In this edition of the Box Score Breakdown, I overreact to a bunch of atypical performances.

I also want to wish a happy birthday to my father. I know he's not reading this right now.

The trade deadline in standard Yahoo! leagues expires Thursday, March 5th at 11:59 PM EST. You have been warned.

HOSPITAL WARD

Jimmy Butler sprained his left elbow early in the third quarter and didn't return. He'll get an MRI today. Depending on the results, Tony Snell's value could spike. While I suspect coach Tom Thibodeau starts Kirk Hinrich, Snell offers more scoring and better efficiency. The Bulls play four games this week and next week, optimal streaming conditions if Butler's prognosis calls for an extended absence.

Matt Barnes played most of the game with a strained right hamstring. He likely won't play Monday against the Timberwolves. Jamal Crawford is my pick to start, but the real winner is Spencer Hawes. Barnes has been playing major minutes as the team's power forward, relegating Hawes to 25.8 minutes per game as starter in Blake Griffin's (elbow) absence. With Barnes out of the picture, coach Doc Rivers' only viable backup options at power forward are Glen Davis and Hedo Turkoglu.

Robert Covington fell on his right arm after sinking a layup and the x-rays were negative. The Sixers play tonight against the Raptors. I have a feeling Hollis Thompson starts if Covington can't play. The team follows up with games Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. We'll find out more before game time later today.

M.I.A.

• Boston
  • Kelly Olynyk (ankle)
• Charlotte
  • Kemba Walker (knee)
  • Jason Maxiell (DNP-CD)
• Chicago
  • Taj Gibson (ankle)
  • Derrick Rose (knee)
• Cleveland
  • Kyrie Irving (shoulder)
  • Shawn Marion (hip)
  • Kendrick Perkins (DNP-CD)
• Denver
  • Jusuf Nurkic (ankle)
  • Darrell Arthur (calf)
• Golden State
  • Festus Ezeli (suspension)
  • Marreese Speights (DNP-CD)
• Houston
  • Dwight Howard (knee)
  • Kostas Papanikolaou (ankle)
• Indiana
  • Paul George (leg)
• LA Clippers
  • Blake Griffin (elbow)
• LA Lakers
  • Nick Young (knee)
• New Orleans
  • Anthony Davis (shoulder)
  • Jrue Holiday (leg)
  • Ryan Anderson (knee)
• Oklahoma City
  • Russell Westbrook (face)
  • Kevin Durant (foot)
  • Steven Adams (hand)
  • Steve Novak (appendix)
• Orlando
  • Aaron Gordon (ankle)
  • Evan Fournier (hip)
• Philadelphia
  • Henry Sims (DNP-CD)
• Sacramento
  • DeMarcus Cousins (ankle)
  • Darren Collison (hip)

ROTATION NOTES

Pau Gasol played through an illness that forced him to miss the previous game, converting just 2-of-13 shots in 33 minutes. He replaced Taj Gibson (ankle), who only played nine minutes Friday before spraining an ankle. The Bulls have an off day prior to their game against the Wizards, ample time for Gasol to regain his form.

LeBron James slotted back into the starting lineup after resting one game, displacing James Jones. He missed 20 of his 35 shots and eight of his 11 free-throw attempts, including both with the Cavaliers down one inside of five seconds in overtime. Resting down the stretch is almost a given, especially since it was coach David Blatt's decision to sit James previously. The Cavaliers play four games in five nights this week, followed by a pair of back-to-back sets in mid-March and mid-April. Head-to-head league owners should be concerned about the uncertain rotation availability down the stretch.

Ray McCallum and Andre Miller essentially split point guard minutes. They both deposited 12 points, but Miller outassisted McCallum 10 to five, and McCallum's plus/minus was negative 20 to Millers' plus three. Rudy Gay was the only King to play more than 30 minutes as coach George Karl rode the reserves in the fourth quarter before their comeback was halted at around the three-minute mark.

Joel Freeland played two minutes after missing the previous 23 games due to a right shoulder strain. He averaged 10.0 minutes per game as the third string center before the injury, and with Meyers Leonard's ascent, minutes will be tougher to come by.

