The Golden State Warriors won their 20th straight game to start the season.

HOSPITAL WARD

Nikola Mirotic received an Emmanuel Mudiay elbow to the grill four minutes into the game and was diagnosed with a concussion. Joakim Noah started the second half for Mirotic and accrued nine points (3-5 FG, 3-4 FT), 11 rebounds, four blocks, and one assist in 35 minutes. The Bulls play two home games over the next week. Obviously, Mirotic must pass concussion protocol, and I think he'll miss two games max as long as this was his first concussion. Noah gets a bump until Mirotic clears protocol, and if the transition is a smooth one, Noah may reclaim the starting gig even when Mirotic returns to the lineup.

J.J. Redick sprained his right ankle in the first 20 seconds of the game and never returned. Jamal Crawford started the second half and concluded the contest with 16 points (5-16 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 5-5 FT), a season-high six rebounds, and three assists in 37 minutes. The Clippers get two days off before their next game, and if Redick is unavailable, Crawford profiles as the likely replacement. He's not a savory option, shooting 33 percent from the field in 29.2 minutes over the last 10 games.

M.I.A.

• Atlanta
  • Tiago Splitter (hip)
  • Tim Hardaway Jr (inactive)
• Charlotte
  • Al Jefferson (calf)
• Chicago
  • Mike Dunleavy (back)
  • Kirk Hinrich (hip)
• Denver
  • Gary Harris (concussion)
  • Jusuf Nurkic (knee)
• Detroit
  • Jodie Meeks (back)
  • Brandon Jennings (Achilles)
• Golden State
  • Harrison Barnes (ankle)
• Houston
  • Donatas Motiejunas (back)
  • Sam Dekker (back)
• Indiana
  • Myles Turner (thumb)
• LA Clippers
  • Chris Paul (rib)
• LA Lakers
  • Nick Young (DNP-CD)
• Milwaukee
  • Greivis Vasquez (ankle)
  • Jerryd Bayless (DNP-CD)
• New Orleans
  • Jrue Holiday (rest)
  • Quincy Pondexter (knee)
  • Kendrick Perkins (pectorals)
• Philadelphia
  • Jahlil Okafor (suspended)
  • Tony Wroten (knee)
  • Kendall Marshall (knee)
  • Carl Landry (wrist)
• Phoenix
  • Tyson Chandler (hamstring)
• Toronto
  • Jonas Valanciunas (hand)
  • James Johnson (Achilles)
• Washington
  • Alan Anderson (ankle)
  • Nene Hilario (calf)
  • Drew Gooden (calf)

ROTATION NOTES

Cody Zeller earned the first start with Al Jefferson (calf) out the next two-to-three weeks. He played 17 minutes, yielding time to Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes in the blowout loss. Kaminsky played a season-high 27 minutes off the bench to match with the Warriors' smaller lineup, and he scored a career-high 16 points (5-8 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 3-5 FT), nine of which occurred in the fourth quarter when both teams mailed it in. It's difficult to foresee if Kaminsky will eventually replace Zeller, but I don't think that's in the cards. Down by 21 after three quarters, coach Clifford ran 10 players at least 10 minutes and used all 12 of his active players.

P.J. Hairston was benched in the second half for Jeremy Lamb. Lamb continues to make his two-point shots at a 60-percent clip, the same exact number as Stephen Curry. Even though he's such an efficient scorer inside of eight feet, Lamb is converting a career-low 68 percent of his free throws. Don't be fooled by the low number. He only attempted 25 this season, with his career average closer to 83 percent. Lamb's a solid source of points and threes, and he's played at least 21 minutes in every game except the first two.

Nick Young earned a DNP-CD for the first time this season. His absence supplied Lou Williams with 33 minutes off the bench and D'Angelo Russell 27 minutes, a figure he hasn't dipped below in eight games. In that time, he's averaging 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 three-pointers while shooting 42 percent from the floor. I'm still Russell averse because he's a rookie playing for Byron Scott, but he's proving to be competent fantasy producer when saddled with adequate minutes. Williams provided seven steals, and Russell added four of his own.

