NBA Basketball 24-Hour Briefing
×Injury Updates
The Lakers will be without LeBron James and two of their big men in Deandre Ayton and Maxi Kleber on Friday against the Pacers, the team announced. Deandre Ayton left Thursday night's loss to the Nuggets with a knee injury, while LeBron James complained of a sore elbow afterward and said he wasn't sure of his status for Friday's game. Pistons forward Ausar Thompson left Thursday's loss to the Spurs in the first quarter and didn't return because of a sprained right ankle. Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will miss at least two more weeks as he continues to recover from a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow.
Player Performances
In his limited time on the court, Trae Young proved in his Wizards debut that he is the type of player the team hasn't had since John Wall, thrilling the D.C. crowd and finishing with 12 points in a 108-103 loss to the Bucks. In the hours leading up to the Warriors' overtime win in Houston on Thursday night, their absent superstar Stephen Curry sent their remaining big name Draymond Green a text message of encouragement before Green led the team to victory.
Team News
The Warriors traded for Kristaps Porzingis on Feb. 4. He made his debut on Feb. 19 and has not played since due to a mysterious illness sidelining him. Should fantasy basketball managers keep players like Nikola Vucevic, Miles Bridges and others? Recent performance trends suggest some key players are sliding while others are moving up in value.