The Golden State Warriors won their 19th straight game this season.

HOSPITAL WARD

Rodney Hood was diagnosed with a bruised rib in the first half and was cleared to return. He'd been dealing with back spasms over the weekend, but he played 34 minutes and scored 12 points.

Chris Paul exited the game midway through the third quarter with a rib muscle strain. The Clippers play once over the next four days, and a prolonged absence means more minutes for the prodigal son, Austin Rivers, and Jamal Crawford. I was unable to uncover any more news regarding Paul and the injury.

Damian Lillard was limited to 17 minutes because of abdominal pain. It's unclear if he can play tonight, jeopardizing Lillard's streak of consecutive games played to start his career. In the postgame comments, Lillard admitted to feeling ill from the beginning of the game because of something he ate, and he eventually threw up. Lillard said he'd need to feel significantly better before attempting to play against the Mavericks.

M.I.A.

• Atlanta
  • Tiago Splitter (hip)
  • Tim Hardaway Jr (inactive)
• Boston
  • Marcus Smart (knee)
• Chicago
  • Mike Dunleavy (back)
  • Aaron Brooks (hamstring)
  • Kirk Hinrich (hip)
• Dallas
  • J.J. Barea (leg)
• Denver
  • Gary Harris (concussion)
  • Jusuf Nurkic (knee)
• Detroit
  • Brandon Jennings (Achilles)
  • Jodie Meeks (back)
• Golden State
  • Harrison Barnes (ankle)
• Houston
  • Donatas Motiejunas (back)
  • Sam Dekker (back)
  • Jason Terry (DNP-CD)
• Miami
  • Luol Deng (hamstring)
  • Amar'e Stoudemire (illness)
• Milwaukee
  • Greivis Vazquez (ankle)
• Portland
  • Chris Kaman (ankle)

ROTATION NOTES

J.B. Bickerstaff played Terrence Jones 15 minutes in the first half and Montrezl Harrell eight minutes in the second half. Neither played both halves. Ty Lawson, after receiving a DNP-CD the previous contest, played 18 minutes because Patrick Beverley fouled out in 28 minutes and Jason Terry received a DNP-CD. Clint Capela played five minutes in the second half because of the matchup, and Marcus Thornton led all Rockets reserves with 22 minutes when Bickerstaff chose to utilize a smaller lineup in the second half.

It was the second night of a back-to-back, so it makes sense that Bickerstaff would expand his rotation after an overtime win on Sunday. And because the Rockets were down 23 at halftime, he rolled with the unit that brought the Rockets back in the second half. A lot of what occurred last night isn't easily duplicative, but this is only Bickerstaff's eighth game as the head coach. He's going to finagle the rotation until something sticks.

Stop the presses. Six Boston Celtics, including the starting unit, played more than 30 minutes. I balk to say that's a Bradley Stevens first, but it sure feels like it. However, Stevens is a coach who rarely runs the same rotation in consecutive games. Never trust a word that comes out of his mouth; he usually does the exact opposite within the week.

Thabo Sefolosha started the second straight game and five of the last six. He went scoreless, missed all five field goal attempts, and played 39 minutes. Kent Bazemore played 22 minutes off the bench and offered more offense, but it's clear Sefolosha is ahead of Bazemore in the pecking order. His job last night was to check Kevin Durant, playing one fewer minute than the former league MVP and definitively proving coach Budenholzer prefers Sefolosha over Bazemore, even though both were on the court in the closing seconds. To quote Paul Millsap, "[Sefolosha] didn't score, but he did everything else."

Giannis Antetokounmpo picked up three fouls in 11 minutes, and coach Kidd limited him to 20 minutes with the game well in hand. Kidd rested Antetokounmpo and Greg Monroe in the fourth quarter, and Khris Middleton barely played two minutes in the final stanza.

Derrick Favors returned to the starting lineup after missing one game due to personal reasons, displacing Trevor Booker. Favors supplied 23 points (9-15 FG, 5-5 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 34 minutes. He's having a career year in steals (2.0), assists (1.6), field goal percentage (55 percent), and free-throw percentage (69 percent). In expanding his range to accommodate Rudy Gobert, Favors is sinking 43 percent of his mid-range shots, roughly four percent above league average.

