NBA Player News

Turner did not play in Wednesday’s loss to the Thunder, which led to Gary Harris starting and Giannis Antetokounmpo serving as the starting center opposite Chet Holmgren. Harris played nine minutes, with Bobby Portis’ playing time increasing off the bench. Harris is likely to fall out of the rotation entirely if Turner plays on Friday.

Though the inefficient shooting remained, it has been a strong stretch of games for George. He is averaging 21 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.2 triples over his last five games. He ranks inside the top 100 in nine-category leagues this season, but during this stretch, he is inside the top 25. He’ll look to stay hot in Charlotte on Saturday to wrap up the week.

Carrington remained in the starting lineup for a fourth straight game, and while he was inefficient, he was able to pour in more counting stats. This time, it was the defensive production that set him apart. Carrington’s never been a great source of steals and blocks, but he was able to provide an unexpected boost in this game. Managers shouldn’t expect that to continue, but he has played 38.3 minutes per game over his last four games as a starter, which is an encouraging sign for his value.

Murray has been fantastic all season, but he has been extra hot as of late. Over the last two weeks, he is shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and has shot at least 50 percent in five of his last six games. That was enough in this game to snap Denver’s two-game losing streak. It was also the first leg of a back-to-back, and he’ll look to stay hot in Milwaukee on Friday.

Watson has scored at least 20 points 15 times in his career. 13 of those have come this season. This was a new career high for scoring for Watson, and it was more than just a big scoring night. He also matched his career high for triples, which he previously set two weeks prior to this one. It was also a full stat line and an efficient shooting night. Watson’s breakout season has been impressive, and he should remain an elite option until Nikola Jokic returns, though he should certainly retain value after that.

For those questioning whether they should grab Melton off the waiver wire, Thursday’s performance should be a convincing one. He needed 23 minutes off the bench to record a complete stat line, and he’s scored at least 23 points in three of his last five appearances. While Melton remains outside the top-150 in season-long value, that was influenced by the time he missed at the start of the season. With Jimmy Butler III (knee) done for the season, the reward outweighs the risk when it comes to adding Melton.

With Jimmy Butler III (knee) done for the season and Jonathan Kuminga (knee) leaving Thursday’s game during the first half, the Warriors needed even more production from Curry. The 27 shot attempts were one shy of his season-high, and the 38 points were the most he’s scored in a game since a December 28 loss to the Raptors. Depending on what happens with Kuminga, the Warriors may be forced to ask even more of their all-time great guard in the coming games.

Active after missing the previous three games, Washington was used in a reserve role on Thursday. The forward played 22 minutes, eight shy of the limit set by the team. Washington didn’t have a prolific scoring night, but he filled up the stat sheet, which was excellent for those who have him rostered in category leagues. Caleb Martin remained in the starting lineup but only played 19 minutes, going scoreless with two rebounds, one assist and two blocked shots. Those who streamed Martin when Washington was unavailable can move on.

Before Thursday’s game, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said that Flagg could be limited to 20-25 minutes. Key word: could. The rookie played 30 minutes and showed no signs of being hampered by the sprained left ankle he suffered last week. Flagg recorded his sixth double-double of the season, and he has provided sixth-round per-game value in eight-cat formats over the past month.

Valančiūnas was back in the lineup after missing the past few weeks, and he immediately started and played 22 minutes. He got off to a hot start, scoring eight points in the first three minutes. He wasn’t quite as effective the rest of the way, but it was important for Denver to have him back out on the floor. This was the first leg of a back-to-back, so don’t expect Valančiūnas to be available to take on Milwaukee on Friday. That should mean a return to the starting lineup for Spencer Jones.

For the first time this season, Christie has scored at least 20 points in three consecutive games. And he’s flipped a switch since the holidays, with five of his six 20-point games occurring after Christmas. With Anthony Davis (hand) out for the foreseeable future, there will continue to be room for Christie to have a greater impact offensively. A top-100 player over the past two weeks, he’s rostered in 21 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and that number is too low.