NBA Player News

Grant closed with 23 points (8-15 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), two rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 28 minutes during Friday's 135-115 win over the Grizzlies.

The veteran forward led all scorers on the night as he made his third straight start in place of Deni Avdija (back). Portland couldn't find a taker for Grant's contract at the trade deadline, but he's been useful for the team in February, during which he has averaged 20.3 points, 2.3 assists, 2.3 threes, 2.0 boards and 0.7 steals in 29.7 minutes while filling in for Avdija.

Spencer amassed 18 points (7-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five assists, one block and two steals across 26 minutes off the bench during Friday's 135-115 loss to the Trail Blazers.

The second-year guard led Memphis in scoring on the night, coming off the bench for a fourth straight game. The team's backcourt is getting crowded even with Ja Morant (elbow) still sidelined, as Ty Jerome (calf) made his season debut Jan. 31 and Scotty Pippen (toe) followed Friday, and the Grizzlies seem more comfortable having Spencer in the second unit. Over the last three games in that role, he's averaged 18.0 points, 5.0 assists, 2.7 threes and 2.3 boards in 26.0 minutes.

Coward closed Friday's 135-115 loss to Portland with 11 points (5-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt), eight rebounds, one assist and three steals across 25 minutes.

The three steals tied Coward's career high, while the eight boards represented the rookie's best effort on the glass since Jan. 11. Coward's production can still wobble at times -- he's failed to score in double digits three times in the last seven games -- but since missing time in early January due to an ankle sprain, the 22-year-old guard is averaging 13.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 threes and 1.2 combined steals-plus-blocks in 26.3 minutes over the last 13 contests.

Prosper closed with 13 points (3-13 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six rebounds and two assists in 28 minutes during Friday's 135-115 loss to Portland.

The 2023 first-round pick made his first start of the season with Santi Aldama (knee) unavailable, and Prosper responded by tying his season high in points, a mark he had just set Jan. 31 against Minnesota. Prosper has seen a larger role in the frontcourt rotation over the last week, averaging 9.3 points, 5.5 boards, 1.0 assists, 1.0 threes and 0.8 steals in 22.8 minutes across the last four games, but he'll face increased competition for court time once the newly acquired Taylor Hendricks and Kyle Anderson (illness) are up to speed.

Pippen (toe) contributed 13 points (4-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six assists, three rebounds and one steal in 22 minutes during Friday's 135-115 loss to the Trail Blazers.

Finally cleared to make his season debut after recovering from October toe surgery, Pippen was plugged right into the starting five and delivered a strong performance, although his minutes were unsurprisingly limited. With Ja Morant (elbow) facing an uncertain timeline for a return, Pippen appears likely to split minutes at point guard with Ty Jerome (calf) in games where both players are available. Jerome sat out Friday's contest, but he'll likely return to action Saturday in Portland. Pippen, meanwhile, is likely to be rested for that game coming off the long-term absence.

Huff supplied five points (1-4 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal in 23 minutes during Friday's 105-99 loss to the Bucks.

Huff turned in a poor performance on the offensive end, failing to score in double figures for the second time over his last three outings. However, the big man still recorded two blocks and has tallied multiple swats in three of his last four appearances. Ivica Zubac (ankle/recently traded) isn't expected to make his Pacers debut until Tuesday against New York at the very earliest, so Huff could continue to see significant playing time for now.

Siakam provided 19 points (7-19 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 4-8 FT), six rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal across 33 minutes during Friday's 105-99 loss to Milwaukee.

Siakam returned from a one-game absence due to rest purposes and struggled with efficiency, though he still finished as Indiana's second-leading scorer. The star forward has shot the ball well from beyond the arc this season, though he has had his fair share of struggles recently, shooting just 26.9 percent from downtown over his last five outings. On a more positive note, he has scored at least 19 points in 11 straight games and continues to operate as Indiana's clear top option on the offensive end.

Nembhard chipped in 22 points (6-17 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 7-7 FT), eight assists, two rebounds and one steal in 37 minutes during Friday's 105-99 loss to the Bucks.

After scoring just seven points his last time out during Monday's loss to Houston, Nembhard recorded a team-high 22 points. The 26-year-old point guard has reached the 20-point threshold twice over his last three appearances and 15 times this season. He also recorded a game-high-tying eight assists Friday and has dished out at least eight dimes in seven consecutive contests.

Porter posted 23 points (10-20 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 3-3 FT), eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals across 34 minutes during Friday's 105-99 win over the Pacers.

Porter joined the starting five in his second outing back from a six-game absence due to a right oblique strain and stuffed the stat sheet. While the 25-year-old guard struggled mightily from three-point range, he still racked up a game-high 23 points, reaching the 20-point mark for the third time over nine outings since the beginning of January. He also led Milwaukee in assists and steals. Porter has dished out 17 dimes while supplying eight swipes over his last two appearances.

Portis posted 21 points (9-18 FG, 3-7 3Pt), six rebounds and one assist in 26 minutes during Friday's 105-99 win over Indiana.

Portis returned from a two-game absence due to a right hip contusion and was one of three Bucks players to score 20-plus points. The veteran big man reached the 20-point threshold for the first time since Jan. 2, though he has scored at least 15 in five of his last seven appearances. He was also effective from beyond the arc after having shot just 20.0 percent from downtown over his previous three appearances (all starts), during which he averaged 14.7 points in 36.3 minutes per game.