There were 11 games Sunday. The Atlanta Hawks won their 16th straight game. Not to be overshadowed, the Cleveland Cavaliers won their sixth consecutive game, second longest active streak in the NBA. They're still 12 games behind the Hawks and sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Lakers lost their eight straight game. With their first round pick destined for the Phoenix Suns unless it lands in the top five, losing is the new winning in their eyes.

HOSPITAL WARD

Robbie Hummel broke his hand and will miss up to six weeks. We'll see him sometime near March, and it appears Chase Budinger will get more playing time. Anthony Bennett only played 12 second last night, but I'll assume he gets some of Hummel's 27 minutes per game over the past seven games. If not, Kevin Martin (wrist) is likely the reason once he returns. I'm trying to say there's no clear-cut winner when Robbie Hummel gets injured and has to miss a month.

John Henson exited Sunday's game with an ankle injury and didn't return. Kenyon Martin played seven minutes, and Johnny O'Bryant received a DNP-CD. Coach Kidd rarely played Henson more than 20 minutes per night, but I'd assert all the frontcourt players receive a slight minutes bump with no one accruing the bulk of the playing time.

M.I.A.

• Atlanta
  • Shelvin Mack (calf)
• Boston
  • Marcus Smart (personal)
  • Kelly Olynyk (ankle)
• Chicago
  • Mike Dunleavy (ankle)
• Denver
  • JaVale McGee (leg)
• Detroit
  • Brandon Jennings (Achilles)
• Golden State
  • Festus Ezeli (ankle)
• Houston
  • Terrence Jones (leg)
  • Dwight Howard (ankle)
• Indiana
  • C.J. Miles (groin)
• Los Angeles Lakers
  • Kobe Bryant (shoulder)
• Miami
  • Norris Cole (DNP-CD)
• Milwaukee
  • Johnny O'Bryant (DNP-CD)
• Minnesota
  • Shabazz Muhammad (abdomen)
  • Kevin Martin (wrist)
  • Ricky Rubio (ankle)
• New Orleans
  • Jrue Holiday (leg)
• Oklahoma City
  • Mitch McGary (leg)
  • Steven Adams (migraine)
• Phoenix
  • Brandan Wright (heel)
• San Antonio
  • Marco Belinelli (groin)
• Washington

ROTATION NOTES

Hassan Whiteside returned to the lineup after missing the previous two games due to an ankle injury. He reported off the bench, played 25 minutes, and compiled 14 points, 13 rebounds, and a career-high 12 blocks. Taj Gibson was turned away five times by Whiteside. Pau Gasol consistently lost track of Whiteside, who didn't have a single play called for him. I think Whiteside enjoys playing Sunday afternoon because last time he went off was against the Clippers for 23 points and 16 rebounds two weeks ago. I already have next Sunday (Superbowl Sunday) circled on my calendar since the Heat plays an afternoon game against the Boston Celtics, one of the worst defensive frontcourts in the league. I expect nothing short of 20 points, 20 rebounds, seven blocks, and maybe a three-pointer.

Joakim Noah was benched in the fourth quarter. Coach Thibodeau rode the five guys who started the fourth quarter, and there is no injury to report according to coach. It was just Noah's second game back after missing four with an ankle injury, so Thibodeau is likely curtailing his minutes.

Kendrick Perkins started because Steven Adams was experiencing a migraine. The Thunder plays tonight following Sunday's afternoon tilt, so we'll find out the severity, and I suspect he'll play.

Ryan Anderson returned to the lineup after missing one game due to ankle inflammation. He scored 18 points and hit two three-pointers, converting more than 29 percent of his shots for the first time in five games. Almost all of his value is tethered to three-pointers, effectively limiting his application in standard leagues.

Nikola Pekovic displaced Robbie Hummel in the starting lineup. As you read earlier, by osmosis, Hummel injured himself. Pekovic provided 15 points, three rebounds, and one assist, and played 36 minutes because coach Flip Saunders likes to live dangerously. I'm surprised Pekovic lasted as long as he did against the Hawks, and I don't think he'll play tonight against the Thunder.

Rodney Stuckey finagled himself back into the starting lineup because of C.J. Miles' left groin injury. It ended with 15 points, six assists, one rebound, one steal, one three-pointer, and five turnovers in 28 minutes. His value lasts until George Hill begins playing starters' minutes. Coach Vogel doesn't want to overexert Hill, so he capped him to 20 minutes last night. Hill provided 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block in limited action. Surely, if he's still available, you'd be wise to add him to your roster.

