Neemias Queta Back in Action Friday
Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (illness) will return from a one-game absence on Friday against the Sacramento Kings. The Portuguese big man couldn't play on Wednesday against Atlanta due to illness. Amari Williams and Luka Garza shared the center minutes in Queta's absence. With Williams back in the G League, Queta looks set to resume his regular duties as Boston's starting center. The 26-year-old has averaged 10.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 24.9 minutes this season. Queta has a good opportunity to shine on Friday, as Sacramento won't have Domantas Sabonis (knee) in the lineup. Additionally, the Kings give up the second-most fantasy points to centers.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Miles McBride Misses Friday's Game
New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (ankle) will be absent for a second consecutive game on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers, Steve Popper of Newsday reports. This was expected after McBride was downgraded to doubtful on the injury report earlier in the day. McBride's absence will secure expanded roles for Landry Shamet and Tyler Kolek, but neither player has provided consistent fantasy value. Still, Kolek impressed with his playmaking on Wednesday against Toronto, delivering 10 assists.
Source: Steve Popper
Source: Steve Popper
Josh Hart Active Against Trail Blazers
New York Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart (ankle) will play against his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, on Friday night, Steve Popper of Newsday reports. He was initially uncertain for the contest due to ankle soreness, but the team has officially listed him as available. Hart's offensive production tends to be inconsistent, but he's done a solid job overall for the Knicks. Across eight January appearances, Hart has averaged 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.0 steals. Among these games is an 18-point outing against Portland that occurred three weeks ago.
Source: Steve Popper
Source: Steve Popper
Tre Johnson Out Against Lakers
Washington Wizards guard/forward Tre Johnson (ankle) won't play on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers. He sprained his left ankle during Thursday's win over Milwaukee and will sit out at least one game due to the injury. On Thursday, Bub Carrington started the second half in Johnson's absence and figures to have a larger role again in Friday's game. Malaki Branham could also be more involved in the rotation, especially with Khris Middleton (knee) also absent against the Lakers.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Khris Middleton Sits Out Meeting With Lakers
Washington Wizards forward Khris Middleton (knee) won't play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Washington will be in action for a second consecutive night, and it's not surprising that Middleton will be held out of Friday's contest due to his right knee injury. With Middleton out, Will Riley could see an expanded role against the Lakers, though the 19-year-old hasn't been a very productive player during his rookie campaign. Justin Champagnie and Bub Carrington may get a chance to step up offensively without Middleton.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Austin Reaves Remains Out Friday
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (calf) won't play in Friday's game against the Washington Wizards, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports. Reaves is nearing his return and had a questionable tag on the initial injury report, but he isn't quite ready to play yet. His next chance for a comeback will be on Sunday against the New York Knicks. Reaves' absence from the backcourt allows Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent to play larger roles. While Smart had a disappointing two-point outing on Wednesday against Cleveland, he has played well in January. He's in a great bounce-back spot on Friday against the Wizards, who allow 122.3 points per game.
Source: Dave McMenamin
Source: Dave McMenamin
Luka Doncic Cleared to Play Friday
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic (ankle) will be available on Friday against the Washington Wizards, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports. The NBA's leading scorer tweaked his left ankle in Wednesday's loss to Cleveland and was listed as questionable on the initial injury report. Doncic has notched 33.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game during his first full season in L.A. He could cook up something very special against the league's second-worst defense on Friday.
Source: Dave McMenamin
Source: Dave McMenamin
Jusuf Nurkic Unavailable Friday Due to Illness
Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (illness) won't play on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets. The Bosnian big man has been battling an illness all week and missed the first leg of a back-to-back on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers. Kevin Love (illness) moved into the starting unit on Tuesday night, but he also isn't feeling well and will sit out Friday's game. As a result, the Jazz are set to lean heavily on Kyle Filipowski in the frontcourt, while Taylor Hendricks could rejoin the rotation.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Michael Porter Jr. Won't Play Friday Night
Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (personal) won't take the court on Friday against the Utah Jazz. Porter Jr. had a monster game on Thursday against Denver, scoring 38 points in 37 minutes in a matchup with his former team, but he will sit out Friday's action for personal reasons. Brooklyn will have Egor Demin (foot) and Cam Thomas (hamstring) back in the lineup against Utah, and they will take over some of Porter Jr.'s offensive touches. Meanwhile, Danny Wolf could again hover around 30 minutes.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Malik Monk Returns to Kings Lineup
Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (ankle) is set to end a two-game absence on Friday against the Boston Celtics after the team removed him from the injury report. Monk injured his right ankle last week. Recently, Monk has had a larger role with the Kings, averaging 18.6 points and 3.2 assists in 27.1 minutes across his last five appearances. With Russell Westbrook (foot) out on Friday, the opportunity is there for Monk to make a significant impact.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Russell Westbrook Misses Second Consecutive Game
Sacramento Kings point guard Russell Westbrook (foot) will sit out a second consecutive game on Friday versus the Boston Celtics. Westbrook hurt his right foot earlier this week and has landed on the shelf for the first time this season. Dennis Schroder took over starting point-guard duties on Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring a season-high 27 points. He could be even more involved in the offense against Boston, with Domantas Sabonis (knee) joining Westbrook on the sidelines. An uptick in usage is also expected for DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Domantas Sabonis Won't Play Friday Night
Sacramento Kings forward/center Domantas Sabonis (knee) will sit out the second leg of a back-to-back on Friday against the Boston Celtics. He is managing a left knee injury, and the team doesn't want to overwork Sabonis, who logged 28 minutes in Thursday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Maxime Raynaud is likely to replace Sabonis in the first unit on Friday, while Dylan Cardwell could also have a larger role. That said, the two rookies likely won't have it easy against a team that gives up the fifth-fewest fantasy points to centers.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Jalen Green Available Friday Against Cavaliers
Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (hamstring) is not listed on the injury report for Friday's contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He's on track to rejoin the lineup after sitting out three games. Due to a hamstring injury, Green has appeared in only four games this season, so the team will likely keep him on a light workload on Friday night. This means there will still be plenty of minutes available for the likes of Collin Gillespie, Grayson Allen, and Jordan Goodwin. At the same time, the trio will continue to benefit from Devin Booker's (ankle) absence.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Jaylen Brown Won't Play Friday
Boston Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown (hamstring, knee) won't suit up for Friday's clash against the Sacramento Kings. The team has listed him as out after initially giving Brown a doubtful tag on the injury report. When Brown was absent for one game earlier this month, Baylor Scheierman took over his starting role. Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh are also options to start. Meanwhile, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser are expected to shoulder a greater offensive load.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Kawhi Leonard Available Friday
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (knee) will play in Friday's matchup against the Denver Nuggets. As he works through a knee contusion, the team initially listed Leonard as questionable for the matchup. Leonard has been limited to 26.3 minutes per game over the last three contests, but has still produced plenty of fantasy value. While shooting 50.0 percent from the field, Leonard has averaged 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
RADIO



