1 week agoHouston Rockets guard
James Harden sank seven treys and led all scorers with 42 points in Tuesday's 116-105 victory over Boston. He shot 9-for-19 overall from the field and 17-for-18 at the line, adding eight rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block. The Beard also had six turnovers, but he more than made up for it in other areas. Harden has been inconsistent this month, but he's still mostly managed to get the job done. The Rockets are back in action after the All-Star break on Feb. 20 against the struggling Warriors, who are 24th in defensive efficiency.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoPortland Trail Blazers guard
Damian Lillard struggled through a 37.5 percent shooting performance from the field, including four attempts from three with no makes in a blowout loss to the Pelicans. Lillard did make eight of nine free throws and added six assists and five rebounds. Still, this performance was a disappointment when compared to Lillard's numbers from the last three weeks or so. The 29-year-old will face the Grizzlies on Wednesday. Lillard has a great chance to bounce back, considering Memphis' struggles at defending the three-point line this season.
--Tim Capurso - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoPortland Trail Blazers center
Hassan Whiteside couldn't be held off the glass, snatching a game-high 14 rebounds in a 138-117 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Whiteside shot much more efficiently than in his last contest and added three assists along with a block. The 30-year-old has taken his rebounding to another level this month, averaging 16 per game in February. Whiteside has been one of fantasy basketball's best draft values, particularly in 9-cat formats, where he's been a top-10 asset. He should again be a mammoth on the boards against Memphis on Wednesday.
--Tim Capurso - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoOklahoma City Thunder small/power forward
Danilo Gallinari accrued 15 points during Tuesday’s defeat to the San Antonio Spurs but finished 4-for-16 from the floor, including 2-for-7 from behind the arc. While Gallinari added eight rebounds and three assists to continue his steady production, his field-goal percentage marked his poorest shooting performance since Dec. 14. By knocking down a pair of triples, he will enter the All-Star break as at least one of 12 shooters in the league to average at least three made threes on a nightly basis, which puts him on pace to set a new career high.
--Jesse Borek - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoNew Orleans Pelicans guard
Josh Hart put together a solid stat line with 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, two triples and a steal in just 26 minutes of Tuesday's victory. The best part for Hart's fantasy owners was that he committed no turnovers for the second straight game. He's a great DFS option as an end-of-the-lineup option, as he won't hurt owners with turnovers and contributes in several categories. Hart is worth a start in all formats for Thursday's matchup with the Thunder, who surrendered a double-double to the 24-year-old in their first meeting.
--Tim Capurso - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoOklahoma City Thunder center
Steven Adams notched his first double-double in nearly a month during Tuesday’s defeat to the San Antonio Spurs. Adams shot 4-for-9 from the floor and finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, further packing his stat sheet with four steals and two assists; his double-double marked his 17th of the year and first since Jan. 13. He closes out his first half Thursday against New Orleans, whom he logged double-doubles against in both prior meetings this season.
--Jesse Borek - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoNew Orleans Pelicans guard
Jrue Holiday notched his second straight double-double in a dominant 138-117 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Holiday shot an efficient 58.3 percent from the field and added four rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. The veteran guard has 20 assists in his last two games. Holiday has had some poor shooting performances this year but has also made up for many of these performances with full stat lines. He should continue to do so to the satisfaction of his fantasy owners. New Orleans will take on the Thunder on Thursday in their last contest before the All-Star break. Holiday dropped 26 points in their first meeting.
--Tim Capurso - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoOklahoma City Thunder point guard
Chris Paul was clicking on all cylinders during Tuesday’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs, shooting 12-for-18 from the floor en route to a season-best 31-point showing. He was particularly aggressive from behind the arc, shooting 5-for-9, also setting a season high in three-point attempts. In addition to the scoring, he led the team with seven assists across a team-best 34 minutes, also pitching in two rebounds. He closed out the first half by hitting the 20-point mark in four of his last five games, with his role on the Thunder leading to his 10th career All-Star Game appearance later this weekend.