Aaron Gordon joined the starting lineup, removing fellow rookie Devyn Marble. Gordon played 21 minutes because coach Jacque Vaughn still wants to limit his minutes as he works his way back from foot surgery. He'll be an interesting end-of-season fantasy option, but it really depends on what management does with restricted free agent Tobias Harris, who wasn't even the first player off the bench; that distinction belonged to Marble. Undeterred, Harris is saying all the right things about his reprised role from the end of last season, and he finished the game with 11 points (2-5 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 6-9 FT), seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 30 minutes. I can't tell you when Harris next starts, but I can tell you the Magic lost their fifth straight game and a lot of people want Vaughn fired. The next sub-.500 opponent they face is the Lakers on February 6th.

D.J. Augustin replaced Brandon Jennings (Achilles) in the starting lineup. He scored a career-high 35 points, dropped eight assists, grabbed four rebounds, and hit five three-pointers in 37 minutes. That's how you become an instant add. However, I'm concerned Augustin played such a pristine game, contrary to his performance all season, that you're only going to be disappointed here on out. Prior to Sunday's explosion, Augustin was shooting 38 percent from the floor and 28 percent from downtown while averaging 14 points and seven assists per 36 minutes. In 27 starts last season, Augustin averaged 13.3 points and 6.3 assists with dismal percentages in 35.5 minutes per start. Temper expectations, but if he continues this production, we'll know why Jennings was posting career numbers in less than 30 minutes per game since Josh Smith was waived: the Pistons' point guard was always going to be a divine force. Management publicly stated their desire to add a third point guard, so don't be surprised when Augustin plays the 28.3 minutes per game Jennings averaged since Smith's release. In fact, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the only Piston averaging more than 30 minutes per game this season, settling in at 31.6.

Marcus Smart didn't play due to personal reasons. He endured a death in the family and will likely join the team for their game tonight in Utah. Phil Pressey added a season-high nine points and a season-high four rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench. Nominal point guard Evan Turner is reliving his glory days from last season by averaging 12.0 points, 7.0 assists, and 6.2 rebounds over the last five games. He even managed to fabricate 19 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists against the best defense in the NBA. I don't want to sound super weird, but Jesus was hated, too.

Andre Iguodala played 29 minutes off the bench after resting the previous game. This will be a regular occurrence for the older and injury prone Warriors.

Ty Lawson missed just one game following his DUI arrest. He replaced Jameer Nelson in the starting lineup and assembled 31 points, 12 assists, three steals, and three rebounds in 42 minutes. Nelson wasn't too shabby either, scoring nine points and distributing four assists in 14 minutes.

Jusuf Nurkic picked up three fouls in the first seven minutes, effectively ending his night. I did find it interesting that coach Shaw left him in the game to close out the third quarter after he received his fourth foul just four minutes in. Nurkic rewarded coach with six points (2-6 FG, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 19 minutes. To be continued.

Dwight Howard (ankle) missed the game against Lakers for the second time this season. Joey Dorsey started and almost fouled out in like the first 15 minutes (unconfirmed). The Rockets don't play again until Wednesday, and I'm not sure Howard suits up. Instead of finding out how much time he could miss using Twitter, I was bombarded with the fact that his uncle is the D.A. in his upcoming child abuse case. I kept scrolling, but no one wanted to tweet about anything else.

Coach Byron Scott used the same starting lineup, one he'll employ for the next 15 games or so. He used a nine-man rotation, playing them between 20-28 minutes. Jordan Clarkson underwhelmed with eight points, two assists, and one steal in 28 minutes. Nick Young was benched after a scoreless eight minutes because, according to coach, "[he] didn't want to be here." Further research led to a halftime incident where Young didn't give a satisfactory answer regarding his lackluster defense, resulting in the second-half benching. Jeremy Lin played a team-high 28 minutes and supplied 14 points (2-9 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 10-14 FT), and a team-high six assists. The 14 free-throw attempts are now a career high. Carlos Boozer led the team with 18 points, Ed Davis grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds, and Jordan Hill only played 21 minutes. We have a full-fledged committee in Los Angeles. If you don't like it, jettison all you Lakers for the peace of mind.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

