NBA Player News

Raynaud notched 10 points (4-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in 39 minutes during Thursday's 121-117 loss to the Magic.

The rookie out of Stanford took a step back from his recent performances, and this was his lowest scoring output over his last five appearances. The big man is firmly entrenched as a starter since Domantas Sabonis (knee) is out for the season, and he's making the most of the opportunity. He has scored in double digits in all but two of his 18 games since the All-Star break while posting seven double-doubles in that span.

Carter accumulated 14 points (5-12 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 1-2 FT), three rebounds, four assists and one steal across 25 minutes during Thursday's 121-117 loss to the Magic.

Carter was one of six Sacramento players who scored in double digits in this loss, and while he didn't fill the stat sheet, he found a way to contribute in four of the five major categories. Carter has scored at least 14 points in each of his last four appearances.

Plowden notched 23 points (8-12 FG, 6-10 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and three rebounds across 35 minutes during Thursday's 121-117 loss to the Magic.

Plowden had established a season-high 22 points in the loss to the Hornets on Tuesday, and he surpassed that mark in the very next game. Even though the former Bowling Green standout is regularly coming off the bench, he's proven he belongs as a natural scorer in the NBA. Plowden has now scored in double digits in nine games in a row (two starts) and has also reached the 20-point plateau in each of the last three.

Bane amassed 23 points (6-11 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 8-8 FT) and six assists over 35 minutes during Thursday's 121-117 win over Sacramento.

Bane was coming off three straight games in which he couldn't reach the 20-point mark, but he bounced back admirably in this one with a strong shooting performance that also saw him drain three three-pointers. Bane has scored at least 15 points in 11 of his last 12 appearances, and his role as the Magic's No. 2 option behind Paolo Banchero is pretty much set in stone, giving him a solid floor in most slates.

Carter finished with 10 points (3-8 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 11 rebounds, one block and one steal in 35 minutes during Thursday's 121-117 win over the Kings.

Carter didn't have his best shooting performance, particularly considering that he plays near the rim as a center, but he still posted a decent output. This was his first double-double since March 12, when he had 19 points and 11 rebounds in a win over the Wizards, and his fifth since the All-Star break. It's worth noting that Carter has now scored in double digits in each of his last nine appearances as well.

Suggs amassed eight points (3-8 FG, 2-5 3Pt), four rebounds, four assists and one block in 34 minutes during Thursday's 121-117 win over the Kings.

Suggs returned to the hardwood after a two-game absence, and while he had a decent stat line, he failed to provide much value as a scoring weapon. This was his sixth consecutive game in which he couldn't reach the 15-point mark, and at this point, it's fair to consider Suggs only a secondary option on offense, well behind the one-two combo of Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane in terms of usage rate and shooting volume.

Penda (coach's decision) went unused off the bench Thursday in the Magic's 121-117 win over the Kings.

Penda dropped out of the rotation, ending a stretch of 13 consecutive appearances in which he averaged 3.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 14.6 minutes per contest. The Magic played Thursday's contest without Franz Wagner (ankle), Anthony Black (abdomen) and Jonathan Isaac (knee), so Penda will have difficulty regaining a foothold on the second unit if/when any of those injured players return to action.

Sasser (hip) recorded seven points (3-11 FG, 1-4 3Pt), two rebounds and one assist across 16 minutes Thursday in the Pistons' 129-108 win over the Pelicans.

In his return from a three-game absence due to a right hip strain, Sasser paced the Pistons with a 33.8 percent usage rate but his inefficient shooting yielded an underwhelming line. Sasser will likely stick in the Detroit rotation for as long as Cade Cunningham (lung) remains sidelined, but he's expected to continue playing second fiddle to Daniss Jenkins, who has thrived since replacing Cunningham as the team's starting point guard.

Murray isn't expected to be available for the second half of New Orleans' back-to-back Friday against the Raptors due to injury management, Rod Walker of The Times-Picayune reports. He provided 12 points (5-15 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and three steals across 29 minutes during Thursday's 129-108 loss to the Pistons.

Murray has appeared in three straight games for the Pelicans, so the team will likely sit him down Friday in an effort to maintain his health. The team has understandably been careful with the Washington product after he came back from a right Achilles surgery Feb. 24, which is an approach that is expected to continue down the stretch of the regular season.

Queen finished with 11 points (5-13 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-3 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists and one steal in 21 minutes during Thursday's 129-108 loss to the Pistons.

Queen was one of the lone bright spots for the Pelicans in a blowout loss. He reached double digits in the scoring column after being held to nine points or fewer in three straight games, and he nabbed his first double-double since Jan. 16. Despite a solid night, consistent production has been tough to come by for the rookie, who has seen north of 20 minutes only five times in 13 March showings.