DeMarcus Cousins, after missing three games with a lower back strain, replaced Kosta Koufos in the starting lineup. Cousins nearly triple-doubled, supplying 31 points (10-24 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 10-10 FT), nine rebounds, six assists, and one block in 38 minutes. Without even looking it up, I know the eight attempts from downtown are a career-high. I also know he missed his last seven shots from three and scored 16 points in the fourth quarter. Koufos returned to obscurity, playing 12 minutes, the same as the starting center, Willie Cauley-Stein.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

Russell Westbrook wins the title by default. No one else produced on the same level as Westbrook, but it felt unsatisfyingly hollow given the Thunders' loss. Westbrook filled the box score with 34 points (11-24 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 11-11 FT), 11 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and six turnovers in 36 minutes. He scored 17 of those points in the final quarter, but it wasn't enough. His efficiency this season is a career-high, and he's averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 assists, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game. Perhaps I'm taking this performance for granted.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

Stanley Johnson had a career night, which wasn't a high bar to clear. In 30 minutes off the bench, Johnson produced 19 points (6-11 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 10 rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal. It's most certainly his best game since the beginning of the preseason when he was tasked with primary ball handling duties due to a myriad of point guard injuries. Coach Van Gundy matched him up against James Harden much of the second half, benching Ersan Ilyasova in the fourth quarter. The increased playing time was multifactorial: it was the second night of a back-to-back, and the Rockets went with a smaller lineup. Johnson has been on the watch list since his preseason explosion, and even though he's played at least 25 minutes in consecutive games, this wasn't the first such occasion this season. His minutes fluctuate too often to rely on him at this point in the season.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

Reggie Jackson bounced back from a 4-of-20 shooting performance the previous night to record 31 points (11-18 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 6-8 FT), eight assists, five rebounds, and two steals in 37 minutes. Outside of the paint, Jackson is shooting 31 percent, mainly on inexcusable mid-range jumpers and open three-pointers. He most certainly improved his outside shot, but it's hovering near league average, and when he's wide open, per NBA.com, Jackson is 11-of-35 from the field.

James Harden played more than 40 minutes for the fourth straight game. Even though the duo of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Stanley Johnson held Harden to 6-of-15 shooting, he made 15-of-17 free throws and finished the night with 29 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and five turnovers. In case you didn't know, Harden is shooting 30 percent on three-pointers and second overall with 4.8 turnovers per game. His usage rate, 33.7 percent, is third most in the NBA, and he's drawing 8.5 fouls per game, second most in the league.

Chris Bosh picked up the offensive slack when Hassan Whiteside accumulated two early fouls and was benched on account of the matchup, supplying 21 points (8-17 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 10 rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block in 39 minutes. He leads the Heat with 25 three-pointers this season while averaging 9.1 rebounds, his most in a Heat uniform, and shooting a career-low 43.5 percent from the field. The decline in accuracy is directly correlated to his fixture away from the paint when Whiteside is in the lineup. Bosh shoots 49 percent from the floor when Whiteside rests as opposed to 34 percent when Whiteside is on the court, but coach Spoelstra has done a wonderful job staggering their minutes to the point where Bosh has only played half his minutes alongside Whiteside.

Paul Millsap is the only player in the NBA averaging at least 18.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per game. On top of that, Millsap has improved his offensive rebound quotient, corralling 4.4 offensive rebounds over the last eight games, a number that would rank him second all season behind Andre Drummond. Millsap added 26 points (8-19 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and one steal in 35 minutes. His numbers this season parallel the stats he posted last season, and he's currently ranked 9th in nine-category leagues on a per-game basis.

He got a haircut. That's how Michael Carter-Williams got his groove back. Reports of his fantasy demise were premature. Where do I turn myself in? In 30 minutes off the bench, Carter-Williams provided 12 points (5-9 FG, 2-2 FT), nine assists, six rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. Prior to the funk, Carter-Williams was averaging similar numbers to starter Jerryd Bayless with the exception of Carter-Williams' 3.5 turnovers and Bayless' 2.3 three-pointers. Unfortunately for Carter-Williams, the Bucks' next opponent, the Spurs, are the best defense in the league, and they'll likely find a way to demoralize the former Rookie of the Year. Carter-Williams is playing a career-low 28 minutes a night, and the rest of his stats are suffering as a result. While I expect him to reclaim the starting point guard job eventually, the Bucks' composition of players outranks those of the Sixers teams Carter-Williams played on, reducing his ability to stat pad.

