Beast of the Night: Kyle Lowry lit up the Sixers with 36 points, four rebounds, seven assists, one steal and six three-pointers in a losing effort. He shot 83 percent (15-18) from the field, missed his only free-throw attempt and had just one turnover. Lowry continues to hold down his starting gig, staving off Aaron Brooks and his weak attempts at getting his starting gig back. There’s little reason to think Lowry will lose the starting gig anytime soon, and he’s turning out to be one of the bigger waiver-wire steals of the season.
Lines for Discussion
Ryan Anderson: 4-8 FG (50%), 4-4 FT (100%), 2 threes, 14 Pts, 8 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk, 2 TO; Anderson returned to his bench role for the first time since the start of the month, and it may have helped him to overcome his recent struggles. He’ll remain a solid source of points, threes and some rebounds down the stretch.
Andrea Bargnani: 15-26 FG (58%), 3-4 FT (75%), 38 Pts, 4 Reb, 3 TO; Bargnani hasn’t blocked a shot since Jan. 31. He also hasn’t hit double-digit rebounds since Dec. 3 — his only time breaking into that territory this season. Clearly, his value is frustratingly limited.
Pau Gasol: 8-15 FG (53%), 14-14 FT (100%), 30 Pts, 20 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 TO; Gasol was one of the few bright spots for the Lakers’ loss to the Cavs. The bearded Spaniard continues to be a valuable fantasy asset.
Ramon Sessions: 9-16 FG (56%), 13-14 FT (93%), 1 three, 32 Pts, 1 Reb, 8 Ast, 3 Stl, 3 TO; Ramon was in session. Now that that’s out of my system, I can state the obvious and say that this was a pretty slick line from the resilient guard. With yet another injury to Mo Williams, Sessions should continue to hold solid value for the foreseeable future.
Paul Pierce: 10-18 FG (56%), 10-13 FT (77%), 1 three, 31 Pts, 5 Reb, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO; This was a big bounce-back game for Pierce after his 0-for-10 stinker against the Heat on Sunday. The All-Star break should give him some much-needed rest for his ailing foot, so look for him to finish the season strong. Limited minutes in the latter portion of the schedule is still very much in play, however.
Wilson Chandler: 9-15 FG (60%), 2 threes, 20 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; Chandler is rising from the ashes lately but his fantasy value for the rest of the season won’t be fully known until after the trade deadline passes.
Roy Hibbert: 12-23 FG (52%), 5-5 FT (100%), 29 Pts, 9 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Blk, 3 TO; Hibbert continues to prove that coach Jim O’Brien was the one holding him back earlier this season. On nights when foul trouble isn’t an issue, Hibbert should continue to put up nice lines for his owners.
Andre Iguodala: 3-15 FG (20%), 6-6 FT (100%), 1 three, 13 Pts, 12 Reb, 10 Ast, 4 Stl, 1 TO; Iggy’s turned into something of a juiced-up Jason Kidd. He’s shooting poorly from the field and isn’t hitting many threes, but Iguodala is producing good numbers in all the other categories. Kudos to his owners who were patient enough to wait on him or savvy enough to buy low on him earlier this season.
Chris Kaman: 2-4 FG (50%), 4 Pts, 6 Reb, 3 Blk, 1 TO; Not too bad considering he played 9:31. Kaman’s return is good news for his owners, though they shouldn’t expect much unless he’s traded. This could mean bad news for DeAndre Jordan, however.
Trevor Ariza: 6-14 FG (43%), 2-3 FT (67%), 2 threes, 16 Pts, 9 Reb, 6 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 TO; This was a great line from Ariza, though he remains a shaky player to rely on. See if he can be a consistent fantasy option after the All-Star break, but don’t count on it.
Waiver-Wire Watch
Brandon Bass: 15 Pts, 11 Reb, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO; You know what to expect from Bass — some points, a healthy dose of rebounds, solid shooting percentages and a block every now and then.
Erick Dampier: 8 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Blk; If you’re really desperate for an inconsistent center in a deep league, Dampier is worth a quick look.
Josh McRoberts: 15 Pts, 1 three, 12 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO; McRoberts is sneaky effective and should be picked up in deeper leagues.
Tracy McGrady: 15 Pts, 1 three, 5 Reb, 4 Ast; T-Mac continues to be surprisingly durable and productive.
Wayne Ellington: 18 Pts, 5 threes, 4 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 TO; His value will be squashed once Michael Beasley returns to the lineup, but he’s been making some noise this month.
Martell Webster: 11 Pts, 1 three, 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl; He started for the first time this season and played 39:33. If he continues to start for the Timberwolves, Webster will be worth monitoring in many leagues.
Roddy Beaubois: 13 Pts, 1 three, 1 Reb, 6 Ast, 3 Stl, 3 TO; Not bad for his first game back. Beaubois is obviously an intriguing player in fantasy leagues and is worth stashing if you can spare a spot for him.
J.J. Barea: 11 Pts, 1 three, 2 Reb, 10 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; Barea continues to put up usable fantasy lines. Use him as a short-term asset if need be.
Peja Stojakovic: 12 Pts, 2 threes, 4 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; If you need some points and threes, Stojakovic is worth a look.
C.J. Miles: 20 Pts, 2 threes, 6 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk; Miles started again, thanks to another set of DNPs for some of his teammates. He’s an interesting player to keep an eye on after the break and is worth owning in deeper leagues.
Injuries
Mo Williams (ankle): monitor his status
Courtney Lee (pneumonia): day-to-day
Jeff Foster (ankle): day-to-day
Rudy Gay (shoulder): a partially separated shoulder will sideline him for at least four weeks
Mike Miller (head): he doesn’t have a concussion but was still held out of last night’s game; monitor his status
Ersan Ilyasova (eye): day-to-day
Brandon Roy (knees): expects to return after the All-Star break
Marcus Camby (knee): he should return after the break
Andrei Kirilenko (ankle): day-to-day
Al Thornton (finger): re-injured his dislocated right middle finger; day-to-day
Nick Young (knee): day-to-day
Rashard Lewis (knee): day-to-day
Jonny Flynn (fatigue): he’ll be shut down for at least a week
Spencer Hawes (ankle): day-to-day
Tyreke Evans (foot): plantar fasciitis is plaguing him again; check his status
For Tonight
Beaubois gets another game in before the break as the Mavs visit the Suns.
