Beast of the Night: Marcus Thornton scored a career-high 42 points to go along with three rebounds, one assist, four steals and four three-pointers made. He shot 65 percent (13-20) from the field, 86 percent (12-14) from the free-throw line and had no turnovers. With Tyreke Evans still struggling to return from a bout with plantar fasciitis, it looks like Thornton’s hot fantasy value is safe for the time being.
Lines for Discussion:
Serge Ibaka: 5-10 FG (50%), 10 Pts, 4 Reb, 8 Blk; It’s time to recognize Ibaka as one of the elite shot-blockers in the league. From a fantasy perspective, he’s proving to be more than a one-trick pony and should draw a lot of appeal in drafts next fall.
Deron Williams: 4-11 FG (36%), 4-6 FT (67%), 4 threes, 16 Pts, 6 Reb, 9 Ast, 3 Stl, 3 TO; It was good to see him back in action after missing two games for the birth of his fourth child. Fears about Williams shutting things down for the season should be put to rest now, especially with the Nets rolling with five straight wins. With a strong fantasy playoff schedule, D-Will should be a strong play the rest of the way.
Raymond Felton: 7-12 FG (58%), 2-4 FT (50%), 6 threes, 22 Pts, 3 Reb, 12 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; This was his best game since joining the Nuggets and shows that that wacky backcourt has room for him yet. Felton will have a tougher time getting major minutes once Arron Afflalo returns, but he continues to hold decent fantasy appeal.
Chris Paul: 9-16 FG (56%), 7-9 FT (78%), 2 threes, 27 Pts, 5 Reb, 10 Ast, 7 Stl, 2 TO; His two games back from his concussion have been nothing short of monstrous. Paul should finish the season strong, but the Hornets’ weak playoff schedule is a bit of a downer.
Chris Bosh: 10-16 FG (63%), 10-10 FT (100%), 30 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO; This was a sweet line from Bosh, who has maintained top-50 fantasy value throughout the season. Despite his public image, Bosh remains a pretty strong fantasy asset.
Al Jefferson: 11-26 FG (42%), 8-9 FT (89%), 30 Pts, 17 Reb, 6 Ast, 2 Blk, 1 TO; The man is possessed and the absence of Paul Millsap lately has only helped his beastly run. If he keeps this up for the remainder of the season, Jefferson could make a case to be taken in the top 15 slots in drafts next season. Considering his slow start to the season, that’s a huge statement.
Samuel Dalembert: 10-16 FG (635), 7-10 FT (70%), 27 Pts, 16 Reb, 2 Blk, 5 TO; This was a huge line from Dalembert, whose 27 points were a career-high. The fact that he did this against the Warriors puts a slight damper on this performance, but Dalembert has been more valuable lately than he was earlier in the season.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
Trevor Booker: 14 Pts, 13 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk; So long as Andray Blatche is out, Booker will be worth a flier if you need a big man.
Jordan Crawford: 12 Pts, 3 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl, 4 TO; He’s worth a pickup in deeper leagues.
Glen Davis: 16 Pts, 14 Reb, 2 TO; Big Baby has been a marginally appealing player for much of the season and he’ll remain just that the rest of the way.
Kenyon Martin: 10 Pts, 9 Reb, 4 Ast, 4 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO; His health is spotty but he’s worth a look, especially in deeper leagues.
Eric Bledsoe: 19 Pts, 2 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 4 TO; Bledsoe continues to put up usable lines and is worth a pickup if you don’t have to drop anyone too valuable.
Chuck Hayes: 21 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk; He faded out earlier this month but Hayes remains an efficient big man.
Al Thornton: 23 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO; This was a big line from Thornton, who hasn’t done much lately. That said, unless he does this again in his next game, treat him like Britney and leave him alone.
Kendrick Perkins: 6 Pts, 9 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 TO; He’ll need a few games to get back into game shape but will eventually be a good source of rebounds and blocks.
Injuries:
Al Horford (ankle): will play tonight
Baron Davis (personal): could rejoin the Cavs on Thursday
Peja Stojakovic (back, neck): will not travel with the Mavs for their two-game road trip
Danny Granger (strep throat): day-to-day
Ryan Gomes (knee): day-to-day
Marc Gasol (ankle): X-rays came back negative; monitor his status
Rudy Gay (shoulder): could miss another week or two; no timetable for his return
Luke Ridnour (personal): has been excused from the team
Steve Nash (pelvis): questionable for Wednesday
Marcus Camby (knee): check his status
Devin Harris (hamstring): monitor his status
Terrence Williams (abdomen): day-to-day
Andre Iguodala (knee): day-to-day
For Tonight:
Jeff Teague should be a very intriguing player to watch as the Hawks host the downtrodden Bucks. If he keeps his starting gig, he could finally put up some usable numbers to end the season. Better late than never, right?
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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