Marreese Speights got hit with a DNP-CD after playing the previous 11 games, missing only his third game all season. Coach Steve Kerr methodically rests players, typically those older than 27. Andrew Bogut played just 19 minutes for the third straight game and could sit tonight, the final game of a six-game road trip. Perhaps Kerr rested Speights because he knew he'd need him to play big minutes the second game of a back-to-back.

Ish Smith supplanted Isaiah "Don't call me BJ Mullens" Canaan in the second half starting lineup. Smith supplied 11 points, a team-high five assists, four rebounds, and one three-pointer in 25 minutes. Canaan countered with five points, two rebounds, two steals, one block, and one three-pointer in 22 minutes. Truthfully, Smith's speed and defense matches the team's philosophy, but his offensive deficiency opens the door for Canaan to reclaim his crown. Smith scored nine of his 11 points in the first quarter, converting all four shots. Afterward, he made 1-of-9 attempts and played fewer fourth-quarter minutes than Canaan. I think if the Sixers could combine Smith's strengths with Canaan's shooting, the Sixers' point guard would become a dynamite fantasy sensation. However, it appears my initial opinion of Canaan replicating Byron Mullens' fantasy disappointment is coming to fruition. I won't be surprised when Smith starts the next game.

Damjan Rudez started, only to be replaced by C.J. Miles in the second half starting lineup. Neither performed well, a positive sign for Miles whose performances are as erratic as Shia LeBeouf (he will forever receive a free pass from me because of his portrayal as Louis Stevens in Even Stevens).

Bismack Biyombo played 14 minutes after missing the previous 11 games nursing a knee injury. P.J. Hairston was made inactive, and Jason Maxiell didn't play. I truly hope this news affects even one person perusing the Box Score Breakdown today.

Elfrid Payton played 13 minutes and was benched the final 20 minutes in favor of Willie Green. He slammed into the rookie wall, hitting three of his last 20 shots over the past three games. The team sang his praises afterward, including an endorsement from coach James Borrego. Payton's one of three players who've played a maximum 61 games thus far, potentially contributing to the malaise. The Magic have two days off before their next game. I wouldn't be shocked if Payton rested one of the three upcoming home games.

Enes Kanter returned from a thigh bruise to collect 16 points, 15 rebounds, and a career-high five assists. He recorded eight assists his entire rookie season. Mitch McGary was scoreless in 10 minutes as coach Scott Brooks preferred the elder Nick Collison.

D.J. Augustin started for Russell Westbrook (face) and accumulated 18 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal, and four three-pointers in 41 minutes. I believe Westbrook will be reevaluated before Wednesday's against the Sixers. The Thunder only play three games the next nine days, allowing them to play it safe with Westbrook even if he's cleared. Kevin Durant (foot) will also be reevaluated, either yesterday or today. He benefits from the same perforated schedule.

Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler won last night's rendition of musical chairs, removing J.J. Hickson and King Joffrey Lauvergne from the starting lineup. Randy Foye was also promoted to starting shooting guard, replacing Gary Harris. I'd be lying if I said I knew what was going on in Denver. I can report that morning shootaround has been reinstated. With another 16 points off the bench, Will Barton is second on the team in scoring (16.5 points per game) since the All-Star break, the presumptive winner when Danilo Gallinari suffers a setback. Faried was terrible as the center last night, which makes sense because he sucked as an undersized power forward for much of his career. Foye added 19 points, two steals, and five three-pointers. Ty Lawson was responsible for 11 of the Nuggets' 17 assists. Only Faried and Jameer Nelson registered assists outside of Lawson, indicative of the team's blasé attitude.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

James Harden covered every portion of the box score, right down to the flagrant foul. In 42 minutes, Harden gathered 33 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals, two blocks, and two three-pointers. It's also possible he gets suspended for Tuesday's game after kicking LeBron James in the groin area.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

Nikola Mirotic scored 16 of the Bulls' 17 fourth-quarter points, finishing with a career-high 29 points in 31 minutes. He attempted a team-high 23 shots, connecting on 11. The rest of the team shot 16-of-64. This appears to be a one-off game considering the variety of factors that coalesced in his favor. With Pau Gasol under the weather, Taj Gibson (ankle) out, and Jimmy Butler exiting early in the third quarter, Mirotic assumed more offensive responsibility. He prospered in his matchup against the undersized Matt Barnes, who Doc Rivers runs at power forward frequently. In the 15 games Mirotic played at least 25 minutes this season, he averaged 15.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 1.8 three-pointers per game.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

