NBA Player News

Well, now we know that Danny Ainge doesn’t like his soda flat, because he just put some Fiz into his front office. This will be Fizdale’s first front-office job after spending 18 years as a coach and assistant for multiple franchises.

After missing all four shot attempts during the first quarter, Green encountered far less resistance from the Suns defensively. Not only did he make nine of his final 13 attempts from the field, but Green was also 11-of-13 from the foul line. A steady diet of straight-line drives to the basket led to recording his third 30-point line in four games. Over the past two weeks, he has provided seventh-round value in eight-cat formats. Green not playing during the fourth quarter should ensure he’s well-rested for Monday’s game against the Lakers. The Rockets play four games during Week 22.

Barrett scored at least 30 points eight times before Sunday, and each of them came prior to the new year. The scoring total was his highest since December 16, though fantasy managers shouldn’t expect totals like this every night, especially while the Raptors rest Barrett nearly every other game.

Council IV filled in for the injured Guerschon Yabusele, and he made the most of his opportunity with a game-high rebound total. Philadelphia was missing 10 players, and the team is likely to be quite shorthanded for the final seven games of the season. Council IV could see additional starts for the season’s final contests.

Walker IV entered the starting five in place of Quentin Grimes, and the former led the team in scoring. Walker IV knocked down 10-of-18 shots, and he got teammates involved with a team-high assist total in the process. Philadelphia has just seven games left in the season, and Walker IV is a guy who could see a major bump in playing time for that final stretch due to numerous and mounting injuries.

Rissacher topped his previous career high of 33 points set against the Knicks on November 6. The No. 1 pick in the draft hit 12-of-21 shots, including 5-of-11 from beyond the arc as he led all scorers in Atlanta’s blowout victory. He’s got eight games left in his inaugural campaign, and he’ll look to build on this quality performance during the home stretch.

The Greek Freak led all scorers, though he struggled from the charity stripe (9-of-14) and committed five turnovers. Milwaukee put up a solid point total, though the team couldn’t do anything to stop the Hawks on defense. Milwaukee will look to get back on track with a four-game week against teams with sub-500 records.

KPJ saw limited minutes off the bench in this one, though he only needed 23 minutes to lead the bench in scoring. Porter Jr. knocked down 8-of-12 shots from the floor and 9-of-9 free throws on his way to a season-high point total. With Damian Lillard out and thin depth, expect KPJ to see minutes north of 20 per game moving forward.

As he does on a nightly basis, Daniels posted a full stat line, scoring, rebounding and facilitating at an elite level. He capped it off with another huge night on defense, recording a game-high steal total. Daniels is up to 213 total steals this season, a number that ranks 15th-most in a single season since 1990.

Brooks got into an altercation with Kevin Durant, and both players were issued technical fouls with 4:48 remaining in the second quarter. However, Brooks would receive a second technical foul for arguing with an official, resulting in an early trip to the showers. He played 11 minutes, finishing with eight points, one rebound, one assist, one steal, one block and two three-pointers. Jabari Smith Jr. replaced Brooks in the lineup to begin the third quarter.

Durant sprained his ankle on a drive to the basket during the third quarter of Sunday’s game. He was taken to the locker room immediately, and since Durant did not attempt the free throws, he is officially done for the night. In 23 minutes, KD tallied 11 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one three-pointer. If Durant misses time, Royce O’Neale will likely enter the starting lineup.