NBA Player News

Brad Wanamaker is playing on a 10-day deal and started for the Wizards on Thursday. He should be back before his contract ends, thanks to the new protocols. When he does return, it’s unlikely he makes an impact in fantasy.

Beal tied Kevin Durant for team-high and game-high scoring marks, though Beal was the more efficient shooter, going 11-of-21 in the win. Beal is averaging just over 18 points per game for the second straight season, but he’s gone for at least 20 points in three straight while picking up the slack for the injured Devin Booker. Expect Beal to continue shooting and scoring more frequently for as long as Booker is sidelined.

KD couldn’t find his rhythm offensively on Wednesday, but he impacted the game in other ways and still tied Bradley Beal for team lead in points thanks to a perfect 9-of-9 performance from the charity stripe. Durant and Beal did the heavy lifting for a Phoenix team missing Devin Booker, and the pair combined for 47 of the Suns’ 88 shot attempts in this one. Durant gets another home matchup on Friday when the Suns host the Mavs, where he’ll look for a more efficient performance.

Jokic is averaging a career-high 30.9 points per game, but he didn’t reach the 30-point mark after doing so in Monday’s victory over Phoenix at home. Jokic still led his team in scoring and rebounds, but he failed to make much of an impact as a facilitator, which is an area in which he typically excels. Jokic’s rebounds and assists have been a bit unpredictable as of late, but he can still stuff the stat sheet better than nearly every other player in the Association. He’ll need to be at his best against the Cavaliers on Friday if he hopes to get his team back in the win column.

Porter Jr. posted a healthy 24/6/4 line in Monday’s blowout win over Phoenix, and he followed up the performance with another stellar game in Wednesday’s rematch. MPJ got cooking early with eight first-quarter points, and he finished behind only Nikola Jokic (25 points) for team lead in the scoring department. He’s averaging a career-best 18.3 points per game this season, and Porter Jr. has now crossed the 20-point threshold in five of his last 10. He’ll look to keep the momentum rolling on Friday when the Nuggets host the Cavaliers.

Gordon has been nursing the calf injury as of late, and it’s unlikely he returns to finish the game against the Suns. If he doesn’t take the court again, Gordon finishes with seven points, three rebounds and two assists across 19 minutes. Peyton Watson could see increased run in his absence.

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.