Beast of the Night: Paul Millsap finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks. He shot 65 percent (13-20) from the field, 88 percent (7-8) from the free-throw line and had one turnover. Millsap sandwiched two mediocre games between this one and his monster game on Sunday. His worn-down body is still a concern but he should be fine to finish the season on a strong note.
Lines for Discussion:
Anthony Randolph: 14-20 FG (70%), 3-3 FT (100%), 31 Pts, 11 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; There’s a lot to say here, but we’ll keep it brief. Randolph took full advantage of his starting gig in Kevin Love‘s absence. However, with Love sounding like he’s bent on returning sooner than later, Ant-Rand’s fantasy value might be a flash in the pan. Hold steady if you own him – just keep expectations in check, as always.
Jason Kidd: 0-5 FG (0%), 6 Reb, 13 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; Yep, a vintage Kidd line. Coach Rick Carlisle said his 38-year-old point guard will get some time off down the stretch in preparation for the playoffs. Kidd’s owners should be fully aware of this.
Trevor Ariza: 5-9 FG (56%), 1-3 FT (33%), 3 threes, 14 Pts, 9 Reb, 2 Ast, 4 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO; Ariza completely failed to meet high expectations this season. Going forward, fantasy owners should expect him to be a decent player in only league’s that don’t count percentages.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
Anthony Tolliver: 11 Pts, 2 threes, 4 Reb, 1 Ast; While his ceiling isn’t as high as Randolph’s, Tolliver should also benefit for however long Love sits out.
Peja Stojakovic: 16 Pts, 4 threes, 4 Reb, 1 Ast; If you need threes, give him a look.
Marco Belinelli: 14 Pts, 3 threes, 2 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Stl; Belinelli’s been mostly solid this month, averaging 13.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.4 threes through 11 games.
Earl Watson: 14 Pts, 3 threes, 3 Reb, 8 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk; With Harris sidelined, Watson is a solid play.
Injuries:
Shaquille O’Neal (foot): got a cortisone shot and was put in an immobilizing boot; day-to-day, but aiming to return April 1
Troy Murphy (ankle): rolled his ankle in practice Thursday; day-to-day
Stephen Jackson (hamstring): an MRI showed no tear; day-to-day, but shutdown still possible
Tyrus Thomas (ribs): didn’t practice Thursday; day-to-day
Baron Davis (back, knee): plans to play tonight
Andris Biedrins (ankle): making progress but will sit out the Warriors’ next two games
Deron Williams (wrist): joining the Nets in Orlando; his status is still to be determined
Marcus Camby (ankle): says he’ll play tonight
Beno Udrih (toenail): cracked a toenail in practice Thursday but plans to play tonight
Tim Duncan (ankle): coach Gregg Popovich expects Duncan to miss 4-5 games
Amir Johnson (ankle): didn’t practice Thursday; check his status
Reggie Evans (foot): ditto
Joey Dorsey (illness): ditto
Devin Harris (hamstring): day-to-day
Andray Blatche (shoulder): targeting Wednesday for his return
David West (knee): X-rays were negative, MRI scheduled for today
For Tonight:
Tyreke Evans will return tonight as the Kings visit the Pacers. He’ll come off the bench and have his minutes monitored, which means Marcus Thornton should retain his strong appeal a little while longer.
See if Ant-Rand can chip in another big performance as the Love-less Timberwolves visit the Thunder.
For Next Week:
4 games: BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, HOU, IND, MIA, MIL, NJ, OKC, PHI, PHO, POR, SAC, SA, WAS
3 games: ATL, DEN, DET, GS, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIN, NO, ORL, TOR, UTA
2 games: NY
Throughout the season, be sure to leave your questions, comments, concerns, trade offers, roster problems and more in the comments below.
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