NBA Player News

Collins (hip) is available for Saturday's game against the Heat.

Collins will take the floor Saturday after missing the Jazz's last five games due to a left hip contusion. In the 10 games prior to his injury, Collins averaged 17.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 blocks over 33.3 minutes per contest. It's unclear if Collins will return to the starting lineup or come off the bench in his first game back.

Horford (rest) is available for Sunday's game against the Thunder, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports.

After sitting out Friday's game against the Rockets for maintenance on the second leg of a back-to-back set, Horford will likely see his usual minutes Sunday as he's no longer listed on the injury report. Over his last eight appearances, Horford has averaged 7.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.9 blocks in 27.8 minutes per game.

Embiid (foot/nose) is in the starting lineup for Saturday's game versus Brooklyn.

Despite not being 100 percent, Embiid will play through another questionable tag Saturday. In his last outing against the Warriors on Thursday, Embiid recorded 28 points (8-19 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 11-14 FT), 14 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal over 31 minutes.

The Thunder assigned Carlson to the G League's Oklahoma City Blue on Saturday, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.

Carlson will be available for Saturday's G League matchup with the Valley Suns. However, Carlson will likely rejoin the Thunder ahead of Sunday's NBA contest against the Celtics.

Jokic amassed 41 points (15-36 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 8-9 FT), 18 rebounds, nine assists and two steals across 37 minutes during Friday's 113-110 loss to the Spurs.

Jokic had to carry the Nuggets on offense in this game, as evidenced by the fact he attempted 36 shots, his second-highest mark of the season behind the 38 shots he put up during his 56-point outburst against the Wizards on Dec. 7. Despite the final outcome of the game, there's no question fantasy managers will remain extremely happy with the big man's elite numbers across the board. He's recorded five triple-doubles and two double-doubles over his last 10 games, averaging 30.2 points, 13.0 rebounds and 9.6 assists per game in that span.

Collins (hip) is listed as probable for Saturday's game versus the Heat, Ryan Miller of KSL.com reports.

Collins has been upgraded from questionable to probable Saturday after missing Utah's last five outings. If Collins is able to return to action against Miami, Johnny Juzang will likely return to the bench.

Wembanyama closed with 35 points (14-21 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 18 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal across 33 minutes during Friday's 113-110 victory over the Nuggets.

Even though Wembanyama had the daunting task of dealing with Nikola Jokic on both ends of the court, the Frenchman had another epic performance and filled the stat sheet admirably while leading the Spurs to a huge road win. This was his third game with more than 30 points over his last five appearances, and he's recorded at least one tally in each of the six major categories four times in that stretch. During that five-game span, the second-year big man is averaging an impressive stat line of 31.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.4 blocks, 0.8 steals and 3.6 three-pointers made per game.

Poeltl recorded 25 points (11-12 FG, 3-3 FT), six rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 34 minutes during Friday's 106-97 loss to the Magic.

The Raptors came up short and suffered a nine-point loss Friday, but Poeltl made his presence felt on both ends of the court by posting a loaded stat line. The efficiency in scoring certainly stood out, as Poeltl missed just one of his 12 shots from the floor. This was Poeltl's fourth straight game with double-digit points and/or rebounds. He's averaging 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game over his last 10 appearances.

Bitadze finished with 11 points (3-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 5-8 FT), 13 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and one steal over 30 minutes during Friday's 106-97 win over the Raptors.

Bitadze has established himself as a proven two-way presence for the Magic down low, and he's been performing above the most optimistic predictions in recent weeks. The big man recorded his fourth double-double across his last five appearances while establishing a season-high mark in assists and tying his season-best output in blocks. Bitadze is firmly entrenched as a starter in the Magic's depleted frontcourt, but he's making a strong case to remain in that role for the long term, as he's averaging 12.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 steals per game over his last 10 contests.

Missi ended Friday's 132-120 victory over Washington with 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-4 FT), 11 rebounds, three assists and one block across 32 minutes.

It's the eighth double-double of the season for the rookie center, with half of them coming since the beginning of December. Missi is averaging 11.0 points, 9.7 boards, 1.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in 30.7 minutes a contest during that span while shooting 59.1 percent from the floor, and the 21st overall pick in the 2024 Draft is looking more and more like a steal.