NBA Player News

Watson will start Sunday versus the Warriors.

Watson is getting the spot-start with Aaron Gordon (calf) unavailable, and he'll be joined in the first unit by Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson and Nikola Jokic. As a starter this season, Watson owns averages of 17.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.8 triples, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per contest.

McBride exited to the locker room in the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Thunder due to an apparent groin issue, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post reports.

Making his return from a 28-game absence during which he underwent sports hernia surgery, McBride dove for a loose ball in the third quarter and appeared to grab at his groin area before limping to the locker room. He can be considered questionable to return until further notice.

Richard (heel) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Nuggets.

Richard will be held out of Sunday's contest due to left heel soreness, and his next opportunity to suit up will come Wednesday against the Spurs. With the rookie second-rounder sidelined, Pat Spencer, LJ Cryer and Gary Payton are candidates to see increased playing time.

Bridges notched 14 points (5-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), two rebounds and two assists over 29 minutes during Sunday's 114-99 loss to the Celtics.

Bridges was Charlotte's leading scorer through the first half of action, but the Celtics held him to just four points over the second half. The 27-year-old forward has struggled to make much of an impact over the past four games, posting modest averages of 12.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest.

Barnes totaled 23 points (9-14 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 3-5 FT), 15 assists, five rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes during Sunday's 139-87 win over the Magic.

Barnes continued his run of impressive play Sunday, setting a new career high with 15 assists and adding 23 points. He has recorded at least 10 assists in four straight games, which is especially impressive considering he hadn't recorded double-digit assists since Jan. 20 before this streak. On top of his stellar playmaking, Barnes has scored at least 20 points in three of his last four games. Over this run of four games, he is averaging 18.8 points, 12.3 assists, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks in 30.5 minutes per contest.

Knueppel recorded 13 points (5-13 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 2-3 FT), four rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes during Sunday's 114-99 loss to the Celtics.

Knueppel has been struggling from distance over the past two games, going just 4-for-16 from three-point territory. However, he'll have an excellent chance of snapping out of his mini-slump Tuesday with a favorable matchup against the Nets in Brooklyn.

Ball produced 19 points (7-19 FG, 3-12 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, three assists and one steal over 26 minutes during Sunday's 114-99 loss to the Celtics.

Ball got off to a sluggish start in this one, opening the game with six straight misses, and he was scoreless through the third quarter of action. However, he caught fire during the final frame, scoring 12 of his 19 points on 5-for-7 shooting, as he attempted to will his team to victory. Ultimately, with the rest of his teammates struggling, the Hornets couldn't mount a comeback and dropped their second straight game.

Queta contributed 17 points (8-13 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 29 minutes during Sunday's 114-99 victory over the Hornets.

Queta attempted just his sixth three-pointer of the season in this one, but it ended like the previous five -- with a miss. While he regularly brings donuts to the three-point category, he's still been flirting with top-75 value on the season thanks to his solid output in rebounding (8.3), shot blocking (1.3) and field goal percentage (64).

Pritchard amassed 28 points (10-18 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 6-6 FT), six rebounds, six assists and one steal over 37 minutes during Sunday's 114-99 win over the Hornets.

Pritchard has played very well filling in for Jaylen Brown (Achilles) over the past two games, scoring a total of 64 points on 23-for-41 shooting to go with eight triples and 10 assists. If Derrick White (knee) and Brown are forced to spend another game on the inactive list Monday, Pritchard will make for an attractive target in daily fantasy leagues.

Tatum finished Sunday's 114-99 victory over the Hornets with 32 points (12-23 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 3-5 FT), five rebounds, eight assists and one block over 31 minutes.

Tatum had shot just 32.8 percent from the field over his previous four appearances, but he broke out in a big way Sunday, notching a new season high in points. His eight assists also marked a season high, and he finished with a team-best plus-15 differential in the 15-point win. The Celtics have now won three straight and will look to carry that momentum into Monday's matchup with the Hawks.