Jon Leuer started because Markieff Morris is dealing with a bruised knee. As predicted in yesterday's Box Score Breakdown, Alex Len picked up two fouls in the first three minutes and played 15 total in an overtime loss. Leuer and Mirza Teletovic were the beneficiaries. They used their basketball stretchiness to score a combined 38 points. Leuer played 39 minutes by necessity and tacked on six rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block. He didn't solely shoot threes; Leuer used his deceptive white guy athleticism to get the paint off the dribble. He scored 10 of his 20 points in the third quarter. Teletovic hit one top-of-the-key three-pointer every quarter, but outside of threes, Teletovic is a limited fantasy asset. Leuer is an intriguing option and a former John Hollinger pupil, but Tyson Chandler (hamstring) doesn't have a timetable to return, and Morris could be back in the lineup on Friday.

Carmelo Anthony missed Sunday's game with the flu. In his return, Lance Thomas came off the bench and Anthony contributed 12 points (5-16 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, and two assists in 26 minutes. He's shooting a career-low 41 percent from the field in a career-low 34.2 minutes per game. His jump shot is off, but he's struggling the most finishing around the rim. That's due to two reasons: the failed offensive tip backs on misses and he doesn't exaggerate contact to get the whistle. He's never been one to get calls in the paint because he's not as theatrical as a LeBron James or James Harden. Now less than one year removed from knee surgery, Anthony isn't getting the requisite lift and it's impacting his efficiency. He plays below the rim and doesn't get many easy transition opportunities, exacerbating his ability to obtain easy baskets. 

Jahlil Okafor has been suspended two games and won't return to the lineup until next Monday at the earliest. Nerlens Noel started, did not block a shot, and finished with six points (3-11 FG, 0-2 FT), six rebounds, and two steals in 32 minutes. He couldn't get a clean look at the basket. Even though he sat out two games with knee soreness, I have to believe that, combined with his sore wrists, is holding him back. He's fifth on his own team in blocks per games (0.9), which is somewhat on par with his output last season in the games he started at power forward. Noel has as many blocks (7) with Okafor on the court as with him off. I'm not expecting a renaissance unless he fully heals and can play most of his minutes at center.

Lucas Nogueira played a career-high 16 minutes off the bench. I feel confident it was a career-high without actually researching it. He was a team-high positive 22 plus-minus and a vital cog in the Raptors' 39-point fourth quarter, playing the final 14 minutes of the game. The stats don't explode off the page, but if he can carve out a role, Bismack Biyombo won't have to play 30-plus minutes a night with Jonas Valanciunas (hand) sidelined. And dare I say Nogueira has the best hair in the NBA?

Cory Joseph played over 30 minutes for the third straight game. Minutes are key in fantasy basketball, and Joseph is averaging 10.3 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 50 percent from the field with the promotion. His presence in the lineup removes pressure from Kyle Lowry, who outscored the Hawks 22-20 in the fourth quarter and finished with a season-high 31 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals, and reduces the need for a traditional power forward and center when DeMarre Carroll shifts up to the four. Lowry averages three fewer assists per 100 possessions when he shares the court with Joseph, but he's scoring 38.4 points per 100 possessions when they pair, a 15-point improvement over Joseph on the bench. While Lowry's assists have scaled back over the past four games, his scoring has vaulted and he's recorded at least one steal in every game this season, averaging 2.6 per game.

Thabo Sefolosha continues to start over and play more minutes than Kent Bazemore. In 33 minutes, Sefolosha recorded 13 points (6-12, 1-5 3Pt), five rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and one assist. It's not that Sefolosha is a must-own player, because his offense can be spotty; it's more about Bazemore's descent into the abyss. The Hawks play one game over the next six days. It's time to get rid of Bazemore, via trade or other methods, but not necessarily for Sefolosha. I will note that Bazemore played 26 minutes off the bench, most among the reserves. That's a silver lining if your waiver wire is dry.

