NBA Player News

Gardner (coach's decision) went unused off the bench Wednesday in the Heat's 133-124 loss to the Magic.

The two-way player had quietly moved into the Miami rotation lately, appearing in each of the Heat's previous six games while averaging 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 10.5 minutes per contest. However, with the Heat welcoming Kel'el Ware (hamstring) back from a four-game absence and playing him seven minutes, that was enough for Gardner to lose his spot in the 10-man rotation. Miami will eventually get Davion Mitchell (shoulder) and Tyler Herro (ribs) back in the fold as well, so Gardner's prospects of regaining a regular spot on the second unit wouldn't seem to be promising.

Jones finished with five points (2-3 FG, 1-1 3Pt), nine assists and one rebound across 19 minutes in Wednesday's 133-124 win over the Heat.

After being left out of the rotation in Saturday's 119-105 loss to the Cavaliers, Jones has since reclaimed a spot on the Magic's second unit. He handled an 18-minute workload in Monday's loss to Cleveland and saw similar playing time Wednesday on his way to finishing as Orlando's leading assist man. With Franz Wagner experienced renewed soreness in his left ankle and looking likely to miss additional time, Jones could have some staying power in the rotation for the time being. However, Jones will be a prime candidate to see his playing time get cut dramatically once Wagner returns and Orlando is back to full strength.

Hunter (knee) posted 19 points (7-15 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds, one assist and one steal across 21 minutes Wednesday in the Cavaliers' 129-99 win over the Lakers.

Hunter had been sidelined for the Cavaliers' previous two games due to right knee soreness, but he returned to action Wednesday and excelled as the team's go-to scoring option on the second unit. Prior to getting hurt, Hunter had been held under 20 minutes in his most recent two appearances, but the Cavaliers could call upon him to handle a larger role now that the team has a greater need for secondary scoring behind Donovan Mitchell while Evan Mobley (calf) and Darius Garland (toe) remain sidelined. Hunter could be in store for added usage in the short term as a result, but beyond potentially being a solid source of points, his production in other categories typically leaves much to be desired.

Harris (hamstring) will not play Thursday against the Wizards.

Harris has played a minor role for the Bucks in recent outings with 17.3 minutes per contest over his last five games. Amir Coffey and Gary Trent could see increased run with this news.

Anthony (illness) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Wizards.

Anthony was a late addition to the injury report and may be held out Thursday. He's coming off a solid showing in Tuesday's loss to the 76ers with 10 points (3-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), one rebound and one assist over 14 minutes.

Isaac tallied four points (1-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks across 17 minutes Wednesday in the Magic's 133-124 win over the Heat.

After playing just 12 total minutes over the Magic's previous five contests, Isaac resurfaced in head coach Jamahl Mosley's rotation Wednesday. He made a strong case for sticking with the second unit on a regular basis. With four defensive counters on the night, Isaac ranked second to only Anthony Black (four steals, two blocks) among Magic players. The Magic aren't likely to count on Isaac to offer much on the offensive end. However, the defensive disruptiveness that he showcased Wednesday could be enough for him to regain traction in the rotation, especially while younger forwards such as Tristan da Silva and Noah Penda have seen their productivity dwindle in recent games.

Wiggins ended with 16 points (6-11 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT), five rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in 32 minutes during Wednesday's 133-124 loss to Orlando.

Wiggins extended his run of games with double-digit points to eight, and he's averaging 15.6 points per game while shooting 49.5 percent over that stretch. The veteran forward has a secondary role on offense for the Heat now, so he's not doing too much in fantasy outside of putting up solid numbers in the points and rebounds categories. He remains a player worth rostering, but his contributions have been far from eye-popping.

Kolek recorded five points (2-4 FG, 1-1 3Pt), 10 assists and one rebound in 20 minutes Wednesday in the Knicks' 119-92 win over the Raptors.

With just two garbage-time appearances over the Knicks' preceding four games, Kolek had been outside of head coach Mike Brown's rotation of late, but the second-year player resurfaced on the second unit while Miles McBride (ankle) rested for the second leg of a back-to-back set. Starting point guard Jalen Brunson (30 minutes) also had his playing time suppressed a bit while he fought through an illness, which cleared the way for Kolek to see more run than anticipated. Though Kolek came through with a team-leading assist total and committed just three turnovers on the night, he's still likely to drop out of the rotation Friday against the Trail Blazers with the expectation that McBride returns to action.

Adebayo ended with 21 points (7-14 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 12 rebounds, seven assists and two steals over 39 minutes during Wednesday's 133-124 loss to the Magic.

Adebayo finished just three assists away from recording a triple-double, and he's also enjoying a very prolific stretch offensively. This was his fifth straight game with at least 20 points, and over that span, he's averaging 25.2 points, 10.2 boards and 3.4 dimes per game. Adebayo has also scored 20 or more points in all but one of his previous nine contests.

Fontecchio notched 23 points (7-11 FG, 6-9 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, two assists and one block across 19 minutes during Wednesday's 133-124 loss to the Magic.

Fontecchio posted his best scoring output of the season Wednesday and was deadly from three-point range, with his six threes made also representing a season-high output for the four-year veteran. Fontecchio has been enduring a tough season in Miami, but he has shown signs of turning things around of late. He has scored in double digits in six of his last seven contests, averaging 13.7 points per game and shooting 48.9 percent from deep in that span.