The Golden State Warriors remain undefeated with a 16-0 record and have won 20 consecutive games dating back to last season.

HOSPITAL WARD

To my knowledge, injury befell no NBA player.

M.I.A.

• Atlanta
  • Kent Bazemore (ankle)
  • Tiago Splitter (hip)
• Boston
  • Marcus Smart (leg)
• Chicago
  • Mike Dunleavy (back)
  • Aaron Brooks (hamstring)
• Dallas
  • Devin Harris (rest)
  • JaVale McGee (DNP-CD)
• Denver
  • Kenneth Faried (ankle)
  • Joffrey Lauvergne (back)
  • Jusuf Nurkic (knee)
• Indiana
  • Myles Turner (thumb)
• Memphis
  • Zach Randolph (knee)
  • Brandan Wright (knee)
  • Jordan Adams (knee)
• Portland
  • Meyers Leonard (shoulder)
• Washington
  • Alan Anderson (ankle)

ROTATION NOTES

George Hill missed the previous three games with a chest infection and replaced Chase Budinger in the starting lineup. After resting three games, Hill played 32 minutes and notched 14 points (5-11 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, four assists, and one steal. His return reduces Monta Ellis' possessions, as Ellis' usage rate is 24 percent with Hill off the court versus 18.4 percent when Hill joins Ellis on the court. Ellis (10 points, five rebounds, five assists) was still productive last night, but there isn't enough ball to go around in the Pacers' starting unit.

Jared Dudley started the second half over Kris Humphries after Humphries only played the first five minutes of the first half. Dudley looks chubby, and he siphoned Humphries' playing time in a track meet. It didn't help that the Wizards were playing the Pacers, a team devoid of a traditional power forward. Humphries' defensive assignment, C.J. Miles, scored 12 points in the first four minutes, another determining factor in Humphries' demise. Dudley and Humphries' minutes are inversely correlated, and Dudley surpassed Humphries in the last three games. Neither is owned in more than five percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Matt Barnes moved into the starting lineup against the Mavericks, displacing JaMychal Green, who's been substituting for Zach Randolph (knee). Barnes matched up against Dirk Nowitzki, and he added 14 points (5-14 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals in a game-high 38 minutes. Green helped with 13 points (5-7 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 17 minutes off the bench. This was a blowout in favor of the Grizzlies, so it curious to see Barnes play almost 40 minutes. He scored at least 10 points in all three games Randolph missed, but Randolph was a late scratch last night and should return soon.

Jeff Teague came off the bench in the previous game and started the second half. He reentered the starting lineup last night and bullied Isaiah Thomas with his size for 16 points (4-10 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 7-9 FT), nine assists, and two steals in 26 minutes. Dennis Schroder, the understudy, was limited to 19 minutes and is rapidly losing fantasy relevancy. The Hawks commenced a stretch of five games in seven nights, after which, Schroder becomes a definite waiver wire occupant if he isn't already.

Tim Hardaway made his season debut. Coach Budenholzer promised this would eventually happen once Hardaway learned the defensive schemes and alleviated his wrist injury. He played 12 minutes, but his fantasy value is capped because Lamar Patterson and Justin Holiday are outplaying him.

Wesley Johnson became the third different Clippers starting small forward in as many games, replacing Paul Pierce. He compiled 11 points (4-6 FG, 3-4 3Pt), two rebounds, one block, and five fouls in 25 minutes. I'm avoiding the Clippers' small forward until Joe Johnson gets bought out and signs with the Clippers. Until then, their revolving door, one that includes Lance Stephenson, can be ignored.

Derrick Rose missed two games over a seven-day span with a sprained ankle. Upon his return, Kirk Hinrich rejoined the bench mob, and Rose contributed 17 points (7-20 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six assists, and four rebounds in 35 minutes. The Bulls play one game over the next five days before launching a four-game homestand. Rose is performing slighter better in home games, a consolation prize for anyone with Rose on their fantasy roster.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

Paul George didn't miss a shot. Correction. He shot 14-of-19 from the field, 7-of-8 from downtown, and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line for a season-high of 40 points in 37 minutes. I keep waiting for the blocks to materialize, and even though he hasn't blocked a shot in eight games, George added eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals on Tuesday. He's shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 45.7 percent on three-pointers. Clearly, the up-tempo offense and transition to power forward inflated his fantasy value. He's seizing a team-high 8.4 rebounds and handing out 4.8 assists per game, second-most on the squad.

