NBA Player News

Richards (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Pacers.

Richards took a seat for the first half of Charlotte's back-to-back set, allowing Taj Gibson to draw a start as Mark Williams continues to operate off the bench since making his season debut. Over his last three appearances, Richards has averaged 13.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 blocks in 26.3 minutes per game.

Embiid (knee) is still listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bulls but will go through pregame warmups and face a hefty minutes restriction if cleared to suit up, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Embiid has missed seven straight and 17 of Philly's first 21 games this season due to a lingering knee injury. It appears like the 2022-23 MVP is trending toward playing Sunday, barring a setback during warmups, but it'd be surprising if he saw more than 30 minutes, even if he's in the starting lineup. Embiid has scored more than 20 points in only one of his four appearances this season.

Vucevic (back) is available for Sunday's game against the 76ers, Will Gottlieb of AllCHGO.com reports.

As expected, Vucevic has been upgraded from probable to available. He hasn't missed a game this season and has scored in double figures in 10 straight, averaging 23.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals-plus-blocks in 31.7 minutes per game.

Adebayo ended Saturday's 121-111 victory over the Suns with 25 points (9-16 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 6-8 FT), 12 rebounds, eight assists and one steal across 34 minutes.

The Heat caught the Suns in the midst of a horrible downward spiral, and Adebayo took advantage of Phoenix's frontcourt absences with efficiency. His 25 points marked his third-highest scoring total of the season and his best result at home. The standout center is also working on a double-double streak that's extended to three games, with four double-doubles over the past five games.

Filipowski (lower leg) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Kings.

Filipowski has missed the Jazz's last seven games due to a left lower leg injury, though he did play for the G League Salt Lake City Stars on Friday against the South Bay Lakers, finishing with 10 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block over 24 minutes. That should mean he is trending towards making his NBA return Sunday, but he might be on a minutes restriction if he does play. In his 11 games with Utah before his injury (including eight starts), Filipowski averaged 8.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists over 21.1 minutes per game.

Porzingis produced 19 points (6-17 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 4-6 FT), eight rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals over 33 minutes during Saturday's 127-121 loss to Memphis.

After resting on the front end of the back-to-back, Porzingis played for a few minutes and was sent to the locker room late in the second quarter, presumably due to his lingering leg injury. He returned in the second half and seemed unhindered. Porzingis is expected to sit frequently in back-to-back scenarios until he is fully healthy.

Clarke notched 18 points (9-11 FG), eight rebounds, four assists, one block and two steals over 26 minutes during Saturday's 127-121 win over the Celtics.

While Clarke may be keeping the seat warm until Zach Edey's (ankle) return, the veteran big man has been a steady presence for Memphis since joining the starting lineup. Over 14 starts, he's averaged 8.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists.

Poeltl posted 20 points (7-11 FG, 6-6 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 34 minutes during Saturday's 125-118 loss to the Mavericks.

An illness prevented Poeltl from playing against the Thunder on Thursday, but the veteran big man was able to return for Saturday's bout. He finished as the Raptors' second-leading scorer behind Gradey Dick (27), and Poeltl's seven assists were a season high. Over his last 10 outings, Poeltl has averaged 18.0 points on 63.8 percent shooting, 11.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals over 33.5 minutes per game.

Valanciunas chipped in 20 points (8-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocks across 32 minutes during Saturday's 122-113 win over the Nuggets.

It was a season-best effort by Valanciunas, who registered a season-high five blocks and his first 20-point, 10-rebound double-double of the season while starting at center for the absent Alex Sarr (back) on Saturday. Valanciunas' excellent showing down low may have been overshadowed by Nikola Jokic's career-high 56 points for the Nuggets on the other side, but fantasy managers should be pleased with the former's box score despite his five turnovers. Valanciunas has now made five starts for the Wizards, averaging 14.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 blocks in 25.4 minutes per contest while shooting 56.9 percent from the floor as a starter. The veteran big man should play a more pronounced role once again if Sarr remains out Sunday, albeit in a tough matchup with a Grizzlies squad that ranks seventh in the NBA in defensive efficiency rating (108.6).

Hartenstein closed with 12 points (5-8 FG, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds, five assists and one steal in 29 minutes during Saturday's 119-109 win over the Pelicans.

Hartenstein was coming off a 16-rebound performance in the blowout win over the Raptors on Thursday, and the big man notched his sixth double-double in this one. He's posted impressive numbers in eight appearances, and he's firmly entrenched as the Thunder's starting center -- at least until Chet Holmgren (hip) is ready to return. Even though Hartenstein won't be asked to carry the team offensively, he's been producing enough on both ends of the court to remain a valuable fantasy asset in all formats.