NBA Player News
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Brook Lopez C | LAC
Clippers' Brook Lopez: Moves out of rotation
Lopez (coach's decision) didn't receive any playing time in Saturday's 114-110 loss to the Mavericks.
Lopez has failed to see any minutes in three straight contests and looks to have at least temporarily lost his spot in the rotation while head coach Tyronn Lue has been leaning more heavily on starting center Ivica Zubac and deploying Kobe Brown and/or John Collins at the five when Zubac is resting on the bench. The move outside of the rotation comes after Lopez shot just 40.4 percent from the field and averaged 6.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.4 three-pointers and 0.8 blocks in 14.4 minutes over LA's first 17 games of the season.
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Steven Adams C | HOU
Rockets' Steven Adams: Good to go Sunday
Adams (ankle) is available off the bench for Sunday's game against the Jazz, Vanessa Richardson of Space City Home Network reports.
Adams will shed his questionable tag due to a right ankle issue after missing Wednesday's win over Golden State. In his last five outings off the bench, the veteran big man has averaged 6.2 points and 9.0 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per contest.
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Jakob Poeltl C | TOR
Raptors' Jakob Poeltl: Won't play Sunday
Poeltl (rest) won't play in Sunday's game against the Knicks, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Poeltl will sit out the second night of Toronto's back-to-back set, and his next opportunity to play will come Tuesday against Portland. With the big man sidelined, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Murray-Boyles are candidates for increased minutes, while Jonathan Mogbo could enter the rotation.
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Neemias Queta C | BOS
Celtics' Neemias Queta: Ruled out Sunday
Queta (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Cavaliers, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports.
Queta was cleared to play in Saturday's loss to Minnesota but will miss the second leg of the team's back-to-back set due to left-ankle-sprain injury management. His next opportunity to suit up will come Tuesday against the Knicks. With the big man sidelined, Luka Garza, Chris Boucher and Amari Williams are candidates for increased roles.
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Joel Embiid C | PHI
76ers' Joel Embiid: Questionable to play Sunday
Embiid (knee) has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday's game against the Hawks.
Embiid was initially listed as out for Sunday's contest, though he now has a chance to return from a nine-game absence due to a lingering right knee injury. If the star big man is ultimately cleared to play, he'll likely face heavy restrictions following the absence. In six regular-season appearances, Embiid has averaged 19.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 blocks in 23.3 minutes per contest.
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John Collins PF | LAC
Clippers' John Collins: Posts season-high 21 points
Collins supplied 21 points (9-10 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, one assist and three blocks in 36 minutes during Saturday's 114-110 loss to Dallas.
Collins missed only one shot in the narrow loss and contributed his best total of the season. Although his role was unclear earlier in the season, he's synced up well with Ivica Zubac in the frontcourt, providing size and adept defense to an interior that no longer needs extensive baseline work from Kawhi Leonard.
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Ivica Zubac C | IND
Clippers' Ivica Zubac: Double-doubles in defeat
Zubac finished Saturday's 114-110 loss to the Mavericks with 19 points (8-12 FG, 3-3 FT), 11 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal across 38 minutes.
After scoring nine points on 4-for-11 shooting in Friday's loss to Memphis, Zubac bounced back in Saturday's loss. The big man delivered an efficient performance and finished as the club's fourth-leading scorer, albeit in a losing effort to a struggling Mavericks squad without several key pieces, including Anthony Davis (calf). Zubac also grabbed double-digit boards for a fourth straight game, and he has averaged 17.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 blocks in 36.8 minutes per game during that span.
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Zach Edey C | MEM
Grizzlies' Zach Edey: Sets season high Friday
Edey finished with five points (2-4 FG, 1-2 FT), 19 rebounds, three blocks and two assists over 32 minutes during Friday's 112-107 win over the Clippers.
Although Edey had a muted impact in the scoring column, he grabbed a game- and season-high 19 rebounds. He also swatted a game-best three shots. The second-year center has tallied at least 15 boards in each of his last three completed games, dominating on the glass during that stretch. Through seven regular-season appearances, he's averaging 11.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 24.7 minutes per contest.
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Bam Adebayo PF | MIA
Heat's Bam Adebayo: Notches double-double Saturday
Adebayo totaled 15 points (5-9 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals in 33 minutes during Saturday's 138-135 loss to the Pistons.
Adebayo was unable to reach the 20-point mark, but he made his presence felt defensively and was also active enough on the glass to record a double-double for the third time in his last four appearances. Adebayo has scored at least 15 points in his six outings since returning from a toe injury in mid-November, and that consistency should make him a reliable fantasy option in all formats, although he's no longer the No. 1 or No. 2 scoring option for the Heat.
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Nick Richards C | CHI
Suns' Nick Richards: Goes scoreless in loss
Richards posted zero points (0-2 FG) and three rebounds in seven minutes off the bench during Saturday's 130-112 loss to the Nuggets.
Richards had an opportunity to step things up Saturday, following the announcement that Mark Williams would miss the game due to a calf injury. Despite the lack of center depth, Richards still managed to play only seven minutes, continuing what has been a terrible season thus far. Through 21 games, he is averaging just 3.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per contest.