NBA Player News

Murphy notched 27 points (9-17 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 4-4 FT), five rebounds, two assists and one steal across 35 minutes in Thursday's 105-99 win over the Clippers.

After averaging 18.0 points per game on 40.4 percent shooting from the field over his previous three outings, Murphy turned in an efficient performance in the second leg of this back-to-back set. The 25-year-old wing led all players in scoring and knocked down five triples for the second time this month, during which he has made at least four triples seven times. He has also reached the 20-point mark in back-to-back outings and in seven of 10 March games.

Morales finished Thursday's 130-111 loss to the Magic with two points (1-2 FG), four assists and three rebounds over 12 minutes.

The Magic were down by as much as 35 points during Thursday's game, which prompted both sides to empty their bench in the fourth quarter. Morales stepped onto the court for the start of the final frame in what was his first taste of NBA regular-season action in his professional career. He scored his first points on a layup at the 3:43 mark of the fourth quarter, and after playing the last 12 minutes of the game, he ended up finishing second on the Magic in assists behind Paolo Banchero (seven). While he isn't guaranteed to see the floor on a nightly basis, Morales could see some limited minutes in garbage time going forward, especially with Anthony Black (abdomen) sidelined.

Bane logged 24 points (8-15 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 5-5 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and one steal over 26 minutes during the Magic's 130-111 loss to the Hornets on Thursday.

Bane connected on four of five field-goal attempts for 11 points in the first quarter, but the sixth-year wing wasn't able to maintain that hot streak in the second frame (1-5 FG for two points). He still led the Magic in scoring, reaching the 20-plus-point mark for the first time in his last three games. Bane has averaged 21.8 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 threes and 1.2 steals over 34.3 minutes per game since March 1.

Ball logged 20 points (7-13 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block over 20 minutes in Thursday's 130-111 win over the Magic.

Ball sparked the Hornets with 14 points in the first quarter, and he may have had a more stat-filled first half had he not been in foul trouble, which limited him to 57 seconds in the second quarter. Still, Ball chipped in another six points in the third to reach the 20-point threshold and sat out for the whole fourth quarter due to Charlotte's large lead. He led the Hornets in steals -- he has logged at least three steals eight times this season -- and finished as the team's third-leading scorer behind Coby White (27 points) and Brandon Miller (25 points). Ball has scored at least 20 points in five of his last seven outings, averaging 22.0 points, 5.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 threes and 1.4 steals over 27.8 minutes per game in that span.

Miller registered 25 points (8-14 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 4-4 FT), eight assists and four rebounds over 28 minutes during the Hornets' 130-111 win over the Magic on Thursday.

The Hornets were looking to build on their 19-point lead coming out of halftime, and Miller aided that effort by scoring 15 points in the third quarter and finished as the team's second-leading scorer behind Coby White (27 points). It was a nice bounce-back performance from Miller, who entered Thursday's contest having shot 8-for-29 (27.6 percent) from the field in his two prior games. It was also the 11th time this season that Miller connected on at least five triples (six of which have occurred in the Hornets' 14 games since the All-Star break).

Duren finished Thursday's 117-95 win over the Wizards with 24 points (9-15 FG, 6-8 FT), 11 rebounds and two steals in 25 minutes.

With Cade Cunningham (chest) sidelined, Duren took advantage of a favorable matchup and dropped a double-double in just three quarters of action during the front end of this back-to-back set. While Duren didn't play in the fourth quarter, coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the team was just being cautious with a big lead. The star center posted game highs in points and rebounds, securing his fifth consecutive double-double and eighth on the month. The 22-year-old also reached the 20-point threshold for a fourth straight game. Cunningham is set to be re-evaluated in two weeks and is in danger of missing the remainder of the regular season, opening the door for Duren to take on increased offensive responsibilities.

White posted 27 points (7-13 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 8-8 FT), five assists and three rebounds over 23 minutes during the Hornets' 130-111 win over the Magic on Thursday.

White got extra run in the fourth quarter due to the Hornets' large lead, and the veteran guard took advantage of the extra playing time by scoring 12 of his team-high 27 points in the frame. He has scored 51 points over his last two games, connecting on 53.6 percent of his field-goal attempts while going 8-for-17 (47.1 percent) from three-point range in that span. White gives the Hornets a much-needed scoring punch off the bench, especially when LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel or Brandon Miller are off the floor.

Plowden will start Thursday's game against Philadelphia, James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports.

With Nique Clifford (hamstring) unavailable, Plowden will step into the starting lineup for just the third time on the campaign. As a starter this season, the two-way player has averaged 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists across 37.0 minutes per tilt.

Coffey won't return to Thursday's game against the Spurs due to a left ankle sprain. He finished with two assists and one rebound across six minutes.

After going unused off the bench in Tuesday's loss to Minnesota, Coffey returned to the rotation Thursday due to multiple key contributors being sidelined. However, the 28-year-old forward logged just under six minutes before exiting with a sprained ankle. His next opportunity to play will come Saturday against the Bucks, but he could be back outside of the rotation if the likes of Grayson Allen (knee), Haywood Highsmith (knee) and Royce O'Neale (knee) are also able to play.

Harkless will start Thursday's game against Milwaukee.

The Jazz will be without multiple key contributors in the second leg of this back-to-back set, including Keyonte George (hamstring) and Isaiah Collier (hamstring), opening the door for Harkless to join the first unit. As a starter this season (three games), the two-way player has averaged 6.0 points, 2.3 assists, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 29.0 minutes per contest.