There were a ton of games played tonight and I’ve decided to streamline this Daily Dish and focus on the information you need and want, that’s zeroed in on the fantasy basketball landscape.

I will be highlighting recent moves that I made. Yes folks, real moves by real managers. You’ve got here at Hoop Ball.

Brooklyn Nets 96, New York Knicks 110: From Latvia with love!

The Knicks ran away with this one and did not look back. Garbage time came early, but not before second-year stud Kristaps Porzingis put together his best stat line of the season. The Latvian 7-footer dropped 21 points, eight boards, four triples, two steals and two blocks. Owners who “reached” for him in the later parts of the second round can expect to be richly rewarded for their bravado moving forward.

Brook Lopez was one of only two Nets to score in double figures. He finished with 21 points, a trey, three blocks. The big takeaway here was this game was the tail end of a back-to-back and there were concerns that Lopez would not play. He did and he delivered.

Aaron Bruski has been high on Justin Hamilton for a while now. Today we caught a glimpse of the upside that Aaron’s been seeing in his crystal ball. After being quiet for most of the season, Hamilton broke out with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Sadly, this was probably more of a testament to New York’s abysmal perimeter defense than Hamilton’s drastic improvement. Still, he’s a viable add in deep leagues and almost a must-own as a Lopez handcuff.

Boston Celtics 93, Washington Wizards 118: Porter for the Otto-win!

What else is there to say? OMFG! Otto freakin’ Porter! He totally owned the Celtics with his 34 points, 14 boards, three treys, three steals, three blocks, four assists, and ZERO turnovers. This is way up there as far as fantasy lines in 2016-17 are concerned. I’m just so enthused that I own him two leagues. THIS is the breakout we all expected. It’s here and it’s happening now.

Bradley Beal (hamstring) left the game early and will get an MRI done, stat. This kind of injury sucks and is another bump in his rocky, injury-riddled career. Who will step up if he misses significant time? Tonight it was a combination of Marcus Thornton (16 points, three steals) and Trey Burke (18 points, three triples). My money would have to be split evenly between Thornton and Tomas Satoransky, who had a quiet 4-point, 4-assist night in 32 minutes. As tempting as Burke was after this game, I still wouldn’t touch him with a 10-foot pole. I’ve gone ahead and added Thornton in a couple of my 20-man leagues already.

Boston’s top three guards of Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, and Marcus Smart took care of business on their end, with each scoring 20 points or more.

Something of note: Kelly Olynyk and Smart started the second half over Tyler Zeller and Jaylen Brown. Kelly O is worth an add in deep leagues, seeing he is better than Zeller, but his value is only worthwhile as long as Al Horford (concussion) remains on the shelf.

Utah Jazz 98, Charlotte Hornets 104: Do me a Favors and get well soon.

The Jazz got “Kemba Walker(ed)” in this game. He stayed hot in this one with 21 points, six dimes, and four steals. Marvin Williams got going from downtown and knocked down 5-of-7 shots from deep, en route to his 19 points.

Charlotte’s three-headed center of Cody Zeller, Frank Kaminsky, and Spencer Hawes continued their low-end, deep-league worthy production. Get ready to drop whichever you own once Roy Hibbert makes it a four-man logjam.

Derrick Favors appears to be getting better with each passing game. He dropped a double-double (16-10), plus two blocks. He’s not a hundred percent yet, but he’s getting there. I sold high on my George Hill to buy low on Favors, and so far I am not displeased with my investment.

Rodney Hood continues his breakout run with another solid performance. Hood had 20 points, four treys, four assists, and two steals in this one.

Minnesota Timberwolves 123, Orlando Magic 107: “Zach Attack” too much for Orlando

Zach Lavine went bonkers from beyond the 3-point arc, making 7-of-9 shots. He ended up tallying 37 points with four boards and three dimes.

The big takeaway from Minnesota’s rotation for tonight was yet another Tyus Jones sighting. He played 31 minutes, compared to Kris Dunn’s 17. Jones scored 10 points, dished out four assists, and added two treys and two steals for good measure. This was enough of a sign for me. I went ahead and grabbed him in my deep leagues. I’m still staying away from either point guard in standard leagues for now.

Why did Orlando lose? Well, Serge Ibaka had another off night with 11 points and two blocks. Aaron Gordon had a dud of a game with seven points and four rebounds. I’d still be patient with both these guys for now. Sit them if you have to, but it’s too early in the season to make hasty moves with players of their caliber.

There was a hint that Nikola Vucevic would slide to the bench in favor of the more defensively inclined Bismack Biyombo. Vooch still started and made a strong case to keep him as the lead big man with 24 points, 14 boards, and six dimes.

The Magic are in disarray at the moment so expect some possible lineup tinkering in the near future.

Philadelphia 76ers 115, Indiana Pacers 122 (OT): C’mon baby, do the RoCo-motion!

Philly’s Robert Covington is as streaky as they come and apparently his good games are almost as hard to predict as a Presidential election. Well tonight RoCo owners were the big winners, as their fantasy basketball “three-and-D” guy, went on a tear. Covington exploded for 23 points, five treys, six boards, a steal, and a block. Excellent, right? Well don’t be surprised if he gives you five points on 20 percent shooting from the field in the next one.

