NBA Player News

Duren (ankle) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Pelicans.

Duren was also questionable for Wednesday's game against the Trail Blazers before being ruled out, and it's not yet clear whether he'll be able to suit up in the second half of the back-to-back set. Marvin Bagley will likely start at center once again if Duren is unavailable.

Valanciunas recorded 19 points (6-10 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 6-7 FT), nine rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 21 minutes during Wednesday's 110-106 victory over the Thunder.

Valanciunas posted a season-high 19 points in Wednesday's win and has now scored in double figures in three of his first four appearances of the season. While he narrowly missed out on a double-double, the veteran big man tallied his first steal of 2023-24. Valanciunas has also expanded his range this season, converting 36.4 percent of his 2.8 three-point attempts per game across his first four appearances.

Boucher accumulated six points (2-4 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one steal across 13 minutes during Wednesday's 130-111 win over the Bucks.

Boucher has seen his playing time decrease from 20.0 minutes per game in 2022-23 to averaging 14.8 minutes across his first four appearances this season. He has also yet to make a three-pointer after making 0.8 per contest last season.

Koloko (illness) won't play in Thursday's game versus the 76ers, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Koloko will miss his sixth straight game to start the season due to a respiratory condition. While his next chance to suit up is Sunday's matchup with the Spurs, Koloko remains without a return timetable.

Towns recorded 21 points (7-19 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 6-6 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and two steals over 31 minutes during Wednesday's 110-89 win over the Nuggets.

Towns ended just two rebounds away from reaching what would've been his fourth straight double-double, and while the eight boards were a season-low mark for him, he posted season-best marks in points, steals and assists in this one. Towns is one of the Timberwolves' most productive players every time he steps on the court, and the numbers back him up -- he's averaging 17.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game across his first four outings.

Jokic supplied 25 points (11-23 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes during Wednesday's 110-89 loss to Minnesota.

Jokic and Jamal Murray were the only Denver players who scored in double digits in this one, and while the star big man did everything he could to carry the team to victory, he couldn't do it alone. The fact that Jokic had a "subpar" game but still notched 25 points and 10 rebounds is a testament to how dominant he's been to start the campaign, and he should remain an elite fantasy option every time he takes the floor. His next chance to play will come against the Mavericks on Friday.

Ayton registered 16 points (8-13 FG), 11 rebounds, one assist, one block and five steals across 34 minutes during Wednesday's 110-101 win over the Pistons.

Ayton was coming off grabbing a career-high 23 rebounds against the Raptors on Monday, and he recorded another career-high mark Wednesday with his five steals. The big man has three double-doubles across his last four games and has pulled down double-digit boards in all but one of his five appearances so far, though he could experience an uptick in scoring to boost his fantasy upside even more. Thus far, Ayton has reached the 15-point mark in just one of his five outings.

Porzingis accumulated 13 points (3-7 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 6-6 FT), six rebounds and two assists across 27 minutes during Wednesday's 155-104 victory over Indiana.

After a 30-point eruption in his first game with Boston to open the season, Porzingis has delivered three much more modest performances as he tries to find his role alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the Celtics' offense. The 28-year-old big man is seeing career-low shot volume so far, but Porzingis is making up for it with career-best efficiency, shooting 55.8 percent from the floor, 45.0 percent from three-point range and even 90.0 percent from the free-throw line.

Poeltl closed Wednesday's 130-111 win over the Bucks with 14 points (7-10 FG), 11 rebounds, two assists and four blocks in 29 minutes.

The 28-year-old center recorded his second straight double-double after a sluggish start to the season, and Poeltl also recorded multiple blocks for the first time in five games. The Raptors are still adjusting to a new coach, new scheme and a new point guard in Dennis Schroder, but Poeltl appears to have figured things out quickly, shooting 71.0 percent from the floor to begin the campaign.

Adebayo closed Wednesday's 109-105 loss to the Nets with 21 points (8-12 FG, 5-5 FT), 14 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals over 33 minutes.

Adebayo led all players in Wednesday's game in rebounds while finishing as one of three Heat players with 20 or more points in his first game back after missing the previous contest with a left hip contusion. Adebayo tallied his first game with 10 or more rebounds Wednesday, posting his third game with at least 20 points in four outings this year.