Draymond Green is a regular patron of this segment. After two straight triple-doubles, Green missed out on a third, recording 20 points (8-21 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 4-7 FT), nine rebounds, seven assists, and five turnovers in 38 minutes. He led the team in field goal attempts, necessitated by the absence of Harrison Barnes (ankle). Green is one of three players averaging at least 12.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game. He's also shooting 40 percent on threes and 74.5 percent from the free-throw line while contributing 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks in 34 minutes per contest. Playing fewer minutes with Andrew Bogut has increased Green's playmaking responsibilities.

Blake Griffin is a triple-double threat every time Chris Paul has to sit out. Last night was no different. With Paul forced from the game in the third quarter, Griffin compiled 23 points (8-19 FG, 7-10 FT), eight rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block in 32 minutes. Five of his assists came in the second half. The rest of his assist opportunities evaporated once the Blazers began intentionally fouling DeAndre Jordan for nine straight possessions in the fourth quarter.

BOX HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope played 43 minutes and scored four points. His primary focus was to pester James Harden. Prior to last night, Caldwell-Pope scored double figures in all but two games, so there's no need to overreact unless his 39 percent shooting is tanking your season. Caldwell-Pope doesn't sport a robust fantasy line, but he's playing 37 minutes a night, third most in the league.

Dwyane Wade is the reason Goran Dragic can't provide top-tier fantasy value. In fact, Wade had Dragic running with him on a two-on-one fastbreak and kept the ball for himself. Wade scored a season-high 30 points (12-24 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-6 FT), recorded five steals, grabbed four rebounds, handed out four assists, and turned the ball over six times in 32 minutes. The Heat has played one back-to-back set this season. In that second game, Wade shot 4-of-15 from the field and recorded a negative 24 plus-minus. The Heat plays 16 back-to-back sets the rest of the season, and their next one comes on December 13-14. The one thing Dragic owners are holding out for is the inevitable Wade injury. It hasn't occurred yet due to the generous schedule. Once it does, Dragic's 17 percent usage rate with Wade on the court will jump closer to 24.5 percent, his usage rate with Wade on the bench (119 minutes).

Avery Bradley has become automatic this season from everywhere except the top of the key and the corners. He's 11 percent better off the dribble than on catch-and-shoots, and most of his damage occurs before the shot clock squeezes underneath seven seconds, so he's not forced to bail out the possession. That honor belongs to Isaiah Thomas. Bradley has shown rapid improvement in his perimeter shooting, and he's attempting a career-high 5.7 threes per game. Assuming normal regression, Bradley will end the season near the top-100 in per game value.

Jae Crowder achieved four steals on the road, a deviation from the norm. He'd been averaging double the amount of steal in home games compared to road games, but he silenced the doubters, myself mainly, with a nice start to a five-game road trip.

Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge combined for 46 points and 20 rebounds. Leonard played 40 minutes for the fourth time this year and Aldridge was on the court for 33 minutes, a smidge over his season average. The latter isn't getting enough minutes or touches to replicate last season's fantasy value with the Trail Blazers, and he's shooting a career-low 44 percent because his mid-range touch has left him.

As reported last Friday, Jimmy Butler is dealing with a sore heel, and coach Fred Hoiberg continues to throw him out there for 40 minutes. If you watched the game, you noticed he offered sufficient resistance on Kawhi Leonard. It's something to monitor because the Bulls have only played three games since the problem first arose 12 days ago. Any prolonged absence to promote healing in the foot will likely force Doug McDermott into the starting lineup. However, with the news of Mike Dunleavy (back) suffering a setback, I expect Butler to play through the lingering pain to help bridge the gap.

