There's one week left in the regular season. Some fantasy leagues, primarily rotisserie, continue until the final day. It's imperative to max out your games played in those leagues. You can cheat the system by draining your limit to one remaining game in positions with multiple slots, e.g. center and util, then start two players at both on the same day. Most host sites don't decide which player's stats to keep, irrespective of start time, so you'll have an extra game, or two, on your ledger. If done correctly, you'll have 165 games played at center and util. This maneuver is akin to maximizing your innings pitched in fantasy baseball by loading up on starting pitchers with a few innings remaining; all their stats count toward your team log, even after they eclipse the innings limit.

HOSPITAL WARD

Tony Parker left the game with right Achilles tightness. The game was over at halftime, reducing my long-term concern. However, I view the Achilles as a problem area. The Spurs play the Rockets in a home-and-home starting tonight. Cory Joseph likely starts if Parker misses time. In 14 starts this season, Joseph is averaging 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 56 percent from the field in 34.6 minutes per game. He won't initiate the offense, but with Jason Terry starting at point guard for the Rockets, Joseph is a decent streamer option if you need help filling your lineup on Wednesday (13 games) and Friday (12 games).

Nik Stauskas left the game due to back spasms. I wrote the following two days ago:

Nik Stauskas suffered back spasms but doesn't believe it's a long-term problem. His season has turned around under coach George Karl, converting 44 percent of his threes since the beginning of March. The Kings play five games in seven nights beginning Tuesday. With Rudy Gay (concussion) slated to return this week, Stauskas will continue to be a nonfactor in most leagues.

M.I.A.

• Atlanta
  • Paul Millsap (shoulder)
• Charlotte
  • Al Jefferson (knee)
  • Michael Kidd-Gilchirst (ankle)
  • Cody Zeller (shoulder)
• Golden State
  • Festus Ezeli (DNP-CD)
• LA Lakers
  • Jordan Hill (DNP-CD)
• Miami
  • Michael Beasley (illness)
• Minnesota
  • Gorgui Dieng (concussion)
  • Kevin Garnett (knee)
  • Gary Neal (ankle)
  • Anthony Bennett (ankle)
• New Orleans
  • Jrue Holiday (leg)
• Oklahoma City
  • Serge Ibaka (knee)
  • Nick Collison (ankle)
• Phoenix
  • Alex Len (ankle)
  • Brandon Knight (ankle)
• Sacramento
  • DeMarcus Cousins (foot)
  • Darren Collison (hip)
  • Carl Landry (suspended)
• San Antonio
  • Tiago Splitter (calf)

ROTATION NOTES

Mike Muscala started with Paul Millsap (shoulder) out at least one more game, allowing Al Horford to shift down to power forward. Coach Budenholzer believes Millsap can return for Friday's home game against the Hornets, but we'll know for certain after he's evaluated by doctors. Muscala owned the fourth quarter, scoring 10 of his 16 points in the final frame against the Suns' second unit. P.J. Tucker was the only Suns' starter to play in the last stanza. Muscala's averaging 10.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in four starts this season. It's not awe-inspiring numbers.

Dennis Schroder returned to the bench squad following two missed games with a sprained left toe. He provided six points and four assists in 15 minutes.

While it makes sense the Hawks would rest guys tonight, the second game of a back-to-back, they're facing the Brooklyn Nets, the team the Hawks can pick swap with this summer. It's their final back-to-back this season, and if they dominate the Nets like they did Sunday, to the tune of a 131-99 win, their starters won't need to play more than 25 minutes apiece. The Hawks have the second best record in the NBA, five games ahead of the Houston Rockets with five games left. They're likely to lock into the spot regardless of Wednesday's outcome, but a win would narrow the Nets' lead to half a game over the eight seed Boston Celtics.

TL;DR Expect the incentivized Hawks to rest starters after Wednesday's game.

