NBA Player News

Hayes finished Thursday's 120-113 loss to Denver with 19 points (8-10 FG, 3-5 FT), five rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes off the bench.

Deandre Ayton (knee) was able to play only four minutes, opening the door for Hayes to see his biggest workload since Feb. 12 and set a new season scoring high. Hayes hasn't scored more than eight points in any of his prior six games, but if Ayton winds up missing more time, he's likely to be the biggest beneficiary in the Lakers' frontcourt.

Doncic totaled 27 points (11-24 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 11 rebounds, seven assists and four steals across 40 minutes during Thursday's 120-113 loss to the Nuggets.

The 27 points led the Lakers on the night, but Doncic didn't get enough help to steal a road win. The double-double was also his second straight and 29th of the season, putting him seventh in the NBA in that category. Over eight games since returning from a hamstring strain after the All-Star break, Doncic is averaging 29.3 points, 8.5 assists, 7.5 boards, 4.3 threes, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks.

James suffered a left elbow injury during the fourth quarter and was unable to finish Thursday's game against Denver, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports. He ended with 16 points (7-11 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, eight assists, three steals and one block in 34 minutes.

James was spotted receiving medical attention on the bench after going down hard in the fourth quarter, and while he was able to check back in with 2:05 remaining, he wasn't on the court for the last few possessions. After the game, coach JJ Redick noted that James was icing his elbow, and the discomfort he felt in the final period was severe enough to take him off the floor with the game on the line, per McMenamin. It remains to be seen whether James will be healthy enough to suit up for the second half of LA's back-to-back Friday against Indiana.

Ayton left Thursday's game against Denver due to left knee soreness, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.

It appears that Ayton was able to avoid a serious injury. He'll presumably be re-evaluated Friday to determine his status for the second half of a back-to-back Friday against the Pacers.

Jokic totaled 28 points (10-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 8-8 FT), 12 rebounds, 13 assists, one steal and one block in 38 minutes during Thursday's 120-113 victory over the Lakers.

Jokic nearly committed double-digit turnovers, but he shot the ball with efficiency, which was evident by a perfect 8-for-8 night at the charity stripe. He also led the Nuggets in rebounds and assists. Jokic is averaging 27.6 points, 13.2 rebounds, 9.4 assists and 1.0 blocks over his last five matchups.

Booker recorded 27 points (9-21 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 7-7 FT), six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 32 minutes during Thursday's 105-103 loss to the Bulls.

Booker was asked to lead the charge in the scoring column on a night when Jalen Green couldn't get his shot to fall. Booker answered the call and paced the Suns with 27 points, but more importantly, he logged 30-plus minutes and looked healthy in just his second game back from a right hip strain.

Sexton registered 30 points (11-19 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 6-8 FT), three rebounds, five assists and two steals in 38 minutes during Thursday's 105-103 win over the Suns.

Sexton took advantage of his move to the starting lineup and scored 30 points for the first time this season. He was tasked with stepping up without the services of Josh Giddey (ankle), Matas Buzelis (ankle) and Jalen Smith (calf), and he proved up to the task. Sexton should continue to see more chances to produce offensively until Giddey is cleared to return.

Ayton won't return to Thursday's game against Denver due to a knee injury, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports. He'll end the night with two rebounds in five minutes.

The severity of Ayton's injury is unclear at this time. Jaxson Hayes started the second half in Ayton's place and will presumably be leaned on heavily during the final two periods of play.

Claxton chipped in 16 points (6-15 FG, 4-8 FT), eight rebounds, one assist and one steal across 28 minutes during Thursday's 126-110 loss to the Heat.

Claxton was limited to just four points and five rebounds in Tuesday's game against the Heat, and while the Nets suffered another blowout loss, at least Claxton had a better performance this time around. With double-digit points in all but one of his last 11 appearances, Claxton should continue to handle a decent workload on offense for Brooklyn. That, coupled with his starting role and consistent playing time, makes him an interesting frontcourt option across all formats.

Clowney finished with 17 points (6-12 FG, 5-8 3Pt), seven rebounds, four assists, one block and two steals over 34 minutes during Thursday's 126-110 loss to the Heat.

Michael Porter led the way in scoring for the Nets in this loss, but Clowney's impact was big on both ends of the court as well. The big man hasn't recorded a double-double since mid-January, but his uptick in the scoring column can't be overlooked. He has scored in double digits in all but one of his last seven contests, though he's cleared the 15-point plateau just three times in that span.