Fantasy Basketball

The Lakers raced out to a commanding 63-34 halftime lead thanks to a 21-point first-half eruption from Dončić, who knocked down six of 13 shots — including three from beyond the arc — while also converting six free throws. He eclipsed the 40-point mark for the fourth time this season with three minutes remaining when he got to the line for his 20th free throw of the contest. It was an impressive all-around, stat-stuffing effort on the second night of a back-to-back following Friday’s win over the Pelicans. The 26-year-old generational talent is averaging 34.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 0.6 blocks through 10 games this season. The Lakers are hopeful LeBron James (sciatica) will be ready to make his season debut Tuesday against the Jazz back in Los Angeles when they return to action.

Antetokounmpo did his part from a scoring standpoint on the second night of a back-to-back for Milwaukee, but he got little help from his supporting cast in the early stages of this one as they ultimately trailed by 29 points at halftime. He knocked down six of eight shot attempts in the second half to reach the 30-point plateau for the ninth time in 12 games this season. He’s slightly underperformed this season relative to fantasy managers expectations, averaging 32.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.3 blocks. The Bucks are back in action on Monday when they face the Cavaliers before closing out a three-game week with home matchups against the 76ers and Pistons.

Reaves has topped 20 points in three of four games since returning from a three-game absence earlier this month due to a groin injury. The 27-year-old guard has looked like an excellent complementary scorer and playmaking facilitator this season with LeBron James (sciatica) sidelined, averaging 28.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.4 steals through 11 games.

Yikes. Kuzma turned in a complete clunker against his former team following an impressive 29-point, 10-rebound effort during Friday’s win over the Hornets where he made his first start since October 30. The 30-year-old forward, who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Lakers, missed all six of his shots from the floor with five of those coming from three-point range. He’ll attempt to turn things around when the Bucks get back in action on Monday against the Cavaliers.

Ayton torched the Bucks for 16 first-half points, draining seven of 10 shots from the field, while also pulling down six rebounds as the Lakers built a 31-point advantage at the half. He scored just four more points in the second half, but his early outburst was enough to help power the Lakers to their 10th win in 14 games to start the year. He’s outperformed conservative expectations so far, averaging 16.2 points and 8.4 rebounds through 13 contests in his Los Angeles debut.

With Ryan Kalkbrenner back after a one-game absence, Diabaté returned to playing a role off the bench. That didn’t slow Diabaté down; he recorded his second straight double-double and his fifth of the season. His upside is limited as a reserve, but he played just under 24 minutes, while Kalkbrenner played 26 minutes. There is enough time for both of them to provide decent numbers, but it may not come consistently enough for Diabaté.

Knueppel entered this game on a tear, but the odds were stacked against him in this one. LaMelo Ball sat out the second leg of the back-to-back. They went to overtime on Friday and had to travel back from Milwaukee to play. Oh, and the Thunder are the best defense in the league. It was a rough night for Knueppel, but there isn’t a reason to be concerned about the rookie. He’s had a spectacular year, and he’ll look to get back on track against the Raptors on Monday.

With LaMelo Ball (ankle) sidelined for the second leg of Charlotte’s back-to-back, Sexton made a return to the starting lineup. He has been a solid scoring option throughout the year, both as a starter and as a reserve, but Sexton wasn’t able to get much going in this game. He’ll likely return to the bench against Toronto on Monday, but the Hornets do have another back-to-back next week on Saturday and Sunday, which may be another chance for Sexton to start.

Poeltl knocked down eight of nine shot attempts, shooting an astonishing 89 percent from the floor, and erupted for 15 points in the second half as Toronto recorded their seventh win over their last eight games. He could’ve had an even bigger night had he not missed eight free throws in this one. He’s eclipsed the 20-point threshold in back-to-back contests and is averaging nearly eight rebounds per-game this season. It’s an extremely encouraging sign to see him ramping up from a scoring standpoint after being impacted by a lingering back issue at the outset of the year. The Raptors kick off a four-game week on Monday against the Hornets before facing the 76ers, Wizards and Nets.

Siakam was one of the few bright spots for Indiana in this one as they fell to 1-12 overall to open the season. It’s officially the worst start to a season in franchise history. Not only are they without franchise cornerstone Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), but they’re also without Aaron Nesmith (knee), Obi Topin (foot) and Bennedict Mathurin (toe) right now. The 31-year-old forward has picked up the slack from a scoring perspective recently, averaging 25 points over his last three games. The injury-ravaged Pacers will attempt to turn things around next week when they face the Pistons, Hornets and Cavaliers.