NBA Player News

Lovering became a free agent following the Grizzlies' 123-114 win over the Jazz on Friday after his 10-day contract expired, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.

The undrafted rookie out of Utah picked up his first NBA start Friday and appeared in two of the Grizzlies' three games over the course of his 10-day deal, averaging 7.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks in 24.5 minutes per contest. The Grizzlies are still likely to be shorthanded in the frontcourt heading into Saturday's matchup with the Heat, so Lovering could end up being re-signed to a second 10-day deal ahead of that contest.

Lopez accumulated 16 points (7-12 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist, three blocks and two steals across 35 minutes during Friday's 125-122 loss to the Lakers.

Lopez was forced to play a larger role on offense after John Collins (head) went down with an injury in the second quarter. Lopez recorded his third double-double of the season, and Ivica Zubac's (ankle) departure should allow Lopez to hit the milestone more frequently.

Gobert logged 22 points (9-11 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-8 FT), 17 rebounds, three blocks, one assist and one steal over 32 minutes during Friday's 122-111 win over the Mavericks. He was assessed his seventh flagrant foul of the season late in the second quarter, triggering an automatic one-game suspension.

Gobert finished with another strong double-double while offering four defensive counters, but his flagrant 1 foul marred an otherwise excellent night. The NBA will presumably review the play in question, but if the flagrant foul isn't rescinded, Gobert will sit out Sunday's game against the 76ers. Gobert previously served a one-game ban Jan. 13 against the Bucks after accruing his sixth flagrant foul. Though Gobert will be assessed another one-game suspension if his sixth flagrant foul is upheld, any additional flagrant 1 or 2 fouls beyond that will result in an automatic two-game suspension.

Bagley ended with 15 points (5-9 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 13 rebounds and one block over 24 minutes during Friday's 122-111 loss to the Timberwolves.

Bagley logged at least 24 minutes for the third time in his past four appearances, continuing to play a relatively consistent role for his new team. During that span, he has averaged 11.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 23.3 minutes per game. He is by no means a must-roster player, but should at least be on the radar for anyone needing points and rebounds.

Gafford (ankle) closed with eight points (4-7 FG), five rebounds, two blocks, two steals and one assist across 24 minutes in Friday's 122-111 loss to the Timberwolves.

After leaving the Mavericks' final game prior to the All-Star break Feb. 12 against the Lakers due to right ankle soreness, Gafford carried a questionable tag into Friday's contest but was cleared to play ahead of the opening tip. He came through with a serviceable two-way performance and is now averaging 8.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.2 assists and 0.8 steals in 23.5 minutes per contest while appearing in each of the last 10 games. While his ceiling is limited, Gafford looks worthy of a roster spot in most fantasy leagues, specifically for managers looking for aid in the rebounds, blocks and field-goal percentage categories.

Okongwu finished Friday's 128-97 loss to Miami with 22 points (8-12 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 2-4 FT), three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal across 29 minutes.

After scoring just eight points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field in Thursday's win over Philadelphia, Okongwu bounced back on the offensive end Friday. The sixth-year center led Atlanta in points, reaching the 20-point mark for the first time since Jan. 23 and for the 17th time this season. Additionally, he knocked down an efficient four three-pointers and has hit multiple triples in all but one of his last nine outings. He also racked up multiple blocks for the third time in his last five appearances, though he has been less effective on the glass of late, finishing with fewer than four rebounds in two of his last three showings.

Kalkbrenner registered 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-2 FT), 13 rebounds, one assist and one block over 36 minutes during the Hornets' 118-113 loss to the Cavaliers on Friday.

The rookie second-rounder finished as the Hornets' leading rebounder (including a career-high nine offensive boards) en route to the third double-double of the season (and first since Nov. 3 against the Pelicans). Kalkbrenner has started in each of the Hornets' last three games and should serve in that role against the Wizards on Sunday, though he'll likely revert to a bench role against the Bulls on Tuesday since Moussa Diabate will have served his four-game suspension.

Allen logged 26 points (11-15 FG, 4-5 FT), 14 rebounds, two assists and one block over 32 minutes during the Cavaliers' 118-113 win over the Hornets on Friday.

It was another dominant performance from Allen, who grabbed seven of his game-high 14 rebounds on the offensive glass while finishing as the Cavaliers' second-leading scorer behind Donovan Mitchell (32 points). Allen is up to 15 double-doubles on the season, six of which have come over his last seven outings. Over that seven-game span, the veteran center has averaged 23.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 blocks over 29.0 minutes per game.

Hayes will come off the bench for Friday's game against the Clippers, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.

Deandre Ayton (knee) is back and starting after a two-game layoff, so Hayes will return to a reserve role. As a member of the second unit this season, Hayes owns averages of 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest.

Ware is not in the Heat's starting lineup against the Hawks on Friday.

Ware started in each of the Heat's last two games before the All-Star break and recorded a double-double against the Pelicans on Feb. 11. However, the second-year center will retreat to the bench for Friday's contest after Andrew Wiggins (toe) was cleared to play.