NBA Player News

The Knicks didn’t have Jalen Brunson or OG Anunoby on Tuesday, so even more of the team’s offense ran through Towns. The 7-footer took full advantage, recording his first 40-point game of the season. Add in the rebounds and three-pointers, and this was one of KAT’s best performances of the season. Brunson and Anunoby should be back for the Knicks’ Christmas Day matinee against the Cavaliers, but Towns should remain an elite option in fantasy leagues.

While the Bulls went 1-3 on their west coast road trip, a positive for the franchise was Buzelis’ play. The second-year forward fell two points shy of his fourth straight game with at least 20, but he did record his third double-double of the season. Since the All-Star break, Buzelis has provided fourth-round value in eight-cat formats. The Bulls are done for Week 20, and they play three games in Week 21.

Giddey’s triple-double on Friday was the 29th of his NBA career, moving him into the top-20 on the all-time list. After recording six turnovers in Thursday’s loss to the Lakers, the Bulls’ guard was responsible for just two on Friday. Since the All-Star break, Giddey has been close to a first-round player in eight-cat formats. The concern for fantasy managers at this point is back-to-backs, with the Bulls having another during Week 21. A three-game week could become two for Giddey, which would be unfortunate.

Mathurin extended his streak of games with at least 20 points to four on Friday, and he did so while shooting over 50 percent from the field. Since the All-Star break, the Clippers’ wing has averaged 21.1 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting from the field. His category league ceiling is somewhat limited because of the lack of production in three-pointers and defensive stats, but Mathurin has been a solid option since joining the Clippers.

One game removed from scoring 45 points on 20 shot attempts from the field, Leonard wasn’t as efficient on Friday. The Bulls, who the Lakers torched on Thursday, deserve some credit for that. But Leonard still managed to record a quality overall stat line, and he’s scored 25 points or more in six consecutive games. The Clippers host the Kings on Saturday, and that could potentially be another big game for Leonard.

Post only played 11 minutes on Friday, as he exited prematurely with a sprained left ankle. A potential absence for the second-year center would not have a significant impact on fantasy basketball, but the Warriors were already lacking depth in the post. Draymond Green (back) did not play on Friday, Al Horford (calf) exited after five minutes and Kristaps Porziņǵis is still under a minutes limit. The Warriors end Week 20 with a game against the Knicks on Sunday.

Porziņǵis remains under a minutes restriction, with the Warriors’ big man logging 20 minutes on Friday. However, he took advantage of those minutes, recording his first 20-point game since joining the team. Add in the fact that Porziņǵis recorded a complete stat line, and few, if any, fantasy managers will turn their noses up at this performance. The Warriors, who lost Al Horford (calf) and Quinten Post (ankle) during Friday’s defeat, finish their Week 20 with a game against the Knicks on Sunday.

After totaling 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting in his prior two appearances, Podziemski exceeded that number on Friday. Add in the rebounds and three-pointers, and this was a solid effort from the Warriors’ guard, even if he did not record any defensive stats. Since the All-Star break, Podziemski has provided sixth-round value in eight-cat formats. With Stephen Curry (knee) out for at least one more week, Podz is worth picking up if he’s on the waiver wire in 12-team leagues.

Gobert’s five shot attempts on Friday equaled his total in Minnesota’s prior two games. The difference against the Warriors was that he was able to get to the foul line and convert at a good clip. Gobert shot 8-of-10 from the charity stripe, part of his highest-scoring night since scoring 18 in a March 5 win over the Raptors. There are times when Minnesota can be more intentional in getting Gobert involved offensively, but that did not appear to be an issue on Friday. Minnesota visits the Thunder on Sunday to end its Week 20.

For the fifth time this season and 47th time of his career, Edwards finished a game with at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists. The Timberwolves’ star said after Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers that he needed to do more, and he backed up those words in San Francisco. Friday’s game was Edwards’ tenth this season with at least 40 points, and he’s scored 34 or more in three of his last four appearances.