Nikola Jokic was benched in the second half in favor of J.J. Hickson. That's rock bottom as far as I'm concerned. Even though he scored seven points on five attempts in the first seven minutes, his defensive effort was non-existent against Pau Gasol, forcing coach Malone's hand in limiting Jokic to 10 minutes. Prior to the setback, Jokic was playing four six-minute intervals if he abstained from foul trouble, placing him around 24 minutes on a good night. With Kenneth Faried (14 points, nine rebounds) and Joffrey Lauvergne (11 points, seven rebounds) healthy, center minutes are coming at a premium.

Coach Gentry revamped the entire starting unit the second night of a back-to-back. Jrue Holiday (rest) was unavailable. Eric Gordon was reintegrated into the starting lineup after coming off the bench the previous night. He played 33 minutes and scored 10 points (4-10 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT). Omer Asik replaced Alexis Ajinca in the starting lineup one game after Ajinca replaced Asik. They combined for 31 minutes and minimal box score contribution. Norris Cole played 24 minutes to Ish Smith's 13. It's an end of an era dating back to his time with the Sixers. Rest in peace, Smith's playing time and standard league relevance.

Clint Capela played 16 minutes. He was removed about five minutes into the first quarter with the Rockets down 11-4. His defensive assignment was Anthony Davis, the catalyst in him getting whistled for four fouls in 12 minutes. His replacement, Terrence Jones, supplied 15 points (6-12 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-4 FT), four rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal in 25 minutes. Neither Jones nor Capela could stop Davis on the defensive end. Jones just offered better offensive spacing in this game.

It was comforting to see Capela go 2-of-3 from the foul line, but this was the second time in a row his minutes were limited because the offense was out of whack. Pairing him next to Dwight Howard works in theory defensively, but the offense sputters. It's why two games ago Marcus Thornton was dusted off. While it's not time to bail on Capela yet, coach Bickerstaff is still tinkering with the rotation, and he said the following late last week:

"We are going to keep making changes until we figure it out."

Tyler Ennis found his way into the starting lineup, replacing Jerryd Bayless, who replaced Michael Carter-Williams two games prior. Coach Kidd benched Bayless without disclosing his plan to the media. The Bucks announcers surmised at the beginning of the game that Bayless may get benched because he was in and out of shootaround and it wouldn't have been the first time Kidd pulled this type of shenanigan. Kidd mentioned he wanted to get an extended look at Ennis, so benching Bayless against the best defense in the league really threw Ennis' feet to the fire, and he did not respond well in 24 minutes. Kidd has also stated he wanted to scale back Bayless' minutes, and resting him one game coming off a back-to-back and turning around to play another back-to-back set in a few days will do the trick. After the game, Kidd denied disciplinary action and called the benching, "Coach's decision. That was it."

Carter-Williams was putrid in 30 minutes. He shot 2-of-10 and added five assists, four rebounds, and two steals. I think he should wear a sign around his neck that reads, "Abandon hope all ye who enter."

Lavoy Allen joined the starting lineup to matchup against the Clippers' frontline. C.J. Miles got booted to the bench, played 24 minutes, and was limited because of five fouls, permitting Rodney Stuckey to play 32 minutes and score 18 points. Allen and Jordan Hill each played 20 minutes, and it was Hill with the superior fantasy line: 13 points (4-5 FG, 5-6 FT), eight rebounds, and two assists. Coach Vogel will use the bigger lineup on occasion, and when it happens, the rotation unravels quickly.

Chris Paul lacks a recovery timetable and will miss at least two more games with inflamed rib cartilage, an injury suffered in the second half of Monday's game. That knocks him out until next Wednesday, potentially longer. Austin Rivers started and provided nine points (4-11 FG, 1-4 3Pt) two rebounds, and one assist in 35 minutes. As you would expect, Blake Griffin led the team with six assists in 36 minutes, but he shot 6-of-18 from the floor and only grabbed four rebounds.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

I'm writing Stephen Curry's name here two hours prior to tip.

