NBA Player News

Sarr chipped in 19 points (7-13 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 5-5 FT), seven rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes during Friday's 132-120 loss to New Orleans.

The rookie center scored in double digits for the 11th straight appearance, a stretch in which he's averaging 14.0 points, 6.7 boards, 2.6 assists, 1.9 threes and 1.4 blocks while shooting 43.8 percent from beyond the arc. Sarr has a firm hold on the starting job in the paint for the Wizards, but his workload could increase in the second half if the team elects to trade Jonas Valanciunas.

Porzingis (ankle) tallied 11 points (3-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, two blocks and two assists across 28 minutes in Friday's 109-86 win over the Rockets.

Porzingis didn't seem to be operating under any major restrictions in his return from a four-game absence due to a left ankle sprain, as he was on the court for 28 of the first 43 minutes of the contest before the Celtics subbed out all of their starters by the 4:53 mark of the fourth quarter. Assuming Sunday's matchup with the 29-5 Thunder proves to be a more competitive, expect Porzingis to see a slight uptick in his playing time in his second game back from the ankle injury.

Capela closed with eight points (4-8 FG), seven rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes during Friday's 119-102 loss to the Lakers.

Capela was squelched by Anthony Davis in the opening minutes of the first quarter. Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson were able to prop up the frontcourt effectively after Davis' opening barrage, and Capela wasn't seen again until midway through the second quarter. He fared much better against Davis at that point, but he was almost a non-factor in the second half.

Okongwu posted 14 points (7-12 FG, 0-1 3Pt), 11 rebounds, two assists and one block across 24 minutes during Friday's 119-102 loss to the Lakers.

Facing Anthony Davis is a tough test for any defense, but Okongwu was able to make some headway. Clint Capela proved to be no match for Davis in the first quarter, and while Okongwu had the advantage of facing Jaxson Hayes while Davis took a breather, he made his mark opposite Davis enough to make a difference.

Davis produced 18 points (6-17 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 6-7 FT), 19 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and three steals across 37 minutes during Friday's 119-102 win over Atlanta.

Davis was difficult to contain in the paint, and he beat back Clint Capela and Jalen Johnson with ease. Onyeka Okongwu had more success against him, but Davis was the clear rebound leader by a wide margin. Davis is aiming to ignite a double-double streak, and he now has three of them in a row. Davis has a challenging matchup opposite Alperen Sengun in his next game, but he has an excellent chance to extend the streak to four.

Kornet recorded nine points (4-7 FG, 1-4 FT), 10 boards, four assists, a steal and a block in 24 minutes of action during the 109-86 win over the Rockets on Friday.

With Al Horford (rest) on the bench, Kornet did a little bit of everything in Friday's blowout victory, making his presence known in every facet of the game. Although he outplayed Neemias Queta and logged just four minutes less than starter Kristaps Porzingis, Kornet will likely struggle to find a real foothold in the clogged frontcourt once Horford returns.

Duren totaled 10 points (5-9 FG), 14 rebounds, one assist and three blocks across 25 minutes during Friday's 98-94 win over the Hornets.

Duren held things down in the paint for Detroit in Friday's outing, leading all players in rebounds while swatting a team-best blocks total and concluding with a double-double in a winning effort. Duren has posted a double-double in 12 contests this season, including in three of his last four appearances.

Richards recorded 10 points (4-7 FG, 2-3 FT), four rebounds, five assists and two blocks across 17 minutes during Friday's 98-94 loss to Detroit.

Richards led the way for Charlotte's second unit Friday, pacing the bench in scoring while notching team-high-tying totals in assists and blocks in a losing effort. Richards set a new season high in assists, and he has reached double figures in scoring in eight outings this year.

Hayes is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Hawks, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.

Hayes will return to his regular bench role since Anthony Davis is set to return following a one-game absence. Hayes is averaging 6.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in 10 outings off the bench in 2024-25,

Clarke is in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Kings, Michael Wallace of the Grizzlies' official site reports.

The Grizzlies will be close to full strength in the frontcourt, and Clarke will get the start at center despite the fact that Zach Edey (concussion) is available as well. Clarke is averaging 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in his 17 previous starts this season.