Brian Shaw was fired. The move prompted Josh Lloyd to purchase a plane ticket on the next flight out to Denver. Because Josh felt compelled to thank Stan Kroenke and Tim Connelly in person for relieving Shaw, I've inherited Box Score Breakdown duties today and tomorrow. I think a thank you letter would've been just as effective, but far be it for me to question the fiscal decisions of Mr. Lloyd.

HOSPITAL WARD

My sources indicate no one left a game due to injury. I trust those sources.

M.I.A.

• Atlanta
  • Thabo Sefolosha (calf)
• Boston
  • Kelly Olynyk (ankle)
• Charlotte
  • P.J. Hairston (inactive)
  • Kemba Walker (knee)
• Chicago
  • Jimmy Butler (elbow)
  • Taj Gibson (ankle)
  • Derrick Rose (knee)
• Cleveland
  • Shawn Marion (hip)
• Denver
  • Jusuf Nurkic (ankle)
  • Joffrey Lauvergne (DNP-CD)
• Houston
  • James Harden (suspension)
  • Kostas Papanikolaou (ankle)
  • Dwight Howard (knee)
• Los Angeles
  • Nick Young (knee)
• Memphis
  • Tony Allen  (suspension)
  • Zach Randolph (illness)
  • Beno Udrih (illness)
  • Vince Carter (foot)
• Milwaukee
  • O.J. Mayo (hamstring)
• New York
  • Jose Calderon (Achilles)
• Sacramento
  • Darren Collison (hip)
  • Reggie Evans (DNP-CD)
• Washington
  • Kris Humphries (groin)

ROTATION NOTES

DeMarcus Cousins missed two games with a sprained left ankle and left hip contusion. In his return, he provided 22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks, and one three-pointer in 29 minutes. The Kings eviscerated the Knicks, 124-86. Coach George Karl ran a ten-man rotation, giving everyone 20-29 minutes.

Kyrie Irving scored 10 of his 18 points in the first quarter, eliminating concerns of the left shoulder strain that held him out the previous two contests. The Cavaliers built a 44-point lead, allowing 12 players to receive between 12-26 minutes.

Corey Brewer started with James Harden suspended one game. The Rockets personified "team" for the first three quarters before getting outscored 32-15 in the fourth. Jason Terry scored a team-high 21 points, and Patrick Beverley led the team with seven assists in Harden's first DNP all season. Coach Kevin McHale ran an eight-man rotation, and all the starters played at least 31 minutes, as is customary. You know who didn't play? That's right, rookie K.J. McDaniels. Pablo Prigioni is firmly entrenched ahead of McDaniels in the rotation.

Jeff Teague, DeMarre Carroll, and Al Horford returned from a one-game reprieve. They lived up to expectations. Now that the Hawks have secured a playoff bid, expect periodical rest days through the end of the season.

Tony Snell circumvented Thib's man crush, Kirk Hinrich, as the man tasked with replacing Jimmy Butler (elbow) the next 3-6 weeks. In true Butler fashion, Snell played a team-high 40 minutes, joining the other starters who all played more than 32 minutes. Snell finished with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal, but he only shot 4-of-12 from the floor, failing miserably when contested near the rim.

Tony Allen served a one-game, team mandated suspension. Zach Randolph and Beno Udrih were absent with the flu. Kosta Koufos got the spot start, contributing six points, 10 rebounds, and one assist in 34 minutes. Coach Dave Joerger ran a tight seven-man rotation. Most notably, Jeff Green was underwhelming in 36 minutes, converting 3-of-13 shots. Allen will return tonight, but Randolph and Udrih's availability is unknown. When Memphis plays with a full deck, Jordan Adams and Nick Calathes will return to their typical roles.

For the fifth time all season, John Henson played more than 25 minutes. Zaza Pachulia picked up two fouls in the first four minutes and didn't play the rest of the first half. Coach Kidd then aborted the Pachulia play three minutes into the third quarter, compelled by the matchup of Kenneth Faried at center.

Jared Dudley played 20 minutes after missing Saturday's games against the Jazz with a bum knee. A healthy Ersan Ilyasova subdues minutes and expectations from Dudley.

In the words of Selena Gomez, "I love you like a love song, Melvin Hunt." Hunt is the Nuggets' interim head coach, and his presence against the second-ranked defense sparked new life into the Nuggets for at least one game. Perhaps we should credit the return of Darrell Arthur from his two-game hiatus? Or maybe it was the benching of King Joffrey Lauvergne, who played the previous five games. Whatever the case may be, it's difficult to put too much stock into the first game under Hunt. Just think back to the first game of this season under Brian Shaw; the Nuggets defeated the Pistons 89-79 and Kenneth Faried tallied 22 points and 17 rebounds.