Stephen Curry: 40 points (14-18 FG, 8-11 3Pt, 4-4 FT), five assists, three rebounds, 31 minutes

I stand by my initial hypothesis. Curry scored 28 of his 40 points in the third quarter, including the teams' final 24 points and 14 in the last two minutes. There was no need for him to play in the fourth.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

I'm writing Kristaps Porzingis' name here two hours prior to tip.

Kristaps Porzingis: 17 points (6-10 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 10 rebounds, four blocks, two assists, 30 minutes

With the game in hand, coach Fisher left Porzingis in until the four-minute mark of the fourth. Over the last nine games, Porzingis has blocked 27 shots, second only to Hassan Whiteside's 47 blocks. Not only is he getting over 31 minutes a night in those games, but he's shooting 46 percent on three-pointers in the last nine contests, a drastic improvement from the early season swoon. He blew by Nerlens Noel on multiple occasions last night, a feat that would have been more impressive nine months ago. I implore Fisher to reign in Porzingis' minutes when opportunity allows because he's only 20 years old and the most games he's played in his overseas career was 51.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

John Wall: 34 points (11-19 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 9-12 FT), 11 assists, seven rebound, two steals, five turnovers, 36 minutes

For the second straight night, Wall left his mark all over the box score and made at least 50 percent of his shots. It was the first time in his career he posted consecutive games of at least 30 points and 10 assists. Wall scored 15 of his points in the fourth quarter, but he committed a costly turnover with the Wizards down two under 30 seconds remaining, cementing the Lakers' win. They're one of the worst defenses in the league, so this performance should've been expected.

Jeff Teague: 11 points (5-16 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 0-1 FT), 10 assists, five rebounds, one block, 34 minutes

Teague tied his season-high in assists. Although he's shooting a career-high 38 percent on three-pointers, his decline in steals and field goal percentage have depressed his fantasy value. Once considered one of the best finishers at the rim for a guard, Teague is well below league average this season. The problem is Kent Bazemore. When Bazemore has played with Teague over the last two seasons, Teague is shooting 38 percent from the floor. When Bazemore is one the bench, Teague makes close to 48 percent of his shots. Bazemore has been an early staple of the Hawks rotation, but now that Thabo Sefolosha has emerged, the offense is crisper and Teague, even with the loss of DeMarre Carroll, should finish the season shooting close to 46 percent.

https://twitter.com/jeanius___/status/672383896093356032

Tyreke Evans: 10 points (2-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-8 FT), eight assists, six rebounds, one steal, one block, 32 minutes

Evans couldn't replicate the success he had in his season debut two nights ago. Nonetheless, he played over 30 minutes on consecutive nights, a huge milestone. He puts up stats whether Jrue Holiday (rest) plays or not, as the tweet below details. His career bugaboo will always be the one or two ankle sprains he suffers a year because he drives to the basket upwards of 10 times a game.

https://twitter.com/jjcallejr/status/641274643891023872

James Harden: 24 points (7-20 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block, 38 minutes

After playing more than 40 minutes in four straight games, Harden nearly made it five in a row. Prior to the game, he complained about the taxing minutes he's played thus far, leading the NBA with 39.5 per game. It doesn't help that he's shooting 40 percent from the field and 29 percent on three-pointers while turning the ball over 4.6 times per game. Fewer minutes could pave the way for Ty Lawson to become more effective, except the Rockets don't possess a competent backup shooting guard and they're digging themselves out of 8-11 record. Harden has always been the type of player who would play through nicks and bruises without complaining. It's concerning that he's becoming self-aware.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Draymond Green was limited to four points on 2-of-9 shooting, but in keeping with his M.O., he contributed team-highs of 11 rebounds, nine assists, and three blocks in 31 minutes.

