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January 7, 2025, 1:02 am
Injury Report
Phoenix Suns @ Charlotte Hornets
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
BetMGM Lines
PHO -2.5 (-150), CHA +2.5 (+125)
Game Total 222.5Key Storylines
Ryan Dunn could be a target: With Royce O’Neale (ankle) out and the Suns having four games left this week, the rookie guard was in the starting lineup as expected in place of Bradley Beal on Monday as Mike Budenholzer looks to shake things up after four defeats in a row, and a week where a lot of basketball will be played. While Dunn hasn’t been the most consistent in terms of fantasy production, he’s been playing better as of late and could get a boost being in the starting lineup. Jusuf Nurkic seems to be heading to the bench as well, with Mason Plumlee taking his spot. Neither Plumlee nor Nurkic got big minutes on Monday night though, but Beal and Dunn both delivered good numbers.
Hornets backup point guard: With Tre Mann (back) and Grant Williams (knee) as the only absences confirmed, along with Seth Curry (knee) being listed as probable, Charlotte is relatively back to being a healthy roster once again. With LaMelo Ball (ankle/wrist) and Brandon Miller (ankle) coming back in Sunday’s loss to Cleveland, the second unit of the Hornets should go back to their usual minutes.
Watch out for Nick Smith Jr, who had a great performance against the Cavs with 18 points and five boards. He could be set to be the Hornets backup point guard moving forward as Vasilije Micic saw only five minutes on Sunday, so far this might only be something of value for very deep leagues. It’s a situation to monitor but still unclear. Charlotte is not a place to trust as inconsistency is their bread and butter.
Stream of the Game
Both teams are unreliable in terms of streamers. Ryan Dunn is worth a try now that he has reached the starting lineup, and we’ll have to hope his offensive numbers show up.
Alternatives: Mason Plumlee (rebounds, assists, blocks), Nick Smith Jr. (points, rebounds), Cody Martin (rebounds, assists, steals), Josh Green (3s, steals).
Houston Rockets @ Washington Wizards
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
BetMGM Lines
HOU -9.5 (-450), WAS +9.5 (+340)
Game Total 226.5Key Storylines
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