Finally, December is upon us. Now no one can legally judge me when I watch Jingle All the Way and eat candy corn on a daily basis. I will not don a sleeved jersey during said activity. More relevant, Kobe Bryant is now the first player in NBA history with 30,000 points and 6,000 assists. He also didn't get a foul call against Jonas Valanciunas at the end of regulation because the game was tied, but whatever.

HOSPITAL WARD

Stephen Curry tweaked an ankle in the third quarter but did return. Coach Steve Kerr wasn't a fan of Curry's gait, so he yanked him for the remainder of the game. The x-rays were negative, so this doesn't seem serious. The Warriors play Tuesday against the Magic, a team Curry posted video game numbers against last week. It would be understandable if Curry sits that game as a precaution.

Amir Johnson reinjured his stubbed toe, claiming blood had soaked through the sock. He only played 22 minutes and his status is uncertain prior to Tuesday's game. I expected him to pick up more of the slack, so hopefully this nagging injury goes away pronto.

M.I.A

• Chicago
  • Taj Gibson (ankle)
• Golden State
  • David Lee (hamstring)
• Minnesota
  • Nikola Pekovic (wrist)
  • Ronny Turiaf (hip)
• Phoenix
  • Isaiah Thomas (ankle)
• Portland
  • Will Barton (gastritis)
• Sacramento
  • DeMarcus Cousins (illness)
• San Antonio
  • Tiago Splitter (calf)
• Toronto
  • DeMar DeRozan (groin)

ROTATION NOTES

Carmelo Anthony missed just two games with back spasms, moving J.R. Smith to the bench where he was held to a team-low six minutes. Iman Shumpert connected on 3-of-13 shots and is now teetering in the drop zone. Amar'e Stoudemire added 19 points and 12 rebounds in 37 minutes, an outing normally followed by a day of rest. Anthony carried the load, dropping 31 points (11-26 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 8-10 FT), eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block in 41 minutes, indicating the spasms are a non-issue for now. They've been known to flare up for other athletes in the past, and Anthony is dealing with knee pain he plans on playing through. The prudent move would be to trade him while he's healthy. It's not something I would do, simply because I watched him play a career-high 38.7 minutes per game with shoulder pain last season up until the Knicks were eliminated from playoff contention. He could probably fetch first round value if you still want to go that route.

Dwyane Wade started after missing the previous seven games with a hamstring injury. Mario Chalmers found himself coming off the bench with Norris Cole starting alongside Wade. Chalmers loses all potency when Wade plays, so you can either keep him on your bench until Wade's body betrays him again, or discard him for the next hot free agent. I will admit, Wade lasted three back-to-back sets at the start of the season and eight games total before incident. The Heat plays a league-low 12 back-to-back sets the rest of the season, including tonight at Washington. Wade is someone I would shop, particularly after the 27 points (11-18 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 5-9 FT), five rebounds, and five assists he laid on the Knicks.

Josh McRoberts played a season-high 25 minutes after four days off and provided stats mirroring his averages from last season, seven points, four assists, three rebounds, one steal, one block, and two three-pointers. Shawne Williams started but played 21 minutes and did little of consequence.

Greivis Vasquez started in place of DeMar DeRozan (groin). If there's one thing I learned from last night's rotation against the Lakers, it's nothing. The second thing I learned was that coach Dwane Casey is going to play the matchup, ride the hot hand, and sub defense for offense when applicable. The numbers look good all around, but you have to consider the Raptors played the worst Defensive Rating team. Vasquez scored 19 points in 34 minutes, Terrence Ross scored 20 points in 38 minutes, and Lou Williams scored 19 points in 26 minutes. Points were abundant. Even Patrick Patterson provided 10 points and 13 rebounds in 34 minutes after Amir Johnson (toe) left. As you can tell, it's not going to be one person picking up the slack. Vasquez may shift back to a bench role in the future once James Johnson fully recovers from his ankle issue. Both Williams and Kyle Lowry had usage rates above 33 percent last night and everyone else was at 20 percent or lower, in case you need help deciding which players to add.

