NBA Player News

George exited Friday's 109-99 loss to the Nets with 2:40 remaining in the fourth quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the game shortly thereafter due to a left ankle sprain, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

George immediately made his way to the locker room after checking out of the contest. On a positive note, head coach Will Hardy said after the game that X-rays on George's ankle came back negative, ruling out a potential fracture, per Ben Anderson of KSL News Salt Lake City. He finished the contest with 26 points (9-11 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 7-10 FT), seven assists, three rebounds and one block across 32 minutes. The 22-year-old point guard's next opportunity to play will come Sunday against the Raptors. If George is forced to miss time, Isaiah Collier would likely replace him in the starting five, and Walter Clayton would presumably be in line for extra playing time.

George exited to the locker room in the fourth quarter of Friday's game against the Nets due to an apparent left ankle injury, per the broadcast.

George appeared to turn his ankle and hopped to the locker room with 2:40 remaining in the fourth quarter. If he's unable to return in the final minutes of the contest, he'll finish with 26 points (9-11 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 7-10 FT), seven assists, three rebounds and one block across 32 minutes.

Brooks notched 27 points (9-14 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 7-8 FT), two rebounds, three assists and two steals across 24 minutes in Friday's 126-113 win over the Cavaliers.

Brooks was the only player to reach 20 points in this game, and although he didn't stand out in any other categories, he turned in a rewarding fantasy effort. Brooks isn't expected to carry the Suns offensively on a regular basis, but he's going through his most productive stretch of the season while Devin Booker (ankle) is sidelined. This was his fourth straight game with at least 25 points, and he's reached the 20-point mark in nine of his 16 outings in January.

Jokic (knee) notched 31 points (8-11 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 13-17 FT), 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals across 25 minutes in Friday's 122-109 win over the Clippers.

Jokic returned to action following a 16-game absence due to a left knee bone bruise and performed as well as ever despite playing less than a full workload. After the game, head coach David Adelman noted that Jokic would have been available to play three more minutes "at the most," per TheDNVR.com, but the Nuggets were able to keep the three-time MVP's playing time in check after he ran into foul trouble in the first half. The Nuggets then held a comfortable lead down the stretch, allowing Jokic to rest for the final two minutes of the double-digit win. Given Adelman's comments, Jokic seems likely to be held under 30 minutes in the Nuggets' next game Sunday versus the Thunder, but the standout center could be free of restrictions in standalone games by the end of next week.

Branham supplied 17 points (6-9 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and one rebound in 22 minutes during Friday's 142-111 loss to the Lakers.

Branham has played an inconsistent role so far this season but saw an uptick in minutes Friday with multiple key contributors sidelined for the second leg of Washington's back-to-back set. The 22-year-old guard made the most of his increased playing time in the blowout loss, finishing as Washington's leading scorer with a season-high 17 points. The 2022 first-rounder has seen the court in four straight games, during which he has averaged 7.3 points and 1.5 rebounds across 11.5 minutes per game.

Gonzalez provided two points (1-8 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 0-1 FT), four rebounds and one assist across 22 minutes during Friday's 112-93 win over the Kings.

Gonzalez offered very little in the way of tangible production, scoring no more than three points for the third time in the past four games. It's been an interesting rookie campaign thus far for Gonzalez, full of ups and downs. However, the downs have certainly outnumbered the ups, with Gonzalez averaging just 4.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game through his first 43 appearances.

James registered 20 points (8-16 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six assists, three rebounds and two steals over 30 minutes during Friday's 142-111 victory over the Wizards.

After scoring 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field in Wednesday's loss to Cleveland, James bounced back against Washington. The 41-year-old finished as Los Angeles' third-leading scorer, reaching the 20-point threshold for the third time in his last five outings. Over that stretch, the superstar has averaged 19.0 points, 5.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest.

Walsh ended with five points (1-7 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 2-4 FT), three rebounds, one block and one steal over 16 minutes during Friday's 112-93 victory over the Kings.

Walsh was used sparingly again, playing fewer than 20 minutes for the seventh time in the past eight games. With Sam Hauser seemingly taking hold of the starting power forward position, Walsh has been relegated to a depth role. In eight appearances over the past two weeks, he has averaged just 3.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game, leaving him well outside the top 300 in nine-category formats.

Queta provided 10 points (4-11 FG, 2-4 FT), 15 rebounds, two assists, one block and three steals over 29 minutes during Friday's 112-93 victory over Sacramento.

Queta turned in a strong two-way effort, returning to action after missing the previous game due to an illness. Up against a questionable Sacramento lineup, Queta made the most of his time on the floor, recording his sixth double-double of the season. Despite a somewhat limited ceiling, Queta has exceeded all expectations thus far, averaging 10.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.2 combined steals and blocks, cementing himself as the starting center in Boston.

Ayton supplied 28 points (12-14 FG, 4-4 FT), 13 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal in 29 minutes during Friday's 142-111 win over the Wizards.

Ayton was effective on both ends of the floor in this one, stuffing the stat sheet in the blowout victory. After averaging just 6.6 points per game in his previous five outings, the big man finished one point shy of tying his season high, reaching the 20-point mark for the second time this month. He also led all players in rebounds, securing his 17th double-double of the season. Additionally, Ayton swatted a game-high three shots and has now recorded at least one block in six straight games.