--Jesse Borek - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoSan Antonio Spurs power forward/center
LaMarcus Aldridge again saw an increased workload during Tuesday’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, finishing with 25 points and a season-high-tying 14 rebounds. The absence of
DeMar DeRozan (back) paved the way for Aldridge to finish 9-for-20 from the field, also tying his season high with 39 minutes of action. One performance won’t flip the script on his first half, as he finishes by averaging 19.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest. He won’t head to the All-Star Game for the first time since 2016-17, with his next time taking the floor coming Feb. 21 against a stingy Jazz defensive unit.
--Jesse Borek - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoNew Orleans Pelicans forward
Zion Williamson put up a career-high 31 points in just 28 minutes of a blowout 138-117 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Williamson feasted in the paint with his usual assortment of slam dunks and completed his stat line with nine boards, five assists along with one steal. The former Duke star has been as advertised in nine career games and has scored 20-plus in five straight contests. Perhaps the best news for his fantasy owners is the fact that his minutes have increased to 29.5 after seeing 25 minutes per game in five January games. On a Pelicans team with an outside shot at the playoffs, Williamson should see more and more playing time moving forward.
--Tim Capurso - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoSan Antonio Spurs point/shooting guard
Dejounte Murray needed just 27 minutes to set a new career high in scoring with 25 points during Tuesday’s victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Murray saw an increased offensive role with
DeMar DeRozan (back) ruled out, as he also grabbed nine rebounds and dished out three assists to pack his stat sheet. The nine made field goals also set a career high, as he capped a strong first half of production with the best offensive night of his three-year career. He has been particularly efficient from long range in seven February contests, having hit 50 percent (6-for-12) of his looks from deep.
--Jesse Borek - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoSan Antonio Spurs point/shooting guards
Patty Mills and
Derrick White combined to drop 37 points off the bench during Tuesday’s victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Without
DeMar DeRozan (back) available, Mills and White took on increased offensive roles; Mills finished 7-for-13 from the field overall en route to 20 points, while White finished an efficient 6-for-9 overall, packing his stat sheet with eight assists and four rebounds. Each saw 28 minutes to lead all backcourt members, although their roles will likely take a step back once the second half kicks off Feb. 21 with DeRozan expected back in the mix.
--Jesse Borek - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoPhiladelphia 76ers guard
Josh Richardson came up big in his third game back from a hamstring injury and had 21 points, five rebounds, one assist and two blocks during 32 minutes of play in the 110-103 win over the Clippers. The fifth-year player finally broke out of a scoring rut that saw him score three and four points in the last two contests he played. However, those stats are likely affected by the hamstring injury the guard suffered on Jan. 22, and he is still likely easing back into the swing of things. Nevertheless, Richardson's overall inconsistency throughout the season is something to note. He could come up huge on some nights while going absolutely cold on others. The former member of the Miami Heat is a valuable piece on the 76ers, so all hope should not be lost on the 26-year-old's fantasy relevance. Next up is a decent matchup against the Nets on Feb. 20, which is after All-Star weekend.
--Rishi Patel - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoWashington Wizards center
Ian Mahinmi shot seven of 10 from the field to finish a win over Chicago with 15 points while also chipping in six rebounds in just 21 minutes of action. This was a much-needed performance for Mahinmi, who hadn't scored in double figures since Jan. 22, nine games ago.
Thomas Bryant has missed Washington's last two games, but head coach Scott Brooks believes he can be back immediately following the All-Star break. Mahinmi had a nice stretch of games a couple of weeks ago, but if he can't be consistent in Bryant's absence, it's hard to imagine much production from the French big man if he's coming off the bench.
--Daniel Lubofsky - RotoBallerSource: NBA.com
1 week agoWashington Wizards forward
Rui Hachimura was phenomenal in a win over the Bulls, posting 20 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in just 31 minutes of action. For Hachimura, who shot seven of 12 from the field, this performance marked his first 20-point game since way back on Dec. 5. He's picked up right where he left off after missing 23 games due to injury, scoring in double figures in each of his four games since returning to the court. On an offensively friendly Wizards team with little to play for these days, expect Hachimura to see plenty of touches that could result in similar performances moving forward.
--Daniel Lubofsky - RotoBallerSource: NBA.com
RADIO
