NBA Player News

Five was the number of the night for Ball, with three of the four statistical categories in which he hit that number being positive. The Hornets’ guard was responsible for five rebounds, five assists, five three-pointers...and five turnovers. By now, fantasy managers know to expect high-turnover nights from Ball, but the five on Saturday were the most in a game for him since December 31. However, Ball has been a top-25 player in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks, so turnovers aren’t going to cause too much stress among fantasy managers.

Dëmin will get a maintenance day due to a left plantar fascia issue, and Thomas will get one for a lingering left hamstring injury. Brooklyn plays again on Wednesday and Friday before another back-to-back set on Sunday and Monday. Ziaire Williams (illness) will sit out Monday, but Drake Powell (knee) is back after sitting out Sunday. Powell, Tyrese Martin and Terance Mann should all see increased run with Dëmin, Thomas and Williams out of action.

MPJ got a rest day on Sunday for the first game of Brooklyn’s back-to-back set, but he’ll return to action following the one-game absence. Expect Porter Jr. to handle his usual workload, which will send Danny Wolf back to the bench.

Newell played four minutes before exiting Sunday’s game with a right quad contusion. While the Hawks announced that the rookie was questionable to return, he did not. Atlanta won the game big, so Newell likely would have picked up a few more minutes in the fourth quarter. Hopefully, he won’t have to miss time, but the rookie forward’s status won’t affect redraft leagues.

Durant’s streak of 30-point games ended at two on Sunday, and he needed to knock down three shots during the fourth quarter to extend his streak of 20-point games. Give credit to the Kings for their work defensively, but this was an underwhelming performance for fantasy managers hoping to get a big night out of Durant. Houston opens a four-game Week 13 on Tuesday against the Bulls in what should be a high-possession game.

This has been a challenging time for Şengün’s managers, as injuries have sidelined him for five of the Rockets’ previous seven games entering Sunday. (And he played only one minute in a January 3 loss to Dallas.) While the center did not shoot the ball well in Sacramento, playing 35 minutes in his first game back was encouraging. The Rockets play four games in Week 13, but a midweek back-to-back could limit Şengün to three appearances, depending on how the training staff handles his playing time.

While it wasn’t enough to deliver the Rockets a win, Thompson’s final line was one of his best this season. In addition to matching his season-high in points, the third-year wing recorded his eighth double-double of the season. The lack of defensive stats and five turnovers were disappointing, but Thompson has scored at least 20 points in three straight and six of his last seven appearances. The Rockets will play all four of their Week 13 games at home, starting with the Bulls on Tuesday.

For those who may have hoped that Dennis Schröder’s three-game suspension would have cleared room in the Kings’ rotation for Monk and Keon Ellis, Sunday night was a disappointment. Monk had no issue getting minutes, as his 26 led all five reserves who saw time. However, one game removed from being in the starting lineup, Ellis played seven minutes and grabbed one rebound. While Monk’s night may inspire some optimism among deep-league managers heading into the Kings’ four-game Week 13, it’s tough to trust him or Ellis in fantasy basketball.

While Westbrook has consistently scored in double figures, double-doubles have been challenging to come by for the veteran point guard. The ten assists recorded against the Rockets were the most in a game for him since hitting that number in a December 18 overtime loss to the Trail Blazers. With Dennis Schröder serving the first game of a three-game suspension, Westbrook’s 34 minutes were six more than he played in Friday’s loss to the Kings.

DeRozan led six Kings in double figures with his point total, and he also made some history, becoming the 23rd player in NBA history to score at least 26,000 points in a career. While DeRozan’s overall stat line was a bit lean, the six assists were a nice bonus. That’s the most in a game for him since he reached that number in a New Year’s Day loss to the Celtics. DeRozan and the Kings play four games in Week 13, starting with the Lakers on Monday.

The Kings had something on Sunday that has been difficult for them to achieve on most nights: offensive balance. Four of the five starters attempted between 10 and 13 shots, as did reserves Malik Monk and Dylan Cardwell. LaVine may not have offered much value beyond points, three-pointers and percentages, but the balance helped Sacramento pick up one of its best wins of the season. As the trade deadline draws closer, LaVine will be one of the players to watch as the Kings need to get younger for the future.