For the practitioners, Daylight Savings is tonight.

HOSPITAL WARD

Jerami Grant left the game with back spasms and didn't return. He missed a game last week with a lower back contusion and will likely miss tonight's game against the Hawks. The Sixers have three days off afterward, and they've been an organization noted for exercising caution. Thomas Robinson ended last night with 11 points and 12 rebounds in 15 minutes, the presumptive minute gainer if Grant's back problems persist. I can't envision Robinson playing more than 23 minutes a night unless Luc Mbah a Moute also succumbs to injury, a very likely scenario. Henry Sims adds another roadblock to the proceedings, joined by Furkan Aldemir. Robinson will get you rebounds regardless of playing time, averaging 8.3 in 16.9 minutes with the Sixers. As he's proven throughout his career, Robinson offers next to nothing outside of rebounds. Contain your expectations for a career 53 percent free-throw shooter.

Goran Dragic suffered a lower back contusion from a hard fall when undercut by Drew Gooden, limiting him to 29 minutes. He finished the night with 18 points, seven assists, five rebounds, one steal, and one three-pointer before exiting. I cover the ramifications in the Rotation Notes.

Pero Antic sprained his left ankle, finishing the night scoreless in seven minutes. The Hawks take on the Sixers tonight, increasing the chance Antic rests at least this game, severity notwithstanding. Mike Muscala may get some increased playing time after two straight DNP-CDs following a D-League call-up.

Alex Len sprained his right ankle and is questionable to play tonight. Earlier this month, Len missed the three games before the All-Star break with the same injury. I think Phoenix was being overly cautious at the time. The Suns only play four games from Sunday until March 18th (11 days). The primary immediate beneficiary is Brandan Wright. Since Len only played 17 minutes last night, primarily due to foul trouble, Wright was afforded 25 minutes off the bench, contributing 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals, and one block. Unfortunately, Wright has been typecast as the 20-minute backup center off the bench his entire NBA career. Even more egregious, Wright plays for a team that has no qualms using Markieff Morris at center, a certainty against Kevin Love and the Cavaliers tonight. Morris went off for 35 points last time he faced Love, and glancing at the box score, Timofey Mozgov only recorded 16 minutes. This all affects Wright because even though he'll get the chance to start, smart money has him playing limited minutes when the Suns decide to go small and push the pace against the Cavaliers. The same story could play out in their subsequent game against the Warriors on Monday night.

M.I.A

• Atlanta
  • Thabo Sefolosha (calf)
• Boston
  • Avery Bradley (elbow)
• Charlotte
  • Kemba Walker (knee)
• Chicago
  • Taj Gibson (ankle)
  • Jimmy Butler (elbow)
  • Derrick Rose (knee)
• Cleveland
  • Shawn Marion (hip)
• Dallas
  • Chandler Parsons (ankle)
  • Devin Harris (hand)
• Denver
  • Jusuf Nurkic (ankle)
• Detroit
  • Joel Anthony (groin)
• Golden State
  • David Lee (DNP-CD)
• Houston
  • Dwight Howard (knee)
  • Kostas Papanikolaou (ankle)
• Indiana
  • Paul George (leg)
• Los Angeles
  • Nick Young (knee)
• Miami
  • Luol Deng (thigh)
  • Dwyane Wade (hip)
  • Mario Chalmers (knee)
• New Orleans
  • Ryan Anderson (knee)
  • Jrue Holiday (leg)
• Orlando
  • Nikola Vucevic (ankle)
  • Evan Fournier (hip)
  • Luke Ridnour (hamstring)
  • Willie Green (Achilles)
  • Devyn Marble (eye)
  • Maurice Harkless (DNP-CD)
• Philadelphia
  • Henry Sims (DNP-CD)
• Sacramento
  • Darren Collison (hip)
  • Carl Landry (DNP-CD)
  • Ryan Hollins (DNP-CD)
• Washington
  • Kris Humphries (groin)

ROTATION NOTES

Kyle Lowry returned to the lineup after missing three games due rest/hand problem, displacing Greivis Vasquez. Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined for 55 points on 23-of-48 shooting. The rest of the team shot 14-of-43. They were the only Raptors to score in double figures against the number one defense since the beginning of January. Lowry played 38 minutes to Vasquez's 13 and Lou Williams' 16.

