NBA Player News

Pecherov will likely be headed back overseas.

Wiggins had a productive night and finished behind only Steph Curry (38 points) for team lead in the scoring department. Wiggins was Golden State’s leading rebounder, and he added some solid three-point shooting. Unfortunately, those strong numbers will ultimately be forgotten, as Wiggins was beaten by Austin Reaves on the Lakers’ final possession of the game and gave up the go-ahead bucket. Wiggins and Co. will look to snap a two-game skid with a visit to Intuit Dome to face the Clippers on Friday.

Curry led all scorers in this one, and he did all he could to get his team a much-needed victory. Down 111-107, Curry knocked down a key triple with a corner heave over LeBron James on an inbounds pass. Austin Reaves hit both of his free throws on the Lakers’ next possession, and Curry calmly drilled a wide-open logo three to tie up the game at 113. His efforts came up short as Austin Reaves blew past Andrew Wiggins for an easy layup with a second left, and Golden State dropped its second straight game and third straight at home. The Warriors head to LA to face the Clippers on Friday, and Curry will look to build on his monster scoring performance and get the Warriors back in the win column.

Reaves posted his third career triple-double as the Lakers held on to win a wild game at Chase Center. Without Anthony Davis, Reaves finished as the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, and he tied with LeBron James for team lead in assists. Even more impressive than the triple-double was Reaves’ go-ahead bucket with a second remaining. Reaves knocked down a pair of clutch free throws before Steph Curry hit a three-ball from the logo to tie things up. Momentum seemed to favor Golden State, but Reaves got the ball on the inbounds and blew past Andrew Wiggins for a layup that put Los Angeles ahead 115-113. Reaves has been cooking since returning from a five-game absence, and he’s been a top-75 player over the last two weeks. He and the Lakers get a couple days off before playing Sacramento on Saturday, where Reaves will look to stay hot. He finished with 16//4/5 against the Beam Team when the teams met on December 21.

James played in his 19th Christmas Day game, but you wouldn’t know he’s been around that long based on Wednesday’s performance. James led all players in scoring, going for at least 30 points for a seventh time on December 25. James came into this one as the only player in league history to eclipse 400 career points on Christmas, and he became the first to reach 500 with his 31-point performance. He and the Lakers will look to win their fifth game in six days when they face the Kings on Saturday.

No surprises here as Davis logged just seven minutes before sustaining the injury and didn’t return in the first half. Los Angeles carried an eight-point lead into the third quarter when Davis’ status was announced, so the Lakers will likely take a cautious approach to his health. Gabe Vincent started the second half for LA as the team played small ball, and he, Dalton Knecht and Christian Koloko will absorb Davis’ minutes in some capacity for as long as the big man is sidelined.

Murray will return following a one-game absence, and he should handle his normal workload against Phoenix.

Sabonis averaged 18 points, 20 boards and 4.5 assists across his last two games - production that will not be easily replicated. Trey Lyles started both of Sabonis’ prior absences this season, and he posted 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 dimes and a whopping 4.0 triples across 36.5 minutes in that pair of spot starts.

The non-contact injury is a brutal loss for LA. Davis went back to the locker room in the first quarter, and his status for the rest of the game is unclear. If he doesn’t return, he’ll finish with two rebounds and a steal across seven minutes. Christian Koloko will fill in at center for as long as Davis is sidelined.

Collins and George both sat out Monday against Cleveland, and Micah Potter and Svi Mykhailiuk filled in for them respectively. Expect the same lineup adjustments if both are sidelined Thursday.

The news is a major blow to Dallas, but if there’s a silver lining, it’s that the Mavs are 6-2 with Doncic on the sidelines this season. His monster usage and production will be tough to replicate, but the team will likely employ a committee approach featuring the likes of Spencer Dinwiddie, Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy.