NBA Player News

Out of the lineup since suffering a fractured left hand in a February 21 game against the Magic, Brooks will make his return in Tuesday’s rematch. He has started all 50 games that he has appeared in this season, so the veteran wing is likely to take on that role immediately, even if there’s a minutes limit attached. Royce O’Neale, who finished Monday’s win over the Grizzlies with nine points, four rebounds, one assist and two three-pointers, may be the odd man out of the Suns’ lineup.

Hachimura was pushed back to the bench for this game with Luka Dončić back in the lineup after serving a one-game suspension on Monday. Hachimura scored 14 points as a starter in that game and added 14 more in this one, though he didn’t contribute much in other categories, which has been the case all season. Hachimura is a strong rotation piece for the Lakers, but he shouldn’t be relied on in fantasy basketball.

After serving a one-game suspension on Monday for being assessed a 16th technical foul, Dončić was back in the lineup for the second leg of this back-to-back. The fresh legs allowed him to put together a third straight 40-point game while also shooting at least 50 percent from the floor in each game. He’s been effective from the free throw line as well, shooting 25-of-26 during this three-game stretch. Free throw percentage is typically a weakness, but he as been red-hot recently and will look to keep that going into Thursday’s game in Oklahoma City.

Strus was back in the lineup after sitting out the first leg of this back-to-back, and he ended up starting for the first time this season. He wasn’t able to match his season-high 29 points that he scored on Friday, but he remained efficient. Still, the lopsided score limited him to 23 minutes, so it ended up being a subpar night. If he remains a starter when Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson and Dean Wade are all healthy, Strus should be a reliable option for fantasy managers for the rest of the season.

Allen sat the first leg of this back-to-back, but he was able to lead the Cavaliers in scoring in his return to the lineup. All 18 of his points came before halftime, and he didn’t end up seeing the floor much after the break. This was an ugly loss for the Cavs that was somewhat redeemed on the scoreboard during the fourth quarter. Allen only played 19 minutes in this game after playing 18 in his return on Friday, though both games were blowouts. He’ll likely continue to have his minutes managed in Golden State on Thursday.

Ingram was a late scratch for Sunday’s win over the Magic, but returned Tuesday with 22 points in the loss to the Pistons. The 28-year-old small forward didn’t do much else in his 31 minutes, adding just one rebound and one three-pointer. The Raptors still have three games left in Week 23 for Ingram to have a more complete game.

Robinson missed Monday’s loss to the Thunder as he was managing a right hip injury. The 31-year-old small forward returned Tuesday and had 19 points against the Raptors, making five three-pointers. Robinson will continue to be a solid source of threes when available. There should be enough off days for him to play in both of the Pistons’ remaining games in Week 23.

Jenkins was excellent as he continues to give the Pistons what they need with Cade Cunningham (lung) sidelined. The 24-year-old point guard, who started the season on a two-way contract, had 21 points in 37 minutes in the win over the Raptors. He’s provided ninth-round per game value over the last two weeks. The Pistons have two games remaining in Week 23, starting with a matchup against the Timberwolves on Thursday.

After starting 12 of his last 13 appearances, Dieng was pushed to the bench for this game with Milwaukee rolling out its healthiest lineup in a while. Still, Dieng was able to have a productive outing as a reserve, though it wasn’t an efficient performance. Dieng will continue to play big minutes for the Bucks for the rest of this season, which should allow him to make an impact for fantasy managers. He’ll look to keep it going in Houston on Wednesday, with multiple starters likely to be unavailable for the second leg of this back-to-back.

In his return from a four-game absence, Kuzma was immediately able to make a big impact in the box score. He scored 20 points in his final game before the absence, but prior to that, his production came inconsistently. Kuzma hasn’t been a reliable option in fantasy basketball this season, though he should still be able to provide some value down the stretch of this season, even if it won’t be as efficient as it was in this game often.

Duren had a huge game as the Pistons took down the Raptors without Cade Cunningham (lung). The 22-year-old center is now averaging 23.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and shooting 68 percent from the field in the last seven games without Cunningham. Duren has provided second-round per game value over the last two weeks. The Pistons have two games remaining in Week 23, starting with a matchup against the Timberwolves on Thursday.