NBA Player News

Hukporti finished with eight points (4-4 FG), four rebounds and one assist across 13 minutes during Friday's 112-95 victory over the Raptors.

Hukporti didn't play in New York's' previous two contests heading into Friday night. While the 23-year-old narrowly missed his first double-digit scoring effort since the 132-101 win over the Wizards, it was still an above-average showing. With the Knicks locked into the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, Hukporti might see extended action in Sunday's meeting with the Hornets. However, he likely won't see the floor much (if at all) throughout the postseason, barring injuries to Mitchell Robinson or Karl-Anthony Towns.

Lopez notched 21 points (8-15 FG, 5-11 3Pt), six rebounds and one assist over 36 minutes during Friday's 116-97 loss to the Trail Blazers.

Lopez's 21 points marked his third-highest point total of the season and his second-highest total with the Clippers. Lopez bolstered his totals with five three-pointers, which matched his best result beyond the arc with his new team. The Clippers may need a couple of repeat nights from Lopez, as he could potentially line up against Kristaps Porzingis and Draymond Green twice in the coming week.

Clingan contributed 18 points (6-12 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocks across 28 minutes during Friday's 116-97 victory over the Clippers.

Clingan enjoyed a productive night on both sides of the ball, as he mixed proficient shooting with solid defense in the paint. The second-year pro has distinguished himself as one of the most consistent centers in the Western Conference, averaging 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 blocks over 76 games this season.

Raynaud finished with 23 points (9-12 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 3-5 FT), nine rebounds, four assists and one steal in 39 minutes during Friday's 124-118 win over Golden State.

The rookie center just missed his 19th double-double as he's had a strong close to the campaign. Raynaud has scored in double digits in 11 of the last 12 games, averaging 18.8 points, 8.6 boards, 1.9 assists and 0.8 threes while shooting 57.2 percent from the floor and 43.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Porzingis provided 11 points (4-12 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal in 26 minutes during Friday's 124-118 loss to Sacramento.

The veteran center had sat out the prior two games with an illness, but Porzingis returned to action on a minutes restriction Friday. The Warriors are focused on having as healthy a roster as possible for the Play-In Tournament, so Porzingis may not see a big increase in his workload during the regular-season finale Sunday. Over his last 10 appearances, he's averaging 17.2 points, 5.8 boards, 2.4 assists, 1.7 threes and 0.9 blocks in 25.0 minutes.

Beringer recorded 14 points (5-5 FG, 4-4 FT), four rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals over 26 minutes during Friday's 136-132 win over the Rockets.

With the sixth seed in the Western Conference sealed up, the Timberwolves have begun to empty the bench. Rudy Gobert (rest) was a healthy scratch for a second consecutive game, giving Beringer, a 2025 first-round pick, additional opportunities. The Florida product has appeared in 39 games with the parent club this season.

Sengun had 22 points (10-13 FG, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, eight assists and one block across 29 minutes during Friday's 136-132 loss to the Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves bested the Rockets in rebounds by a 39-25 margin, and Sengun's lower numbers off the glass were part of the problem. The big man regressed after posting double-digit rebound totals in two consecutive games. The mini-streak was preceded by other below-average rebound totals, but Jabari Smith has helped to prop up the team's overall results. Houston's interior effectiveness could be exploited in the playoffs, so Sengun will need to be at his best in the upcoming postseason.

Drummond produced 10 points (4-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 16 rebounds, one assist and one steal across 29 minutes during Friday's 105-94 win over the Pacers.

Drummond didn't get the start Friday over Adem Bona with Joel Embiid (appendicitis) sidelined. However, the veteran big man found a way to leave his mark while outpacing Bona -- Drummond logged 29 minutes compared to Bona's 19. Drummond has proven he can be a productive player regardless of his role, and he should see steady minutes in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Bucks since Embiid won't be available for that game, either.

Duren had 20 points (8-11 FG, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds and four assists over 22 minutes during Friday's 118-100 victory over the Hornets.

Duren ended just one rebound shy of recording what would've been an efficient double-double in 22 minutes, as he also missed just three of his 11 shots from the floor. Even though this was Duren's fourth straight without a double-double, the All-Star big man continues to produce on both ends of the court for a Pistons team that already locked up the No. 1 seed in the East. Duren is ending the season on a strong note. He has scored at least 20 points and/or has grabbed at least nine rebounds in five of his last six games since a one-game absence on March 30 versus the Thunder due to knee injury management.

Valanciunas ended with 23 points (9-14 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 17 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 32 minutes during Friday's 127-107 win over the Thunder.

Valanciunas turned back the clock as Denver opted to rest a number of its starters. Against a Thunder team that adopted the same strategy, Valanciunas was able to take full advantage, delivering his best performance of the season. While it was great to see some juice in the legs, don't expect Valanciunas to play more than about 12 minutes per contest once the playoffs arrive.