NBA Player News

Giddey, who missed Chicago’s final eight games prior to the All-Star break, is now expected to return to the lineup after initially being listed as questionable. They brought him off the bench in his return following his most recent extended absence, which could happen again in this game. That could allow Collin Sexton and Anfernee Simons to remain in the starting unit.

Despite previously being listed as questionable, James suited up for the Lakers on Friday and provided exceptional playmaking. The four-time NBA champion picked apart the Clippers’ defense in his 33 minutes of game action and did just enough as a scorer to score in double figures and land the double-double. He didn’t make many contributions elsewhere, but still put together decent fantasy production. The Lakers play again on Sunday against the Celtics — James’s status ahead of that matchup will be one to monitor.

Reaves’ minutes restriction was lifted on Friday, which gave him more time on the court to put up strong fantasy numbers. In 32 minutes, he was dialed in from beyond the arc, utilized the free-throw line well, and added a couple steals on the defensive end. Reaves didn’t contribute much as a facilitator, but that didn’t prevent him from finishing with a productive stat line. He’ll take the floor again on Sunday against the Celtics.

Donċić stuffed the stat sheet in a major way on Friday. In his first game back from injury (hamstring), he nearly captured a 40-point double-double that included eight three-pointers and four stocks. The superstar guard also only turned the ball over a couple of times, further underscoring his excellence on the offensive end of the floor. He’ll have a chance to tally another outstanding performance in front of the national television audience when the Lakers host the Celtics on Sunday.

Lopez recorded one of his better games of the season on Friday, posting a double-double while making an impact on the defensive end of the floor. The Clippers have been much more dependent on the veteran center since Ivica Zubac departed via trade. And since becoming a full-time starter again, Lopez has put together some good performances, albeit inconsistently. He’ll be on double-double alert again on Sunday against the Magic.

Mathurin followed up his 38-point home debut with another productive outing on Friday. He worked his way to the free-throw line consistently and, when he wasn’t at the stripe, shot relatively well from the floor. Mathurin eventually fouled out of this game during the fourth quarter, which left the Clippers without many scoring options after Kawhi Leonard (ankle) had already exited. If Leonard misses any time, Mathurin will likely function as the Clippers’ primary scorer.

Clingan logged only 19 minutes but still finished as one of Portland’s top scorers on the evening. He was accurate from beyond the arc, leading to more than half of his total points. He came up a rebound short of a double-double, which would have been impressive in such limited time on the floor. Nonetheless, Clingan has played some good basketball of late and will likely remain productive throughout the rest of the fantasy season.

Avidja’s return was filled with ups and downs. He was fantastic as a facilitator, but gave away a lot of possessions with his six turnovers. And while he shot efficiently from the floor, his 0-of-4 shooting from deep prevented him from greater production. Still, he flirted with a triple-double in his 30 minutes of gameplay. Fantasy managers should come away encouraged that he logged 30 minutes and appeared to end the game in good health.

Holiday did what he could in his limited time on the floor on Friday. A 54-point loss kept him to 25 minutes, during which he showcased his three-point shooting and finished as Portland’s leading scorer. There wasn’t much else that the two-time NBA champion did particularly well in terms of stats. But one would imagine that a more competitive game on Sunday against the Suns would provide Holiday with more opportunities to log big numbers.

Several Nuggets players performed well in their 54-point win over the Trail Blazers on Friday, including Strawther, who was one of seven players on Denver to score in double figures. Quietly, Friday’s contest marked the seventh straight game that Strawther has scored at least 10 points. His three-point production has fluctuated, but that hasn’t stopped him from making positive contributions on that end of the floor. He’ll have a chance to extend his streak to eight games on Sunday against the Warriors.

All of Murray’s shot attempts came from beyond the arc in Friday’s contest, accounting for two-thirds of his scoring; the other third came from the charity stripe. He was one of two Nuggets players to score in double figures and one of three to notch at least six assists. Murray’s time on the floor was limited to 25 minutes, thanks to the large margin Denver led by in the second half. Still, he made the most of his minutes and provided good fantasy production.