As you were watching football, I too was watching football. Then I got suckered into tennis when the two evening basketball games disintegrated into uncompetitive flapdoodle. If Sunday's games were a fantasy basketball category, they'd be free-throw percentage on a team that rosters Dwight Howard, Andre Drummond, and Rajon Rondo because we can basically ignore what transpired.

In case you're unaware, Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the states. As such, the NBA celebrates with a ton of afternoon games, starting as early as 2 PM EST. Please set your lineups in a timely manner.

HOSPITAL WARD

Rodney Hood exited the fourth quarter with a left foot injury. Early MRI results came back negative, but Hood recently missed seven games with plantar fasciitis, the same injury that sidelined J.R. Smith for 10 games. Another prolonged absence boosts the value of Joe Ingles and Elijah Millsap. In the seven games Hood sat, Ingles averaged 6.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.9 three-pointers in 25.9 minutes. That's like 75 percent of what Josh McRoberts would've given you this season. The Jazz has two days off before they travel to Cleveland.

M.I.A

• New Orleans
  • Jrue Holiday (ankle)
  • Anthony Davis (toe)
• Oklahoma City
  • Mitch McGary (leg)
• Orlando
  • Tobias Harris (ankle)
  • Andrew Nicholson (DNP-inactive)
• San Antonio
  • Marco Belinelli (groin)

ROTATION NOTES

Greivis Vasquez started over Terrence Ross in the second half. Coach Dwane Casey cited Vasquez's first-half defense on Tyreke Evans as the determining factor, which is informative considering defense is Ross' calling card and Evans scored the game-winning layup with Vasquez guarding him. I feel like I need to point out Vasquez was traded for Evans two seasons ago, potentially adding fuel to Vasquez's fire.

Ross was benched the entire second half. Coach Casey gave no indication the in-game change would stick moving forward. We'll find out today when the Raptors take on the Milwaukee Bucks how coach feels about using his backup point guard with the starters, an action that would disturb the rotation. You're welcome to overreact like one of the managers in my Yahoo! 12-team head-to-head league who straight up dropped Ross without adding anyone. I feel like he was making a statement, and that statement was "no thank you, you one-trick pony."

Aaron Gordon returned from a 31-game reprieve, playing 12 minutes and scoring eight points (2-4 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 3-5 FT) in the blowout loss. He was averaging 15.0 minutes per game prior to the left foot injury, and with the glut of forwards once Tobias Harris (ankle) returns, Gordon doesn't seem poised to influence standard leagues this season until late March. His pre-injury performance provided optimism for his NBA future, so keep him on the ole watch list should the Magic move Harris by the trade deadline, a possibility given their recent success and Harris entering restricted free agency this summer.

JaMychal Green played six minutes in his Spurs debut after signing a 10-day contract straight out of the D-League. I just wanted to give props where props are due.

Rudy Gobert started the second half over Enes Kanter. Coach Quin Snyder said there were "no long-term implications" with the move. Gobert grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds and blocked four shots. He's blocked at least three shots in nine consecutive games. Since Kanter returned from an ankle injury (four games), Gobert is averaging 30.0 minutes per game to Kanter's 24.7 minutes per game, reiterating the notion that minutes, not starting, matters more in fantasy basketball. If you're good, they'll keep you on the court.

By all accounts, Kanter appeared disinterested last night. It's tough to tell if it's a personal issue. We've seen Matt Barnes and Nicolas Batum struggle through divorces this season. Barnes has emerged from his early season swoon, but Batum, partially due to injury, just doesn't look like the same player. Kanter will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, so it would behoove him to perform to his capabilities; not pull an Omer Asik. The Jazz doesn't play again until Wednesday, leaving open the possibility that a practice session moves Gobert into the starting lineup. Either way, follow the minutes, not the starting lineup.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

The New Orleans Pelicans scored 62 of their 95 points in the paint. It was a glorified layup line against the Toronto Raptors. Tyreke Evans converted 8-of-9 shots in the restricted area, including the aforementioned game-winner with 1.3 seconds left. He's one of seven players averaging at least 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. His fantasy value is hindered by poor percentages and lack of three-pointers. With Anthony Davis (toe) and Jrue Holiday (ankle) out of the lineup, Evans grasped the facilitator role as the team's lone playmaker. Regardless, he still tallied 26 points (9-14 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 7-9 FT), five rebounds, five assists, and one steal in 36 minutes.

Alexis Ajinca (A-jin-sa) scored a career-high 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting off the bench. It's his second straight game with at least 16 points, coinciding with the absence of Davis. This isn't unchartered territory for the Frenchman. Last season, after the trade deadline and at season's end, Ajinca provided low-level fantasy production for no more than a week. You shouldn't add him expecting the next Hassan Whiteside; there simply aren't enough spare minutes with Ryan Anderson and Omer Asik in the mix. His evanescent fantasy value is best used in daily leagues as cheap filler. Coach Monty Williams believes Davis could return as soon as today against the Knicks, declaring, "We feel like the best way to go about it is to reevaluate [Sunday] and give him the best chance of playing [Monday]."

DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points (7-18 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 7-9 FT), but was hassled by Dante Cunningham and Quincy Pondexter all game. DeRozan can give you a ton of points on a great free-throw percentage, but his fantasy value falls short of his name value and worth to the Raptors.

The Thunder scored the first 13 points, led 37-20 after the first quarter, and scored 79 points before halftime on 76 percent shooting. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but they won handily, 127-99. Highlights include Kendrick Perkins scoring 11 points (first time since November 1st), Andre Roberson notching 10 points (first time in one month), and Serge Ibaka hitting four three-pointers. I'm not getting carried away by Dion Waiters' 16 points (7-9 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT) in 21 minutes, but he did hit a bunch of contested jumpers in Ben Gordon's grill. I'll just chalk up his recent success to a hot streak until I'm ready to believe.

Russell Westbrook picked up his league-leading 10th technical foul. It's noteworthy because 1) he only needed 26 games to reach double figures and 2) he's six away from an automatic one-game suspension. At an average of one tech every 2.6 games, he'll reach critical mass the third game post-All-Star break. Clearly, he and every other NBA player know the rules and can stop at 15 without repercussion. DeMarcusCousins had about a two-month stretch toward the end of last season where he sat on 15 technical fouls before finally blowing up mid-April. I'm not saying the Westbrook will keep his current pace, but it needed to be mentioned since his temper threatens your chances in the head-to-head fantasy playoffs.

Elfrid Payton continued his ascension, compiling 19 points (9-17 FG, 1-2 FT), eight assists, four rebounds, and three steals in 39 minutes. Here's the skinny: in the last five games without Tobias Harris (ankle), the Magic changed their offensive philosophy and lead the NBA in pace at 103 possessions per 48 minutes. In the previous 39 games, they ranked 24th in pace (94 possessions per 48 minutes), per NBA.com. Coach Jacque Vaughn proclaimed after the game that the team will not revert back to a slower paced team. It's great to hear those sentiments, but it'll be interesting to see what transpires when Harris returns. The Magic's style has allowed Payton to thrive in transition. I've seen him continually attack the basket within the first four seconds of the shot clock when the defense isn't expecting it, which has yielded great results over the past five games, including a 53 percent field goal mark and 7.0 assists per game. Over the past five games, 12.0 of his 15.0 points per game (75 percent) have come in the paint and the pace when he's on the floor is 105 possessions per 48 minutes. If you buy into Jacque Vaughn's oath, grab Payton off the waiver wire. His free-throw percentage is an unsustainable 73 percent without Harris, the only knock on him for rotisserie leagues.

The Spurs held the Jazz to 27 first-half points, cruising to an 89-69 victory. Tiago Splitter scored a game-high 14 points (5-12 FG, 4-4 FT), Manu Ginobili blocked four shots, and Danny Green scored all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter.

Trey Burke, a poor shooter in general, and Gordon Hayward, guarded by Kawhi Leonard, each shot 4-of-15 from the field. Since Alec Burks (shoulder) has been out of the lineup, Hayward is shooting 43 percent from the field (a two percent dip) and Burke is shooting 40 percent (a two percent increase). It's been 12 games, lending some credence to the results. Each is shouldering more of the offensive load, and as usage increases, efficiency tends to decrease.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Tyreke Evans, G, NOP: 26 points (9-14 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 7-9 FT)
2. Victor Oladipo, G, ORL: 23 points (7-18 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 7-7 FT)
3. DeMar DeRozan, G, TOR: 22 points (7-18 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 7-9 FT)
4. Alexis Ajinca, C, NOP: 22 points (10-13 FG, 2-2 FT)

Rebounds

1. Rudy Gobert, C, UTA: 18 rebounds (7 offensive)
2. Derrick Favors, F, UTA: 13 rebounds (1 offensive)
3. Kevin Durant, F, OKC: 11 rebounds (3 offensive)
4. Aron Baynes, F, SAS: 11 rebounds (3 offensive)

Assists

1. Greivis Vasquez, G, TOR: 9 assists (3 turnovers)
2. Kevin Durant, F, OKC: 8 assists (3 turnovers)
3. Elfrid Payton, G, ORL: 8 assists (4 turnovers)
4. Trey Burke, G, UTA: 8 assists (1 turnover)

Steals

1. Elfrid Payton, G, ORL: 3 steals
2. Channing Frye, F, ORL: 3 steals
3. Gordon Hayward, F, UTA: 3 steals
4. Dante Cunningham, F, NOP: 3 steals
5. Anthony Morrow, F, OKC: 3 steals

Blocks

1. Rudy Gobert, C, UTA: 4 blocks
2. Derrick Favors, F, UTA: 4 blocks
3. Manu Ginobili, G, SAS: 4 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Serge Ibaka, F, OKC: 4-8 3Pt
2. Greivis Vasquez, G, TOR: 4-9 3Pt
3. Danny Green, G, SAS: 3-4 3Pt

Minutes

1. Elfrid Payton, G, ORL: 39 minutes
2. Kyle Lowry, G, TOR: 38 minutes
3. Tyreke Evans, G, NOP: 36 minutes
4. DeMar DeRozan, G, TOR: 36 minutes
5. Eric Gordon, G, NOP: 36 minutes