

Sat Mar 7 1:09pm ET
Field Level Media
Dallas Mavericks forward Khris Middleton's wallet will be a little lighter after he was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Saturday for "throwing his mouthpiece in the direction of the spectator stands."
Middleton was assessed a technical foul for the incident that occurred in the third quarter of the Mavericks' 115-114 loss to the host Orlando Magic on Thursday.
Middleton, 34, came over to Dallas from the Washington Wizards a month ago as part of an eight-player trade that sent 10-time All-Star forward Anthony Davis to the Wizards.
A three-time All-Star and 2021 NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks, Middleton averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 34 games this season with the Wizards. In 11 games (nine starts) with Dallas, he's averaging 12.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
In 821 career games (714 starts) with Detroit (2012-13), Milwaukee (2013-2025), Washington (2025) and Dallas, Middleton has averaged 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He has converted 38.4 percent of his 3-point attempts and 87.7 percent of his free throws.
Golden State Warriors forward/center Kristaps Porzingis (illness) will be limited to around 15-20 minutes on Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, ESPN's Anthony Slater reports. Golden State will ease the Latvian veteran back into action after he missed six games due to illness. Still, Porzingis could make a significant impact even with limited minutes. He has averaged only a little over 20 minutes per game this season (23.9), posting 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 blocks.
Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Cooper Flagg (foot) has been tagged as questionable on the injury report ahead of Sunday's contest against the Toronto Raptors. The rookie phenom has just returned from a midfoot sprain and may need to take some time off after logging 56 minutes across a back-to-back set on Thursday and Friday. Dallas has several options to replace Flagg in the starting lineup, with Brandon Williams and Naji Marshall as the most likely candidates. Both have been impactful off the bench but would have additional fantasy value in the first unit.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (knee) will miss Sunday's tilt against the Boston Celtics. He has been ruled out due to right knee tendonitis. Allen hurt his knee on Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons. Thomas Bryant and Dean Wade (ankle) are the candidates to take Allen's spot in the starting lineup. Wade has missed three games with a sprained ankle but is listed as probable on the injury report. Allen's absence will also increase the pressure on Evan Mobley to perform well in the frontcourt.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (groin) is listed as probable for Sunday's clash against the Boston Celtics. This suggests Mitchell is ready to return from a right groin strain, which has kept him sidelined for four games. Mitchell logged a full practice on Friday. His return to action will likely end Sam Merrill's time in the first unit. However, since Sunday's game is part of a back-to-back set, Merrill might get another start if Cleveland decides not to overwork Mitchell after his injury and rests him on Monday against Philadelphia.
Golden State Warriors forward/center Kristaps Porzingis (illness) has been cleared to return to action on Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has sat out six games due to illness. Porzingis was knocked out by the illness just after making his Warriors debut. He managed 12 points, one rebound, one assist, and one block across 17 minutes in a matchup with Boston. Golden State is battling several injuries, so Porzingis could be a central figure in Saturday's game.
Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II (ankle) will be active on Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is back in the fold after missing two games with an ankle issue. With De'Anthony Melton (knee) joining Stephen Curry (knee) and Moses Moody (wrist) on the sidelines, Payton II could see more time on the floor against the Thunder. He will have an important role to play defensively against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and could also be asked to contribute more on offense. Recently, Payton II has improved his offensive production, averaging 12.8 points since the All-Star break.
Los Angeles Clippers point guard Darius Garland (toe) will play on Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. He is still recovering from a toe injury, and the team decided to keep him out of the lineup on Friday for the first leg of a back-to-back against San Antonio. Garland has averaged 12.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 23.0 minutes across his first two appearances as a Clipper. He has come off the bench both times occasions. With Garland returning, Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller may have their minutes reduced.
Detroit Pistons guard/forward Ausar Thompson (ankle) is set to miss multiple games, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press reports. Thompson sprained his right ankle on Thursday night against San Antonio and exited the lineup for Saturday's tilt against Brooklyn. He is also expected to sit out Sunday's meeting with Miami. Detroit will then have a couple of days off, giving Thompson some time to recover. However, it's uncertain whether he can return to action next week. With Cade Cunningham (quadriceps) also unavailable on Saturday, Marcus Sasser and Daniss Jenkins moved into the starting lineup.
Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton (knee) will sit out Saturday's contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Melton is managing a left knee injury and won't play on Saturday night after initially carrying a questionable tag on the injury report. The Warriors have recently received great production from Melton, who has averaged 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals as a starter across his last seven appearances. During this stretch, Melton managed three 20-point performances. Melton's absence could see Pat Spencer return to the starting unit, where he's posted averages of 11.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game this year.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward/center Chet Holmgren (illness) has been ruled out for Saturday's clash against the Golden State Warriors. Holmgren wasn't on the initial injury report, but an illness has now sidelined him for the game. Isaiah Hartenstein (calf) also won't play on Saturday, putting the spotlight once again on Jaylin Williams. The Arkansas product has averaged 27.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in two games without Holmgren and Hartenstein this season.
Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (back) was limited to 2:01 of action in Saturday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was forced to leave early due to a lower back strain. Tristan da Silva started the second half in Black's place, and he might also have a bigger role in Sunday's matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks if Black misses additional time. The 24-year-old sophomore had a solid performance against Minnesota, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals. As a starter, da Silva has averaged 10.0 points and 3.5 rebounds this season.
Boston Celtics center Nikola Vucevic (finger) underwent successful surgery on Saturday to stabilize a fracture in his right ring finger. The team will re-evaluate him in 3-4 weeks. Vucevic injured his finger in Friday's win over the Dallas Mavericks. Unfortunately, we won't see Vucevic back in action until at least late March, but Boston will be glad to know that the two-time All-Star will be available to help the team in the playoffs. In the meantime, Luka Garza will take on a larger workload behind starting center Neemias Queta. While Garza has been a beast in the G League for years, he hasn't had many opportunities in the NBA. On Friday, he made good use of his minutes, contributing 10 points, three rebounds, one assist, and two blocks off the bench.
Lakers' G Luka Doncic scored 44 points on 14-of-25 shooting in a 128-117 win over the Pacers on Friday, Mar. 6.
Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams (quad) is available to play ahead of Friday's contest versus the Boston Celtics. Williams is back in action after sitting out Thursday's loss due to a quad issue. Luckily, it seems like a minor issue, so Williams will return to the court for the second leg of this back-to-back set. Since the All-Star break, Williams is averaging 15.9 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per game across seven contests. Williams has been a sneaky solid fantasy option lately, but his value figures to drop with Cooper Flagg back in the mix. Fantasy managers who have Williams rostered can get him active in their lineups ahead of tip-off.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (back) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Houston Rockets. As expected, Avdija will miss this game after being listed as doubtful on the injury report. He'll miss his seventh game in a row due to a lingering back issue. His next chance to play will come on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers. Fantasy managers will need to check back this weekend for another update on his status. Scoot Henderson should continue to see increased playing time with Avdija banged up. Henderson is worth a look in deep leagues, but he doesn't have a ton of upside outside of that.
Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (groin) is available to play ahead of Friday's game against the Boston Celtics. As expected, Thompson will suit up after being listed as probable on the injury report. Since the All-Star break, Thompson is averaging 12.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.5 three-pointers in 21.2 minutes per game in six contests. The veteran guard has been inconsistent in terms of fantasy value this season. Thompson has been playing better lately and could be worth a look as a streaming option for Friday's slate. He knocked down seven three-pointers on Thursday, so hopefully he can keep it going here.
Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (ankle) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Boston Celtics. As expected, Gafford will head to the sideline after being listed as doubtful for this game due to an ankle injury. This is likely the Mavs being cautious with Gafford after he played 25 minutes during Thursday's contest. The expectation is that Gafford will be back for Sunday's game, but fantasy managers should check back for an update this weekend. The Mavs are thin at the center spot, which means Dwight Powell and Moussa Cisse could play heavy minutes. Powell could be worth a look as a deep league streaming option on Friday.
Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (ankle) is available to play ahead of Friday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Thompson has been upgraded to available after coming into this game with a questionable tag. He tweaked his ankle during Thursday's game, but it won't be enough to keep him off the court. He played 44 minutes during Thursday's overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Rockets monitor Thompson on Friday. Regardless, fantasy managers should feel comfortable plugging him into their lineups ahead of tip-off.
Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins (knee) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Charlotte Hornets. Wiggins has been playing through knee tendinitis, so it's not shocking to see him sitting out the second leg of this back-to-back set. His next chance to play will come on Sunday versus the Detroit Pistons. The Heat are expected to use a committee approach to fill the void left by Wiggins on Friday. Kel'el Ware, Pelle Larsson, and Myron Gardner all figure to see increased roles here. Among the three, Ware is the best fantasy option, but he's also rostered in most leagues. Otherwise, Larsson could be another option to look at in deep leagues with Wiggins unavailable.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (elbow) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers. James was forced to sit out during the fourth quarter of Thursday's game due to a left elbow injury. It appears to be significant enough to keep him out of the second leg of this back-to-back set. The severity of the injury is unknown right now, but his next chance to play will come on Sunday. The Lakers are expected to use a committee approach to fill the void left by James. That means Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, and Jarred Vanderbilt should all see increased playing time. Among the three, LaRavia is probably the most consistent option for fantasy managers seeking a streaming option on Friday.
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