DeAndre Jordan grabbed 26 rebounds, 17 of which were corralled in the first half. He's averaging 20.5 rebounds over the last eight contests in 37.6 minutes per game. The absence of Blake Griffin (elbow) opened up rebounds and minutes for Jordan, whose playing four more minutes per game given the lack of frontcourt depth. Chris Paul recorded 12 of the Clippers' 15 assists. Without Griffin, Paul's averaging 20.7 points and 12.4 assists in 37.4 minutes per game. Jamal Crawford scored all 16 of his points in the second half. He leads the team in scoring (20.7) and shot attempts per game (17.6) sans Griffin.

Aaron Brooks: saboteur or cautionary tale? After a 5-of-17 night, he's shooting 28 percent from the field over the last 11 games and averaging 3.7 assists per game as a starter. The offense runs through Joakim Noah (averaging 6.3 assists per game the last seven games), turning Brooks into a poor man's Lou Williams. He's only converting 46 percent of his shots in the restricted area this season, a slight downtick from last season's 49 percent mark. The Bulls play three quality games (games on nights with fewer than eight games) this week, after which Brooks loses relevance heading into the head-to-head fantasy playoffs.

Kevin Love scored 21 points through the first three quarters, and he finished with 21 points, failing to even attempt a shot in overtime. His backup, Tristan Thompson, grabbed 19 rebounds, 11 of which were offensive. Thompson averages 3.7 offensive rebounds per game, fourth most in just 28.2 minutes per game. Love failed to capitalize without Kyrie Irving (shoulder) for the second straight game. I suspect Love dominates the Celtics' frontcourt Tuesday, after which you'll need to decide if you think he can maintain that level of production or if he's expendable at the apex of his value prior your league's trade deadline. He's not as much of a hindrance in rotisserie leagues, but the Cavaliers' weak fantasy playoff schedule adds a layer of skepticism. Consult weekly games played before blindly accepting trade offers

Terrence Jones played a season-high 44 minutes, producing 19 points and seven rebounds. He's surpassed Donatas Motiejunas in the pecking order and won't lose much playing time when Dwight Howard (knee) returns, unless Jones' leg problems from earlier this season resurface.

Josh Smith missed all four three-point tries, extending his slump to 11 straight misses from beyond the arc.

Derrick Williams, the only player I never recommend in any fantasy league no matter how well he performs, scored 18 points and grabbed one rebound in 23 minutes. Ryan Hollins played 28 minutes, second most on the team. Bonus points if you know what team he plays for. Starters Jason Thompson and Carl Landry combined for seven points, eight rebounds, and one block in 34 minutes. The Kings don't have a consistent threat outside of Rudy Gay whenever DeMarcus Cousins (ankle) doesn't play. You'll go broke guessing which one of the tertiary players picks up the slack. The Kings embark on an eight-game road trip Tuesday, encompassing three back-to-back sets.

Nicolas Batum attempted six jumpers, none closer than 20 feet, and missed five of them. His two-point outing makes it seem like he had a bad night, not the case when you throw in five assists, four rebounds, and one steal. The shot was falling prior to last night's contest, but on a fully healthy squad, Batum's role isn't to jack up shots. You should still expect single-digit games moving forward, combined with a ton of assists, rebounds, threes, and steals. If that doesn't sound like a reasonable tradeoff, get rid of him for a scorer like DeMar DeRozan who doesn't have the categorical diversification of Batum.

Jae Crowder grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds in 27 minutes. He's getting a ton of minutes at power forward which could change when Kelly Olynyk (ankle) returns. If you're skeptical of adding Crowder, I understand. His playing time is in jeopardy upon Olynyk's return, but until then, Crowder is averaging 28.3 minutes per game since Isaiah Thomas arrived. Call me crazy, but I could eventually see Olynyk snatching James Young and Jonas Jerebko's minutes, forming an eight-man rotation. However, most players tend to be brought along slowly when they return from a lengthy injury, so Crowder's leash is a bit longer heading into this four-game week.