Klay Thompson was one of two Warriors to score in double figures. He added 21 points (8-18 FG, 4-10 3Pt, 1-2 FT), three rebounds, one steal, and one block in 29 minutes. He's scored at least 20 points five times this season, and two of those instances occurred in the last two games without Harrison Barnes (ankle). The table below delineates Thompson's numbers per 100 possessions based on Barnes' availability. Barnes is having a career season in terms of minutes (30.0), attempts (9.9), and efficiency (50 percent). Conversely, Thompson isn't relied upon as much offensively as he was last season, and he's scoring less because of the paradigm shift. Fewer shots and fewer free-throw attempts equate to fewer points, and his usage rate is down five percent from his All-Star season. Stephen Curry, the other Warrior to score at least 10 points, has increased his attempts by 3.4 per game this season in an extra two minutes per game.

Kemba Walker missed his first eight attempts and shot 2-of-16 against the Warriors. It's the first time he shot less than 20 percent in 10 games. Twelve of his attempts were contested, and the only other stats he contributed were three rebounds and two assists. Too often he tried to get into the teeth of the defense and create his own shot, which needless to say, backfired. On the other hand, Walker's outside shot wasn't falling, so he was doubly screwed.

Kobe Bryant scored a season-high 31 points (10-24 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 7-8 FT) in a team-high 36 minutes. To reiterate, I'm concerned about his health. Coach Scott continues to run Bryant for extended periods. The Lakers play eight road games in the first 12 days of December. Bryant will need to take a few games off if he plans to make it to the end of the season. Because I don't think he wants to disappoint fans in on the road, he'll push himself to the brink. Trade him while he still bears fantasy value.

Julius Randle delivered his best game in over a month. His 22-point, 15-rebound effort against Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks on November 1st was nearly duplicated last night when Randle matched up against Jared Dudley and the Wizards. In 31 minutes, Randle supplied 15 points (7-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), a career-high 19 rebounds, two steals, and one assist. Randle can make older and slower power forwards look as though they're stuck in mud. He's known for not having a right hand, limiting his success early in his sophomore season, and his percentages are subpar. Nevertheless, Randle's nearly averaging a double-double, amplifying his value in those type of leagues.

Ersan Ilyasova scored a season-high 23 points in 34 minutes. It was the first time he played over 30 minutes in six games. Coach Van Gundy has decided to restrain Ilyasova's minutes when applicable. Because the game went into overtime and Ilyasova was on fire, the leash was longer than expected following one day off after a back-to-back set. The Pistons play one game in the next three days before beginning a stretch of five games in seven days. Ilyasova typically plays around 25 minutes a night.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope played at least 40 minutes for the third time in four games, registering a career-high 46 minutes. The last time he blocked a shot was the last time he failed to notch a steal, dating back 11 games. Even though he's earning surplus minutes, his fantasy line is marred by his inefficiency. The extensive minutes have left Caldwell-Pope shooting 36 percent from the field and 70 percent from the line over the last eight games.

Reggie Jackson accumulated 34 points (12-20 FG, 3-7 FG, 7-7 FT), a season-high 16 assists, three rebounds, and one steal in 40 minutes. The table below notes his home/road splits. As you can tell, he's a much better player at home, and some of that can be attributed to a generous scorekeeper.

Rookie Devin Booker, the youngest player in the league, scored 15 of his career-high 18 points in the first half and committed five fouls in 23 minutes. Booker wasn't just a standstill shooter; he drove to the basket on multiple occasions. Most of his minutes this season have come in garbage time, but his services were required given the injuries up front.

T.J. McConnell attempted two free throws, doubling his season total.

Derrick Rose shot 3-of-17. It was the third straight game he shot less than 30 percent and just his fourth game back from a sprained ankle. Rose did record a season-high nine assists and eight free-throw attempts. However, it's obvious the blurry vision is affecting his performance.

