NBA Player News

Finney-Smith was back in the lineup after missing Thursday’s win over the Bucks with a left calf contusion. He didn’t shoot the ball well, but the veteran forward did grab nine rebounds. Noah Clowney, who started for Finney-Smith on Thursday, played 24 minutes against the Spurs before his ejection during the fourth quarter. Finney-Smith’s name has come up in trade rumors, as he has the skill set many playoff-bound teams can use.

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.

Eason started this one in place of Jabari Smith Jr., and both were impactful. Smith Jr. logged 28 minutes off the bench and finished with a 16/5/1 line to go with a block and a pair of three-pointers. Eason, however, was far superior from a fantasy standpoint as he stuffed the stat sheet and racked up valuable steals and three-pointers while contributing across the board. Eason is capable of posting similar lines every time he’s on the court, so make sure you pick him up if he’s still on your waiver wire. Eason is only rostered in 43% of Yahoo! leagues, but that percentage is sure to climb following this stellar, two-way performance.

White added six assists and three boards. He sank just 2-of-10 triples after going off for 41 points and knocking down 9-of-17 shots from beyond the arc on Wednesday. He went to the locker room after taking an elbow to the face and losing a tooth early in the fourth quarter, but he returned, so fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him to miss any time. Superstitious Celtics fans may be excited over the dental injury, as White lost a tooth in the decisive Game 5 of last season’s NBA Finals when Boston closed out Dallas to win the championship.

GP2 was sidelined against New York on Tuesday due to a nasal fracture, but he was back in the lineup against Brooklyn. Generally, he hasn’t been much of a contributor in fantasy basketball, but he was able to chip in some value off the bench in this game. Brandin Podziemski exited after playing just one minute due to lower back soreness, and while Payton II didn’t start the second half in his place, he was important in helping Golden State get the win. Managers shouldn’t expect this level of production consistently, but it was a nice bonus on a night with only six games.

Though Boston won this one handily, Tatum’s scoring was certainly needed. He scored 35 on 14-of-23 shooting while the other four starters combined for 27 points on 12-of-31 shooting. Tatum went 5-of-11 from downtown, while the other starters hit just 2-of-13. Fortunately for Tatum, the bench trio of Torrey Craig, Baylor Scheierman and Payton Pritchard delivered 46 points and nine three-pointers, but this was a game in which Tatum needed to step up, and he answered the call.

What an impressive trip to the East it was for Curry. He led Golden State to a 4-1 record on the trip, and they’ve now won eight of their last nine games. During their last five games, Curry has averaged 34.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 6.4 threes per game. He started the trip off with a season-high 56 points in Orlando and closed it out with 40 points in Brooklyn. Curry has taken his play up a notch over the past month, and the only real limitation has been lopsided scores. He’ll look to stay hot with Detroit coming to town on Saturday to close out the week.

The rookie out of Creighton came into this one averaging just over six minutes per game across 15 appearances for the Celtics. With so many injuries across the roster, Boston was forced to lean on guys like Scheierman, Neemias Queta, Torrey Craig and Drew Peterson. Scheierman was the best of that group, and he set a number of career highs, including points, three-pointers, assists and minutes. Don’t expect a repeat performance unless Boston is decimated with injuries again.

Oubre Jr. and Lonnie Walker IV (17 points, five triples) were the lone bright spots for the Sixers in an otherwise putrid performance. Philly’s other four starters combined for just 33 points, and Philly dropped its 41st game in blowout fashion. With the Sixers already looking ahead to next season, we’re unlikely to see much of Tyrese Maxey or Paul George for the rest of the campaign, which means Oubre Jr. could see big minutes and usage down the stretch. The games might not mean anything for the Sixers in real life, but Oubre Jr. could post meaningful numbers for fantasy managers during “silly season.”

He also added a rebound and three assists. Has Walker IV officially entered the “silly season” conversation? The Sixers are 20 games under .500, Joel Embiid is done for the season, and Tyrese Maxey and Paul George are shutdown candidates. Philadelphia will need to lean on guys like Walker IV to fill in the missing spots in the lineup, so don’t rule him out as a guy that could make some noise as a points and threes specialist for the final stretch of the season. A resurgent end of season run for Walker IV would certainly be an interesting topic for Paul George’s podcast.

WCJ will be remembered for his final touch of the game, but he should get credit for getting the Magic a final chance to tie or win the game. On Chicago’s last possession, he knocked the ball away from Coby White and dove on the floor to cause a tie-up. He won the ensuing jump ball, setting the Magic up for at least one more shot. Paolo Banchero’s go-ahead three was a miss. Carter Jr. corralled the rebound, but instead of tipping it in, he came down with it and then dunked it after time expired. It was a heartbreaking end to Orlando’s fifth straight loss.