I venture to guess James Harden claimed this award for at least half his games this season. Against the Lakers, he recorded his 21st 30-point game, most in the NBA.  He finished with 37 points (12-20 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 9-10 FT), eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 35 minutes. Dwight Howard (ankle) didn't play, helping the cause. In 13 games without Howard this season, Harden averaged 29.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.3 steals, and 2.8 three-pointers. Get ready for more of the same if Howard can't compete in their upcoming two-game Eastern Conference road trip against the Celtics and Pistons, prefaced by a game against the Mavericks.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

Damjan Rudez (Dom-yawnRu-desch) scored 16 of his 18 points (7-10 FG, 4-7 3Pt) in the fourth quarter, almost single-handedly defeating the Magic. He's mostly been a miss this season, so it'll take more than one game before I drop a few shekels on Rudez.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

Russell Westbrook shot an unsanitary 7-of-26 from the field last night. He's shooting 37 percent over his last 13 games on 19.0 shots per game after shooting 47 percent the previous 17 games. If you don't care about field goal percentage, you'll love to hear Westbrook recorded 22 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds, two steals, one block, and three three-pointers in 40 minutes. He's recorded at least one steal in all but one game this season and is averaging a league-high 2.3 steals in just under 32 minutes per game.

Chris Paul snapped a two-game single-digit scoring streak against his former pupil, Eric Bledsoe, by contributing 23 points (7-11 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 6-7 FT), 12 assists, eight rebounds, and two steals in 36 minutes. Outside of an eerily similar game against the Sixers this month, Paul's field goal accuracy is veering towards 40 percent after a 55 percent November.

Rajon Rondo nearly missed a triple-double with 17 points (7-10 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), nine assists, eight rebounds, and two steals in 34 minutes. After scuffling over the previous four games, he decided to attack the basket against one of the weakest defenses in the league.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Aaron Brooks poured in 17 points (6-11 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT) and is averaging 13.3 points per game the last six contests in just 19.7 minutes per game. Half of his points were scored during the fourth quarter in that stretch with coach Thibodeau leaning heavily on Brooks and Taj Gibson during crunch time. Expanding even further, Brooks leads the Bulls in fourth quarter minutes (10.7) and fourth quarter points (6.7) over the last 11 games. Mike Dunleavy (ankle) and Joakim Noah are currently afterthoughts, so utilize Brooks as long as he's getting burn, which may not extend past the eventual return of Dunleavy. Keep in mind, Brooks just doesn't get enough run to be useful outside of points and threes.

Derrick Rose missed all six three-point attempts, closing the game with 19 points, four assists, two rebounds, one steal, and one block in 33 minutes. As Kesha famously once sang, and I'm paraphrasing, "Tick tock on the clock, but the season don't stop."

Jimmy Butler played 43 minutes, attempted eight shots, and scored five points thanks to the harassing defense of former Bull Luol Deng who was enabled by the rim protecting Hassan Whiteside. Alternative theory, the Bulls wore sleeved jerseys that negatively affected Butler's shot.

Mario Chalmers hasn't shot better than 50 percent from the field since December 16th. That night he shot a suitable 2-of-3. Well, Chalmers almost broke the streak, converting 5-of-10 from the field for 15 points to go along with five assists, four rebounds, two steals, and one three-pointer in 40 minutes. It's been a lost season for Chalmers, but considering Norris Cole was a DNP-CD yesterday and Shabazz Napier was scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting, he'll sink or swim given the lack of competition.

Dwyane Wade hadn't shot better than 50 percent all month until his 10-of-18 display against the Bulls. His peripherals have been stellar for a guard, except he hasn't hit a three-pointer all month, and he's missed his last ten triples dating back to December 29th (11 games). The long ball isn't his forte, so no harm, no foul.

Kevin Durant and LeBron James put on a show Sunday afternoon. Coach David Blatt featured J.R. Smith and Shawn Marion on Durant, and it showed. Durant finished with 32 points, nine rebounds, six rebounds, and two blocks in 40 minutes. James used his conserved energy from guarding Andre Roberson to put up 34 points (11-25 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 10-13 FT), seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and one steal in 39 minutes.

Kevin Love (19 points, 13 rebounds) and Tristan Thompson (10 points, 16 rebounds) double-doubled. Love chipped in five three-pointers for the first time since November 10th. Timofey Mozgov was the odd man out, playing 28 minutes and providing six boards and two blocks.

Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan ran roughshod over the undersized Suns. Griffin piled up 23 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Jordan missed seven of his 15 free throws but compensated with 18 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks, and two assists. He's shooting a ridiculous 88 percent from the field over the last six games, climbing to 73 percent on the season.

