NBA Player News

Already without Max Strus and Jaylon Tyson, the Cavaliers won’t have Dean Wade either, as he sprained his right ankle during a pregame workout. Due to Wade’s absence, Ellis moves into the starting five as part of a smaller opening quintet.

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.

The Clippers appeared to be on their way to one of their worst defeats of the season, but Leonard stepped up when he was most needed. The star forward shot 5-of-8 from the field in the fourth quarter, including a pull-up jumper with less than a second remaining that gave the Clippers a 114-113 lead. That would be the final score as Indiana’s Jay Huff missed two free throws with one-tenth of a second remaining. Leonard and the Clippers play once more in Week 22, a Sunday matinee against the reeling Bucks.

The Wizards welcome back Sarr after not having him for Wednesday’s win over the Jazz. He’ll start with Tristan Vukčević serving as his backup, and Julian Reese is inactive. The other change to the lineup is Johnson, whose return pushes Will Riley to the bench.

The Warriors won’t have De’Anthony Melton for Friday’s game, opening a spot in the starting lineup. He’ll be replaced by Richard, with the rookie offering some value as a deep-league streamer.