NBA Player News

Powell logged 24 points (9-15 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), four assists, four steals and three rebounds across 35 minutes Friday in Miami's 98-96 loss to Boston.

Powell made his return Friday from a three-game absence due to personal reasons. He made his presence felt immediately, pouring in 15 of his points in the first two quarters. He briefly exited to the locker room in the third quarter due to the hand injury, though he returned to the contest after X-rays came back negative, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. After the game, Powell suggested that he was dealing with a hyperextension of his hand, which could make his status worth monitoring ahead of Miami's next game Sunday in Washington. The Heat will release their next injury report Saturday.

Wiggins posted 26 points (10-16 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds and two steals over 38 minutes during the Heat's 98-96 loss to the Celtics on Friday.

Wiggins was given the green light to return Friday from a one-game absence due to left hamstring tightness. That injury didn't appear to hamper the veteran forward at all, as he played a team-high 38 minutes while leading the Heat in both points and three-pointers. It was Wiggins' highest-scoring game since Jan. 11 against the Thunder, when he scored 23 points while connecting on a season-high seven three-pointers. He has averaged 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.9 threes and 1.3 steals over 29.8 minutes per game over his last 10 outings.

Kolek totaled five points (2-6 FG, 1-3 3Pt), three rebounds, three assists and two steals across 20 minutes during Friday's 118-80 loss to the Pistons.

Kolek saw a handful of extra minutes, closing the game as New York was getting blown out by Detroit. Despite some flashes of upside this season, Kolek continues to serve as a depth piece for the Knicks. The arrival of Jose Alvarado could complicate matters even more for Kolek, limiting his fantasy appeal to dynasty formats and very deep redraft leagues.

Vucevic finished Friday's 98-96 win over the Heat with 11 points (4-8 FG, 0-1 3PT, 3-4 FT), 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals over 28 minutes.

Vucevic came off the bench in his Celtics debut, a role he hasn't filled since his rookie season with the 76ers during the 2011-12 campaign. The veteran center filled in nicely in his bench role, and while he looked to distribute more than score at times, he still managed to record a double-double while showing his energy on offense with six offensive rebounds. It'll be interesting to see whether Vucevic continues to operate in a reserve role, but if so, he and Payton Pritchard would combine to form a lethal duo off the bench for Boston.

Jones started Friday's game against the Kings, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.

Kobe Sanders was named the starter for Friday's game, but it was Jones who was on the floor for the opening tip, and it's not clear what prompted the change. Jones made his return Wednesday from a 15-game absence and logged seven points, two rebounds and one block over 21 minutes in the Clippers' 124-91 loss to the Cavaliers.

Sanders is not in the Clippers' starting lineup against the Kings on Friday, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.

Although Sanders was listed in the starting lineup, it was Derrick Jones who was on the floor at the opening tip. It's unclear what prompted the late change, but it appears as though Sanders will operate in a reserve role Friday.

Brown recorded 29 points (11-25 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 6-10 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and one block over 33 minutes during Boston's 98-96 win over Miami on Friday.

Brown committed a game-high seven turnovers and was inefficient from both three-point range and the charity stripe. However, that doesn't take into account the fact that he was the lone Celtic to produce offensively during the first half, including 15 points in the second quarter, as none of his teammates scored more than five points over the first two frames of Friday's contest. Brown has missed two of the Celtics' last five games while working through lingering hamstring and knee injuries, but the All-Star starter continues to produce despite those setbacks. He has scored at least 20 points in 14 consecutive games, and over that span he has averaged 29.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.2 threes and 0.9 steals over 35.3 minutes per game.

Hart exited Friday's 118-80 loss to the Pistons in the third quarter due to a right ankle injury and didn't return, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports. He finished with five points (2-7 FG, 1-2 3Pt), six rebounds and two assists across 25 minutes.

Hart was seen getting his ankle examined on the bench before eventually heading back to the locker room. The veteran wing had notably missed the Knicks' previous game Wednesday against the Nuggets due to a left ankle sprain, but it's the other ankle that was bothering him Friday. The right ankle had previously been a concern for Hart, who missed eight straight games from Dec. 27 to Jan. 9 due to a sprain. The Knicks will presumably evaluate him Saturday to determine the severity of the injury before revealing his status for Sunday's game against Boston.

Pritchard registered 24 points (8-15 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), one assist, one rebound and one steal over 36 minutes during the Celtics' 98-96 win over the Heat on Friday.

The Celtics struggled offensively during the first half, with Jaylen Brown being the only player to score more than five points over the first two quarters. Pritchard and the rest of Brown's teammates were much better in the second half, with the former scoring 19 of his 24 points over the final two frames to help Boston overcome a 22-point deficit for the win. Pritchard has come off the bench in each of the Celtics' last three games after being a starter prior to that, but he's proven unfazed by the move while scoring at least 24 points in each of those contests.

Larsson didn't return to Friday's 98-96 loss to the Celtics after exiting with 5:01 remaining in the second quarter due to a right elbow contusion. He finished with zero points, five rebounds and three assists over 12 minutes.

The severity of the bruised elbow isn't known, but the injury puts Larsson at risk of missing Sunday's game against the Wizards. If Larsson ends up being sidelined for the first time since Jan. 3, the Heat would likely have more playing time on the wing available for two-way player Myron Gardner, who logged just six minutes Friday.