NBA Player News

The Bucks don’t have Myles Turner for Wednesday’s game, opening up a spot in the starting lineup. He’ll be replaced by Harris, who can give the Bucks’ perimeter defense a boost. This lineup also means Giannis will start guarding Chet Holmgren.

Holland hasn’t been able to contribute value consistently during his second season, but he is certainly capable of making an impact in a multitude of ways. Most of his value this season has been tied up in steals, but he was able to do more than just that in this game. He still has a lot of growing to do before he can be a standard league option, but performances like this show that he will be able to make a big impact eventually.

Murphy was one of multiple Pelicans players to have a big night. On the offensive end, he efficiently shot his way past the 30-point mark for the fifth time in January and utilized the free-throw line along the way. Defensively, Murphy used his length to rack up a few steals and boost his fantasy basketball production in the process. Friday’s strong two-way performance was just the latest in what’s been a great start to the calendar year for Murphy. He’ll have a chance for another big game against the Spurs on Sunday.

Bey’s stellar season continued against the Grizzlies, as he shot efficiently from the floor en route to his first 30-point game of the season. A season-high six three-pointers was a major part of his success on the offensive end in this game, while he also made contributions as a facilitator. Bey’s best moments, however, came in the fourth quarter; he scored 19 in the frame to help the Pacers mount a big comeback and ultimately an overtime victory. Bey remains one of the bright spots for New Orleans this season.

Stewart had a quiet stretch entering this game, but he was able to get things going on offense in the loss. Typically, Stewart’s impact is on the glass and as a shot blocker, but he wasn’t able to do much of either in this game. Still, a productive scoring night is encouraging since he should typically collect more boards and blocks than he did in this game. However, he hasn’t been able to make a consistent impact for fantasy managers as a reserve.

Capela hasn’t been more than a depth piece down low for the Rockets this season, which hasn’t resulted in much production in the box score. However, with Steven Adams (ankle) out indefinitely, Capela has taken on more minutes and was able to contribute some boards and blocks in this game. He’ll be a solid reserve moving forward, but as long as Alperen Şengün is healthy, Capela won’t play enough to be worth rostering.

Durant got off to a hot start in this game and entered halftime with 18 points. He remained hot after the break and ended up scoring at least 30 points for the second time in 24 hours. Durant has now shot at least 55 percent from the floor in four of his last five games. He has been hot recently and continues to play big minutes; he’s averaging 39.3 minutes per game over the past two weeks. As long as he’s on the floor, KD will continue to shine.

Smith has had some subpar performances recently, but he was able to turn in a strong line on Friday. This was only his second double-double of the month, and despite being a high-level defender, Smith hasn’t been able to consistently contribute defensive stats. That wasn’t the case in this game. He didn’t do much scoring, but he was efficient. He’ll look to keep it going against the Grizzlies on Monday.

Barrett returns to the lineup and the starting five following a two-week absence (ankle). His return will give the Raptors a boost on the offensive end as they look to win their third straight game and end Portland’s four-game win streak. Toronto is currently fourth in the Eastern Conference standings.

Cissoko will get the start for Deni Avidja (back), who has been ruled out for the second game of a back-to-back. Without their best scorer, the Trail Blazers will rely on contributions from several players against the Raptors in order to obtain their fifth win in a row. Portland is currently in ninth place in the Western Conference standings.

The Nuggets’ starting unit on Friday features many changes. With Nikola Jokic, Peyton Watson, Christian Braun and Jamal Murray all out with injuries, several reserves have been elevated to the starting lineup. The unusual combination of players will look to overpower the Bucks, put together a second straight victory, and remain near the top of the Western Conference standings.