Coach Dwane Casey reinstated Terrence Ross as a starter after shifting him to a reserve role 22 games ago. James Johnson, who started the past 10 games, lost his spot in the rotation shuffle. Ross played 32 minutes for the first time since December 30th, shot 3-of-10 from the floor, and dropped a career-high seven assists. All of his assists were to either Lowry or DeRozan, and some of them were due to lax scorekeeping since my definition of an assist is quite different. Johnson played 17 minutes off the bench, landing below 20 for the third straight game. Regardless, he blocked a shot for the tenth straight game but failed to shoot at least 50 percent for the 13th straight game. Ross was barely ownable in standard leagues before the demotion. Don't fool yourself into a revitalized player. He spends all his time postgame hitting up girls on Instagram and challenging people to play him in NBA2K.

Cody Zeller replaced Marvin Williams in the starting lineup after coach Steve Clifford altered the rotation the previous game to matchup specifically against the Brooklyn Nets. Zeller scored in double figures for the fifth straight contest, but a timeshare with Williams limits Zeller's usefulness to deep rotisserie leagues.

Roy Hibbert jumped back into the starting lineup after resting against the Knicks on Wednesday. Coach Frank Vogel said before that game he plans to keep Hibbert's minutes down to guard against a possible duplication of last season's drop-off. True to his word, Hibbert only played 20 minutes while Ian Mahinmi lit up the Bulls for a season-high 14 points, 11 rebounds, one steal, and one block in 27 minutes. Hibbert was held to 42 second in the fourth quarter in large part to Mahinmi's dominance. The Pacers play the Knicks tonight, the team Hibbert rested against earlier this week. Be prepared for another DNP-rest.

C.J. Watson also missed Wednesday's game, ailing with elbow soreness. Against his former squad, the Bulls, Watson provided 11 points, four rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 24 minutes. Rodney Stuckey played a team-high 32 minutes, attempted a team-high 13 shots, and finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Vogel played eight other players at least 20 minutes but no more than 27 in the win. Since George Hill's return in late January, Vogel has used a 10-man rotation, playing no one more than 30 minutes per game on average.

The Bulls' backcourt minutes were evenly distributed between Aaron Brooks (24), Tony Snell (25), Kirk Hinrich (23), and E'Twaun Moore (23). It's not ideal. They play four games next week, followed by three straight three-game weeks, overlapping the default fantasy playoffs. If Moore truly earned rotation minutes after Thursday's career night, Brooks loses appeal. Another poor shooting night, 2-of-11, drops Brooks to 27 percent over the past 10 games. Since inheriting starting duties, he's averaging 10.7 points, 4.7 assists, 1.8 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 1.2 three-pointers in 29.1 minutes per game. With Moore's emergence, Brooks can safely be cut heading into a back-to-back against the Spurs and Grizzlies. Next Wednesday's game against the Sixers is enticing, but he hasn't shown much the past six starts to justify a hold.

Nikola Vucevic (ankle) couldn't go against the Kings, permitting Channing Frye to slide back into the starting lineup after losing his spot to Dewayne Dedmon the previous game. The team claims Vucevic has a sore left ankle, releasing no other information on the injury. He sprained his left ankle three times last season, ultimately shutting it down with a sore left Achilles. My plan isn't to alarm you, but ready yourself for a prolonged absence if management wants to tank the rest of the season, similar to last. My gut tells me this was just a rest day. We'll know more before Sunday's game against the Celtics.

Frye contributed a season-high 22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, one steal, and six three-pointers in 35 minutes. His defender constantly sagged, allowing Frye open looks. All nine of his three-point attempts were uncontested. He was playing 18.1 minutes per game under coach James Borrego prior to last night. If Vucevic has to miss a few weeks, Dedmon and Frye are roughly equal in terms of value, a slight surprise if you've never heard of Dedmon. The Magic plays four games the next two weeks, followed by a two-game week and a three-game week. Borrego committed to Dedmon over Frye earlier this week, and as long as he can stay out of foul trouble, Dedmon's blocks rival Frye's three-pointers. Neither warrant an immediate add, just a close eye.

Andrew Nicholson added 14 points and four rebounds in 24 minutes, thrust into a larger role given Kyle O'Quinn's five fouls in 11 minutes. Most people know Nicholson as the person who scored 18 points against the Pacers opening night last season, only to fade into obscurity. The team tried to turn him from a lowpost savant into a perimeter threat, then yanked minutes when his defense dropped off. Under Borrego, Nicholson was playing over O'Quinn and working more out of the post. He falls in line behind Frye and Dedmon.

Derrick Williams started the second half instead of Jason Thompson. Williams played 13 minutes, and Thompson play 24, each registering fewer minutes than Omri Casspi. Rudy Gay plays enough power forward to ignore Williams and Thompson, making Casspi the more intriguing option.