Pau Gasol took advantage of an inexperienced frontline to the tune of 26 points (12-19 FG, 2-4 FT), a season-high 19 rebounds, four blocks, and three assists in 36 minutes. Prior to last night, he hadn't played more than 30 minutes since November 7th, an overtime game against the Timberwolves. Gasol is throwing up similar numbers to last season on per possession basis while playing five fewer minutes per game. The exceptions are his career-low 43.7 percent shooting and regression to his 75-percent free-throw accuracy. The drop in efficiency can be blamed on his displacement from the rim. One season removed from taking 60 percent of his shots in the paint, Gasol is now taking close to half his shots from mid-range. It's not that he's terrible from that zone (44 percent on 6.75 attempts per game); it's more an indictment of the volume spoiling his shooting percentage.

Ty Lawson had his best game in over a month, registering 12 points (4-6 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 3-5 FT) and six assists in 29 minutes off the bench. He was aided by Patrick Beverley collecting five fouls in 26 minutes. Lawson has been the subject of trade rumors; an address change is the only way I would consider adding him to a fantasy roster. Coach Bickerstaff said this after the game:

"(Lawson) and James have had a bunch of conversations and I think in those conversations they are starting to learn each other, starting to figure each other out and Ty is able to feel more comfortable. He got more minutes tonight because he deserved them."

Tim Duncan had 16 points (7-11 FG, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 20 minutes. The Spurs handled the Bucks with a 95-70 win. Can't really mine that game for relevant tidbits. Though, LaMarcus Aldridge did block five shots, and Danny Green scored two points.

Lance Stephenson had a revenge game against the Pacers. Without Chris Paul (rib) and J.J. Redick (ankle), Stephenson scored a season-high 19 points (8-11 FG, 3-4 3PT), grabbed three boards, handed out three assists, and added a steal in 28 minutes. Because both Paul, out the next two games, and Redick, timetable TBD, are on the shelf, Stephenson has the opportunity to mimic his formative years on a smaller scale. Coach Rivers isn't going to bench his son, and Blake Griffin is going to spearhead the offense, as you'll note by his 32.5 percent usage rate last night. Stephenson may receive pockets of time as the primary facilitator, but the shot is too volatile to trust on a short-term basis.

Paul George defies the odds. I'm not sure who's making the odds or where they stand, but George destroys them with relative ease. He's second to Stephen Curry in three-pointers made, nearly half his total, and making his shots at a 46-percent clip. The Pacers are 12-5, and George has scored at least 30 points in five of the last six games. He's second on the team in rebounds (8.1), assists (4.4), and steals (1.6) per game, and most importantly, he's blocked a shot in consecutive games. The premonition is coming to fruition.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Stephen Curry, G, GSW: 40 points
2. Reggie Jackson, G, DET: 34 points
3. John Wall, G, WAS: 34 points

Rebounds

1. Pau Gasol, C, CHI: 19 rebounds
2. Julius Randle, F, LAL: 19 rebounds
3. Dwight Howard, C, HOU: 16 rebounds

Assists

1. Reggie Jackson, G, DET: 16 assists
2. John Wall, G, WAS: 11 assists
3. Jeff Teague, G, ATL: 10 assists

Steals

1. Lou Williams, G, LAL: 7 steals
2. D'Angelo Russell, G, LAL: 4 steals
3. Eight players tied with three steals

Blocks

1. LaMarcus Aldridge, F, SAS: 5 blocks
2. Pau Gasol, C, CHI: 4 blocks
3. Kristaps Porzingis: 4 blocks
4. Joakim Noah, F, CHI: 4 blocks
5. Ian Mahinmi, C, IND: 4 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Stephen Curry, G, GSW: 8-11 3Pt
2. Paul George, F, IND: 5-9 3Pt
3. Three players tied with four three-pointers

Minutes

1. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 46 minutes
2. Marcus Morris, F, DET: 42 minutes
3. Andre Drummond, C, DET: 42 minutes