Shifting focus on last night's outcome, Ty Lawson provided 16 points and 10 assists, Danilo Gallinari scored a season-high 26 points, and Kenneth Faried contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds. Every starter played at least 30 minutes, and coach Hunt ran a nine-man rotation. Even though Faried blocked two shots, he's a limited player who took advantage of his matchup. I'd look to capitalize on this performance and get back a less flaky player with more categorical diversity. Even at his best, Faried failed to provide positive contributions in free-throw percentage, three-pointers, assists, steals, and blocks, five of the nine standard categories. Lawson has run his course, completely avoiding the ankle injuries from the preseason, and Gallinari's injury-proneness makes him difficult to deal. Again, I wouldn't read too much into this one game against the Bucks who've lost five of seven games post-All-Star break. I endorse trying to flip Faried, given his past performance and upcoming head-to-head playoffs schedule. His value won't eclipse top-65, in my opinion.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

I am a Knicks fan. They lost to the Kings 124-86. I watched the game intermittently throughout the night. Late in the fourth quarter, the fans were chanting "Tom Hanks." That reflects my take away from the game. Please disregard the box score.

Jeremy Lin hit a meaningless three-pointer down four at the buzzer to push his total to 23 points, 18 of which were notched in the second half. He also tacked on eight assists, six rebounds, two steals, and one block in 30 minutes. Let's look at his numbers, pre- and post-All-Star break:

Across the board, Lin's recent six-game stretch has been accentuated by converting 66 percent of his shots at the rim and 50 percent of his mid-range jumpers. He's always been able to get to and finish at the rim, but that in-between game has come and gone. You'll note Lin struggled against the Jazz last week, appropriate since they employ one of the league's best rim deterrents. The Lakers' next two opponents, the Heat (Hassan Whiteside) and the Grizzlies (Marc Gasol), include players that can derail Lin's aggressiveness. Be advised that if you pick Lin up after last night's performance, you'll need to sit through two potentially rough outings before the schedule opens up again. 

Mo Williams has about two more weeks of top-flight fantasy relevance before Kemba Walker (knee) returns to the lineup. Coach Steve Clifford alleviated some concerns by stating, "I think Kemba playing with Mo can help our offense." While Walker's return doesn't purport the end of Williams' value, it'll likely significantly reduce his playing time. It may be premature to think Walker assumes his previous role and plays back-to-back sets. If the team rests him given Williams' ability, Walker would sit six times, including four games during the default head-to-head fantasy playoffs if he returns by mid-March. Nights like last, 20 points, 13 assists, three rebounds, and two three-pointers, become valuable if you're not able to trade Williams for someone who won't lose their role in the weeks forthcoming.

Brandon Bass and Isaiah Thomas were the only Celtics to reach double-digit points in their 110-79 loss to the Cavaliers. Thirteen players played at least 12 minutes but no more than 28. Good luck trying to shift through the rubble.

Donatas Motiejunas was working the dribble handoffs and finding the open man from the low post, transforming into seven assists without James Harden (suspension). He also added 14 points, eight rebounds, three steals, and three three-pointers in 35 minutes. Since the All-Star Break, Motiejunas has played the fewest minutes per game (29.3) of all the starters, a surefire sign that he's joining the second unit if and when Dwight Howard (knee) returns. Foul trouble and Terrence Jones' resurrection have capped his minutes thus far.

Kyle Korver hit a three-pointer for the 47th straight game, second longest active streak in the NBA. However, he's shooting 36 percent from the field and 35 percent from downtown over the past 11 games, dropping him to 49/49/90 splits. Along with the rest of the starters, prepare for random off days down the stretch heading into the playoffs. Any nagging injuries will be prescribed with a DNP-rest.

Dennis Schroder, a beneficiary of impending rest days, provided 16 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and two three-pointers off the bench. Coach Budenholzer utilized Schroder and Jeff Teague in the same lineup because the Rockets used Patrick Beverley and Jason Terry concurrently. Don't expect Schroder to play 27 minutes off the bench every night unless the matchup permits.

Nikola Mirotic scored a team-high 23 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and blocked a shot in 32 minutes off the bench. With Taj Gibson (ankle) in a walking boot and expected to miss the next 1-2 weeks, Mirotic is ready to help your fantasy team in most categories, minus steals and assists. The value lasts until Gibson returns, so don't get too attached. You can attempt to trade him now while he's ostensibly peaked or pull the trigger when a player becomes available on the waiver wire with better long-term potential.