Brandon Jennings returned to the lineup after missing the past three games with a thumb injury, and it showed. He shot 6-of-19 from the field and finished with 22 points, six assists, four rebounds and one steal. D.J. Augustin played 13 minutes off the bench to Jennings' 35 minutes, but the biggest story was Andre Drummond's relapse with Jennings running the point. He finished the night 1-of-8 in 24 minutes working primarily on post-ups. The only time Drummond scored at his own basket was on an alley-oop lob from Josh Smith, the only one he seems to have developed chemistry. To be fair, matching up against Andrew Bogut didn't help matters.

Greg Monroe was replaced by Kyle Singler in the starting lineup but with Drummond's struggles, Monroe still played 31 minutes and provided 13 points and 10 rebounds. The minutes will ebb and flow as Stan Van Gundy sees fit, but with games against the Jazz and Trail Blazers upcoming, I think he'd strongly consider reverting back to the status quo.

Tyler Zeller replaced Kelly Olynyk in the starting lineup. Coach Bradley Stevens stated it was to matchup against Tim Duncan. Olynyk played more minutes than Zeller, 25 to 23, but was outproduced, 7/10 to 3/3, as he can't quite escape this funk. Most of his troubles have stemmed from early foul trouble, but that Celtics interior defense has donated a career-high almost every night. The Celtics will face the Hawks and Pistons next, so we'll see if Stevens feels comfortable using Olynyk against Al Horford and Andre Drummond. I'll take coach Stevens at his word, something I swore against coming into the season, when he said the lineup shuffle is temporary. If I own Olynyk, I'm not dropping him yet. He leads the team in three-point shooting, 42.9 percent, and ranks fourth in scoring with 10.6 points on 50 percent shooting in just 26 minutes per game.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

Kobe Bryant stole the spotlight in a 129-122 overtime victory over the East leading Raptors. In 42 minutes, Bryant recorded 31 points (11-24 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 9-13 FT), 12 assists, 11 rebounds, and one block. He earned his 20th career triple-double. If you've been looking for the right moment to trade him at his highest value, I think you've met your match. Just so you know, coach Byron Scott's plan to reduce Bryant's wear and tear is to shorten his practice time while playing him over 35 minutes a game. I don't see how his body holds up the entire season coming off two lower extremity season-ending injuries.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

Nikola Mirotic scored 12 points (3-5 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 5-5 FT), grabbed 12 rebounds, and added a steal, block, and assist in 27 minutes off the bench. He's filled in admirably for Taj Gibson (ankle) and may have earned coach Thibodeau's trust to play him more than five minutes a night when the front court is healthy.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

Josh Smith knows how to stuff the stat sheet at the expense of efficiency. In 34 minutes, Smith contributed 14 points (6-18 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 12 assists, nine rebounds, four steals, and one block. He only attempted five shots outside five feet, routinely missing finger rolls and scoop shots at point blank range. He was able to play more minutes at power forward with the demotion of Greg Monroe. In case you're wondering, Smith is shooting a career-low 37.7 percent from the field, 24 percent from deep, and 42.6 percent from the free-throw line. That constitutes a hard sell in rotisserie leagues.

Markieff Morris doesn't know how to quit being good at basketball. Against the Magic, he tallied 18 points (7-15 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 10 rebounds, seven assists, and one block in 39 minutes. Well, some nights he's amazing and other nights he's invisible. The key is deciphering the code. Isaiah Thomas (ankle) missed the last three games, playing a role in Morris' increased offensive output.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Rajon Rondo missed both free-throws, falling to 30 percent from the line on the season. His mid-range jumper has also eluded him, limiting his value to assists, rebounds, and steals. That's not terrible if you own him in head-to-head leagues, but his deficiencies elsewhere, on such a terrible team, leave you wondering if he'll overcome the mental hurdle. His name value exceeds his fantasy value, allowing you to shop him for more than he's worth.

Jimmy Butler played 39 minutes in a blowout victory over the Nets. He's leading the NBA at 39.3 minutes per game, slightly more than his league-high 38.7 minutes per game last season. This trend will continue, perhaps to the detriment of Butler's health.

Brook Lopez grabbed two rebounds and picked up five fouls in 22 minutes of action. He's played 12 consecutive games for the first time since April 2013. If you haven't already traded him for the peace of mind, revisit that stance.

