NBA Player News

While the Bucks will have Kyle Kuzma, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner available for Tuesday’s game, there won’t be much depth otherwise. Sims and Bobby Portis (back) are out, which means Pete Nance should play more. While not worth the risk in most fantasy leagues, Nance has had some good moments when allowed to play extended minutes.

Nnaji, who picked up a few additional minutes due to Aaron Gordon (calf) being out, played just eight minutes in Sunday’s victory. A hip impingement led to Nnaji being shut down for the rest of the night. The Nuggets play two games in Week 23, with the first scheduled for Wednesday. Nnaji’s absence is unlikely to affect fantasy basketball, especially if Gordon is available.

After appearing to grab his side, Johnson departed for the Nuggets’ locker room during the third quarter of Sunday’s game. It was eventually announced that the forward was dealing with back spasms. While Johnson did return to the bench to rejoin his teammates, he did not check back into the game. The Nuggets are off until Wednesday; if Johnson is not available, Julian Strawther could sneak into the back end of the rotation.

Denver’s tandem of Murray and Nikola Jokić was outstanding on Sunday, helping the Nuggets pull away from the Warriors in the second half. Murray, who finished with a complete stat line, has provided second-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats since the All-Star break. Unfortunately, the Nuggets are scheduled to play just two games in Week 23, which is unfortunate for those rostering Murray with their eyes on a league title.

Jokić finished Sunday’s 116-93 victory two assists shy of a triple-double, shooting 50 percent from the field. The three-time MVP has recorded a triple-double in five consecutive games, matching his longest run of the season. The negative for fantasy managers is that the Nuggets play two games in Week 23. While Jokić can certainly provide elite fantasy value in those games, it would be a lot better if Denver were scheduled to play three or four games.

Jones experienced tightness in his right hamstring during Sunday’s game and has now been ruled out for the rest of the night. With Peyton Watson limited to 20 minutes and Cameron Johnson questionable to return with back spasms, Julian Strawther has picked up rotation minutes during the third quarter.

Post, who missed three games with a sore right foot, appeared to aggravate the issue late in the second quarter of Sunday’s game. He has since been ruled out for the rest of the night, placing even more responsibility upon the shoulders of Draymond Green and Kristaps Porziņǵis in the Warriors’ frontcourt.

Sunday’s game was the first for McBride since January 27, as he was returning from sports hernia surgery. During a scramble for a loose ball, the Knicks guard reached for his inner thigh area. While he was able to walk back to the bench without assistance, McBride did so gingerly. He did not return to the bench after heading to the locker room, and the severity of McBride’s injury is unknown. If he heads back to the sidelines, those minutes are likely to go to Jordan Clarkson, as Mohamed Diawara’s playing time has decreased recently.

Towns has been a very consistent rebounder averaging 12.5 rebounds in March. The 18 rebounds he had against the Thunder on Sunday were the most he’s had in a game since late January when he had 22 and 20 rebounds in back-to-back games. The Knicks have three games upcoming in Week 23, starting with a matchup against the Rockets on Tuesday.

Brunson has had good numbers while the Knicks still managed to go 1-2. In two of the games he had 32 points and in the other games he had 26 points and 13 assists. He had 90 points and 25 assists total in the last three games, the lone gripe being that he only made six three-pointers. The Knicks have three games upcoming in Week 23, starting with a matchup against the Rockets on Tuesday.