Robert Covington came off the bench after missing two games with a right elbow contusion. He only played 18 minutes, limited by five personal fouls. Tonight's his next chance to start. He'll likely remove JaKarr Sampson from the lineup.

Dwyane Wade (hip), Luol Deng (thigh), and Mario Chalmers (knee) didn't play against the Wizards. That prompted coach Erik Spoelstra to use Tyler Johnson and Henry Walker in the starting lineup. According to Wade, he didn't play in order to rest the first leg of a back-to-back. The Heat plays the Kings tonight, and they engage in two back-to-backs the rest of the season, both dovetailed into the default fantasy playoffs. Deng and Chalmers' presence for tonight's game in unknown at this point, Chalmers more so.

Hassan Whiteside was benched the final 20 minutes. He only grabbed two rebounds, not snaring his first until under four minutes left in the first half. Coach Spoelstra didn't like the way Whiteside played, insisting nothing residual should carry over. The Heat was down 35 in the third quarter before rallying to lose by two. This could have simply been a case of the coach going with the guys who brought them back. Spoelstra also mentioned the media was too focused on Whiteside's benching and not the comeback, attempting to downplay the perceived rift between player and coach.

With all the minutes to spare, Henry Walker played 33 minutes at small forward, only to produce eight points and four rebounds. Shabazz Napier tallied 16 points, four assists, and four three-pointers, James Ennis scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds, and Michael Beasley provided all 13 of his points on 13 shots in the final period. Tyler Johnson played a team-high 36 minutes, closing with 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal. The production was spread across the board, almost all of it concentrated in the second half. If Goran Dragic (hip) and Chalmers can't go tonight, Johnson will likely start next to Wade. Napier was out of the rotation the previous four games, so his 31 minutes last night would get redistributed.

P.J. Tucker was benched after missing the team bus to shootaround. Marcus Morris started, played 41 minutes, and deposited 19 points, seven rebounds, four steals, two assists, and one three-pointer. Tucker still garnered 37 minutes in the overtime win, supplying 11 points, six rebounds, two steals, and one three-pointer of his own. Gerald Green was provided seven minutes after receiving a DNP-CD the previous game. I believe coach Jeff Hornacek returns to his regular lineup tonight against the Cavaliers, primarily for Tucker's defense on LeBron James from the outset. Marcus Morris has played at least 20 minutes in 11 of the last 12 games, averaging 13.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.0 steal, and 1.6 three-pointers in that span. It's time to start considering adding the less vaunted Morris twin. The Suns play four home games next week, followed by three straight three-game weeks.

Thaddeus Young started the second half over Markel Brown for the second time this week. Young was held to 23 minutes because coach Lionel Hollins decided to give Cory Jefferson substantial fourth-quarter minutes. Jefferson responded with 12 points and 13 rebounds in 16 minutes. Young finally failed to shoot at least 50 percent as a Net, converting 3-of-8 from the field. Brown was in foul trouble from the jump and played just five seconds in the second half, a far cry from his 45-minute outing seven games ago.

All five Nets reserves scored in double-digits, led by Brook Lopez's 19 points and 13 rebounds in 37 minutes. Deron Williams played a team-high 44 minutes and shot 2-of-16 on the night. He salvaged the poor display with nine assists. Mason Plumlee managed just 13 minutes, and Jarrett Jack collected 41 minutes. This rotation is in shambles, I tell ya. SHAMBLES.

Donatas Motiejunas picked up two fouls in the first five minutes, reducing his playing time to 19 minutes. Joey Dorsey carried the slack with six points, 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block in 17 minutes. Trevor Ariza didn't play in the fourth quarter for reasons unknown to me.

Vince Carter played six minutes off the bench after missing the last 13 games with a left foot injury. It'll be interesting to see if he plays tonight or both games of next week's back-to-back set.

Avery Bradley couldn't play because of a sprained left elbow. He's tentatively been ruled out of the next two road games, but Bradley could join the team Sunday in Orlando.

Jae Crowder started instead of Isaiah Thomas because coach Bradley Stevens prefers Thomas coming off the bench and Crowder was better able to matchup with Tyreke Evans. Crowder shifted to power forward by the fourth quarter and played 37 minutes, finishing with 11 points, nine rebounds, four steals, one assist, and one three-pointer. They'll be fewer minutes to divvy up once Bradley returns, unless coach Stevens removes Tyler Zeller or Jonas Jerebko from the rotation, not out of the realm of possibility.

