NBA News
Kenyon Martin Jr. Makes Early Exit Due To Sore Foot
Philadelphia 76ers forward Kenyon Martin Jr. (foot) missed the end of Monday's contest against San Antonio. He didn't see any action in the fourth quarter because of soreness in his left foot. Making his fourth start in a row, Martin Jr. notched four points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 20 minutes. Andre Drummond (toe) also made an early exit on Monday, so the 76ers might have to play their Christmas Day matchup against Boston without two rotational pieces. Guerschon Yabusele and Caleb Martin will be asked to put in extra work if the pair isn't available.
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Marvin Bagley III Suffers Apparent Knee Injury
Washington Wizards forward/center Marvin Bagley III (knee) had his night cut short by injury against Oklahoma City on Monday. He appeared to have hurt his right knee in the fourth quarter in a collision with Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein. With Alex Sarr (back) absent on Monday, Bagley III was back in the rotation and performed well before making a premature exit. The 25-year-old finished with seven points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal across 16 minutes of action. Further tests will reveal the severity of Bagley III's injury, but it looked a pretty bad one and might leave him on the shelf for quite some time.
1 hour ago
Bub Carrington Exits Early Monday
Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (undisclosed) was hurt in Monday's loss to Oklahoma City. He exited the game in the middle for the final frame, heading to the locker room holding his right side. Carrington finished the contest with 14 points, two rebounds, three assists, and four turnovers. The 19-year-old rookie must recover by Thursday to avoid missing his first game of the season. Carrington's absence would put Jared Butler in a position to rejoin the regular rotation, but he's a non-factor in fantasy basketball.
1 hour ago
Alex Caruso Hurt In Monday's Win
Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Alex Caruso (undisclosed) did not complete Monday's matchup against Washington. He went to the locker room with a little over a minute played in the fourth quarter and never returned to action. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said after the game that an update on Caruso should come on Tuesday after he has been evaluated. Rookie Ajay Mitchell picked up extra shifts following Caruso's exit on Monday, producing a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double. He might land himself a larger role for the upcoming games as well if Caruso has to sit out some time.
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D'Angelo Russell Injured In Monday's Loss
Los Angeles Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell (thumb) was limited to 16 minutes in Monday's 117-114 loss to Detroit. He exited the game two minutes into the fourth quarter, with Lakers head coach JJ Redick mentioning postgame that Russell was checked for a potential thumb injury. Russell finished the night with five points and five assists on 1-for-5 shooting. He's played a big role off the bench for the Lakers, meaning the team would be without a significant piece for its Christmas Day clash against Golden State if Russell can't play. The rest of the bench, featuring Cam Reddish, Dalton Knecht, and Gabe Vincent, would then need to step up. However, they do not offer consistent fantasy production.
1 hour ago
Jayson Tatum Misses Monday's Action With An Illness
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (illness) was a late scratch for Monday's contest against Orlando. After he was named a starter for the matchup, the team downgraded him to questionable, and Tatum was ruled out entirely at halftime. He sat out his third game of the season, all of which have occurred this month. Tatum's absence on Monday obviously leaves a question marking hanging over him ahead of Boston's Christmas Day outing against Philadelphia. Al Horford replaced Tatum in the starting unit on Monday, while Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard might be more involved off the bench if Tatum isn't available against the 76ers.
1 hour ago
Anthony Davis Will Play Against Pistons
Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis (elbow) has shaken off a questionable tag and will play against Detroit on Monday. Davis has been battling a foot problem throughout the campaign and is now also dealing with an elbow contusion. However, he will be ready to push through the issues once again. Davis struggled to score in the last game against Sacramento, but he has been on an impressive six-game double-double streak lately. The run includes three games with at least 30 points and three games with 15-plus rebounds. The Pistons give up the third-fewest rebounds in the league to opposing centers, so Davis's double-double streak gets a good test on Monday.
12 hours ago
LeBron James Active Against Pistons
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (foot) will play in Monday's matchup against Detroit. A foot injury keeps James a regular on the injury report, but the Lakers have upgraded him from questionable to available ahead of tip-off. James is fresh off a 32-point performance against Sacramento. He also stepped up his defensive efforts at the weekend, snagging four steals in a 103-99 win over the Kings on Saturday. Detroit has a below-average defense, meaning this is a good matchup for James to build up further momentum ahead of this week's Christmas Day matchup against the Warriors.
12 hours ago
Dario Saric Available On Monday
Denver Nuggets forward/center Dario Saric (ankle) is active against Phoenix on Monday. The Croatian veteran has battled an ankle sprain lately but will be ready to contribute if called upon versus the Suns. However, it's unlikely to happen, as Saric has had a very small role in the rotation this season, logging 12 or fewer minutes in seven of his 10 appearances. He is firmly stuck behind Nikola Jokic, DeAndre Jordan, and Zeke Nnaji on the depth chart.