Joakim Noah's bringing sexy back, and by sexy I mean 14 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and two steals in 33 minutes, staving off foul trouble. His efficiency leaves much to be desired, but the counting stats post-All-Star break are unparalleled for his position, averaging 5.9 assists per game, second to only LeBron James among forwards and centers.

Aaron Brooks made eight shots but required 23 attempts to do so. He's 19-of-67 since inheriting the starting gig, shooting 29 percent from the field over the past eight games. Brooks missed as many shots the past four games as Cody Zeller attempted in February. At least the Bulls' starting point guard matched a season-high eight assists, a blind spot for him in the wake of Noah's facilitation. Brooks has mutated into Tony Wroten 2.0, desirable only in head-to-head leagues for managers that don't care about their field goal percentage.

Bradley Beal, my personal whipping boy, shot 6-of-18 from the floor. Each season, his three-point accuracy increased, but his field goal mark flat-lined. Beal still provided 13 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block in 35 minutes, another concerning number given his injury history. With 20 games left, it's time to stop using the word "potential." He is what he is at this point, so don't expect any more than what he's given you the first three years of his career.

John Wall has made four of his last 40 three-point attempts, begging the question, why does he shoot so many three-pointers? Sometimes you have to keep the defense honest, and if they don't think you'll launch from deep, they'll go under the screen every time. The other component is coach Randy Wittman, who encourages long-twos, which Wall morphs into threes. He's shooting 29 percent from downtown, a season-low with at least 100 attempts.

Rudy Gobert grabbed a career-high 24 rebounds and didn't block a shot. He spent his time guarding Marc Gasol near the free-throw line, pulling him away from the rim. One problem of being an elite shot blocker is once word gets around, teams stop challenging you. And as you get older, blocks is the one stat that drops off precipitously. With Gobert's size and dexterity, I think both those axioms are on the brink of repudiation.

Khris Middleton lit up the box score, dropping 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals, one block, and three three-pointers in 37 minutes. He missed 14 shots, the only blemish on his ledger. The Nuggets threw a variety of defenders Middleton's way, from Randy Foye to Danilo Gallinari, in an attempt to neutralize the Bucks' best shooter.

Ersan Ilyasova scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. The rest of his stat line was mediocre, but with Brandon Knight's scoring gone, someone has to pick up the slack. Since joining the starting lineup five games ago, Ilyasova's averaging 15.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.8 three-pointers in 30.3 minutes per game. His season has been full of start and stops, and last season ended due to injury, but while he's healthy and Kidd's giving him starter's minutes, Ilyasova has proven competent.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. LeBron James, F, CLE: 27 points
2. Danilo Gallinari, F, DEN: 26 points
3. Rudy Gay, F, SAC: 25 points
4. Jeff Teague, G, ATL: 25 points

Rebounds

1. Rudy Gobert, C, UTA: 24 rebounds
2. Al Jefferson, C, CHA: 16 rebounds
3. Paul Millsap, F, ATL: 14 rebounds
4. Kenneth Faried, F, DEN: 14 rebounds

Assists

1. Mo Williams, G, CHA: 13 assists
2. John Wall, G, WAS: 11 assists
3. Ty Lawson, G, DEN: 10 assists

Steals

1. LeBron James, F, CLE: 3 steals
2. Al Jefferson, C, CHA: 3 steals
3. Gordon Hayward, F, UTA: 3 steals
4. Donatas Motiejunas, F, HOU: 3 steals
5. Gerald Henderson, G, CHA: 3 steals

Blocks

1. Derrick Favors, F, UTA: 3 blocks
2. Joakim Noah, F, CHI: 3 blocks
3. Terrence Jones, F, HOU: 3 blocks
4. Al Horford, C, ATL: 3 blocks
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, MIL: 3 blocks
6. Timofey Mozgov, C, CLE: 3 blocks
7. Jason Smith, C, NYK: 3 blocks
8. Cole Aldrich, C, NYK: 3 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Jason Terry, G, HOU: 4-8 3Pt
2. Paul Pierce, F, WAS: 4-6 3Pt
3. Danilo Gallinari, F, DEN: 4-9 3Pt

Minutes

1. Tony Snell, G, CHI: 40 minutes
2. John Wall, G, WAS: 39 minutes
3. Trevor Ariza, F, HOU: 38 minutes
4. Courtney Lee, G, MEM: 38 minutes
5. Gerald Henderson, G, CHA: 38 minutes