NBA Player News

Brunson recorded 33 points (12-20 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 6-6 FT), seven assists, six rebounds and two steals over 38 minutes during the Knicks' 126-111 loss to the Pistons on Thursday.

Brunson scored 20 of his team-high 33 points in the second half as he attempted to lead the Knicks' comeback efforts. He was the only New York player to have some success from beyond the arc, with the rest of the Knicks going 5-for-28 (17.9 percent) from three-point range. Brunson has scored at least 30 points in four of his last six outings and will continue to lead the Knicks' offense while Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and others provide support.

Sheppard amassed 13 points (5-12 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 24 minutes during Thursday's 105-101 win over Charlotte.

Sheppard was the only bench player to finish the night in double figures, though he struggled to find the bottom of the net from beyond the arc. He looked like he was turning the corner after shooting 9-for-16 from three in his last two games before the All-Star break, but he was unable to build off his recent success. Despite his shooting woes, Sheppard has seen a slight uptick in playing time of late, averaging 27.8 minutes per game over his last four outings after logging 24.5 minutes per matchup in his first 50 regular-season appearances of the campaign.

Cunningham posted 42 points (17-34 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 13 assists, eight rebounds, two blocks and one steal over 38 minutes during the Pistons' 126-111 win over the Knicks on Thursday.

The East-leading Pistons picked up where they left off from the All-Star break, with their superstar point guard leading the way. It was the third time this season that Cunningham scored 40-plus points and his sixth game with at least 13 dimes, and the 2021 No. 1 overall pick was two rebounds shy from recording his fourth triple-double of the regular season. He has averaged 27.3 points, 9.4 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 2.4 threes, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks over 32.7 minutes per game since Feb. 1.

Thompson notched nine points (3-8 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT), seven rebounds, two assists, one block and four steals in 37 minutes during Thursday's 105-101 victory over the Hornets.

Thompson had a below-average night offensively, but he made up for it with his effort on the opposite end. He recorded four steals for the second time in his last nine games and registered a block for the third time in his last four appearances. Thompson is averaging 11.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals over his last five games.

Durant accumulated 35 points (14-20 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 5-5 FT), eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and one steal over 36 minutes during Thursday's 105-101 victory over Charlotte.

Durant posted an impressive shooting performance and pulled his weight on the defensive end by accounting for three of the team's eight blocks. Only two other starters scored in double figures, so it was Durant who carried the offense to a win. The 37-year-old has also been more involved on the boards of late by grabbing eight rebounds in back-to-back showings.

Booker won't return to Thursday's game against the Spurs due to right hip soreness, Amanda Pflugrad of 3TV Phoenix reports.

Booker exited to the locker room late in the second quarter and won't play in the second half. He'll finish with five points (2-6 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and one rebound across nine minutes. Jordan Goodwin started the third quarter in Booker's place, though Amir Coffey could also see a bump in minutes the rest of the way. Booker's next opportunity to play will come Saturday against Orlando.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said that Nesmith (ankle) won't play Friday against Washington, Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles.com reports.

The Pacers have already decided that Nesmith won't play in the second half of the team's back-to-back set to open the post-All-Star-break schedule after he sprained his right ankle in Thursday's 112-105 loss to the Wizards. Prior to his departure, Nesmith tallied three points (0-3 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-3 FT), two rebounds and one assist in 15 minutes. Kobe Brown started the second half in Nesmith's place Thursday and could be in line for a large workload again Friday.

Johnson supplied 32 points (9-22 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 14-16 FT), 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block across 38 minutes in Thursday's 117-107 win over the 76ers.

Although Johnson didn't deliver his most efficient shooting performance, he got to the charity stripe often and finished with a game-high mark in points. The star forward also led the Hawks in rebounds while tying the game highs in assists and steals. Johnson continues to power Atlanta's offense and has now racked up two double-doubles and two triple-doubles over five January appearances. Additionally, he has logged three or more steals in three straight games.

Clifford is not in the Kings' starting lineup against the Magic on Thursday, Brenden Nunes of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140 reports.

The rookie first-rounder stepped into an expanded role just before the All-Star break, highlighted by his 30-point performance in a loss to the Cavaliers on Feb. 7. Clifford has started seven of the Kings' last 10 games, but he'll come off the bench Thursday due to the return of Keegan Murray, the latter of whom missed 20 consecutive games since early January because of a sprained left ankle.

Pickett (knee) has been cleared to play Thursday against the Clippers, Brenden Nunes of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140 reports.

Pickett has officially been cleared to suit up Thursday despite dealing with right knee soreness. He's hardly cracked the rotation of late and is averaging 2.0 points in 9.7 minutes over his last three outings.