George started the 2013-14 season hitting 47 percent of his field goals and 40 percent of his threes through December before stumbling into the playoffs with pedestrian numbers. I fully expect an efficiency regression because last night's performance reminded me of his game against the Trail Blazers from two seasons ago when he crescendoed with 43 points and seven three-pointers 18 games into the year. The parallel is unmistakable. Selling high is a question of standing and return: what can you receive for George, a top-10 nine-category player, and is your team good enough to withstand his inevitable regression?

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

Nikola Jokic beat out Emmanuel Mudiay, D'Angelo Russell, and R.J. Hunter on a lackluster evening for rookies. The Nuggets' starting center collected 16 points (7-13 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-3 FT), six rebounds, and two assists in 24 minutes while leading the team with a 29 percent usage rate. He's earning plenty of minutes with Jusuf Nurkic (knee), Joffrey Lauvergne (back), and Kenneth Faried (ankle) unavailable. Lauvergne is expected back before the end of the month, and Nurkic should return at some point in December. Until those impediments surface, Jokic is producing enough to warrant consideration in standard leagues, especially if you're looking for a stop-gap center while Jonas Valanciunas (thumb) recuperates.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

Damian Lillard struggled with his shot, but concluded the night with 19 points (4-22 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 11-13 FT), 10 rebounds, eight assists, and one block in 40 minutes.

Lillard is dealing with a partially removed right thumbnail, which is clearly affecting his shot. The cream used to treat the area is numbing Lillard's thumb and messing with his mechanics. The detached thumbnail occurred on November 11th. Below are the splits.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Marcin Gortat is not long for the Wizards' new offense scheme. He scored seven of his 10 points (4-10 FG, 2-4 FT) in the third quarter and added nine rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block in 24 minutes. It's one of his better performances, but Gortat hasn't played more than 28 minutes since the first game of the season. As long as Nene Hilario is healthy, which is more of a day-to-day affair, Gortat will continue to have his minutes and fantasy value restricted. His 1.0 blocks per game is second on the team to John Wall, who turned the ball over eight times compared to five assists. Gortat is falling in the same rut that emerged last season, and he wasn't able to climb out until both Hilario and Kris Humphries missed extensive time due to injury.

Thabo Sefolosha is eventually going to reclaim the starting small forward. First, he must clear ankle rehab assigned by the training staff. The Hawks play four games in five nights this week, and I think Sefolosha will likely miss at least one game as a precaution. In 26 minutes last night, he supplied 15 points (7-8 FG, 1-1 FT), seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, and three blocks. Sefolosha is more of a streaming option when his conditioning reaches acceptable levels, so keep an eye on him for steals.

Kent Bazemore (right ankle sprain) has the worst Defensive Rating (104.9) on the roster and is the only starter sporting a negative plus-minus. Sefolosha is basically the exact opposite. Most of Bazemore's minutes have been with the starters, a more concerning aspect of his negative influence. I'm worried about his ankle injury, because if it's a high ankle sprain, the area will likely bother him the rest of the season.

Paul Millsap is the only player averaging at least 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 block per game this season. He finished the game with 25 points (10-14 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 5-5 FT), nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block in 32 minutes, nearly matching all his season averages. Millsap's been the most consistent big man in the early stages of the season, and he's playing 34.1 minutes per game, the most for any player in the Mike Budenholzer era.

Evan Turner let me down. Scratch that. I let myself down by adding Evan Turner. He's technically the backup point guard while Marcus Smart (leg) is out for at least two weeks, and he recorded a team-high seven assists last night. However, and I've said this before, Turner is a three-category miscreant (points, rebounds, assists). I'm not abandoning ship quite yet. Turner was added as a streamer, and Celtics just began a stretch of five games in seven nights. Below are his stats based on Smart's availability.

Jae Crowder failed to record a steal. Do you know why? Because it was a road game. Crowder is averaging 1.3 steals on the road compared to 3.3 steals at home. The Celtics play two home games before embarking on a five-game road trip. This is a situation worth monitoring because it's not as simple as he only records colossal steals at home.

Avery Bradley is on a heater. More aptly, he traded in those long twos for three-pointers this season, thus increasing his scoring. Bradley registered 25 points (10-17 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 1-2 FT), three steals, two assists, one rebound, and one block in 30 minutes. He's scored at least 20 points in four of the last five games on an elite 64.4 percent true shooting mark, roughly 14 percent better than his career average. The increase in three-pointers affects that number, but it could be higher if he wasn't shooting a career-worst 70 percent from the free-throw line. Bradley needs to be owned now while Smart is out. Once he returns, Bradley's minutes are expected to decline.

