NBA Player News

Smart posted 24 points (7-10 FG, 7-10 3Pt, 3-3 FT), five rebounds, three assists and one steal in 36 minutes during Saturday's 119-98 win over the Thunder.

Smart was moved into the Rockets' starting lineup for the first time this season due to the absence of Fred VanVleet (rest). Smart came out firing with 12 points in the fourth quarter, with all but three of his points came from beyond the arc, and his seven made three-pointers are tied for the fourth-most in his NBA career. He'll likely return to the bench against the Celtics on Monday if VanVleet is cleared to return.

McCain closed with 10 points (5-14 FG, 0-5 3Pt), four rebounds, two assists and one steal over 28 minutes during Saturday's 119-98 loss to Houston.

McCain started and logged 28 minutes, but it was an inefficient night as he missed all five of his three-point attempts. With Chet Holmgren (knee), Jalen Williams (leg) and Cason Wallace (shoulder) all expected to miss at least two months, the Thunder's rotation is in flux. McCain should keep getting meaningful run, but his value depends heavily on whether his shot is falling.

Williams ended with 11 points (3-7 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds and three assists across 21 minutes during Saturday's 119-98 loss to the Rockets.

Williams drew the start for a depleted Thunder squad and provided solid production across the board. Oklahoma City is dealing with several injuries, including being without Chet Holmgren (knee) for at least a few months, so Williams could keep seeing a bigger role for now. His fantasy ceiling is limited, but he's a viable deep-league fill-in while the Thunder are shorthanded.

Mara closed Saturday's 119-98 loss to the Rockets with seven points (3-7 FG, 1-1 FT), nine rebounds, three assists and four blocks over 28 minutes.

In his first game since Chet Holmgren (knee) was ruled out for at least two months, Mara logged 28 minutes off the bench and dominated the defensive end. If he keeps getting minutes like this behind Isaiah Hartenstein, Mara's rebounding and shot-blocking will make him relevant in more than just deep leagues. He's a strong speculative add for anyone who needs blocks.

Stirtz racked up 11 points (4-8 FG, 3-6 3Pt), one rebound and three assists across 26 minutes during Saturday's 119-98 loss to the Rockets.

Stirtz gave the shorthanded Thunder a scoring lift off the bench. After a standout preseason, the rookie is finding a steady regular-season role in a depleted backcourt. He isn't doing enough outside of scoring to matter in standard leagues yet, but he's worth watching in deeper formats.

McCollum finished Saturday's 121-99 loss to New Orleans with 14 points (5-9 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, two assists and one steal over 24 minutes.

The Hawks struggled offensively Saturday, with the team connecting on 38.5 percent of their field-goal attempts (including 8-for-46 from three-point range). McCollum still led Atlanta in scoring, although the veteran guard is averaging only 14.4 points per game this season, which would be his lowest since the 2014-15 season with the Trail Blazers (6.8). He's not expected to be a 20-point scorer on a night-to-night basis, but McCollum would be in line for an expanded role offensively if Jalen Johnson (ankle) were to miss time.

Alexander-Walker racked up 12 points (3-12 FG, 0-7 3Pt, 6-6 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one steal across 29 minutes during Saturday's 121-99 loss to New Orleans.

Alexander-Walker struggled from the floor Saturday, with seven of his nine field-goal misses coming from beyond the arc, and it was the first time this season that he failed to connect on a three-pointer. Jalen Johnson did not play in the fourth quarter due to a left ankle injury, and if he's required to miss time, Alexander-Walker would see a sharp increase in his production floor. Alexander-Walker is averaging 19.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 3.1 threes and 1.3 steals over 30.1 minutes per game this season.

Daniels provided eight points (3-6 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-3 FT), four rebounds, three assists and three steals in 27 minutes during Saturday's 121-99 loss to New Orleans.

It was the fourth time in seven games that Daniels recorded at least three steals, and his 3.0 steals per game average is tied with Collin Gillespie for second-most in the Association behind Zion Williamson (3.2). Daniels has failed to score in double digits in each of his last four outings after doing so in each of the first three games of the regular season. However, the fifth-year pro may be forced to take on a larger role offensively if Jalen Johnson were to be sidelined due to a left ankle injury that he picked up during Saturday's loss.

Okongwu posted six points (3-12 FG, 0-5 3Pt), 10 rebounds, one assist and one block over 28 minutes during Saturday's 121-99 loss to the Pelicans.

Okongwu didn't have a great shooting night, especially from beyond the arc. However, he was active on the boards, with five of his 10 rebounds coming on the offensive side of the floor. He's recorded at least nine rebounds in three of his last four outings, and he'll finish the month of October having averaged 11.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 threes and 0.7 blocks over 28.3 minutes per game.

Matkovic closed Saturday's 121-99 victory over Atlanta with eight points (3-4 FG, 2-2 3Pt), 10 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 18 minutes.

In his second start of the 2026-27 campaign, Matkovic led the Pelicans with a season-high 10 rebounds and was two points shy from recording his first double-double since March 16 against the Mavericks. Yves Missi is recovering from a bone bruise in his left knee and is considered week-to-week, so Matkovic figures to remain in New Orleans' starting lineup for as long as the former is out of action.