NBA Player News
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Kristaps Porzingis C | GS
Warriors' Kristaps Porzingis: Ruled out against Hawks
Porzingis (back) won't suit up for Saturday's game against Atlanta.
Porzingis exited Friday's 115-101 loss to Detroit because of a back injury. While he already indicated he likely wouldn't be available Saturday against the Hawks, the latest update confirms what most had already expected. With Al Horford (calf) out and Draymond Green (back) and Quinten Post (foot) questionable, Gui Santos and Omer Yurtseven may split time in the middle versus Atlanta.
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Victor Wembanyama C | SA
Spurs' Victor Wembanyama: Nursing right ankle injury
Wembanyama is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Pacers due to right ankle soreness.
Wembanyama may have picked up the injury during the Spurs' 101-100 win over the Suns on Thursday, when he played 35 minutes and finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, one assist, three steals and one block. Luke Kornet would be the top candidate to enter San Antonio's starting lineup if Wembanyama is unable to play against Indiana.
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Amari Williams C | BOS
Celtics' Amari Williams: Recalled to NBA
Boston recalled Williams from the G League's Maine Celtics on Friday.
Williams will likely be available to Sunday's meeting with the Timberwolves after spending a few days with the G League squad. However, the rookie has seen limited action at the NBA level over the past couple of months, and that is likely to remain the case for the rest of the season. He has been more productive when assigned to the Maine affiliate, for which his average of 10.8 rebounds per game is the highest on the team.
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Rudy Gobert C | MIN
Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Posts another double-double
Gobert ended with 18 points (7-14 FG, 4-6 FT), 15 rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals in 38 minutes during Friday's 108-104 loss to Portland.
Gobert managed to build off the dominant 21-point, 12-rebound effort he delivered in the win over the Jazz on March 18, and the big man posted back-to-back double-doubles for the first time since his first two games following the All-Star break. Gobert seems to be putting it all together, and if he can put up double-doubles consistently, he'd provide a huge boost for a Timberwolves team that's still without Anthony Edwards (knee). Gobert is averaging 11.1 points and 11.5 rebounds per game since the beginning of March, so even if he remains inconsistent on offense, he still delivers decent fantasy upside in all formats.
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Maxi Kleber C | LAL
Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Not playing Saturday
Kleber (back) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Magic.
Kleber has not played since March 8 while rehabbing from a back strain, though he progressed enough in his recovery to participate in Thursday's practice with the G League's South Bay Lakers. His next opportunity to play is Monday against the Pistons, though it's unclear whether he'll join his team toward the tail end of its six-game road trip.
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Neemias Queta C | BOS
Celtics' Neemias Queta: Perfect double-double Friday
Queta produced 12 points (4-4 FG, 4-4 FT), 11 rebounds and one assist in 18 minutes during Friday's 117-112 victory over Memphis.
Aside from notching his fourth double-double since the beginning of the month, it's worth noting that Queta also achieved this feat by not missing any of his shots from the field. His offensive touches will be even more inconsistent now that Jayson Tatum is back in the lineup, but the big man is making the most of his opportunities. Queta is averaging 10.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in March while shooting 62.7 percent from the floor.
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Nicolas Claxton C | BKN
Nets' Nic Claxton: Struggles continue Friday
Claxton supplied eight points (4-7 FG) and seven rebounds in 22 minutes during Friday's 93-92 loss to New York.
Claxton has been slumping badly in recent weeks, and Friday's loss means he's now scored in double digits in just two of his nine appearances since the beginning of March. Over that stretch, the veteran big man has averaged just 7.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, as this month has been his least productive of the season by a wide margin.
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Jonas Valanciunas C | DEN
Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Left out of rotation Friday
Valanciunas (coach's decision) went unused off the bench in Friday's 121-115 win over the Raptors.
Heading into Friday, Valanciunas' spot in the Denver rotation appeared to be tenuous, as the veteran center had logged seven minutes or fewer in five of the Nuggets' previous seven contests. With Friday's contest proving to be tightly contested throughout, Nuggets head coach David Adelman finally pulled the plug on Valanciunas, who was handed his first DNP-CD of the season. Valanciunas' odds of re-emerging in the rotation will only grow dimmer moving forward, as the imminent return of Peyton Watson (hamstring) could result in Aaron Gordon logging more minutes as a small-ball center whenever starter Nikola Jokic is off the court.
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Omer Yurtseven C | GS
Warriors' Omer Yurtseven: Increased role in loss
Yurtseven had eight points (3-7 FG, 2-6 FT), six rebounds, two assists and one steal over 21 minutes during Friday's 115-101 loss to the Pistons.
Yurtseven logged a season-high 21 minutes, playing a sizable role after Kristaps Porzingis exited the game in the second quarter due to a back issue. Already dealing with a paper-thin frontcourt, Golden State now has another injury to deal with. Should Porzingis be forced to miss additional time, Yurtseven could find himself serving as the backup center, making him a name to watch in slightly deeper formats.
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Alperen Sengun C | HOU
Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Double-doubles in win
Sengun finished with 15 points (7-11 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-4 FT), nine rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and six turnovers across 32 minutes during Friday's 117-95 victory over Atlanta.
While Sengun did a solid job filling the stat sheet, he also piled up the turnovers, committing nearly one-third of Houston's 19 giveaways. The Rockets still came away with the win, but he'll need to take better care of the ball if they hope to pick up another victory against the Heat on Saturday.