Tyler Zeller and Brandon Bass combined for 32 points and 18 rebounds in 58 minutes. Following a double-double, Jonas Jerebko played a team-low 12 minutes, unable to match wits with Draymond Green in the Warriors' small lineup.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green all played at least 38 minutes as they helped turn a 26-point deficit into a five-point win. They rarely all play this many minutes together, simply because their top-rated defense allows them to rest in the fourth quarter. Curry and Thompson combined for 57 points on 23-of-45 shooting, and Green scored 13 of his 18 points in the decisive period.

Thomas Robinson provided nine points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench. Seven of his rebounds were grabbed in the fourth quarter. This is important because Robert Covington injured his elbow and JaVale McGee was waived late last night. In three games with the Sixers, Robinson grabbed 8.0 rebounds in 17 minutes per game, his only discernable NBA skill. He's going to miss a ton of free-throws and attempt shots he shouldn't, but eating the offensive glass will lead to easy putbacks, boosting his value in people's eyes because the point and rebound totals will reach double digits if he gets 30 minutes a night. I think you're better off neglecting Robinson unless you're desperate for offensive rebounds. Even then, Luc Mbah a Moute and Nerlens Noel play the most minutes on the team, obstructing guaranteed rotation minutes.

Roy Hibbert blocked five shots, a welcome sign after an 11-block February. He also added 14 points, 15 rebounds, and two steals in 31 minutes. The naive Sixers clearly ignored the scouting report because Hibbert only averaged 1.3 blocks per game from December 1st through February 28th (tied for 23rd highest). As long as you don't challenge the big fella, you won't get your shot returned. This game was a clear outlier in terms of extended playing time. Now would be an optimal time to trade him, but there's no guarantee your trade partner thinks this one game is a predictor of future success.

Mo Williams (23 points, 11 assists), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (11 points, 13 rebounds), and Al Jefferson (16 points, 10 rebounds) all double-doubled against the Magic's reprised defensive system. All five starters scored in double-digits. Williams has scored 74 of his 117 points as a Hornet in the second half.

Six different Lakers scored in double figures against the watered-down Thunder, led by Jeremy Lin's game-high 20 points, 14 of which were tallied in the final period. Wayne Ellington leads the team in minutes per game (33.5) since the starting lineup stabilized back on January 23rd. Nine other Lakers averaged between 21-30 minutes during that time span. Since the All-Star break, Lin leads the team with 17.0 points and 5.0 assists in 27.9 minutes per game. He's shooting 50 percent from the field and 25 percent from downtown. Once both percentages normalize, you're looking at the last man on your fantasy bench. Most of Lin's damage has come at the rim, abusing teams like Boston and Brooklyn that lack a formidable interior presence. It doesn't matter if coach Byron Scott starts Lin, Ellington is the only one playing more than 30 minutes a game and that can be traced back to Nick Young (knee) missing games due to injury.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. LeBron James, F, CLE: 37 points
2. Stephen Curry, G, GSW: 37 points
3. James Harden, G, HOU: 33 points

Rebounds

1. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC: 26 rebounds
2. Tristan Thompson, F, CLE: 19 rebounds
3. Jae Crowder, F, BOS: 17 rebounds

Assists

1. Chris Paul, G, LAC: 12 assists
2. Mo Williams, G, CHA: 11 assists
3. Andre Miller, G, SAC: 10 assists

Steals

1. Trevor Ariza, F, HOU: 4 steals
2. J.R. Smith, G, CLE: 4 steals
3. James Harden, G, HOU: 3 steals
4. Rodney Stuckey, G, IND: 3 steals
5. LeBron James, F, CLE: 3 steals

Blocks

1. Roy Hibbert, C, IND: 5 blocks
2. Matt Barnes, F, LAC: 4 blocks
3. Al Jefferson, C, CHA: 3 blocks
4. Danny Green, G, SAS: 3 blocks
5. Spencer Hawes, C, LAC: 3 blocks
6. Nerlens Noel, C, PHI: 3 blocks
7. LeBron James, F, CLE: 3 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Stephen Curry, G, GSW: 5-8 3Pt
2. LeBron James, F, CLE: 4-12 3Pt
3. D.J. Augustin, G, OKC: 4-9 3Pt
4. Mo Williams, G, CHA: 4-7 3Pt

Minutes

1. J.R. Smith, G, CLE: 51 minutes
2. Terrence Jones, F, HOU: 44 minutes
3. Draymond Green, F, GSW: 44 minutes