Kelly Olynyk started the second half over Tyler Zeller. In fact, Zeller was limited to four minutes in the second half and Olynyk topped out at nine second-half minutes. Coach Stevens was up to his old tricks of giving Brandon Bass a team-high 38 minutes, good for 17 points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Olynyk shot 1-of-9, and it appears my assessment from two days ago was off because Olynyk jumped from seven minutes played to 22 minutes and a second-half start. To butcher a saying, there are too many cooks in the kitchen, and by cooks I mean players, and by kitchen I mean team. Stevens will play the matchup and utilize whichever lineup works. Next game, Bass could shrink down to 15 minutes and Jerebko could jump to 28 minutes. It's anybody's guess.

Devin Harris (hand) was held out of action after his right thumb swelled up the previous night. J.J. Barea played 27 minutes, and Raymond Felton saw six minutes of action in the blowout loss. The Mavericks play the Lakers on Sunday, then face the Cavaliers on Tuesday. If he can't return for either game, he catches a break due to the Mavericks playing a league-low 13 games in March.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

James Harden notched his third triple-double this season, furnishing 38 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists, one steal, two three-pointers and seven turnovers in 38 minutes. He went 16-of-18 from the foul line, attempting one more free throw than the Pistons. His 9.3 assists since the All-Star break is good for fifth most.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Lance Stephenson dropped 11 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in 24 minutes. Coach Steve Clifford already stated Mo Williams will play a lot next to Kemba Walker (knee) when he returns next Wednesday or Friday, but Williams will likely come off the bench. If that's the case, Stephenson loses playing time assuming coach Clifford doesn't go small with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at power forward by benching Cody Zeller. Stephenson has done his best Evan Turner impression of late, concentrating on low-level points, rebounds, and assists. The Hornets play two games before Wednesday. I implore most readers to ignore Stephenson, a strategy that has prospered thus far.

Al Jefferson decimated the Raptors' frontcourt for 23 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and one steal in 34 minutes. Now you know why Jonas Valanciunas only played 23 minutes.

Douglas McDermontt scored 12 of his career-high 16 points in the second quarter. He attempted 17 shots in 16 minutes. Coach Thibodeau hasn't played him that much since November 21st. Given Thibodeau's reluctance playing rookies heavy minutes, McDermott only becomes valuable if Mike Dunleavy misses time.

Pau Gasol recorded his league-leading 41st double-double, compiling 18 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, and one block in 34 minutes. Joakim Noah accumulated a team-high 11 assists, further diminishing Aaron Brooks' fantasy value. Nikola Mirotic was held to 3-of-13 shooting and garnered 31 minutes; proof he's firmly entrenched in the rotation.

Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins combined for 68 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and five blocks. Ben McLemore was held scoreless in 20 minutes, and Ray McCallum supplied 13 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Andre Miller led the team with eight assists, sharing crunch time minutes with McCallum over McLemore.

Willie Green (Achilles), Evan Fournier (hip), and Luke Ridnour (hamstring) were unable to suit up for the Magic, forcing both Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton to play over 40 minutes. Oladipo dominated the opposition for a second straight game, producing 32 points, 10 assists, five steals, three rebounds, and two three-pointers. Payton provided 10 points, 12 assists, four rebounds, one steal, and one block.

Nerlens Noel failed to block a shot for the 19th consecutive game, instead contributing 10 points, 11 rebounds, six steals, and one assist in 37 minutes. The six steals matches a career-high. He's averaging 1.9 blocks and 1.7 steals per game, making him the only player above 1.5 in both categories. Jason Richardson was held scoreless on 0-of-10 shooting, and Isaiah Canaan scored a team-high 16 points (nine in the fourth quarter) on 6-of-15 shooting, reverting back to his inefficient self. His counterpart, Ish Smith, scored 14 points and chipped in a team-high seven assists, prolonging this battle of point guards most people don't care about. Canaan played 28 minutes to Smith's 23.

Rudy Gobert pulled down 15 rebounds and blocked one shot in 35 minutes. He was limited to three rebounds in the second half, even though the Sixers shot 32 percent. Gordon Hayward dropped 25 points and nine rebounds, while Derrick Favors double-doubled with 15 points and 10 boards. It was the first time in 12 games Favors failed to record a block. Funny enough, Trey Burke led the team with two blocks.

Marcin Gortat grabbed 17 rebounds, notching at least 10 for the seventh straight game. It was also the tenth straight game he blocked a shot. Bradley Beal scored 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, halting the Beal hate for one game. His two rebounds and one assist were the only other stats he provided. There's also the potential he rests tonight, the second game of a back-to-back. If the Wizards go this route with Beal the rest of the season, he'll be susceptible to three additional back-to-backs.

