NBA Player News

Limited to six points in Monday’s win over the Warriors, Lopez nearly tripled his output in Wednesday’s blowout of the Pacers. The veteran center played 21 minutes, with the playing time taking a slight hit with the game being a blowout. At a minimum, the Clippers won’t have backup center Yanic Konan-Niederhäuser (foot) for their next two games, so that may result in a slight increase in playing time for Lopez. However, given how his workload has been managed, that isn’t guaranteed.

The Lakers’ 43-point loss on Thursday was the second-worst of James’ career, and the game wasn’t that close. Like most of the starters on the two teams, LeBron watched the entire fourth quarter from the bench. And he may be asked to do more of the heavy lifting, as Luka Dončić (hamstring) exited during the third quarter and Austin Reaves (back) was limited for most of his 27 minutes on the court. The Lakers end their Week 23 in Dallas on Sunday.

Reaves appeared to tweak something on the left side of his lower back early in Thursday’s game. While he did play 27 minutes, the Lakers’ guard appeared to be a shell of himself for most of the night. And with Luka Dončić leaving Thursday’s game with a left hamstring injury, the Lakers can’t afford to lose Reaves as well. The Lakers won’t play again until Sunday in Dallas, so Reaves will have a little more time to recover.

Back in the Thunder lineup after sitting out Monday’s win over the Pistons, Williams played 23 minutes in Thursday’s blowout. The nature of the game helped keep the minutes down for J-Dub and Isaiah Hartenstein (7/6/2/2/2), with the latter playing 20 minutes. With the Thunder hosting the Jazz on Sunday, that’s another game in which the Thunder may get additional rest.

Dort came out scalding hot, shooting 5-of-5 from the field in the first quarter and producing 14 points and four three-pointers. He didn’t score again, but the Thunder are more concerned about the back injury he suffered in the third quarter. Dort’s layup attempt was blocked by Lakers’ forward Jake LaRavia, with the momentum sending the Thunder wing crashing to the court. Dort walked back to the locker room during a timeout moments later and did not return. The game was a blowout, so it made no sense for him to return regardless of the injury’s severity. Still, this is something to watch with the playoffs on the horizon.

As a team, the Thunder knocked down 19 three-pointers in their demolition of the Lakers, and Joe led the way with six. He didn’t provide much outside of the points and three-pointers, but that’s the expectation for those rostering the Thunder reserve. With Luguentz Dort (back) leaving Thursday’s game during the third quarter, Joe is one of the players whose roles could expand for Sunday’s matchup with the Jazz. And that game also has blowout potential with the Jazz focused on player development and their draft lottery odds.

Gilgeous-Alexander extended his streak of games with at least 20 points to 137 on Thursday, and he did not need to play during the fourth quarter to do so. Oklahoma City led by 30 at halftime and by 45 at the end of the third, giving the reigning MVP additional rest in the final frame. With the Thunder hosting the Jazz on Sunday, fantasy managers hoping for an even bigger night from Gilgeous-Alexander should be fine.

Dončić injured his left hamstring during the third quarter of Thursday’s game, letting go of the basketball almost immediately afterward. While the Lakers’ star guard was able to walk off the court on his own, he did not look comfortable. Dončić still needs to play at least 20 minutes in one more game to be eligible for postseason awards. Still, the Lakers’ primary concern is whether this injury will affect his availability for the postseason. He will undergo an MRI on Friday morning to determine the severity of the injury.

The 22nd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Whitehead struggled to stay healthy throughout his time with the Nets. Waived just before the end of training camp in October, he has spent this season with Oklahoma City’s G League affiliate before Thursday’s move to Memphis. Whitehead will look to use this opportunity as a springboard into something more secure for the 2026-27 campaign.

Dosunmu continues to provide solid value as a starter, having scored 17 points or more in each of his last seven appearances. Thursday’s stat line was complete, and the Timberwolves’ guard has been responsible for at least three combined steals and blocks in three straight and four of his last five appearances. As long as he’s healthy and Jaden McDaniels (knee) remains out, Dosunmu is close to a must-roster player in 12-team leagues for the remainder of Week 23.

Having scored 20 points on 8-of-29 shooting in his prior two appearances, Reid needed to clean up some things on Thursday. He once again shot below 50 percent from the field, but the Timberwolves’ reserve was a respectable 4-of-9 from three. Add in the rebounds, assists and blocks, and this was a solid effort overall from Reid. Minnesota plays two more games in Week 23, starting with the 76ers on Friday.