NBA Player News

Ball closed with 21 points (7-22 FG, 5-15 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, five assists and one steal over 33 minutes during Friday's 128-120 loss to the Heat.

Ball finished Friday's game as the Hornets' third-leading scorer behind Kon Knueppel (27 points) and Brandon Miller (22 points). Ball struggled with his efficiency from the field, but Friday was the 14th time this season that he has connected on at least five three-pointers in a game. Since the All-Star break, Ball has averaged 19.0 points on 37.8 percent shooting along with 6.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 3.9 threes and 1.3 steals over 27.2 minutes per game.

Ware recorded 10 points (4-8 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, four blocks and one steal in 31 minutes during Friday's 128-120 win over Charlotte.

With Andrew Wiggins (toe) sidelined Friday, Ware stepped into a heavier workload and logged 31 minutes for a second consecutive game. While his three-game double-double streak came to an end, the second-year center remained a massive defensive anchor, leading the Heat with four blocks. Ware has been on a defensive tear recently, racking up 11 blocks and 11 steals over his last three outings. His ability to provide elite rim protection while stretching the floor with at least one triple in 11 straight games keeps his fantasy ceiling high, especially while Miami manages injuries in the frontcourt.

Williams notched 11 points (3-8 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), seven rebounds and four assists in 19 minutes during Friday's 120-100 loss to the Celtics.

Williams returned to action Friday after sitting out the front end of the back-to-back set due to a quadriceps contusion. While he was efficient in his limited run, his playing time saw a noticeable dip with Cooper Flagg (foot) back in the starting lineup. After averaging nearly 25 minutes per game since the All-Star break, Williams was capped at 19 minutes Friday, a trend that may continue as the Mavericks' rotation returns to full strength.

Pritchard had 18 points (8-17 FG, 2-8 3Pt), seven rebounds, six assists and two blocks over 34 minutes during Friday's 120-100 win over the Mavericks.

Pritchard bounced back from a scoreless outing Wednesday, providing a balanced line and leading the Celtics' second unit in scoring. While his three-point shooting was slightly off, he found success inside the arc and contributed significantly on the glass and as a playmaker. Despite the return of Jayson Tatum (Achilles) to the starting lineup, Pritchard still logged 34 minutes, suggesting his role as the primary spark plug off the bench remains secure even with the team's superstar back in the mix.

Queta registered 16 points (6-8 FG, 4-7 FT), 15 rebounds, one block and one steal over 26 minutes during Friday's 120-100 victory over the Mavericks.

Queta dominated the glass Friday, pulling down a game-high 15 rebounds to secure his fourth double-double in his last seven outings. His outlook for the remainder of the regular season has shifted significantly following the news that Nikola Vucevic (finger) is expected to miss at least 3-to-4 weeks. While Queta and Vucevic had been splitting time at center, Queta is now locked in as the primary interior option for Boston. With Vucevic sidelined, Queta's 25-plus-minute workload appears secure.

White registered 20 points (8-16 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals across 31 minutes during Friday's 120-100 victory over the Mavericks.

Despite Jayson Tatum (Achilles) returning to the lineup Friday, White remained a focal point of the Celtics' attack and reached the 20-point plateau for the fifth time in his last seven games. While he provided elite defensive value with two blocks and two steals, White's overall usage may see a slight dip as Tatum fully reintegrates into the offense. Regardless of White's scoring ceiling, his ability to generate defensive stats from the guard position keeps his floor high.

Fox ended Friday's 116-112 victory over the Clippers with 19 points (9-18 FG, 1-8 3Pt), two rebounds, nine assists and one steal across 30 minutes.

The 28-year-old guard just missed recording his seventh double-double of the season. Fox has gone 13 straight games without reaching double digits in dimes as his usage has taken a small step back, and he's averaging 16.2 points, 6.0 assists, 2.8 boards, 1.6 threes and 1.2 steals during that time despite shooting 50.0 percent from the floor.

Champagnie closed Friday's 116-112 win over the Clippers with 20 points (6-10 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 3-5 FT), nine rebounds and one assist in 29 minutes.

The Spurs were down by 25 points early in the third quarter, but Champagnie was one the players who stepped up down the stretch to erase the deficit. The fourth-year forward has scored in double digits in six of his last seven games, averaging 14.6 points, 5.9 boards, 3.6 threes, 1.9 assists and 1.6 combined steals and blocks during that span while shooting 52.3 percent from the floor and a sizzling 54.3 percent (25-for-46) from beyond the arc.

Lopez amassed 26 points (11-19 FG, 4-8 3Pt), six rebounds, two assists and four steals across 34 minutes during Friday's 116-112 loss to San Antonio.

The 26 points represented Lopez's best scoring effort since Dec. 26, when he poured in 31 against the Trail Blazers, while the four steals tied his season high. The veteran center is still searching for some consistency since moving into the starting five in early February, but over the last 12 games Lopez is averaging 12.4 points, 5.0 boards, 1.8 assists, 1.7 threes, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks.

Jones (coach's decision) went unused off the bench in Friday's 128-117 loss to the Lakers.

After averaging 26.5 minutes per game while appearing in 11 straight games and making six starts from Feb. 3 through this past Sunday, Jones has now been removed from head coach Rick Carlisle's rotation entirely for the past two contests. The rookie's drop in playing time has coincided with the return of Aaron Nesmith (ankle), who has settled back into a starting role on the wing while playing 20-plus minutes in both of the Pacers' past two contests. While the lottery-bound Pacers remain likely to occasionally rest veterans like Nesmith over the final month of the season to open up playing time for younger players on the roster, Jones looks as though he'll be out of the mix for minutes when Indiana has all of its key guards and wings available.