Marcus

Thornton

While concussion tests are never good news, he must have passed them easily or else he wouldn’t have been allowed to return. Keep an eye on him, but he seems to be fine.

Thornton received an in-game concussion test after a nasty collision, but returned to the game and looked OK. He’ll be sore on Thursday, but odds are he’ll continue to play through the pain.

We would have liked to have seen more minutes for Williams, but Keith Smart decided to roll with Jimmer Fredette for 22 minutes and that cut into his load. The good news is that Smart is very high on Williams, and he should be worth starting consideration at least while Marcus Thornton is out and possibly beyond.

Sacramento’s next game is on Saturday against the Clippers, so Thornton has time to get ready for the next one. If he’s still unable to go, Terrence Williams should be the primary beneficiary from a fantasy standpoint.

We didn’t think it was possible for Evans to play 38 minutes and score less than 10 points, but he did it tonight. He’s deferring to Marcus Thornton (20 points, two 3-pointers) and Isaiah Thomas (21 points, 8 assists, one 3-pointer) more than he probably should be, and has become an inconsistent fantasy player because of it.

Thornton’s injury isn’t serious as he came back into the game, but with a thigh and calf injury already this season, owners have to be aware that he may be less than 100 percent going forward.

None of the starters cleared 28 minutes. Evans scored 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting with five rebounds, two assists, and a block, and the Lakers were too much on this night, particularly in the third quarter before the second unit stepped in. For those checking to see what impact Isaiah Thomas (14 points, six assists) and Marcus Thornton (15 points, two threes) would have on Evans -- this probably isn’t the game to measure with. DeMarcus Cousins hit just 5-of-16 shots for 10 points with 13 boards, two steals, and a block in the loss.

Tyreke Evans came off the bench and sat out the entire first quarter, when Thornton blew up for 16 of his 31 points. With three games this week he might be on fantasy benches, but he’s primed for a big run down the stretch, and the Kings go 4-5-4 in the next three weeks in weekly games played.

He was helped by the absence of Marcus Thornton (calf), but is as hot as they come, averaging 20 points, seven assists, a steal and a more than a 3-pointer per game over his last five. And he’s killing it for his owners in the midst of a five-game week.

Williams is getting nice run with Marcus Thornton injured, and could continue to be a factor once Thornton is healthy. He’s averaging 10 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and a steal over his last five games, and those numbers are on the rise after his last two strong lines. Give him a look if you need someone who can help your team right now.