NBA Player News

Morant accumulated 23 points (9-13 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT) and four assists over 31 minutes during Tuesday's 136-129 win over the Lakers.

Morant was extremely efficient in the win, hitting nine of his 13 shots and scoring on back-to-back midrange jumpers to put Portland up five in the final minutes. The guard has fit in quickly alongside Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija, giving the Blazers another closer in a balanced attack. Thursday's matchup with Memphis carries extra intrigue as he faces his former team.

Avdija notched 23 points (8-15 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 3-7 FT), four rebounds, nine assists and one steal over 33 minutes during Tuesday's 136-129 win over the Lakers.

Avdija tied Ja Morant for the team lead in scoring and nearly posted a double-double with nine assists, including a big three down the stretch. The forward has been the engine of Portland's 3-0 start, and with Shaedon Sharpe (knee) sidelined, the Blazers are leaning heavily on his playmaking. He'll look to keep it rolling Thursday at home against Memphis.

Mamukelashvili recorded 17 points (6-9 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists and one block over 24 minutes during Tuesday's 136-129 loss to the Trail Blazers.

Mamukelashvili provided an early spark off the bench, scoring 13 points in the first half capped by a buzzer-beating three. The big man finished as the Lakers' third-leading scorer, and his ability to stretch the floor gives Los Angeles a different look behind Walker Kessler. If he keeps shooting like this, he could push for more minutes in the frontcourt rotation.

Kessler registered 13 points (6-9 FG, 1-4 FT), eight rebounds, two blocks and one steal over 33 minutes during Tuesday's 136-129 loss to the Trail Blazers.

Kessler was solid in the loss, scoring on six of nine shots over 33 minutes. The center's free-throw shooting was an issue again, but his rim protection remains key to the Lakers' starting lineup. He'll face a tough frontcourt test Wednesday against the Clippers.

Reaves supplied 26 points (8-13 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 6-7 FT), four rebounds and seven assists across 39 minutes during Tuesday's 136-129 loss to the Trail Blazers.

Reaves was a strong second option behind Luka Doncic, scoring 26 points efficiently and adding seven assists across a team-high 39 minutes. The guard has carried a heavy workload early in the season, and Los Angeles needs his secondary scoring and playmaking to take pressure off Doncic. He'll go right back to work Wednesday on the second night of a back-to-back.

Doncic produced 41 points (12-22 FG, 6-15 3Pt, 11-13 FT), five rebounds, nine assists and one block in 37 minutes during Tuesday's 136-129 loss to the Trail Blazers.

Doncic did everything he could to keep Los Angeles unbeaten, led the scoring with 41 points, and hit six threes. It followed his 52-point outing at Utah over the weekend, and he also brought a noticeably more engaged defensive effort. The Lakers will complete the back-to-back Wednesday against the Clippers.

McLaughlin logged zero points (0-1 FG, 0-1 3Pt), two assists and one steal in seven minutes during Tuesday's 130-103 win over Sacramento.

McLaughlin appeared for just the second time this season, with all of his minutes thus far coming during garbage time. McLaughlin has barely been in the rotation throughout his career, a trend that seems likely to continue moving forward. For fantasy leagues, he holds no value.

Kornet totaled zero points (0-2 FG), four rebounds and one assist over 17 minutes during Tuesday's 130-103 win over the Kings.

Kornet played a handful of extra minutes, with San Antonio turning to its bench early. Although Kornet has firmly established himself as the primary backup behind Victor Wembanyama, he has barely been a top 300 player thus far, averaging just 2.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game.

Champagnie had 26 points (9-14 FG, 8-13 3Pt), three rebounds and three assists across 25 minutes during Tuesday's 130-103 victory over the Kings.

Champagnie was red hot during the first half of Tuesday's win, connecting on eight triples en route to a season-high 26 points. While this was a fantastic night for anyone rostering, it could certainly have been a lot better had the game been even remotely close. He remains an elite source of three-pointers, although he doesn't offer a lot outside of that category. Given that he had made seven three-pointers in his previous three games, managers shouldn't expect a performance like this very often.

Achiuwa notched four points (2-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and one rebound in 13 minutes during Tuesday's 130-103 loss to the Spurs.

After a strong start to the season, Achiuwa came crashing back to earth, turning in easily his worst performance thus far. To this point, his playing time has been wildly inconsistent, a theme that could certainly hold true moving forward. Through four appearances, he is averaging 11.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 26.8 minutes per game.