NBA Player News

Capela chipped in 17 points (7-11 FG, 3-3 FT), 15 rebounds, two assists, three blocks and one steal across 28 minutes during Monday's 130-124 victory over the Pistons.

Capela missed Saturday's loss to Cleveland due to knee soreness, but he didn't miss a beat Monday, posting his third consecutive appearance with a double-double. Capela has been locked into a 30-minute role of late, even logging stretches in two-big lineups alongside Onyeka Okongwu.

Jokic closed Monday's 130-104 win over the Mavericks with eight points (3-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals across 28 minutes.

Though the Mavericks kept things fairly competitive in the first half, the Nuggets pulled away in the third quarter, leaving most of the fourth quarter as garbage time. This game was just the third time this season Jokic has failed to produce double digits in any category, but there's no reason for fantasy managers to be concerned. He has 10 triple-doubles in his 27 appearances this season.

Sabonis notched 28 points (11-16 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 13 rebounds, 12 assists and one block over 32 minutes during Monday's 143-131 win over the Wizards.

Sabonis logged his third triple-double of the season Monday. He posted 14 triple-doubles last season, so while he isn't quite on pace to replicate his booming 2022-23 campaign, his 7.0 assists per game still ranks second among all centers behind Nikola Jokic. Sabonis had just two turnovers as well, thoroughly capitalizing against the Wizards' 29th ranked defense.

Bagley recorded 17 points (7-12 FG, 3-4 FT) and one rebound across 23 minutes during Monday's 130-124 loss to the Hawks.

The Pistons competed hard before ultimately suffering their 24th straight loss, and Bagley, who recently missed three straight games due to a back injury, struggled to leave his mark as a two-way presence. However, he posted solid scoring figures while replacing Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) in the starting lineup. Bagley scored in double digits for the first time since Nov. 20, and while he can contribute as a scoring weapon when given enough time, his lack of an established role and his inconsistency limits his upside considerably. The fact that he's playing on one of the worst teams in the league in recent years doesn't help his case, either.

Adebayo (hip) scored 22 points (10-22 FG, 2-3 FT) and added six rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block across 36 minutes in Monday's 112-108 loss to the Timberwolves.

Despite missing the Heat's previous seven games with a left hip contusion, Adebayo appeared to be in top form in his first outing since Nov. 30. Not only did he lead all Heat players in minutes, but Adebayo also took on a team-high 33 percent usage rate, notably finishing ahead of both Tyler Herro (29 percent) and Jimmy Butler (20.1 percent). Though Adebayo could sacrifice a few more shot attempts to the latter two players in games to come, the injury scare at least doesn't look as though it'll be anything that derails what had been shaping up to be one of the best seasons of his career. He's averaging career highs in scoring (22.2 points per game) and free-throw percentage (80.9 percent), and his 4.0 assists per game represent his best mark since 2020-21.

Powell accumulated eight points (4-6 FG) and eight rebounds across 23 minutes during Monday's 130-104 loss to the Nuggets.

Powell drew the start Monday with Dereck Lively sidelined by an ankle issue. Powell is typically a low-usage player with below average steal and block rates, so he won't be a popular grab in fantasy formats even if Lively misses more time.

Poeltl registered four points (2-2 FG), one rebound and two assists in 15 minutes during Monday's 114-99 win over Charlotte.

Poeltl picked up three quick fouls Monday, and the Raptors utilized a lot of smaller lineups with Gary Trent catching fire off the bench. Poeltl's minutes have been pretty consistent for the most part, so this dud is unlikely to worry his fantasy managers too much. In seven December showings, Poeltl averaged 9.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 blocks in 25.4 minutes.

Richards totaled 10 points (4-5 FG, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes during Monday's 114-99 loss to Toronto.

This was the third double-double of the campaign for Richards. Mark Williams has missed five straight games due to a back injury, and it's likely he could miss more with the Hornets regularly throwing doubtful tags on him. In Richards' last five games, he averaged 9.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.4 blocks.

Coach Monty Williams said Monday that Duren (ankle) still isn't practicing, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports.

Duren has struggled to stay healthy this season, missing five straight contests while appearing in just 14 of Detroit's first 26 games. The Pistons announced Dec. 10 that Duren would be re-evaluated in two weeks, so another substantial update should be coming soon, though he'll presumably have to log a couple of full practices before he's cleared to suit up again. With Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) also banged up recently, Marvin Bagley and James Wiseman have garnered increased roles in Detroit's frontcourt.

Embiid chipped in 40 points (15-28 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 8-9 FT), 14 rebounds, six assists and two blocks in 37 minutes during Monday's 108-104 loss to the Bulls.

Embiid was considered questionable to play for Monday's game due to some tightness in his left hamstring, so it's pretty remarkable how well he did. There are not many players as hot as Embiid is in December. Through his last seven games, he's averaging 40.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.0 blocks, 1.3 steals and 1.3 three-pointers. He's been the best player in nine-category formats during that span.