Jabari Parker, in a reserve role, scored 16 points (6-13 FG, 4-4 FT), grabbed four rebounds, blocked two shots, notched two steals, and dished out one assist in 26 minutes. Coach Kidd is intent on capping his playing time between 20-25 minutes, one of the reasons I see fit to discard Parker in fantasy leagues. The other reasons include him being less than one year removed from a torn ACL and when he was getting 30 minutes per game last season, Parker's fantasy value resided outside the top-100. Those practicing patience can bunker down until the Bucks fully clear Parker, but he's already dealt with a lower leg issue earlier this season that nearly cost him an entire week.

C.J. McCollum was tasked with primary ball handling duties once Damian Lillard exited early in the second half. He notched a career-high 10 assists, but with the defense focused on him, McCollum missed eight of his first nine shots and finished the game 4-of-15 from the field.

Al-Farouq Aminu vociferously regressed to the mean. Over the past six games, he's shooting 27 percent from the field and averaging 0.3 steals per game. Becoming a full-time player has shifted his focus from hyper-defensive juggernaut in limited minutes to tertiary playmaker with a malignant jumper. In 14 more minutes per game, Aminu is averaging fewer steals and similar blocks to his time with the Mavericks last season. The decline in steals may be a result of coach Stotts' conservative defensive scheme, as over the previous three seasons, no player has averaged more than 1.3 steals per game - and those teams were littered with starters routinely playing over 34 minutes a night. It's best to ignore Aminu in rotisserie leagues. A head-to-head league owner shouldn't give up so quickly; Aminu is getting plenty of minutes. If you want, you can try trading him for Nerlens Noel. They're equally frustrating to own at the moment.

FREE-THROW BRIGADE

Andre Drummond attempted 14 of his 18 free throws in the third quarter as the Rockets were digging themselves out a 28-point hole. He made four of them and added 24 points, 13 rebounds, three steals, three blocks, and two assists in 27 minutes. Drummond picked up two fouls in the first three minutes and was pulled later in the game for Aron Baynes to cease the intentional fouling, limiting his playing time. He's attempting a career-high 6.8 free throws per game and converting at 38 percent.

Rajon Rondo was sent to the line 14 times by his former coach, Rick Carlisle, on seven intentional fouls. Other than lackluster performance at the charity stripe, Rondo contributed 21 points, five assists, and three rebounds in 30 minutes. His playing time has trended down since the return of Darren Collison, who scored 15 points in 28 minutes off the bench.

DeAndre Jordan attempted six field goals and 34 free throws. He scored 18 points, grabbed a season-high 24 rebounds and took seven more free throws than the Trail Blazers. For the record, Jordan made 12 of his free-throw attempts.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 34 points
2. Reggie Jackson, G, DET: 31 points
3. DeMarcus Cousins, C, SAC: 31 points

Rebounds

1. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC: 24 rebounds
2. Al Horford, C, ATL: 13 rebounds
3. Andre Drummond, C, DET: 13 rebounds
4. Pau Gasol, C, CHI: 13 rebounds
5. Mason Plumlee, C, POR: 13 rebounds

Assists

1. C.J. McCollum, G, POR: 10 assists
2. Michael Carter-Williams, G, MIL: 9 assists
3. Tony Parker, G, SAS: 9 assists
4. Isaiah Thomas, G, BOS: 9 assists

Steals

1. Dwyane Wade, G, BOS: 5 steals
2. Jae Crowder, F, BOS: 4 steals
3. Clint Capela, F, HOU: 4 steals
4. Thabo Sefolosha, F, ATL: 4 steals

Blocks

1. Paul Millsap, F, ATL: 4 blocks
2. Kevin Durant, F, OKC: 4 blocks
3. Serge Ibaka, F, OKC: 4 blocks
4. Dwight Howard, C, HOU: 4 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Stephen Curry, G, GSW: 4-8 3Pt
2. Klay Thompson, G, GSW: 4-7 3Pt
3. J.J. Redick, G, LAC: 4-7 3Pt
4. Stanley Johnson, G, DET: 4-5 3Pt
5. Marcus Thornton, G, HOU: 4-8 3Pt
6. Ian Clark, G, GSW: 4-5 3Pt

Minutes

1. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G, DET: 44 minutes
2. James Harden, G, HOU: 42 minutes
3. Three players tied with 40 minutes