NBA Player News
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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.
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Onyeka Okongwu C | ATL
Hawks' Onyeka Okongwu: Struggles in loss to Rockets
Okongwu had six points (2-9 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal over 24 minutes during Friday's 117-95 loss to the Rockets.
This was the second time over the past four games that Okongwu was held to single digits in scoring, but at least he was able to salvage his stat line with some rebounds and defensive stats. Managers can anticipate a more robust offensive outing Saturday, with a favorable matchup against the Warriors.
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Donovan Clingan C | POR
Trail Blazers' Donovan Clingan: Full stat line in win
Clingan contributed 21 points (9-13 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and one steal across 31 minutes in Friday's 108-104 win over the Timberwolves.
After recording a 28-point, 13-rebound performance in Wednesday's win over Indiana, Clingan chipped in another efficient double-double Friday. The second-year center tied the team-high mark in rebounds and was Portland's third-leading scorer, securing his 31st double-double on the campaign. He also chipped in multiple blocks for a second straight game, and he has recorded at least two swats in five of his last six outings.
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Karl-Anthony Towns C | NY
Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns: Double-doubles in win
Towns recorded 26 points (7-16 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 11-13 FT), 15 rebounds, one assist, one steal and four turnovers across 29 minutes during Friday's 93-92 win over Brooklyn.
This was Towns' 49th double-double of the season and the 471st of his career. The six-time All-Star is averaging 20.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 triples per game this season on 49/37/85 shooting splits.
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Kristaps Porzingis C | GS
Warriors' Kristaps Porzingis: Unlikely to play Saturday
Porzingis (back) did not return to Friday's 115-101 loss to the Pistons, and he said postgame that he "probably" won't play in Saturday's game against Atlanta, Nick Friedell of The Athletic reports.
Porzingis posted five points (1-5 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds, two blocks and one turnover in 11 minutes before exiting to the locker room in the second quarter. He doesn't think the back issue is serious, though it'll likely cost the big man at least one game. Quinten Post (foot) and Omer Yurtseven would likely see a boost in fantasy appeal Saturday if Porzingis is ultimately ruled out.
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Kristaps Porzingis C | GS
Warriors' Kristaps Porzingis: Questionable to return Friday
Porzingis is questionable to return to Friday's game against the Pistons due to lower-back soreness, Anthony Slater of ESPN.com reports.
Porzingis was seen grabbing at his lower back before exiting to the locker room in the second quarter. If he's unable to return during the second half, Malevy Leons and Omer Yurtseven are candidates to see increased burn the rest of the way.
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Kristaps Porzingis C | GS
Warriors' Kristaps Porzingis: Headed to locker room
Porzingis exited to the locker room during the second quarter of Friday's game against the Pistons with an apparent lower-back issue, Anthony Slater of ESPN.com reports.
Porzingis was grabbing at his lower back on the Warriors' bench before retreating gingerly to the locker room, and we should get another update on exactly what he's dealing with soon. If Porzingis needs to miss time, Omer Yurtseven will have the chance for some extended minutes.
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Jalen Duren C | DET
Pistons' Jalen Duren: Gets green light Friday
Duren (ankle) is available for Friday's game against the Warriors.
Duren will shed his questionable tag due to right ankle soreness and suit up in the second leg of this back-to-back set. The star big man has recorded a double-double in five consecutive contests, averaging 24.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.8 blocks in 27.2 minutes per game over that stretch.