After defeating the Cavaliers, the Hawks are now 11 games up with 21 games remaining. Dennis Schroder and Mike Scott will matter in a few weeks when Atlanta clinches the number one seed. We've already witnessed coach Mike Budenholzer resting starters as early as mid-January. Schroder provided 15 points and a team-high eight assists in 24 minutes, and Scott chipped in 14 points and four rebounds in 17 minutes. The starters performed as usual, each receiving over 30 minutes.

The Suns missed their first 21 three-point attempts. Brandon Knight shot 4-of-16, and Eric Bledsoe crawled toward a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals, one three-pointer, and seven turnovers in 37 minutes. Post-All-Star break Bledsoe is producing similar stats on a per minute basis, but he's playing an additional two minutes per game, boosting his totals incrementally.

Andre Drummond nabbed 21 rebounds and shot 4-of-16 from the field because he missed multiple putbacks. Greg Monroe and Reggie Jackson were the only Pistons to score at least 10 points, claimed 19 and 17 respectively.

Jordan Clarkson keeps chugging along, scoring 17 of his career-high 25 points in the first half, supplemented with six assists and four rebounds in 36 minutes. His backup, Jeremy Lin, couldn't carve up the Grizzlies defense in a similar fashion. Lin settled for four points, four rebounds, three assists, a team-high three blocks, and two steals in 27 minutes, so not all bad.

Zach Randolph feasted on the Lakers' frontline, compiling 26 points and 13 rebounds in 37 minutes. Nick Calathes added three steals, accumulating the eight straight game with at least two steals. This is bad news for Beno Udrih, who was getting serious run as the backup point guard prior to his illness.

Isaiah Thomas scored 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter. Outside of efficient scoring, Thomas could only muster three assists and one rebound in 28 minutes. Evan Turner, as always, was in charge of running the offense, efforting 16 points, six rebounds, six assists, and one three-pointer in 36 minutes. Both received additional shots with the absence of Avery Bradley (elbow). Marcus Smart played fewer minutes than the previous game with Bradley and produced the same inefficient, underwhelming line.

Kenneth Faried continues to defy logic, posting his third straight double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds), a feat he achieved in mid-January when Brian Shaw was still the head coach. The rest of Faried's box score was barren with two assists and one steal, resembling last year's version of Nikola Pekovic. I can't repeat this enough: he's an undersized power forward with limited post moves who thrives on hustle and energy but can't seem to make his mark on the defensive end. The novelty of a new coach will wear off, the clock will strike midnight, and Faried will return to only helping you in points, rebounds, and field goal percentage. He has more games without a block than with this season.

Kawhi Leonard did a little bit of everything in 36 minutes, including but not limited to scoring 25 points, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing four dimes, blocking three shots, recording one steal, and hitting a three-pointer. Make that seven straight games with at least one block, three straight games with at least 21 points, and 16 of his last 17 contests with at least one steal. He now leads the NBA in steals at 2.1 per game, tied with Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry. At 31.6 minutes per game, Leonard is the only Spur to average more than 30 minutes per game.

Rajon Rondo, Monta Ellis, and Dirk Nowitzki shot a combined 13-of-45. Rondo and Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 14 points, followed by Amar'e Stoudemire at 12 points, five rebounds, and one steal in 18 minutes. The Mavs don't play another back-to-back set until the beginning of April, offering a tinge of solace in case your season hinges on Stoudemire's health.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Rudy Gay, F, SAC: 39 points
2. James Harden, G, HOU: 38 points
3. Victor Oladipo, G, ORL: 32 points

Rebounds

1. Andre Drummond, C, DET: 21 rebounds
2. Marcin Gortat, C, WAS: 17 rebounds
3. Rudy Gobert, C, UTA: 15 rebounds

Assists

1. James Harden, G, HOU: 12 assists
2. John Wall, G, WAS: 12 assists
3. Elfrid Payton, G, ORL: 12 assists

Steals

1. Nerlens Noel, C, PHI: 6 steals
2. Victor Oladipo, G, ORL: 5 steals
3. Al-Farouq Aminu, F, DAL: 5 steals

Blocks

1. Nine tied with three blocks
2. Eleven tied with two blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Channing Frye, F, ORL: 6-9 3Pt
2. Kyle Lowry, G, TOR: 5-9 3Pt
3. Stephen Curry, G, GSW: 5-8 3Pt

Minutes

1. Deron Williams, G, BRK: 44 minutes
2. Rudy Gay, F, SAC: 42 minutes
3. Anthony Davis, F, NOP: 42 minutes
4. Elfrid Payton, G, ORL: 42 minutes
5. Kyrie Irving, G, CLE: 42 minutes
6. Brandon Knight, G, PHX: 42 minutes