NBA Player News

Towns tallied 35 points (13-23 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 6-7 FT), 18 rebounds, five assists and two steals over 39 minutes during the Knicks' 119-104 win over the Hornets on Wednesday.

Towns hauled in 15 rebounds across the two games prior to Wednesday's contest, but the veteran center was much more active on the glass against Charlotte. He also finished as the game's leading scorer, and his performance marked the third time this season that he's scored 35 or more points in a game. Over his last 10 outings, Towns has averaged 25.4 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.0 threes over 34.7 minutes per game.

Collins had 15 points (6-13 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT), nine rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals in 32 minutes during Wednesday's 115-92 victory over the Hawks.

Collins has been key for the Clippers as of late, averaging 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.0 blocks across 32.0 minutes in his last five games. He figures to hold down the power forward spot until Derrick Jones (knee) returns.

Kornet tallied five points (2-3 FG, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks over 28 minutes during the Spurs' 114-112 win over the Magic on Wednesday.

Kornet followed up his five-block performance Tuesday against the Grizzlies with another three rejections Wednesday, which included his block on Franz Wagner's layup attempt in the final second of the fourth quarter to seal the win for the Spurs. Kornet has started in the Spurs' last nine games in the absence of Victor Wembanyama (calf), and while the former's scoring output has been limited, he's provided fantasy value on the boards and as a shot blocker. Over that nine-game span, Kornet has averaged 6.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.1 blocks over 26.7 minutes per game.

Bitadze accumulated eight points (4-4 FG), five rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 19 minutes during Wednesday's 114-112 loss to the Spurs.

Bitadze has been a big part of Orlando's defense, posting a steal and a block in each of his last five games and in seven of his last eight. Bitadze averages 6.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.3 blocks across 16.9 minutes this season, making him an elite blocks specialist with potential to contribute in the points and rebounds categories as well.

Reath had four points (2-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and two rebounds over 11 minutes during Wednesday's 122-110 victory over the Cavaliers.

Reath was unable to take advantage of the opportunity with Robert Williams (knee) out, as he ceded some minutes to rookie Yang Hansen. With Williams slated to return Friday, Reath will return to irrelevancy.

Embiid (knee) has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday's game against the Warriors, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Embiid was previously listed as doubtful, but the big man may attempt to give it a go. Paul George (knee) has been ruled out, so that may have factored into the decision. Thursday's game is the front end of a back-to-back set, so Embiid playing in one of these games would be the best-case scenario for his fantasy managers with his restrictions.

Jackson closed with six points (3-4 FG), six rebounds and one steal over 17 minutes during Wednesday's 135-120 loss to Denver.

Jackson has been a wild card for the Pacers ever since being relegated to the bench in favor of Jay Huff, as his production has been inconsistent, but he remains a key contributor as it appears Indiana has elected to split time relatively evenly between Huff and Jackson. In his last four games off the bench, Jackson averages 9.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks across 18.5 minutes, providing value across the board, but his lack of volume and playing time prevents him from being a necessity on most rosters.

Phoenix assigned Maluach to the G League's Valley Suns on Wednesday.

The rookie has been unable to break through Phoenix's rotation with 4.4 minutes per contest across 10 appearances thus far. Maluach posted 27 points (10-14 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 5-5 FT) and 15 rebounds in 35 minutes during the Valley Suns' 124-119 G League win over the Santa Cruz Warriors on Wednesday.

Claxton closed Wednesday's 113-103 victory over Chicago with 14 points (6-7 FG, 2-3 FT), eight rebounds, nine assists, three blocks and two steals over 35 minutes.

For the third time in his career, Claxton reached nine assists as he just missed out on a triple-double. With his elite rim protection and playmaking, he's well on pace for a career-best season. Through 21 games, he holds averages of 13.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists,0.8 steals and 1.3 blocks on 56.0 percent shooting from the field.

Sims finished with 15 points (7-7 FG, 1-1 FT), 14 rebounds and one assist over 30 minutes off the bench during Wednesday's 113-109 win over the Pistons.

The 30 minutes were a season high for Sims, as he took on a much larger role than usual after Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) exited the game after just three minutes, and the fifth-year center responded by setting a new career scoring high and tying his personal best in boards. The double-double was his first of the season and first since 2022-23 with the Knicks, but Sims should see his workload increase at least a little for however long Giannis is missing from the Bucks' frontcourt.