NBA Player News

Martin will be back after missing the team’s last three games. With Paul George questionable, Martin could end up sliding right into the starting unit, though he should at least fill a few extra minutes off the bench.

Nembhard took over primary playmaking duties for Indiana with Tyrese Haliburton (hip) sidelined, which allowed him to record a double-double for the first time this season. It wasn’t a new season-high for assists, since he had nine points and 11 assists in a game against the Heat last week. It was a productive night for him, and if Haliburton misses time past this game, Nembhard should continue to rack up the assists. However, this was only Haliburton’s second absence of the season, and there is no indication that this is an injury that will keep him out for multiple games at this point.

Williamson shot a pedestrian 5-of-15 from the field, but he buoyed his scoring total by hitting 10-of-12 shots from the charity stripe. He’s shined since the All-Star break, appearing in six of seven games for New Orleans while averaging a healthy 26/7/6. So long as he can stay healthy, he’ll be a fantasy force every time he’s on the court.

Brooklyn jumped out to a 25-5 lead on Thursday, but it wasn’t enough for them to get the win over Golden State. Martin was a big part of their early success as he scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half. Martin hasn’t been much of a factor in fantasy basketball this season outside of a few big scoring nights. However, he has played a consistent role for the Nets lately, and he may see his minutes increase as the season winds down. Martin is a player to keep an eye on as “silly season” approaches.

Murphy III got off to a blistering start, scoring 11 of New Orleans’ first 19 points. He opened the game by bullying Jalen Green for a monster jam and hitting a deep three-pointer. His offense quieted down a bit after that, but his hot start propelled him to a game-high point total. Expect he and Zion Williamson to lead the charge on offense every night for the shorthanded Pelicans.

Niang’s tenure in Atlanta has been inconsistent as he has alternated between scoring in double figures and scoring less than 10 points basically every other game since he made his debut for the Hawks one month ago. However, Thursday’s performance was one of his best. This was his third 20-point game with Atlanta, and he has provided them with much-needed floor spacing off the bench. This was also his fourth game with at least four three-pointers for the Hawks. He has been an incredible addition for them, but that hasn’t resulted in much fantasy production.

Siakam stepped up his scoring with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined and had a big scoring night. It ended up being his second game with at least 35 points over Indiana’s last four games, and he shot at least 60 percent from the floor in each. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to replicate his eight three-pointers from that night. Siakam continues to be a fantasy stud for the Pacers, and it was encouraging to see him step up with Haliburton out of the lineup. He’ll look to stay hot in a rematch in Atlanta on Saturday.

Okongwu struggled in Tuesday’s loss to Milwaukee, which made his performance against Indiana encouraging. He has played well overall as of late, as he has recorded a double-double in three of Atlanta’s last four games. This performance was Okongwu’s fourth 20-point double-double since he took over the starting center job in January. Okongwu ranks just outside the top-50 in nine-cat value over the past month, and he has seen his value rise in recent weeks. Moving into the starting lineup has helped Okongwu ascend to fantasy stardom.

This was the 29th time in Young’s career that he finished with at least 20 points and 15 assists. That puts him in a tie with Steve Nash for the 10th-most such games in NBA history. He has a long way to go to catch Oscar Robertson (94), but Young has consistently put on a passing clinic throughout his career. What made Thursday’s performance special was that he only turned the ball over once. This was only the third time in Young’s career that he had at least 15 assists and one or fewer turnovers. He leads the league at 4.7 turnovers per game, so it certainly isn’t something that managers should grow accustomed to.

Sengun led his team in scoring and assists and finished with a +15 while on the court. He shot an efficient 11-of-14 from the floor and made meaningful contributions in multiple categories. Sengun was one of three starters to score 20 points, along with Amen Thompson (21) and Tari Eason (20), and the trio picked up the slack for Jalen Green, who finished with just nine points on 10 shot attempts.

Who anticipated this? Claxton, whose previous career-high for assists was six, dished out 10 dimes and nearly recorded a triple-double in Thursday’s loss. Claxton has been a strong category league player over the last few seasons because of his contributions in rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage, and managers shouldn’t expect Claxton to continue to be a reliable source of assists. Still, it was a fun boost on Thursday and encouraging for his overall value, especially if Jordi Fernandez does continue to use him as a playmaking option.