Hassan Whiteside recovered faster than I presumed, missing one game after tearing the stitches in his shooting hand. He picked up two fouls in the first four minutes and was limited to 23 minutes due to five fouls. Whiteside still produced 12 points, eight rebounds, and a block, yet struggled against the defensively inclined Bismack Biyombo. Chris Andersen was available off the bench, adding six points and three blocks in 13 minutes after missing one game with a bruised left foot. The Heat plays every other day until the end of the season and remain half a game behind the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. If Whiteside can withstand the pain, he'll suit up as necessary.

Aron Baynes supplanted Matt Bonner in the starting lineup while Tiago Splitter (calf) remains sidelined. That doesn't guarantee he'll continue to start until Splitter returns; Coach Popovich tends to play the matchup. Whoever he uses tonight against the Rockets will probably roll over into Friday's matchup against the same Rockets. Baynes is the better fantasy option between him and Bonner.

Andre Roberson produced five points, seven rebounds, two steals, one assist, and one three-pointer in 18 minutes after missing the last seven games with a sprained left ankle. He could find himself back in the starting lineup with the Thunder mired in a four-game losing streak; The job was his before the injury. He'd likely replace Kyle Singler. I hope this news doesn't affect your fantasy team.

DeMarcus Cousins was held out with a sore right foot. He complained about a myriad of injuries roughly two weeks ago, so the Kings had plenty of options to choose from when adding him to the injury report. He's considered doubtful for tonight's game in Utah, and his chances of missing the subsequent four games hinges on the team doctors' evaluation. We'll learn more soon. In the meantime, Reggie Evans started at center, supplying four points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes. It wasn't a banner night for Evans. His limelight was stolen by Derrick Williams, who scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 31 minutes. No matter how well Williams performs, I always advise against adding him. That is my one rule. I stick by that rule. Do not fall for his chicanery.

Rudy Gay passed the NBA's concussion protocol and played for the first time in April. He finished with 33 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks, one steal, and two three-pointers in 38 minutes. However, Gay was experiencing headaches and doesn't know if he'll play tonight. Carl Landry started while Gay was out, averaging more minutes (17.3) than points (7.3), rebounds (2.3), assists (0.3), steals (0.3), and blocks (0.7) combined. Landry is a good option in the way Zima was a good option in the '90s.

Sim Bhullar played the final 16 seconds in his debut, zeroing out the box score. I can maybe see him getting decent run tonight against the Jazz to matchup with Rudy Gobert, but at 7'5", 360+ pounds, you're better off rolling with Jason Thompson the rest of the season if you have to choose between the two.

Arinze Onuaku (Ah-new-wa-koo), with the ink still wet on his 10-day contract, played 15 minutes for the Timberwolves. I don't know much about Onuaku, but I do know the 'Wolves had nine healthy players last night and they're beginning a stretch of five games in seven nights. He played the entire fourth quarter with Adreian Payne limited to 13 minutes and Justin Hamilton joining Payne on the bench. Keep an eye on the situation if your fantasy team is hurting for bodies. Onuaku's large and wears number 50. You can't miss him.

Jamal Crawford played 19 minutes after missing the last month with a calf injury. He left a nice dent into J.J. Redick's playing time, limiting him to 30 minutes. Nevertheless, Redick scored a team-high 27 points against the Lakers, matched by Blake Griffin who added seven rebounds, six assists, and one block. The Clippers have three days off before facing the Grizzlies, a team the Clippers are tied with in the standings, one game behind in the loss column. In fact, the Clippers play three games the rest of the season and one game the rest of the week. Now's the best time to jettison guys like Matt Barnes and Redick to stream in more games over the next five days if your head-to-head league wraps up Sunday.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

Kevin Martin gets the nod because I'm easily seduced by 37 points on 13-of-31 shooting. Let us not glance over his eight assists, five rebounds, and one steal in 44 minutes. It's only the fifth time in his career that Martin accumulated at least eight assists, missing his career-high by one.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

Zach LaVine, in a game that featured negative to zero defense, got to the rim at will. I'll mention this here and everywhere else a player from the Kings-Timberwolves game comes up: the box score was riddled with high point totals of two teams with no interior or perimeter defense. Andrew Wiggins did his best to limit Rudy Gay in the first half before Gay finished with 33 points (19 in the second half) by getting to the line 15 times. Anyway, back to LaVine. He finished with 21 points, 11 assists, five rebounds, one steal and one three-pointer in 41 minutes. Both he and Kevin Martin played more minutes than Wiggins, a rarity to my knowledge.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

