NBA Player News

On Thursday, Durant had one of his worst shooting performances of the season in a blowout loss to the Thunder. However, he was able to respond with one of his best games of the year. The turnovers and free throws were suboptimal, but he set a new season high for scoring and was still effective as a playmaker. Durant hasn’t been as effective this year as he’s been in the past, but he’s still more than capable of outings like this from time to time.

Clingan made the most of his 29 minutes of game action. He pulled down at least 15 rebounds for the fifth time already in January and made a three-pointer in his fourth straight game. The second-year center also set a new season-high in steals, bringing the defensive production despite not amassing any blocked shots. Clingan has made a nice jump from his rookie to sophomore season and should only get better going forward. His two-way versatility gives him a high ceiling in regard to fantasy basketball.

Sharpe was active on the offensive end on Friday. Without Deni Avdija (back), his shot volume was high, but he finished with fewer points than field-goal attempts. However, the fourth-year guard got on the glass and also made contributions as a passer to round out his solid overall performance. Depending on how long Avdija is sidelined, there’s potential that Sharpe could really put up some big scoring performances. He may have a chance to do so on Monday against the Celtics.

Holiday’s production on the offensive end was one of the most important for Portland on Friday. He shot the ball well and contributed from behind the three-point line to finish as one of the team’s top couple of scorers. In addition to his passing, he set the table well for his teammates and finished as the Trail Blazers’ leader in assists. Despite the loss, the Blazers have built some momentum lately; they’ll continue to rely on Holiday’s veteran leadership to keep their season trending in the right direction.

Quickley shot the ball well on Friday and concluded as one of three Raptors to score at least 20 points. Although his scoring was important, he put together a balanced performance overall, falling a couple of rebounds and a few assists shy of a triple-double. Quickley’s performance against Portland was just the latest in what’s been a good stretch of play for him over Toronto’s three-game winning streak. He’ll have a chance to log another productive game on Sunday against the Thunder.

Mamukelashvili came up big for the Raptors in Friday’s win. He led the team in scoring, thanks largely to his production and efficiency from the three-point line, impacted the game with his passing, and did decent work on the glass during his 35 minutes of gameplay. The fifth-year frontcourt player is enjoying a nice stretch of basketball — he’s scored at least 20 points in back-to-back games and is posting a 19.5/8.3/3.5 line over the last four games.

Ingram had a well-rounded performance on Friday. In his 35 minutes, he impacted the game with his scoring, per usual, but also attacked the glass and was able to come up with three stocks on the defensive end. Friday marked the third straight game Ingram finished with at least 20 points, all during Toronto’s three-game winning streak. He’s played his role well this season with the Raptors and should remain an important piece to their puzzle — fantasy managers shouldn’t expect any slowed production.

With Nikola Jokic (knee) and Jonas Valanciunas (calf) out, Nnaji made a spot start and provided the Nuggets with some solid production. In his 37 minutes, he attacked the glass hard to lead Denver in rebounds, and also led them in blocked shots. Additionally, the sixth-year pro scored in double figures to collect his first double-double of the season. He will likely remain the starter at center for as long as Jokic and Valanciunas are out.

Hardaway wasn’t the most efficient shooter on Friday, but his scoring was massive in helping the undermanned Nuggets secure a victory. More than half of the field goals he made came from beyond the arc, and he made a couple of big free throws late in this one to help give Denver some cushion. Hardaway has sustained his scoring production throughout the year and has performed really well in January. He’s been a nice addition to this Nuggets bench.

Strawther made his first start of the season for the injury-hit Nuggets and recorded arguably his best game of the season. In 27 minutes, the third-year guard led Denver in scoring, despite struggling from behind the three-point line. He’ll likely return to a reserve role once Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, and Peyton Watson return from injuries, and he’s not someone that fantasy basketball managers should consider adding to their roster. Still, his strong showing on Friday helped the Nuggets earn a win.

Truner returned from a one-game absence and provided the Bucks with solid two-way production. In the loss, he scored efficiently inside the arc and was decent on the glass in his 29 minutes of game action. But his biggest impact came on the defensive end, where he set a new season-high in blocks and tallied more in this one game than he had combined throughout January. Turner’s debut season in Milwaukee has been up-and-down, but perhaps this will be the game to jumpstart the rest of his campaign.