NBA Player News

George sustained his ankle injury in Monday’s matchup with Toronto, and it will cost him a second straight game. Middleton’s continued absence isn’t a surprise, given the veteran’s recent injury history. While both players are sidelined, Justin Champagnie should see a substantial uptick in playing time.

Typically known for his blocks and three-pointers, Lopez was able to show off his skills as a passer on Tuesday. This was his third time this season finishing with six assists, which he has now done twice in Milwaukee’s last three games. It was also great to see Lopez bounce back after finishing with just five points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block against Atlanta on Sunday. Lopez has been a streaky producer all season, and this recent stretch was just another example.

Once again, Antetokounmpo dominated on offense for the shorthanded Bucks. This was his fifth-straight game with at least 30 points, which helped end a four-game slide for Milwaukee. His 11 dimes were also the most he has had in a game since January. However, what was most impressive from Giannis in this game was his success at the free throw line. It was entirely uncharacteristic for a player that has shot 61.1 percent from the charity stripe this season, and it isn’t something that managers should expect to continue moving forward.

This was Gillespie’s eighth-straight game in the starting lineup, and after scoring just three points on Sunday, he was more effective on Tuesday, though the result was the same. Phoenix dropped a fourth-straight game despite Gillespie having a better night. He did most of his work in the first half, scoring 11 points before the break. As long as Bradley Beal (hamstring) remains sidelined, Gillespie should remain in the starting unit, though his production has been inconsistent, making him a difficult player to rely on.

With both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal unavailable, Booker shouldered the offensive workload for Phoenix in this game. This was his highest-scoring double-double since he went off for 47 points and 11 assists in a win over the Jazz in early February. With Durant still expected to miss a few more games and Beal’s status unknown, Booker will continue to provide a ridiculous amount of points and assists. Unfortunately, their next four games are against the Celtics, Knicks, Warriors and Thunder, which means no easy matchups for Booker to feast on. The Suns currently sit 1.5 games out of the Play-In Tournament.

Allen got the starting nod with Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Royce O’Neale all sidelined against Milwaukee. He took advantage of the extra minutes, especially in the second half. 17 of his 23 points and five of his six three-pointers came after halftime, though it wasn’t enough for Phoenix to get the win. Beal has been out for a couple weeks, and Durant is set to miss a few more games, so Allen could certainly remain in the starting unit and play like he did last season. His 23 points matched his season-high.

Young did plenty of passing in the first half of this game and entered halftime with 10 assists. Though he still added to that total after the break, he ended up doing more as a scorer in the second half. 22 of his 29 points came after the break as he fell one point shy of adding another 30-point, 10-assist game to his resume. This was his sixth-straight double-double, and he is now just 12 assists away from breaking the Hawks’ franchise record for assists in a season. He has had at least 12 assists in five consecutive game, so he could certainly break the record against Dallas on Wednesday.