NBA Player News

Tillman is questionable for Thursday's game against the Bulls due to a non-COVID illness.

A decision on Tillman's status will be made closer to Thursday's 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff. That said, his potential absence isn't expected to move the needle too much in terms of fantasy purposes. With Al Horford (rest) ready to go Thursday, Tillman would be in line to have a backup role -- at best -- while battling with Neemias Queta and Luke Kornet for minutes at center.

Horford is not on the injury report for Thursday's game against the Bulls.

Horford missed the 112-98 win over the Wizards on Dec. 15 due to rest purposes. However, Boston had three days off after that contest, so Horford should be ready to go and to handle his regular workload Thursday. The veteran is averaging 9.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this season.

Porzingis (heel) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Bulls, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports.

The questionable tag was expected after Porzingis participated in Wednesday's practice -- the Celtics want to see how his heel injury responds Thursday morning before a decision is made. Porzingis suffered the injury during Sunday's 112-98 win over the Wizards, but it was always believed to be a day-to-day issue.

Sabonis didn't practice Wednesday due to undisclosed reasons, and his status for Thursday's game against the Lakers will be determined later before the end of the day, Brenden Nunes of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140 reports.

Neither Keegan Murray (undisclosed) nor Sabonis featured in practice Wednesday, and it wouldn't be surprising if either received a questionable or doubtful tag for Thursday's contest. Sabonis has been massive for the Kings this season, however, so losing him, even if it's just for one game, could be a huge blow for the team. The star big man is averaging 21.5 points, 13.1 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in 25 appearances this season.

Poeltl (groin) will not play Thursday against the Nets, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports.

After undergoing an MRI, Poeltl has a bilateral groin strain and is considered day-to-day. With Toronto's starting center sidelined for at least one game, Kelly Olynyk will likely step into a large role and will offer plenty of upside for fantasy managers in need of a short-term pickup.

Porzingis (heel) participated in Wednesday's practice, Jay King of The Athletic reports.

Coach Joe Mazulla said Porzingis looked good and was moving around well, and that bodes well for his status against the Bulls on Thursday. The Celtics want to see how his body responds to the practice, so fantasy managers could expect a potential questionable tag on the upcoming injury report.

Lopez closed Tuesday's 97-81 victory over Oklahoma City with 13 points (5-12 FG, 3-6 3Pt), nine rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 37 minutes.

Lopez finished one rebound shy of what would've been his second double-double of the campaign. Milwaukee's starting center has been very consistent this season and is on pace to return top-60 value in nine-category formats for his shot-blocking prowess and three-point shooting.

Hartenstein posted 16 points (6-11 FG, 4-4 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists and one steal in 32 minutes during Tuesday's 97-81 loss in the NBA Cup Championship to the Bucks.

Hartenstein has now posted a double-double in nine of his 11 appearances this season. The 26-year-old continues to operate as Oklahoma City's only true big man with Chet Holmgren (hip) out. Hartenstein has capitalized by averaging a career-high 12.3 rebounds per contest.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said that Kleber (rib) practiced Tuesday, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Kleber has missed the Mavericks' last three games, with his absence initially attributed to an illness before Dallas also listed him with a fractured rib as of Saturday. However, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com noted that Kleber took part in conditioning work Sunday before he was involved in practice Tuesday, so perhaps his rib injury isn't as significant as it sounds. The extent of Kleber's participation in practice Tuesday isn't known, and if he ended up being limited, he could still remain out for Dallas' next game Thursday versus the Clippers.

Head coach JJ Redick said Tuesday that Hayes is working on strengthening his right ankle, and the Lakers plan to provide an update on his status next week, Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com reports.

Hayes has missed the Lakers' last nine games with what the team has labeled a right ankle sprain/contusion. The 24-year-old center appears to be ramping back up again, but he still looks set to miss another handful of games before potentially returning to action in the final week of December or in early January. Christian Koloko should continue to serve as the primary backup to Anthony Davis while Hayes is sidelined.