NBA Player News

Barnes had a rough night at the office scoring-wise, as he shot 1-of-6 from three-point range. Category league managers can take solace in the rebounds, assists and steals. But this was a disappointing effort for someone who has ranked among the most valuable players in fantasy basketball this season, regardless of format. The Raptors return home for games on Friday and Sunday to complete Week 20.

NAW has had an incredible first season with the Hawks, but he has taken things up a notch in March. He has scored at least 20 points in seven of his last eight games and averaged 23.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 3.5 triples while shooting 53.6 percent from the floor, 50 percent from deep and 93 percent from the free throw line. He’s making a strong push for the Most Improved Player award and will look to stay hot against the Kings on Saturday.

McCollum wasn’t able to match his 27-point effort from Wednesday’s win, but he was able to score at least 20 points for the fourth time in his last six games. This was only the Hawks’ third loss since the All-Star break, and McCollum has filled in well with this team, which has led to him having some productive outings for fantasy managers. He’ll look to keep it going against the Kings on Saturday.

Traoré and Clowney are back in the Nets’ lineup after not playing in Wednesday’s loss to the Warriors. As a result, Ben Saraf and Terance Mann will come off the bench, limiting the fantasy value of both.

CMB logged 12 minutes before his night came to a close. Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jonathan Mogbo should take on extra minutes with CMB unavailable for the rest of this game.

Despite limited playing time, Toppin has scored in double figures in five of his last six appearances. Friday’s output was aided, in part, by Jarace Walker (concussion) having to leave during the first quarter. Toppin matched his season-high with 20 points, and the 23 minutes are the most he’s played since before injuring his foot in late October. If Walker has to miss time, starting with Sunday’s game against the Heat, Toppin may be worth the risk in deep leagues. Kobe Brown started the third quarter in place of Walker, finishing with 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block and one three-pointer in 27 minutes.

For the first time this season, Nembhard has recorded at least 10 assists in three consecutive games. And he’s kept the turnovers in check during this run, totaling 43 assists and six turnovers. Nembhard’s field-goal percentage against the Clippers wasn’t the best, but fantasy managers will be pleased with the assists and “stocks.” He’ll look to end Week 22 on a high note when the Pacers host the Heat on Sunday.

Nesmith has now reached double figures in three straight and eight of his last nine appearances, scoring at least 20 points in three. Against the Clippers, he was highly efficient shooting the basketball, making over 71 percent of his attempts. The five turnovers weren’t great, but that was the lone issue for fantasy managers to be disappointed in. The Pacers play once more in Week 22, as they host the Heat on Sunday.

Johnson once again stuffed the stat sheet, though it wasn’t enough to keep Atlanta’s winning streak alive. However, he was able to match his career high for three-pointers in a game, and he has now hit at least two triples in nine consecutive games. Johnson continues to be one of the premier options in fantasy hoops, and with a favorable matchup against the Kings to wrap up the week on Saturday, he’ll look to be even more productive than he was in this game.

Garland appeared to roll his left ankle during the second quarter of Friday’s game, heading back to the locker room just before halftime. He was back on the floor for the start of the third and showed no ill effects from the ankle sprain, shooting 7-of-11 from the field in the second half, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Garland did not offer any value beyond points, assists and three-pointers, but few will turn their noses up at a 30-point night.

Playing in Indiana for the first time since he was dealt to the Clippers in the Ivica Zubac trade, Mathurin struggled with his shot. He shot 1-of-5 from inside the arc, but Mathurin compensated for those struggles by getting to the foul line. The Clippers’ wing shot 75 percent from the charity stripe, with the 12 points on free throws boosting his points tally. Sunday’s game against the Bucks may be better for Mathurin, given the emotions associated with his return to Indiana on Friday.