NBA Player News

Murray amassed 15 points (5-13 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-5 FT), eight rebounds, five assists and two steals in 30 minutes during Friday's 118-116 loss to the Suns.

Murray took a seat Thursday in Sacramento for rest reasons but was back in action for the second half of New Orleans' back-to-back set. He played at least 30 minutes for the first time this campaign, continuing to put up strong numbers since making his season debut at the end of February. Murray has scored in double figures and recorded at least one steal in all five appearances thus far, averaging 15.4 points, 6.0 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 26.2 minutes a night.

Cisse notched six points (3-5 FG), seven rebounds, three blocks, one assist and one steal across 25 minutes during Friday's 120-100 loss to Boston.

With Daniel Gafford (ankle) and Marvin Bagley (neck) sidelined for the second leg of this back-to-back set, Cisse saw increased playing time and even logged more minutes than starter Dwight Powell (15 minutes). Cisse was fairly productive, grabbing seven boards and recording a game-high three blocks. The big man has just four games of eligibility left at the NBA level while on a two-way contract, so he isn't likely to suit up unless Gafford and Bagley both continue to miss time.

Flagg produced 16 points (7-23 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, six assists and one steal in 30 minutes during Friday's 120-100 loss to the Celtics.

Flagg turned in a lackluster performance from the field and from beyond the arc, though he still finished as Dallas' second-leading scorer. While he wasn't efficient on the offensive end against Boston, the 19-year-old still led the Mavericks in rebounds and assists, dishing out six dimes for a second consecutive contest. The rookie saw an additional four minutes of action compared to Thursday's loss to Orlando -- his return from an eight-game absence due to a foot injury -- and will presumably continue to increase his workload going forward.

Thompson posted 19 points (7-13 FG, 5-11 3Pt) and one assist over 18 minutes during Friday's 120-100 loss to Boston.

Thompson followed up his 24-point performance during Thursday's loss to Orlando with another impressive outing on the offensive end. The veteran wing led the Mavericks in scoring Friday and was one of just two Dallas players to score more than 13 points. Thompson has been a relatively consistent source of three-pointers recently, though he doesn't offer much in terms of peripheral numbers.

Garza contributed 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-6 3Pt), three rebounds, two blocks and one assist over 18 minutes during Friday's 120-100 win over the Mavericks.

Garza saw at least 15 minutes of action for a third consecutive contest due to Nikola Vucevic suffering a fractured finger in the opening quarter. Garza turned in a solid outing on the offensive end, scoring in double figures for the first time since Feb. 4. He also chipped in at least two blocks for just the third time this season. Vucevic is expected to miss at least one month with the finger injury, so Garza is likely to operate as Neemias Queta's primary backup for the time being.

Brown had 24 points (9-17 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 4-6 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals across 33 minutes during Friday's 120-100 victory over the Mavericks.

Brown put together a relatively efficient performance in this one, leading the Celtics in scoring while extending his streak of 20-plus-point outings to 23. The star forward also tied the game-high marks in steals and assists, dishing out at least seven dimes for a fourth straight game. While Brown's usage may take a slight hit due to Jayson Tatum returning to action, the former should still operate as Boston's top option on the offensive end as Tatum is eased back in.

Anunoby tallied 34 points (11-17 FG, 6-11 3Pt, 6-6 FT), seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and one block across 32 minutes in Friday's 142-103 win over the Nuggets.

With Jalen Brunson posting just nine points on 3-of-13 shooting, it was Anunoby who stepped up for New York in the scoring column. The 28-year-old forward reached the 30-point threshold for the first time this season after averaging 13.6 points per game on less-than-impressive shooting splits in his first eight outings following the All-Star break. He contributed across the board, particularly on the defensive end, where he chipped in five combined steals-plus-blocks for a second consecutive contest. He also finished one assist shy of matching his season-best mark.

Booker notched 32 points (10-21 FG, 5-12 3Pt, 7-8 FT), four rebounds, four assists and two steals across 35 minutes in Friday's 118-116 win over the Pelicans.

After scoring 27 points in Thursday's loss to Chicago, Booker delivered another strong scoring performance. The star guard turned in an efficient showing from beyond the arc en route to game highs in points and triples. He also recorded multiple steals for a second consecutive contest. Over three appearances since returning from a four-game absence due to a hip strain, Booker has averaged 25.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 32.7 minutes per tilt.

Wembanyama supplied 27 points (11-21 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds, four blocks, one assist and one steal across 22 minutes in Friday's 116-112 win over the Clippers.

After scoring 38 points in 39 minutes during Thursday's win over Detroit, Wembanyama saw limited minutes in the second leg of this back-to-back set. However, he made the most of his playing time, leading San Antonio in scoring while fueling the team's comeback victory after the Spurs faced a 20-point deficit at halftime. Wembanyama also grabbed a game-high 10 boards en route to his sixth double-double across nine outings since the All-Star break. He has recorded at least four blocks in all but one of those nine games.

Murray exited Friday's 142-103 loss to the Knicks in the second quarter and did not return due to a sprained left ankle. He closed with 12 points (5-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-3 FT), three assists, one rebound and one block across 18 minutes.

Murray stepped on Nikola Jokic's foot and turned his left ankle before being helped to the locker room late in the second quarter. He was considered questionable to return but never checked back in during the blowout loss. The star point guard's status will be worth monitoring ahead of Monday's game in Oklahoma City. If Murray is forced to miss time, Bruce Brown and Tyus Jones would be candidates to see an uptick in minutes.