Matt Barnes picked up his 9th technical foul, third most in the NBA. He also shot 1-of-9 from the field, a more egregious result.

Isaiah Thomas led the Suns with 25 points in 25 minutes, topping 20 points for the fourth straight game.  Outside of points, Thomas harbors excellent free-throw percentage and three-pointers but doesn't provide enough elsewhere due to the three-guard amalgamation.

After an in-game suspension, Goran Dragic fired back with 10 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and two steals in 38 minutes. According to reports, he played the second half with a sizeable knot on his right elbow due to a first half collision. That partially explains his 3-of-11 performance from the field. The Suns don't play again until Wednesday, so this probably won't impede his upcoming status.

Markieff Morris picked up his 10th technical foul, then promptly sat the rest of the game because of coach Hornacek's team rule involving techs, i.e. you're benched if you receive a tech arguing a call. Morris scored nine points in 20 minutes.

Tyreke Evans recorded a season-high 12 assists and attempted more shots than Anthony Davis, which is skewed from Davis attempting 14 free throws. Since Jrue Holiday (leg) had been out of the lineup, Evans is averaging 6.7 assists per game, splitting playmaking duties with Eric Gordon. They'll both sustain an injury before long, Evans to his ankles and Gordon to his anywhere, so keep Nate Wolters on the watch list. Davis finished with 28 points (8-18 FG, 12-14 FT), 10 rebounds, five steals, three assists, and one block in 40 minutes. That's 18 straight games with a block for the league leader (2.9 per game). As my dad likes to say, 'circle it.'

The only thing Paul Millsap didn't do was block a shot. His night ended with a team-high 20 points, six assists, five rebounds, four steals, and two three-pointers in 33 minutes. In fact, all five Hawks' starters scored at least 13 points and played no more than 33 minutes against the Timberwolves. The lineup was balanced, as is the norm.

Thaddeus Young wants to get traded or has finally found his groove after Ricky Rubio (ankle) stepped on Willie Green's foot last November. He demoralized the Hawks to the tune of 26 points (11-17 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 4-5 FT), seven assists, six rebounds, and one steal in 43 minutes. Over the past six games, he averaged 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals and shot 48 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free-throw line. He essentially eliminated any shot outside the paint, working effectively with Mo Williams in the pick-and-roll. Speaking of Williams, he ended the night with 20 points (8-15 FG, 4-9 3Pt), seven rebounds, six assists, and one steal, almost an identical line as Young.

Elfrid Payton supplied 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-5 FT), eight assists, three rebounds, and one steal in 31 minutes. I could have sworn I saw him tweak a knee or ankle in the final minute, but it wasn't reported. We'll find out his status before tonight's game in Memphis. Last time he faced the Grizzlies, Payton recorded 22 points and 12 assists against Beno Udrih, not Mike Conley who was nursing his ankles.

For the third time in the last five games, Nikola Vucevic didn't record a steal, assist, or block. His 27 points and seven rebounds last night were his only positive contributions. Over the last 15 games, he's averaging 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. If you need more than a double-double machine with great percentages, consider cashing in on Vucevic now, especially since the Magic play the fewest games the rest of the season.

Khris Middleton led the Bucks with a season-high 21 points and remains an ideal rotisserie player. He's shooting 50 percent from the field over the past month, averaging 2.0 steals and 30 minutes per game, second to Brandon Knight over the last 14 games. His scoring tends to vacillate, but the rest of his supporting stats hardly waver.

Do you know who leads the Milwaukee Bucks in fourth quarter minutes? Of course you do. It's Jerryd Bayless at 8.8 fourth-quarter minutes per game, or 61 more than the next closest, O.J. Mayo. That's quite remarkable for someone whose seventh in minutes per game (22.8) over the last 14 games. Anyway, Bayless chipped in 15 points but snapped a streak of 58 consecutive made free throws when he missed both attempts down six with 2.6 seconds left.

Over the past four games (all blowouts), Danny Green averaged 26.5 minutes per game with coach Popovich instead relying on Kawhi Leonard, who recorded his third double-double (19 points, 14 rebounds) in that span. In 17 games without Leonard this season, Green averaged 34.6 minutes per game. The same held true last season; in 10 games without Leonard, Green played 32.6 minutes per game. It also doesn't help that Green is shooting 24 percent from the field in the last four games. Just be mindful that Popovich favors Leonard, even though both are terrific perimeter defenders. To close this poorly constructed paragraph, Green is only playing 28.6 minutes with Leonard in the lineup this season (28 games).

