NBA Player News

Gill will join Alex Sarr, Anthony Davis, Tristan Vukčević, Kyshawn George and Jamir Watkins on the sideline. Washington’s frontcourt rotation is decimated by injuries, so Julian Reese could earn a second start in as many days.

With LeBron James (elbow, foot) unavailable, Hachimura made his 32nd start of the season and first since February 12. While he did shoot the ball reasonably well in his 23 minutes, the 6-foot-8 forward did not offer much value outside of points and three-pointers. Jake LaRavia played 16 minutes off the bench, finishing with eight points (3-of-7 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs) and two rebounds.

With no LeBron James and Austin Reaves in foul trouble, Dončić shouldered even more of the workload on Friday. He came out hot, scoring 22 points in the first quarter. Dončić put up another 15 in the third and did not have to play at all in the fourth quarter. Given how much the Lakers rely on their star point guard, any opportunities to get additional rest are welcome. Also of note, Dončić did not pick up a technical foul, as he’s one away from a mandatory one-game suspension. The Lakers host the Knicks on Sunday in their final game of Week 19.

After putting up an efficient 23 points in Wednesday’s rout of the Pacers, Mathurin struggled in San Antonio. The eight points were the fewest in a game for the guard since joining the Clippers, and he entered Friday averaging 19.2 points in nine appearances. The overall body of work means that fantasy managers should not be too concerned about Mathurin, especially with the Clippers visiting the Grizzlies on Saturday.

Champagnie’s 20 points and five three-pointers helped the Spurs dig their way out of a 25-point deficit before beating the Clippers 116-112. The 24-year-old small forward had four three-pointers in the third quarter alone. He’s provided fifth-round per game value over the last two weeks. The Spurs close out Week 19 against the Rockets on Sunday.

Leonard has scored at least 30 points in three of the seven games that he’s played since the All-Star break. Unfortunately for him and the Clippers, Friday’s performance wasn’t enough to keep the team from letting a 25-point lead slip away. That is of little concern to fantasy managers, who had to be pleased with Leonard’s final stat line. The Clippers play one more game in Week 19, visiting the Grizzlies on Saturday.

Wembanyama has now scored at least 25 points in three of his last four games. The 22-year-old center has three double-doubles and 19 blocks in that span. Wembanyama has been the top player in per game value over the last two weeks. The Spurs close out Week 19 against the Rockets on Sunday.

While it occurred in a losing effort, Lopez had one of his best games of the season on Friday. Shooting 7-of-11 from two and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc, the veteran center’s 26 points were the most in a game for him since December 26. On that night, Lopez scored a season-high 31 points against the Trail Blazers. With backup center Yanic Konan-Niederhäuser (foot) having suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury during Wednesday’s win over the Pacers, the Clippers will need more from Lopez. On Friday, he played 34 minutes, the fourth time since the All-Star break that the 7-foot-1 center has played at least 30 in a game.

Murphy has 64 points and 11 three-pointers in three games so far this week. The 25-year-old small forward led the Pelicans with 22 points and four three-pointers in Friday’s loss to the Suns. Murphy also had an impact on the defensive end with two steals and a block. He’s provided third-round per game value over the last two weeks. The Pelicans close out the week against the Wizards on Sunday.

Green now has at least 20 points in two of his last three games. The 24-year-old shooting guard has also played at least 30 minutes in three consecutive games, which bodes well for his scoring floor and ceiling going forward. The Suns close out the week against the Hornets on Sunday.

Murray sprained his left ankle during the second quarter of Friday’s game and walked back to the locker room with assistance. While the Nuggets announced at the start of the third quarter that the point guard was questionable to return, he never did. And with Denver on the wrong end of a blowout, there was no need for him to play. Tyus Jones made his Nuggets debut, finishing with three points, one rebound and one assist in 12 minutes. He and Jalen Pickett (one assist in nine minutes) could be asked to do more if Murray isn’t available for Monday’s game against the Thunder.