Thursday Night Recap

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks

Celtics Notes:

SEVEN swats for Robert Williams last night. He’s having the season fantasy managers have been salivating about, getting an opportunity to play close to 30 minutes a night, and delivering on both ends. This game came on the heels of a five-block trip-dub less than a week ago, so Rob is really rolling right now.

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3PTM	TOV	FG	FT
6	9	1	2	7	0	0	3-3	0-0

Looks like the bloom is off the rose for Josh Richardson. After getting hot to start December, he’s faded back into obscurity since re-entering the lineup late last month. He scored just six points on a couple of threes with two rebounds and goose eggs everywhere else. He’s been in single digits in four of his past five games, and, most concerning, is his minutes declined to just 16 last night. Cut him if you were hoping he’d regain his form (14 percent rostered in Yahoo! leagues).

Knicks Notes:

Coming off a game in which he went scoreless in 22 minutes, Evan Fournier went OFF for a career-high 41 points, including 10 made triples. At one point I saw an actual fireball coming off his fingers as he flung up splashes before they barely touched his fingers. He added eight boards, a steal and a block to his line. He’s rostered in most leagues (64 percent), but maybe you can sell high on him if his national TV performance swayed some opinions in your league.

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3PTM	TOV	FG	FT
41	8	2	1	1	10	2	15-25	1-3

Immanuel Quickley shot well off the bench, going 6-for-12 with three treys to score 16 points with three assists and a steal. Shooting accuracy has been IQ’s Achilles heel this season, as he’s at just 38 percent from the field overall, and he doesn’t come up with enough assists or steals to make up for it. He should stay on the wire (14 percent rostered).

Detroit Pistons vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Pistons Notes:

Saddiq Bey regressed to the form he showed to begin the year. He scored just three points on 1-for-9 shooting, with just three rebounds and a pair of steals. Bey was on fire for the past three weeks, before posting back-to-back quiet outings. The youngster is still building his consistency, so if you have him in one of the 82 percent of leagues he’s rostered in, be prepared to ride the roller coaster.

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3PTM	TOV	FG	FT
3	3	1	2	0	1	0	1-9	0-1

With Beef Stew back in the lineup, Trey Lyles returned to the bench. He still played 26 minutes in this one, but that was probably due to the score and Stewart’s conditioning. Lyles finished with 10 points and six boards, and if you had picked him up for the short-term, looks like you can let him go (14 percent rostered).

Grizz Notes:

Brandon Clarke has gotten in the mix more lately, which is a great sign. Clarke had a modest game with 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, four rebounds, and a block, but he played over 20 minutes for the fourth consecutive game. On a related note, Clarke has scored in double figures in each of those contests. He has a fantasy-friendly game, with high-efficiency scoring, decent rebounding, and a lot of defensive upside. He’s up to 32 percent rostered, but there’s still time to grab him in most leagues.

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3PTM	TOV	FG	FT
11	4	2	0	1	0	3	5-9	1-2

De’Anthony Melton made his first appearance in two weeks, and despite a rough 1-for-7 shooting display, he still contributed across the board, hauling in eight rebounds, handing out six helpers, picking up a steal, hitting a three, and blocking two shots. With Desmond Bane exiting the lineup, Melton’s minutes should be steady, and his mix of stats makes him worthy of being rostered in more than 44 percent of leagues.

Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Warriors Notes:

Not much to take away from the Warriors, who rested several key players in the Bayou. Damion Lee had a solid night, scoring 12 points on 50 percent shooting, with four rebounds, three assists, four steals, and a swat in 30 minutes. Lee can have his moments, but when the Warriors are at full strength—as they should be imminently—he’s waiver wire fodder (two percent rostered).

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3PTM	TOV	FG	FT
12	4	3	4	1	1	1	5-10	1-2

Pels Notes:

Herb Jones has quietly been very effective lately for the Pelicans. Known for his defense (he had five swipes last night), his offense is finally starting to catch up. He’s been in double digits in scoring in five of his past six outings after scoring 13 against the Dubs. Over that span, he’s averaging 14.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.3 SPG, and 2.0 BPG. People are starting to notice, as Jones is up to 48 percent rostered. Go get him now.

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3PTM	TOV	FG	FT
13	6	2	5	0	0	0	4-8	5-6

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns

Clips Notes:

Marcus Morris‘ availability has been iffy lately (whose hasn’t?), but when he’s been on the court he’s been exceptional. Thursday marked the sixth time in his last seven contests he’s poured in 20-plus points. Morris tallied 26 with three treys and a perfect 7-of-7 from the line. He’s the de facto No. 1 option for the Clippers when he’s out there, and he’ll keep filling it up while the Clippers are injured. He should be rostered in more than 64 percent of leagues.

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3PTM	TOV	FG	FT
26	8	3	0	0	3	0	8-17	7-7

Terance Mann should have plenty of opportunity to prove himself as well. That is, if the Clippers’ inefficient guards let him cook a little. Mann started and played 33 minutes, a trend which should continue, but attempted just five shots the entire game. He did make three of them, but finished with a modest 8-4-4 line. If his usage rises to where it probably should be, he can be a fantasy asset. I wouldn’t mind speculating on him now (38 percent rostered).

Suns Notes:

Jalen Smith stayed hot on Thursday, scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 boards in 33 minutes. It was the sixth straight game he scored in double figures, and the third time he recorded a double-double. As long as Phoenix’s regular bigs are out, you’ve got to ride the kid (26 percent rostered).

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	3PTM	TOV	FG	FT
19	14	1	0	0	1	0	9-17	0-1

Cam Johnson continues to play his role to perfection. He made at least half of his shots for the seventh time in eight contests, scoring 24 points on 9-of-14 from the floor, with seven rebounds, four triples, a steal, and two rejections. Johnson has now made multiple three-pointers in 21 straight games. He’s gained some traction lately, zooming up to a 58 percent roster share. That should probably be higher.