Andrew Bogut blocked a career-high nine shots. This is his 10th year in the league. He supplemented the blocks with eight points, eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 28 minutes, limited due to foul trouble. Bogut gets the Tim Duncan treatment because the team needs him healthy for the playoffs, averaging 24 minutes per game over the last month. He'll average more turnovers than the typical center because of the Warriors' offense, but because he's only attempted four free throws since the beginning of March, Bogut doesn't actually hurt your fantasy team. The Warriors play two more games this week and four more games the rest of the season, all at home. Even though coach Kerr said he would only rest players if they were injured, sitting Bogut against the Timberwolves on Saturday and Nuggets on the final day of the season reduces injury risk. We'll just have to wait and see if Kerr is a man of his word.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Markieff Morris was assessed his 15th technical foul, one shy of an automatic one-game suspension. Eric Bledsoe was tossed after accruing two techs, limiting him to 26 minutes. The Suns were defeated 96-69, scoring 26 points in the second half. Only Gerald Green provided double-digit scoring, hoarding a team-high 15 points. It's nearly time to pour one out for the Suns' playoff chances, falling three and a half games behind the New Orleans Pelicans with four games left, all against Western Conference playoffs teams.

DeMarre Carroll made his first six shots, closing out with 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting. He matched Jeff Teague and Mike Muscala's point total. Kyle Korver shot 2-of-9 from the field and 1-of-6 from downtown, dropping him to 48.9 percent field goal and 49.2 percent three-point accuracy. He's also sitting on 89.4 percent free-throw marksmanship.

Lance Stephenson increased his three-point percentage when he went 2-of-5 from distance. He's now 18-of-105 for the season (17 percent), still the worst mark in a season with at least 100 attempts.

Bismack Biyombo did everything except hit a three-pointer, tallying 12 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, a season-high two assists, and a season-high two steals in 41 minutes. He took advantage of an undersized Heat frontline, similar to Luis Scola two nights ago. Biyombo's not someone you trust with your free-throw percentage, but at this point in the season, his 2.7 attempts per game won't move the needle much. He's going to start tonight against the Raptors, and that could bleed into the final four games if the Hornets decide to shutdown Al Jefferson (knee). The Hornets are two games out of the final playoff spot, trailing three teams they don't play anymore. Even in limited run, Biyombo is a block specialist, averaging 3.0 blocks over the last seven games. The points, assists, and steals come and go. You'll often find Biyombo scoring on offensive putbacks or dumpoffs at the rim. He's limited offensively, and you shouldn't add him expecting double-digit points every night.

Gerald Henderson couldn't miss, except for the seven missed shots out of 18 attempts. He scored a game-high 29 points but only added three rebounds and one assist. In 11 games without Jefferson, Henderson is averaging 15.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game this season. Clearly, Jefferson's absence opens up minutes and shots for the rest of the team. As long as you don't care about your field goal percentage or three-pointers, Henderson can give you a boost in scoring the final week of the season.

Goran Dragic finally played a noteworthy game for the Heat. He scored a team-high 28 points, dished out five assists, grabbed four rebounds, and recorded two steals in 35 minutes. I've derided Dragic long enough. I'll lay low for one night.

The Spurs obliterated the Thunder, 110-81. Dion Waiter played a game-high 27 minutes. Enes Kanter was held to nine points and five rebounds. Perry Jones and Jeremy Lamb combined for 21 points. What else is there to know?

Kawhi Leonard scored 23 of his career-high 26 points in the first half, playing 24 minutes total. It's the fifth time in his career Leonard topped out at 26 points, doing so for the third time this season. He added three steals for good measure, solidifying his place as the league's steal leader with 2.3 per game.

