NBA Player News

Clifford (ankle) won't return to Sunday's game versus the Nets. He'll finish with seven points (2-4 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, four assists and one steal across 27 minutes.

With Clifford and Killian Hayes (toe) exiting Sunday's contest early, the Kings will have only eight available players to finish the game. Expect more minutes for Malik Monk, Doug McDermott and Devin Carter while Clifford is out.

Johnson notched 19 points (7-10 FG, 5-7 3Pt), two rebounds, three assists and two steals in 28 minutes during Sunday's 128-112 victory over the Trail Blazers.

Johnson couldn't miss to begin Sunday's game, drilling his first five buckets after being limited to just six points on 2-of-7 shooting his last time out. This was Johnson's second straight game with multiple steals, and as a bonus for nine-cat managers, he finished the match without a single turnover.

Murray totaled 22 points (9-18 FG, 4-9 3Pt), two rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 31 minutes during Sunday's 128-112 victory over Portland.

Murray was red hot to begin Sunday's game, as he dropped 18 points on 11 shots by halftime. However, the Trail Blazers did an excellent job of taking him out of the offense over the second half. Still, Murray was able to cross the 20-point plateau for a second straight game while converting 50 percent of his shot attempts, and he'll look to keep the good times rolling Tuesday in Phoenix.

Watson (hamstring) accumulated 14 points (6-13 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds and three assists over 20 minutes during Sunday's 128-112 victory over the Trail Blazers.

Watson brought some gritty energy to the second unit, and he was moving around great in his first game back following a seven-week absence. That said, the Nuggets open Week 22 with a Tuesday-Wednesday back-to-back set, so managers will need to be on alert for a potential maintenance day.

Jokic finished with 22 points (10-18 FG, 2-8 3Pt), 14 rebounds, 14 assists, one block and two steals over 35 minutes during Sunday's 128-112 win over the Trail Blazers.

Jokic added another five turnovers in the win, but head coach David Adelman explained during a recent interview that the turnovers are to be expected given Jokic's hefty usage rate (29.2). "He's going to turn it over because of his usage rate," Adelman said. "But the other guys, too, have to take it on themselves and get the ball up the floor, get us organized as well. And it's not going to be perfect. There's not always going to be Jamal Murray on the floor. Sometimes they take him away too. So it's a team issue." Jokic also recorded a game-high mark in rebounds and a game-high-tying 14 assists Sunday, marking his 28th triple-double across 56 regular-season appearances thus far.

Clingan totaled 18 points (7-13 FG, 4-7 3Pt), 13 rebounds and one assist in 25 minutes during Sunday's 128-112 loss to Denver.

Clingan opened Sunday's game with back-to-back triples, and he set a new career high in three-point makes within his first 10 minutes of play. This was the sophomore center's seventh straight double-double and his 32nd of the season. He shouldn't have much trouble keeping that streak going Monday with a favorable matchup against the Nets.

Avdija ended with 23 points (7-17 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 7-8 FT), six rebounds and 14 assists in 33 minutes during Sunday's 128-112 loss to Denver.

Avdija showed some impressive playmaking, racking up double-digit dimes by halftime, and he also did a nice job of limiting his turnovers. This was Avdija's third straight game scoring 20-plus points, and he'll look to keep this hot streak alive Monday versus the Nets.

Clifford exited to the locker room after sustaining an apparent left ankle injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Nets, Frankie Cartoscelli of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140 reports.

Clifford seemingly turned his left ankle before grabbing at it and limping to the locker room. If he's unable to return for the already shorthanded Kings, Malik Monk and Doug McDermott will likely help pick up the slack the rest of the way.

Portis (rib) isn't listed on the injury report for Monday's game against the Clippers.

Portis was a late scratch ahead of Saturday's win over the Suns due to left rib costochondritis, though he's set to return to action Monday. Over his last five outings, the veteran big man has averaged 18.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals across 27.4 minutes per contest.

Kuzma (Achilles) is questionable for Monday's game versus the Clippers.

Kuzma exited Saturday's win over the Suns with the Achilles issue, and now he's in danger of missing Monday's game. If he can't give it a go, Bobby Portis could see a bump in minutes.