring, which he initially set in his first game of the season. He also matched his season high for rebounds, which he set in early November. Şengün has had an excellent season, though he wasn’t named as an All-Star this season. He’ll look to build on this performance against the Celtics on Wednesday.

Nesmith has had a rough shooting season, but he has had some strong stretches. The last five games have been arguably his best stretch of the year. He has averaged 17.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.0 triples per game over his last five while shooting 56.1 percent from the floor. He’s only shooting 38.6 percent on the season, so this is a drastic improvement for him. He should be considered a must-roster player as long as he’s shooting this well.

Jackson has barely been in the rotation recently, but he was able to make a big impact off the bench in this game. He was more impactful than Jay Huff, which led to him playing 25 minutes, while Huff only logged 12 minutes. Managers shouldn’t grow accustomed to that; Jackson hasn’t played 25 minutes in a game since mid-December. This was a strong performance for him, but that doesn’t mean he should be rostered.

Siakam was named an All-Star for the fourth time in his career, and while it has been a disappointing season for the Pacers, he has been consistent. He has scored at least 20 points in 10 straight games and in 17 of his last 18 games. He hasn’t been as efficient in a higher usage role this season, but the added counting stats have helped make up for it. Siakam missed the second leg of their last back-to-back, so keep an eye on the injury report ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Jazz.

Embiid will be good to go after initially being listed as probable. This is the first leg of a back-to-back, so managers shouldn’t expect Embiid to suit up against the Warriors on Tuesday. That will open the door for Andre Drummond and Adem Bona to take on larger roles.

Green missed Phoenix’s last game, but there is a chance he returns for this one. He has had his minutes severely limited when he’s been available recently, so he will likely play around 15-20 minutes off the bench if he is available. Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin may lose out on a few minutes.

Holiday missed Sunday’s game, but he could be back after just a one-game absence. Sidy Cissoko and Jerami Grant both entered the starting unit in Portland’s last game with Deni Avdija (back) and Holiday out. Avdija is doubtful, so if Holiday returns, Cissoko will likely return to playing a reserve role.

Avdija missed Sunday’s game and is expected to remain out for at least one more game. Jerami Grant moved into the starting unit in his stead and will likely remain in that role for at least one more game. He scored 15 points in 28 minutes and should be a solid source of points once again.

Henderson went through a full workout on Monday, and while he isn’t expected to make his season debut against Phoenix, he should be back soon. His next chance to play will come against the Grizzlies on Wednesday. Henderson will likely be brought along slowly, but he should eventually play enough to make an impact for fantasy managers that can deal with the inefficiencies.