Anthony Davis scored 23 of his 29 points in the second half to go along with 10 rebounds, four blocks, two assists, and two steals in 40 minutes. The Pelicans' win bumped them ahead of the Thunder by half a game, but since they hold the tie breaker, it's more like one and half games. Quincy Pondexter has hit a three-pointer in nine straight games, averaging 3.0 three-pointers per game during that stretch. You can't get to high or too low with him, as evidenced by his three-point outing the previous game. So while it's nice he scored 20 points this time, and at least 10 points in eight of the last nine, you're paying for threes and points if you invest in Pondexter. He's also shooting an unsustainable 57 percent from beyond the arc in the last nine games. Proceed with caution, even if only two of those 47 three-point attempts were contested, per NBA.com.

Draymond Green had a game to remember, much in the way Mandy Moore had A Walk to Remember. Chalk up Green for 24 points, a game-high 14 rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block, and three three-pointers in 35 minutes. Juxtapose that with All-Star Klay Thompson's night, seven points on 2-of-10 shooting and four turnovers, and you've got a recipe for a Warriors' loss. Stephen Curry was the only other Warrior to crack double-digit scoring, providing 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds, one steal, and five three-pointers in 35 minutes.

Omri Casspi was playing well before Rudy Gay returned, and he'll continue to get big minutes if Gay misses additional time. Before last night's game against the Timberwolves, Casspi was averaging 16.3 points and 5.0 rebounds the previous three games. Against a defenseless minded lottery bound team, Casspi poured in a career-high 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting and grabbed his customary five rebounds. It's all about not overreacting. Besides hitting four three-pointers, Casspi waltzed into the lane for layup after layup. It was a foolproof plan. He's in the clear after tonight's game against the Jazz, closing the season against the Thunder, Nuggets, and Lakers twice. The final four games are on days with at least nine NBA games, three of them falling on nights with at least 12 games. Also, remember that once Gay and DeMarcus Cousins are out of the lineup, defenses will keen in on Casspi.

Tarik Black is producing in limited run, averaging 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 24 minutes per game the last eight games. It's not must-own, but it's reliable. And it appears coach Byron Scott actually likes Black. Same goes for Ryan Kelly, who shot 3-of-17 but is playing 36 minutes a night the last two weeks. The most reliable Laker, Jordan Clarkson, bounced back from a terrible performance to drop a team-high 20 points, six assists, and four rebounds in 36 minutes, two nights after the Clippers held him to two points. I'll point out the Lakers face the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Mavericks, and Kings twice to close out the season. It's not a terrible gamble to fill out your roster with Black or Kelly, dependent on league size and risk aversion.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Kevin Martin, G, MIN: 37 points
2. Rudy Gay, F, SAC: 33 points
3. Omri Casspi, F, SAC: 31 points

Rebounds

1. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC: 17 rebounds
2. Draymond Green, F, GSW: 14 rebounds
3. Marvin Williams, F, CHA: 13 rebounds

Assists

1. Zach LaVine, G, MIN: 11 assists
2. Chris Paul, G, LAC: 10 assists
3. Stephen Curry, G, GSW: 9 assists
4. Tyreke Evans, G, NOP: 9 assists

Steals

1. Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 6 steals
2. Mike Muscala, C, ATL: 4 steals
3. Tyreke Evans, G, NOP: 4 steals

Blocks

1. Andrew Bogut, C, GSW: 9 blocks
2. Anthony Davis, F, NOP: 4 blocks
3. Tim Duncan, F, SAS: 4 blocks
4. Bismack Biyombo, C, CHA: 4 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Stephen Curry, G, GSW: 5-8 3Pt
2. Omri Casspi, F, SAC: 4-6 3Pt
3. Kawhi Leonard, F, SAS: 4-4 3Pt
4. Quincy Pondexter, F, NOP: 4-4 3Pt
5. J.J. Redick, G, LAC: 4-6 3Pt

Minutes

1. Kevin Martin, G, MIN: 44 minutes
2. Zach Lavine, G, MIN: 41 minutes
3. Bismack Biyombo, C, CHA: 41 minutes
4. Luol Deng, F, MIA: 41 minutes