NBA Player News

DeRozan amassed six points (2-10 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-3 FT), one rebound and two assists over 18 minutes during Friday's 112-93 loss to the Celtics.

DeRozan had one of his worst performances of the season, recording fewer than seven points for the first time since mid-November. While this was a disappointing effort, DeRozan had scored at least 20 points in three of his previous four games. In 50 appearances this season, the veteran has averaged 19.0 points, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 33.1 minutes per game, good enough for top 60 value in standard leagues.

Ellis racked up six points (2-4 FG, 2-3 3Pt), two rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal across 20 minutes during Friday's 112-93 loss to Boston.

Ellis continues to play a muted role on a Sacramento team with seemingly nothing to play for. Although his per-minute production has been adequate, the simple fact is that Ellis just isn't seeing enough court time to have any sustainable value. In four games over the past week, he has averaged 8.3 points and 2.0 three-pointers in 20.8 minutes per game.

Carter contributed five points (2-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt), three rebounds and two assists over 11 minutes during Friday's 112-93 loss to the Celtics.

Carter shifted into the rotation, taking advantage of what ended up being another blowout loss for the Kings. While there is a chance Carter will slide into a more meaningful role at some point, that's not yet the case. He has seen the court only twice in the past 12 games, scoring seven points in 18 minutes. For now, he is simply a name to monitor moving forward.

Carter finished Friday's 130-120 win over Toronto with 23 points (9-14 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT) seven rebounds, three assists and one steal over 35 minutes.

Carter scored 15 of his 23 points across the second and third quarters of Friday's game and finished as the Magic's third-leading scorer behind Desmond Bane (32 points) and Anthony Black (25 points). It was Carter's third 20-plus-point performance of the season and his highest scoring output since Dec. 18 against the Nuggets (26 points). He has averaged 12.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 threes and 0.8 blocks over 29.8 minutes per game since Jan. 2.

Black registered 25 points (5-11 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 14-14 FT), six assists, four rebounds and one block over 40 minutes during the Magic's 130-120 win over the Raptors on Friday.

Black was particularly effective in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 of his 25 points in the frame while going 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. His 14 made free throws easily cleared his previous career high that he set Dec. 5 against the Heat (nine) and was more than he had made over his seven outings prior to Friday's contest. Black entered the Magic's starting lineup Dec. 9 and has thrived in his role. Since that point, he has averaged 19.0 points, 5.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 threes, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks over 34.6 minutes per game.

Barnes registered 19 points (7-14 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 5-7 FT), nine rebounds, six assists and four blocks over 35 minutes during the Raptors' 130-120 loss to the Magic on Friday.

Barnes finished Friday's game as the Raptors' second-leading scorer behind Brandon Ingram (35 points), though the former made his presence felt more on the defensive side of the floor. It was the fifth time Barnes logged at least four blocks in a game this season, and he has recorded three blocks in three of his last four outings, including last Friday's win over the Trail Blazers when he blocked six shots. Barnes is averaging 2.8 combined steals-plus-blocks per game this season along with 19.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists over 34.5 minutes per game.

Ingram logged 35 points (13-23 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 5-7 FT), three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block over 35 minutes during the Raptors' 130-120 loss to the Magic on Friday.

It was another effective offensive performance from Ingram, who scored 14 of his game-high 35 points in the third quarter to give the Raptors a 99-86 lead heading into the fourth frame. It was his eighth game of the season with four or more triples, and he was the only effective Raptor from beyond the arc as his teammates collectively shot 3-for-20 from three-point range in Friday's loss. Ingram has scored at least 20 points in five of his last six games, and over that span he has averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.2 threes, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks over 35.2 minutes per game.

Bane posted 32 points (11-15 FG, 7-10 3Pt, 3-3 FT), two assists and one rebound over 36 minutes during Orlando's 130-120 win over Toronto on Friday.

Bane couldn't be stopped from beyond the arc Friday, and he propelled the Magic to a come-from-behind victory with 16 points in the fourth quarter while connecting on all six of his field-goal attempts in the frame (including 4-for-4 from downtown). It was the sixth time in Bane's six-year NBA career that he connected on at least seven triples in a game, and he was one shy of matching his career best that he set in October 2022 as a member of the Grizzlies. Bane has averaged 23.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 3.6 threes and 1.0 steals over 36.4 minutes per game across his last five outings.

Banchero logged 20 points (5-11 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 9-11 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal over 41 minutes during the Magic's 130-120 win over the Raptors on Friday.

Banchero scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half and finished as the Magic's fourth-leading scorer. It was his third straight double-double and 16th of the season, and the 2022 first overall pick has been more aggressive with his scoring approach of late, having attempted at least 10 free throws in each of his last five outings. Over his last five games, Banchero has averaged 27.6 points on 51.9 percent shooting along with 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 threes over 37.4 minutes per game.

Harkless (hamstring) said Friday that he expects to miss about two more weeks, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Harkless suffered a left hamstring injury in early January, and he'll likely head straight back to the G League's Salt Lake City Stars once he's cleared to play. The two-way player has appeared in just seven regular-season games with the parent club so far this season, so his continued absence shouldn't affect the Utah rotation.