NBA Player News

Ayton (knee) is doubtful for Tuesday's game against the Knicks.

Ayton will likely miss an eighth straight game due to right knee tendinitis. This doesn't come as a surprise, as coach Chauncey Billups said Sunday that Ayton doesn't have a return timetable, but the team is hopeful he can join them at some point during their upcoming road trip, which ends Friday in Minnesota. In Ayton's absence, Duop Reath should continue to draw starts at center, especially with Moses Brown sidelined indefinitely following surgery.

Bol (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Clippers, Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com reports.

This will mark Bol's second consecutive missed game due to a right ankle sprain. He stepped up in Kevin Durant's (hamstring) three-game absence, averaging 9.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.3 blocks over 16.3 minutes, but will now be forced out until he is healthy again. Bol's next chance to suit up will come Thursday against the Clippers.

Duren chipped in 20 points (8-12 FG, 4-6 FT), five rebounds and four assists across 30 minutes during Sunday's 131-114 loss to the Nuggets.

Duren had the daunting task of dealing with Nikola Jokic on both ends of the field, so in a way, his final stat line was quite decent. Even though he saw his double-double streak snap at nine games, it's worth noting this 20-point outing was his second-best mark of the entire campaign. Duren should be in line for another tough matchup Tuesday against Domantas Sabonis and the Kings.

The Trail Blazers announced Monday that Brown will undergo surgery this week to address a non-displaced fracture of the scaphoid bone in his left wrist. A timeline for his return will be established once surgery is performed.

Though Portland isn't yet putting a timeline on Brown's return, fantasy players should expect him to miss several weeks. With top center Deandre Ayton (knee) also facing an uncertain timeline to return to game action, Duop Reath should continue to operate as the Trail Blazers' starter Tuesday against the Knicks. Two-way player Ibou Badji looks poised to remain in the rotation as Reath's top backup until Ayton is back in action.

Reid closed with 15 points (7-12 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 0-2 FT) and nine rebounds over 27 minutes during Sunday's 115-108 loss to the Mavericks.

Reid was efficient from the field and delivered another solid display, reaching the 15-point mark for the third time over the last five contests. Even though he's had a fair share of ups and downs, which is to be expected given the nature of his bench role, Reid has been a consistent performer off the bench for the Timberwolves this season. Through 35 outings, he's averaging 12.7 points and 4.7 rebounds while logging 22.3 minutes per game.

Towns totaled 24 points (8-16 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 5-6 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and two blocks over 27 minutes during Sunday's 115-108 loss to Dallas.

Towns surpassed the 20-point mark for the fourth game in a row, but his contributions were not enough for Minnesota in a game the team lost despite having the lead late in the fourth quarter. Towns is firmly settled as Minnesota's second-best scoring option behind a red-hot Anthony Edwards, and he remains a solid play across all formats. Towns is averaging 19.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game over his last 10 appearances.

Bitadze produced 11 points (5-6 FG, 1-2 FT), 14 rebounds, three assists and two blocks over 28 minutes during Sunday's 117-110 overtime win over Atlanta.

Bitadze was impressive on both ends of the court Sunday, grabbing double-digit rebounds for the fifth time this season and posting his 12th outing with 10 or more points. Bitadze is having a strong season and seems to have settled in well in a starting role, though the injury issues of Wendell Carter (knee) have pushed him into a more prominent role. He's averaging 8.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in 25 starts so far.

Embiid (knee) didn't practice Monday, but there's hope he'll get some work in Tuesday, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Embiid missed a four-game stretch to end December due to an ankle injury. He returned to action Jan. 2 and appeared in back-to-back games, totaling 61 points, 25 rebounds, 13 assists and five blocks during that stretch. However, he was sidelined again for Saturday's loss to Utah, this time due to swelling in his left knee. Given his recent injuries, it's not surprising to see Philadelphia taking a cautious approach with the reigning MVP. Embiid's official status for Wednesday's game in Atlanta likely won't released until Tuesday afternoon.

Porzingis (eye) is available for Monday's matchup against the Pacers, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.

A few minutes after Porzingis, who left Saturday's win early after being poked in the eye by Aaron Nesmith, said he'll likely play in Monday's rematch against the Pacers, the Celtics officially upgraded him from questionable to available. The talented big man doesn't plan to wear any protective eyewear during the contest, and over his last three full appearances, Porizingis has averaged 22.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 blocks in 30.7 minutes per game.

Porzingis (eye) is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Pacers, but following Boston's morning shootaround, he said he'll likely play, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe reports.

Porzingis was poked in the eye by Aaron Nesmith on Saturday and didn't return to the contest. However, the talented big man is trending toward playing in the rematch and said he doesn't plan to wear any protective eyewear if he's cleared to suit up. Before the injury, Porzingis had appeared in three straight games, averaging 22.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 blocks in 30.7 minutes during that stretch.