NBA Player News

With the Knicks going 3-5 in the eight games he missed with a high ankle sprain, Hart’s return to action was certainly anticipated. And he got off to an excellent start, scoring eight points in his first stint on the floor. The all-around stat line is what makes Hart a valuable player in category leagues, especially since being moved back into the starting lineup. Miles McBride struggled in his return to the bench but hit two second-half three-pointers, finishing with eight points and three assists in 35 minutes.

Murray-Boyles, who initially injured his left thumb during a game against the Heat just before Christmas, aggravated the injury when Luka Dončić swiped down in an attempt to take the ball away from the rookie forward. Initially considered questionable to return, Murray-Boyles has since been ruled out. The Raptors will lean heavily on Sandro Mamukelashvili, with Jonathan Mogbo sliding into the back end of the rotation.

Miller handled the bulk of the scoring duties for the Hornets on the second night of a back-to-back while Miles Bridges, LaMelo Ball and rookie sensation Kon Knueppel taking a back seat in a one-sided affair. The 23-year-old forward drained 6-of-10 shots, including 4-of-4 from three-point range, to score 18 of his 23 points by halftime. He was able to take off most of the final quarter after Charlotte built up a 33-point advantage in the final stanza. The Hornets have a three-game week coming up that features matchups against the Cavaliers, Magic and Wizards.

It certainly qualifies as an underwhelming performance on the heels of an explosive 42-point effort during Saturday’s win over the Wizards. Murray struggled to get going on the second night of a back-to-back as Denver looked completely out of sync, shooting just 41 percent overall to finish with only 87 points. The Nuggets have a four-game slate next week that features showdowns against the Lakers, Wizards, Bucks and Grizzlies.

Kalkbrenner had no trouble exploiting Denver’s extreme lack of interior defense by shooting 80 percent from the floor in limited minutes off the bench as he continues to work his way back from a left elbow sprain. The 24-year-old rookie center continues to split time with Moussa Diabate, who has been battling lingering hip and hamstring issues, and finished with four points and nine boards in 25 minutes during this one.

Strawther took advantage of the lopsided score to do some serious damage off the bench, hitting 5-of-7 shots, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. The seldom-used 23-year-old guard has played sparingly this season, even with all of Denver’s injury issues, but he’s capable of producing double-digit points with consistent playing time.