NBA Player News
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Gregory Jackson PF | MEM
Grizzlies' GG Jackson: Solid total from bench in loss
Jackson ended with 15 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-3 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and one steal in 22 minutes during Wednesday's 128-114 loss to the Clippers.
Jackson came in handy off the bench with Ja Morant taking a seat in the back-to-back. While Scotty Pippen and Luke Kennard have been Morant's direct replacements in recent weeks, the South Carolina product rotated in for some backcourt work as Desmond Bane's backup during the loss. Although Jackson pops for big numbers on occasion, he's not consistent enough to warrant serious fantasy consideration.
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Santi Aldama PF | MEM
Grizzlies' Santi Aldama: Posts 14 points in loss
Aldama logged 14 points (5-10 FG, 4-6 3Pt), five rebounds, seven assists and one block in 24 minutes during Wednesday's 128-114 loss to the Clippers.
Aldama outdid Jaren Jackson in the loss, a trend that was inching closer to reality throughout the month. His increase represents a negative fantasy outlook for both players. Aldama's usage spike will harm Jackson's value, but his totals still won't be enough to warrant nightly consideration as a fantasy target.
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Desmond Bane SG | MEM
Grizzlies' Desmond Bane: Paces team with 23 points
Bane recorded 23 points (8-17 FG, 6-11 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds and four assists over 37 minutes during Wednesday's 128-114 loss to the Clippers.
With Ja Morant (knee) on the sidelines, Bane propped up the backcourt with a 16-point flourish in the first quarter before cooling off later in the game. The standout swingman has scored at least 20 points in five consecutive contests.
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Ivica Zubac C | LAC
Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Logs 12/13 double-double in win
Zubac provided 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-2 FT), 13 rebounds, three assists, one block and three steals over 32 minutes during Wednesday's 128-114 victory over the Grizzlies.
Although Zubac's scoring total regressed, he recorded his third consecutive double during Wednesday's victory and also logged three steals, his second-best result in the category this season.
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James Harden PG | LAC
Clippers' James Harden: Records double-double in win
Harden closed Wednesday's 128-114 win over Memphis with 18 points (6-18 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), eight rebounds, 10 assists, one block and one steal over 35 minutes.
Although Harden's ice-cold shooting stroke needs to thaw, he's still turning in solid fantasy totals due to excellent contributions in secondary categories. He's dished out an eye-popping 37 assists over the past three games, which also extended his double-double streak to three contests in Wednesday's victory.
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Kawhi Leonard SF | LAC
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Won't play Thursday
Leonard (rest) won't play in Thursday's game against the Jazz, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
As usual, Leonard will be unavailable for one-half of the Clippers' back-to-back set, resting Thursday after playing 34 minutes in Wednesday's 128-114 win over Memphis. Leonard logged 25 points (9-19 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 5-5 FT), five rebounds, four assists and three steals during the victory. With Leonard absent, Amir Coffey and Bogdan Bogdanovic could see more action. Leonard should be back in action coming out of the All-Star break.
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Kris Dunn PG | LAC
Clippers' Kris Dunn: Suffers minor injury
Dunn suffered an unknown injury and was unable to finish Wednesday's 128-114 win over Memphis, independent NBA writer Justin Russo reports.
Coach Tyronn Lue said he couldn't remember the specifics of Dunn's injury but said Dunn should be available for Thursday's matchup with the Jazz. Dunn logged 14 points (5-6 FG, 4-4 3Pt), three rebounds, five assists and five steals in 21 minutes of action Wednesday. With Kawhi Leonard (rest) slated to sit Thursday, Dunn could be in line for another sizeable workload if he's able to suit up
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Jamison Battle SF | TOR
Raptors' Jamison Battle: Heats up off bench
Battle put up 14 points (4-8 FG, 3-6 3Pt), four rebounds, one assist and one block in 11 minutes of action during the 131-108 loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday.
The rookie wing had his second-highest scoring game as a pro despite the loss, perhaps proving to the Raptors they made the right choice in promoting him from a two-way deal to a standard NBA contract last week. Despite the solid outing, Battle should remain a non-factor in most fantasy leagues due to his lack of volume. He'll also likely be one of the players most affected once Brandon Ingram (ankle) officially joins the lineup, although it appears that could be quite a ways off at this point. Battle's next chance to take the court comes Friday against the Heat.
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Julian Phillips SF | CHI
Bulls' Julian Phillips: Drops donut in loss Wednesday
Phillips chipped in one rebound, one block and one steal over 10 minutes during Wednesday's 128-110 loss to the Pistons.
Phillips failed to score as the Bulls fell to their fourth straight loss. Despite making very few moves at the trade deadline, the Bulls' efforts to secure a play-in spot could be fruitless given their recent play. Phillips has been a regular in the rotation but typically plays fewer than 15 minutes.
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Scottie Barnes SG | TOR
Raptors' Scottie Barnes: Near triple-double in loss
Barnes posted 16 points (7-15 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-3 FT), 11 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and one steal in 33 minutes during Wednesday's 131-108 loss to the Cavaliers.
The franchise cornerstone did it all despite the blowout, racking up stats in every facet of the game en route to his 17th double-double of the year and falling just three assists short of what would've been his second triple-double on the season. It was an encouraging contest for the 23-year-old, as his efficiency had taken a slight hit so far this month given that he was shooting just 38.9 percent from the field in February prior to Wednesday's game, which makes for his worst mark of the season by a good margin. He'll look to keep building on the performance Friday against the Heat.