13 hours ago
Draymond Green Ready To Go Monday
Golden State Warriors forward/center Draymond Green (ankle) will return from a one-game absence on Monday versus Indiana. After Green missed Saturday's action against Minnesota, the Warriors initially listed him as questionable for Monday's game. He'll be back in the lineup as a starter. The veteran has been inconsistent with his performances throughout the month, averaging 9.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.0 steals in 27.0 minutes. With that said, a matchup against a team that is ranked sixth in pace offers Green a good opportunity to fill the box score.
13 hours ago
Ben Sheppard Upgraded To Available
Indiana Pacers guard/forward Ben Sheppard (oblique) is good to go for Monday's meeting with Golden State. The team has upgraded him from questionable to available. The 22-year-old has averaged over 20 minutes a night across the season, but Sheppard's contributions haven't been good enough for fantasy managers. He has been limited to 6.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. Sheppard likely isn't quite at his best either at the moment after only recently returning from a 14-game absence.
13 hours ago
Gary Payton II Misses First Game Of The Season
Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II (calf) will not play against Indiana on Monday, missing his first game of the season. Payton II has shown impressive durability with 27 consecutive appearances, but a calf contusion has knocked him out of the lineup for Monday's game. He'll get his first chance to return on Christmas Day when the Warriors face the Lakers. Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski will be in a position to play more without Payton II in the lineup on Monday. However, it's a bad matchup for Golden State's bench mob, as the Pacers give up the fourth-fewest bench points in the league.
14 hours ago
Moses Moody Available For Monday's Game
Golden State Warriors guard/forward Moses Moody (knee) will be active against Indiana on Monday. He's available again for selection after missing the previous four contests with a knee problem. However, Moody availability isn't big news from a fantasy perspective, as he simply hasn't produced good enough numbers to be a viable option for managers. The 22-year-old has notched 7.4 points in 15.6 minutes this season. Dennis Schroder's addition also further complicates Moody's life in San Francisco.
14 hours ago
Jamal Murray Out On Monday
Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's game against Phoenix. He was initially tagged as questionable for the game with a right ankle sprain, and head coach Michael Malone has now officially ruled him out. Malone hopes to have Murray back for Wednesday's Christmas matchup against the Suns. Murray's absence will give Russell Westbrook his seventh start of the season. In previous starts, Westbrook has averaged 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 2.7 steals.
14 hours ago
Dalano Banton Returns From Two-Game Absence
Portland Trail Blazers guard/forward Dalano Banton (hip) will be back in the lineup on Monday versus Dallas. He's available again after sitting out two contests with a hip injury. Banton adds a bit more quality to the Trail Blazers bench, with him averaging 9.8 points per game with 2.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 16.7 minutes across the season. However, he does not have much fantasy value with a healthy squad. In fact, this is a horrible matchup for the entire Portland bench, as the Mavericks give up the third-fewest points in the league to opposing second units.
14 hours ago
Robert Williams III Sits Out Monday's Game
Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (ankle) will skip Monday's meeting with Dallas. After missing nine contests because of a concussion, Williams III returned to the lineup for only three games before picking up another injury. For the season overall, we have seen Williams III suit up just 10 times for the Trail Blazers. Deandre Ayton and Donovan Clingan will work as Portland's lone centers in Monday's favorable matchup. Dallas gives up the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing fives.
15 hours ago
Ivica Zubac Active Versus Grizzlies
Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (calf) will remain in the lineup on Monday versus Memphis. He was initially considered iffy for the contest due to a calf strain. However, Zubac will maintain his proud record of featuring in every game this season, starting alongside James Harden, Kris Dunn, Norman Powell, and Derrick Jones Jr. Memphis' frontcourt features Jaren Jackson Jr., the 2023 Defensive Player of The Year award winner, and the Grizzlies have the second-best rebounding rate in the league, so this is a tough matchup for Zubac.
15 hours ago
Marcus Smart Unavailable Monday
Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart (finger) will be absent from Monday's game against the Clippers. After recovering from a shoulder injury, Smart hurt his right index finger at the weekend and must come out of the lineup again. Luckily for the Grizzlies, Ja Morant (back) is back in the mix, and Desmond Bane (illness) remains in the lineup. Scotty Pippen Jr. might see additional action due to Smart's absence, but Morant's presence severely limits his fantasy appeal.
15 hours ago
Ja Morant Back In Grizzlies Lineup
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (back) will return to action on Monday versus the Clippers. A back problem kept Morant sidelined for Saturday's contest against Atlanta, but the team has removed him from the injury report ahead of Monday's contest. The Grizzlies superstar gets a difficult matchup on Monday, as only six teams have given up more fantasy points to opposing point guards than the Clippers, who are ranked sixth in defensive efficiency.
15 hours ago
Desmond Bane Good To Go Monday
Memphis Grizzlies guard/forward Desmond Bane (illness) has been cleared to face the Clippers on Monday night. He landed late on the injury report with an illness, but the team has upgraded Bane from questionable to available. Bane has not been the best version of himself this season, settling for 14.9 points in 28.0 minutes. The Clippers have a top-six defense in the league, so it might be another quiet night offensively for Bane on Monday.
15 hours ago
Kenyon Martin Jr.
• SF
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76ers