Deron Williams and Joe Johnson combined to shoot 4-of-19 from the field against the Bulls. The Nets attempted 17 more shots and lost comfortably, 102-84. Williams has been consistent prior to this clunker, while Johnson has been sporadic with his offensive production lately.

Marreese Speights continued to chuck, some say he never stopped. He shot 4-of-14 from the field, accumulating 11 points and 12 rebounds in 19 minutes. David Lee (hamstring) will muck up the front court minutes, so enjoy Speights' production while it lasts.

Reggie Evans didn't play in the Kings last seven games via DNP-CD. With DeMarcus Cousins (illness) sidelined and Ryan Hollins ejected after picking up two technical fouls, Evans provided a season-high 17 points (7-10 FG, 3-6 FT), season-high 20 rebounds, a steal, block and assist in 35 minutes off the bench. The Kings have an off day before they take on the Raptors on Tuesday. Should Cousins return for that game, Evans could remain in the rotation, but his minutes will be limited. It was a great effort on his end, especially to get Marc Gasol in foul trouble. Nevertheless, he regales us with one of these performances per season, so don't overreact.

Eric Bledsoe, by my count, picked up his league-leading sixth technical foul. He's two ahead of James Harden, the next closest player.

Channing Frye has begun his annual slump, hitting 13-of-38 shots in his past six games. He scored three points last night on 1-of-5 shooting from deep, struggling to find shots with Victor Oladipo manning point guard duties. He always finds his way out; it just depends on the duration. Learning new teammates and having his minutes yo-yoed aren't helping matters.

Mo Williams torched his former squad, the Blazers, for 21 points (8-18 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 11 assists, five rebounds, and two steals in 40 minutes. The key number has to be the minutes, largely since coach Flip Saunders set his minute's count to 25-30 a night. Zach LaVine played just 11 minutes, one game removed from a career-high 28 points.

Shabazz Muhammad staked his claim to more minutes by scoring a career-high 28 points (12-17 FG, 4-8 FT) in 30 minutes off the bench. Almost all of his shots came at the rim, utilizing his deceptive speed to beat his defender back door. Muhammad, Lavine, and Anthony Bennett have been trading off good games, making them all long-term stashes if you have to room. Otherwise, resist the urge to add them based on one unsustainable performance.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Kobe Bryant, G, LAL: 31 points (11-24 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 9-13 FT)
2. Carmelo Anthony, F, NYK: 31 points (11-26 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 8-10 FT)
3. Kyle Lowry, G, TOR: 29 points (10-28 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 8-12 FT)

Assists

1. Kobe Bryant, G, LAL: 12 assists (2 turnovers)
2. Josh Smith, F, DET: 12 assists (1 turnovers)
3. Mo Williams, G, MIN: 11 assists (4 turnovers)

Rebounds

1. Reggie Evans, F, SAC: 20 rebounds (9 offensive)
2. LaMarcus Aldridge, F, POR: 15 rebounds (3 offensive)
3. Pau Gasol, F, CHI: 13 rebounds (1 offensive)
4. Jonas Valanciunas, C, TOR: 13 rebounds (2 offensive)
5. Patrick Patterson, F, TOR: 13 rebounds (5 offensive)

Steal

1. Josh Smith, F, DET: 4 steals
2. Darren Collison, G, SAC: 4 steals
3. Tony Allen, G, MEM: 4 steals

Blocks

1. Andrew Bogut, C, GSW: 5 blocks
2. Robin Lopez, C, POR: 5 blocks
3. Jordan Hill, C, LAL: 3 blocks
4. Jonas Valanciunas, C, TOR: 3 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Wesley Matthews, G, POR: 6-10 3Pt
2. Danny Green, G, SAS: 5-8 3Pt
3. Nick Young, F, LAL: 5-8 3Pt

Minutes

1. Thaddeus Young, F, MIN: 43 minutes
2. Kobe Bryant, G, LAL: 42 minutes
3. Carmelo Anthony, F, NYK: 41 minutes
4. Kyle Lowry, G, TOR: 41 minutes
5. Goran Dragic, G, PHX: 41 minutes
6. Ben McLemore, G, SAC: 41 minutes