Dwight Powell attempted his first three-pointer of the season. Even with JaVale McGee a DNP-CD, Powell was limited to 2 points on 1-of-6 shooting in 21 minutes. Powell's minutes are due for a drastic decline once McGee becomes a regular member of the rotation, and playing primarily power forward will force him to become a pick-and-pop player, further reducing his fantasy value.

Mario Chalmers won't stop shooting free-throws. Through six games with Grizzlies, Chalmers attempted 45 free throws. His free-throw attempt rate is 92 percent. Do you understand how insane that is? It basically means his field-goal-to-free-throw ratio is a 1:1. Chalmers scored 14 points (4-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-10 FT), claimed five steals, dropped two assists, and grabbed one rebound in 21 minutes.

I'm perplexed. This can't be sustainable. There's no way. He's playing less than 20 minutes a night for the surging Grizzlies and scoring 14.3 points per game, third most since joining the team. Zach Randolph's absence has thrown the rotation out of whack, but in the three games Chalmers played with Randolph, he averaged 18.7 points. The playing time and unsustainable nature of his free-throws make me hesitant to suggest adding Chalmers.

Will Barton fell flat on his face, failing to score his first point until 1:41 left in the fourth quarter. He missed all six attempts in 20 minutes. It was strange to not see him get extended minutes in a blowout loss, but perhaps this means he's cemented in the regular rotation and coach Malone wanted to give him some rest. The announcers mentioned Barton was dealing with a back issue late in the game. It's something to keep an eye on before moving on after one bad game. Barton had scored at least 10 points in all but three games this season.

Danilo Gallinari pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds in 37 minutes. He was aided in his pursuit by the absence of Kenneth Faried (ankle) and the limitation of DeAndre Jordan to 27 minutes. All of Gallinari's rebounds came on the defensive glass, 11 of them were corralled when Jordan was off the court, and no one else on the Nuggets grabbed more than six boards. It's not an easily reproducible feat.

C.J. McCollum has scored at least 15 points in every game this season. The rest of his stats fluctuate. Mason Plumlee has made 32-of-44 free throws in his last nine games. Al-Farouq Aminu was limited to 22 minutes last night and shot 1-of-9 from the floor. Ed Davis contributed 12 points (5-8 FG, 2-4 FT), 13 rebounds, three steals, two assists, and two blocks in 35 minutes. Noah Vonleh, the starting power forward, picked up three fouls in five minutes, rendering him useless the rest of the night.

The Warriors defeated the Lakers, 111-77. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were the only players on either side to play at least 30 minutes. Harrison Barnes scored all of his eight points in the first seven minutes of the game. Kobe Bryant shot 1-of-14 from the field. IT WAS A BLOOD BATH.

DAN FORDEN AWARD*

C.J. Miles poured in 32 points and hit 8-of-9 three-pointers in 33 minutes. I recall a game last season or the year prior when Miles hit 10 three-pointers against the 76ers. The shots he hit last night were pure and insanely contested. Aside from the occasional steals Miles provides, his streakiness is something you can take advantage of when he's rolling. He's perpetually injured, allowing you to dispose of him at the slightest sign of vulnerability.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Paul George, F, IND: 40 points
2. C.J. Miles, F, IND: 32 points
3. Paul Millsap, F, ATL: 25 points
4. Avery Bradley, G, BOS: 25 points

Rebounds

1. Danilo Gallinari, F, DEN: 18 rebounds (0 offensive)
2. Mason Plumlee, C, POR: 17 rebounds (5 offensive)
3. Pau Gasol, C, CHI: 14 rebounds (2 offensive)

Assists

1. Chris Paul, G, LAC: 10 assists
2. Stephen Curry, G, GSW: 9 assists
3. Jeff Teague, G, ATL: 9 assists

Steals

1. Mario Chalmers, G, MEM: 5 steals
2. Jimmy Butler, G, CHI: 4 steals
3. Seven players tied with three steals

Blocks

1. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC: 4 blocks
2. Thabo Sefolosha, F, ATL: 3 blocks
3. Nine players tied with two blocks

Three-Pointers

1. C.J. Miles, F, IND: 8-9 3Pt
2. Paul George, F, IND: 7-8 3Pt
3. Gary Neal, G, WAS: 5-8 3Pt

Minutes

1. Damian Lillard, G, POR: 40 minutes
2. Matt Barnes, F, MEM: 38 minutes
3. Paul George, F, IND: 37 minutes
4. Danilo Gallinari, F, DEN: 37 minutes

*The Dan Forden Award is given to the player with the best long-distance shooting performance. It is named the Dan Forden Award after Dan Forden, audio technician for the Mortal Kombat series and the guy who popped up from the bottom right corner of the screen and excitedly proclaimed "Toasty!"