NBA Player News

Antetokounmpo was not present at the start of the Bucks’ training camp, as he had remained in Greece after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Being able to travel is a surefire sign that the Bucks star has been given a clean bill of health, which is the most important news. No decision has been made regarding Antetokounmpo’s availability for Monday’s preseason game against the Heat, but one can likely assume that neither he nor Milwaukee will look to rush things. The Bucks begin their regular season on October 22 against the Wizards.

Pritchard has been inconsistent recently, but he was able to have a big night in this game. This was his highest-scoring game in over a month, and it was enough to help Boston get the win in double overtime. Pritchard has seen a bump in usage and production this year, and his efficiency has only dropped off slightly. He’ll look to stay hot in Chicago on Saturday.

Nembhard was very productive on Friday. He shot with good accuracy both inside and beyond the arc before finishing with nearly 30 points. But maybe even more impressive was his passing; the fourth-year guard was the only player on either team to reach double figures in assists. The offensive production led Nembhard to his fourth double-double in January, as the Pacers ended a three-game losing streak.

Brown really struggled with his shot in this game, but he found other ways to make an impact and help Boston secure the win in double overtime. He fell short of scoring at least 30 points for a fourth straight game, but he was able to record his second triple-double of the season. Brown is enjoying the best scoring season of his career, but he has also stepped up as a playmaker. He’ll continue to be dominant in fantasy basketball for the rest of the season, and he should be more efficient as a scorer moving forward.

The injury occurred in the second quarter when Gordon pushed the ball in transition. As he attacked, he pulled up suddenly, reached for his hamstring, and then surrendered possession of the ball to a teammate. He exited at the next deadball and was eventually ruled out in the third quarter. Gordon had already dealt with a hamstring injury this season, so a reaggregation may cause the Nuggets to take a cautious approach going forward.

McCollum hasn’t been great with the Hawks, but he has been a consistent source of points. That held true in this game. McCollum should continue to see plenty of minutes for Atlanta, mostly as a reserve, but his impact in category leagues will remain limited. However, he should be able to contribute more in other categories than he did in this game. Just not much more.

Siakam was one of three Pacers players to score 20 or more points on Friday. In addition to his scoring, the veteran forward made a difference as a playmaker, and also was decent overall on the glass. He didn’t record any stocks for the third straight game and fourth time over the past five outings, but even without the defensive stats, he had a solid final line against OKC. He’ll look for more production on Monday against the Hawks.

Okongwu remains limited on the glass, but he has been able to make an impact in a multitude of categories consistently. He also led the Hawks in scoring in the win. Okongwu is currently providing third-round value in nine-category leagues this season and has been able to produce value across the board. This was a strong performance for him, and he’ll look to keep it going against the Pacers on Monday.

Spencer got the start on Friday and logged his best performance of January. The second-year guard only needed single-digit shot attempts to efficiently work his way past the 20-point mark as a scorer, and also finished as the only player on either team to record double-digit assists. The double-double marked the third one of January for Spencer, who is still looking to fully recapture the success he had earlier in the season. Nonetheless, he was productive on Friday and will have a chance to log another big game on Sunday against the Nuggets.

Johnson had a few rough performances in January, but the last three games have been strong. He has averaged 27.7 points, 16.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game during this stretch. He hasn’t been as strong in the other categories, but he has been a beast in points, rebounds and assists. He matched his career high for boards in this game, which he has now set three times this season. He’ll look to keep his dominance on the glass up against the Pacers on Monday.

Landale was one of several productive Grizzlies on Friday. He scored well both inside and outside the arc while making a difference on the glass. As a result, the fifth-year center came away with a big double-double in his 32 minutes of game action. Landale has easily put together his best statistical season as an NBA player and has proven to be a nice fit alongside Jaren Jackson Jr. in the frontcourt. He’ll have a chance to land a third straight double-double on Friday against the Nuggets.