Jodie Meeks is shooting 21 percent from downtown the last 10 games after Sunday's 1-of-8 showing. I just thought you should know.

DeMar DeRozan looked like last season's model, providing 25 points (8-14 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 8-10 FT), six rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 35 minutes. An interesting trend is developing since his return from injury: in three road games, he's averaging 4.7 points on 17 percent shooting, and in four home games, he averaging 23.0 points on 55 percent shooting. The Raptors find themselves in Indiana on Tuesday. Does the trend stick?

Greivis Vasquez added 13 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and one steal in 24 minutes. He's been erratic all season, so prepare for a poor game in the offing.

Klay Thompson followed up his career-high 52 points with 31 points, three three-pointers, two rebounds, and one assist in 32 minutes. Stephen Curry chimed in with 22 points (6-16 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 9-9 FT), 11 assists, four rebounds, and two steals in 33 minutes. Andrew Bogut recorded his first double-double (13 points, 13 rebounds) since November 16th, playing 28 minutes against a stripped-down Celtics frontcourt.

Of course, Brandon Bass didn't replicate his performance from the last two games. He had 'let down' written all over him. Bass played 30 minutes, a great sign moving forward, and tallied eight points, nine rebounds, one steal, and one block. Tyler Zeller hopped off the bench and produced 15 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes. To quote JoJo for the second time this season, 'it's just too little too late.' Zeller is actually a decent rotisserie option as the last man on your bench in case he regains his early season form. The man of the hour, Jared Sullinger, procured 26 points (9-17 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 7-9 FT), nine rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 30 minutes.

Kenneth Faried played a season-high 39 minutes, and it required an overtime game for it to occur. He missed both free throws at the end of regulation to win the game, only to redeem himself by blocking Paul Pierce's attempt at the buzzer. Faried's free-throw accuracy is trending in the wrong direction after I foolishly believed he somewhat corrected the problem. In his last six games, Faried is shooting 57 percent from the line on close to five attempts per. His game-to-game production reads like a sin wave, with the peaks providing fleeting optimism before you remember he's not the offensive focal point, an undersized power forward with one post-move and a short wingspan, and almost nonexistent on the defensive end. His huge double-double games conveniently wipe away those warts for a few days before reality sets in and you're stuck with Kenneth Faried on your team.

Randy Wittman rode the hot hand, sticking with Kris Humphries (season-high 21 points, 14 rebounds) over Marcin Gortat (seven points, 11 rebounds) the final quarter and change. Gortat hasn't been able to recapture last season's magic. I don't want to make excuses, but he did sign a lucrative contract in the offseason, coach Wittman is playing him less than 30 minutes per game, and Nene Hilario has played more than anyone expected, missing just seven games all season.

John Wall contributed 19 points and 16 assists, just edging out Ty Lawson for the lead in assists per game at 10.2. He also completed 24 double-doubles, three behind the league-leader, Pau Gasol.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. James Harden, G, HOU: 37 points (12-20 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 9-10 FT)
2. Monta Ellis, G, DAL: 36 points (16-27 FG, 4-9 3Pt)
3. D.J. Augustin, G, DET: 35 points (12-20 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 6-6 FT)

Rebounds

1. Pau Gasol, F, CHI: 17 rebounds (6 offensive)
2. Greg Monroe, F, DET: 16 rebounds (8 offensive)
3. Tristan Thompson, F, CLE: 16 rebounds (5 offensive)

Assists

1. John Wall, G, WAS: 16 assists (2 turnovers)
2. Ty Lawson, G, DEN: 12 assists (2 turnovers)
3. Chris Paul, G, LAC: 12 assists (4 turnovers)
4. Tyreke Evans, G, NOP: 12 assists (3 turnovers)

Steals

1. Anthony Davis, F, NOP: 5 steals
2. Paul Millsap, F, ATL: 4 steals
3. Lou Williams, G, TOR: 4 steals

Blocks

1. Hassan Whiteside, C, MIA: 12 blocks
2. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC: 4 blocks
3. Pau Gasol, F, CHI: 4 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. D.J. Augustin, G, DET: 5-9 3Pt
2. Kevin Love, F, CLE: 5-7 3Pt
3. Nine tied with four three-pointers

Minutes

1. Thaddeus Young, F, MIN: 43 minutes
2. Serge Ibaka, F, OKC: 43 minutes
3. Arron Afflalo, G, DEN: 43 minutes
4. Jimmy Butler, G, CHI: 43 minutes