NBA Player News

Hart (back) is questionable for Friday's game against the Nuggets.

Hart picked up a lower back contusion during Wednesday's loss to the Thunder, but he was able to return to the game and finished with 10 points (4-11 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes. If the forward is unable to play Friday, New York could rely more on Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson and Jeremy Sochan.

Murphy (neck) intends to play in Thursday's game against the Kings, per Mark Haynes of The Sacramento Observer.

If all goes well during pregame warmups, it sounds like the star forward will be able to go Thursday during the first night of a back-to-back set. Over his last eight outings, Murphy has averaged 24.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 34.0 minutes per game.

The Wizards announced Thursday that Davis (finger) will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Davis has been cleared for limited individual on-court activities, which is encouraging. The superstar big man is recovering from ligament damage in his left hand, and it's fair to expect the 16-45 Wizards to take things slowly with Davis. With Alex Sarr (hamstring) also on the shelf, Washington is down to Tristan Vukcevic (thigh), Anthony Gill (illness) and Julian Reese at center.

Bamba ended with four points (2-3 FG), eight rebounds, one assist and two blocks in 21 minutes during Wednesday's 106-102 loss to Philadelphia.

This was Bamba's first taste of action since he signed a 10-day contract Feb. 26. He made a strong impression, and with his shot-blocking upside, he's worth monitoring in case he sticks around.

Sims supplied four points (2-2 FG), 11 rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes during Wednesday's 131-113 loss to the Hawks.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction, Sims has been able to hold down a significant role in the frontcourt mix. It looks like head coach Doc Rivers is committed to giving Sims meaningful minutes. The fifth-year big man has averaged 4.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 24.9 minutes per tilt in his last seven games while shooting 88.9 percent from the field.

Knueppel closed Wednesday's 118-89 victory over Boston with 20 points (7-14 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 2-3 FT), four rebounds and one block in 31 minutes.

Knueppel continues to make a strong case for the Rookie of the Year Award. The Hornets are surging and will like their chances of securing a spot in the postseason. Over his last eight games, Knueppel has averaged 21.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 4.1 three-pointers in 30.2 minutes per contest.

Diabate finished with nine points (2-4 FG, 5-6 FT), nine rebounds, six assists and two steals in 29 minutes during Wednesday's 118-89 victory over the Celtics.

Diabate continues to shine as Charlotte's starting center. Meanwhile, rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner has had to settle for a role with minutes in the teens off the bench. With Charlotte eyeing a playoff spot, Diabate's role appears to be locked in.

McCollum racked up 18 points (5-11 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 6-6 FT), two rebounds, eight assists, one block and one steal across 29 minutes during Wednesday's 131-113 victory over the Bucks.

The eight dimes matched a season high for McCollum, who's settling into the first unit after beginning his Hawks tenure off the bench. The veteran guard has started five consecutive outings, during which McCollum has averaged 17.2 points, 4.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 27.3 minutes per game.

Anunoby contributed 16 points (6-17 FG, 4-13 3Pt), three rebounds, two blocks and three steals across 38 minutes during Wednesday's 103-100 loss to the Thunder.

This was a fairly typical line for Anunoby, as it showcases how valuable he can be in category fantasy formats. On the season, he's on pace for fourth-round value in nine-category formats with averages of 16.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.1 three-pointers in 33.1 minutes per contest.

Daniels racked up 14 points (7-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt), 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks across 34 minutes during Wednesday's 131-113 victory over the Bucks.

It was the ninth double-double of the year for Daniels, who swatted a season-high three shots. The fourth-year guard is capable of stuffing the stat sheet on any given night, but he's not consistently prolific. Daniels has averaged 11.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.0 steals in 30.3 minutes per game in his last eight contests, shooting 58.1 percent from the floor.