Dario Saric had a solid game with a 14-12-2 line. He knocked down two treys as well. He’s showing some of the experience he brings to the table having paid his dues playing pro ball in Europe. He’s not your garden variety rookie in that sense and can easily emerge as consistent fantasy hoops contributor moving forward. I’d make an offer for him now, before his stock price rises any further.

Jeff Teague looked good with his game-high 30 points and nine assists. He’s come online and has stolen some of Monta Ellis’ thunder lately. Teague should continue to deliver mid-round value with a pinch more upside up his sleeve.

There was an Al Jefferson sighting in this game, with the old man chipping in 18 points, six boards, and two blocks in 20 minutes of action. Like Bigfoot sightings, he’s just playing tricks with your imagination and it would be best to still stay away.

Chicago Bulls 107, Atlanta Hawks 115: Howard, heating up Atlanta

All right, I’ll say it. Dwight Howard was definitely a sleeper this 2016-17 fantasy draft. He’s finally found a home, a system he can work within, and a group of players he’s apparently getting along with. Howard has been dropping almost elite big-man numbers lately, and last night was no exception. He posted a solid 18 points, 10 boards, three steals, and two blocks. Considering he went in the later rounds of a lot of drafts, owners must be stoked that he’s come into a renaissance period in his career.

Thabo Sefolosha moved back to the bench with the return of Kyle Korver  to the starting lineup. He did, however, leave us with a stern reminder that he’s a roto-asset that shouldn’t be overlooked. Thabo was cooking tonight with 20 points, three steals, a block, and two 3-pointers.

Jimmy Butler had a quality “Jimmy Butler game” with 39 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and six steals.

One of my regrets this season was misjudging Taj Gibson and dropping him in one of my leagues. He slapped me in the face yet again tonight with 13 points, six boards, two steals, and two blocks.

Toronto Raptors 112, Oklahoma City Thunder 102: Oladipo on the rise

After a slow start this season, it appears that Victor Oladipo is finally getting properly acclimated to his new team, specifically playing alongside Russell Westbrook. Dipo is headed in the right direction and tonight’s performance is a testament to it. He scored 18 points, going 5-of-9 from 3-point range. He also pulled down eight rebounds and got a couple of steals. His buy-low window might have just closed after this outing.

Speaking of Westbrook, he had a solid 36-7-7 line of his own, but the backcourt duo’s heroics were not enough to get the Thunder passed the Raptors. Rookie, Domantas Sabonis cooled off a bit with seven points, four assists, a trey and a steal. He’s still a deep-league asset for now, but can be tossed for, say, a recovering Larry Nance Jr. if you’re so inclined to do so. I’m inclined and I pulled that trigger in one of my 20-man leagues.

DeMar DeRozan did DeMar DeRozan things. Again. He scored 37 points and handed out six assists. Kyle Lowry had the better line though, being one rebound shy of notching a triple-double with 19 points, nine boards, and 13 assists. He also added five treys into that bag of mixed goodies.

Detroit Pistons 100, Phoenix Suns 107: I’m a Chriss-crossed lover

Let’s get straight to the point. In his second game as a starter, Marquesse Chriss laid a nasty goose egg, failing to score on 0-of-4 shooting from the field in 14 minutes. I’m a stubborn believer and will continue to stash him where I can, meaning, not in daily roster changes leagues. He could lose his starting job, but I still see him a solid second-half of the season kind of bloomer, hence my optimism.

Alex Len had a good game in another spot start for Tyson Chandler (personal). He held his own against Andre Drummond and posted 16 points, 14 boards, three steals, and a block in 37 minutes. It shouldn’t take too long for coach Earl Watson to eventually hand the center duties over to Len. Ty Chandler could easily be shipped off in a trade to a title contender on or before the trade deadline. Despite his inconsistencies, Len is worth a stash.

Eric Bledsoe had a nice 21-11-8 line and Devin Booker resumed his mortal form with 11 points.

Andre Drummond had a solid game with an 18-10-1-1 line. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had his shooting cap on in this game. He poured in 27 points on 5-of-10 shooting from downtown.

Ok, here’s the down low. If you’re in a deep league and you’re not out grabbing Jon Leuer, you’re not doing this fantasy basketball thing right. Seriously, Jon has been solid and has my trust. He’s definitely worth an add if he’s still available.

Houston Rockets 101, San Antonio Spurs 99: The best PGs got big beards. Yay or nay?

James Harden continues to thrive in his new role as the point guard for the Rockets. His unearthly combination of being able to score a ton and also involve his teammates in the offense is mind-boggling. He dropped a trip-dub on the Spurs for the win in this one with 24 points, 12 boards, and 15 assists. Yeah, just turn a blind eye to those eight turnovers. At this point, even 9-cat owners aren’t caring as much.

Coach Mike D’Antoni tinkered with the starting lineup and inserted Corey Brewer at shooting guard and sent Eric Gordon to the bench. Brewer was a dud in 14 forgettable minutes, while played it cool with 15 points and two treys off the bench. The point is the Rockets won against an elite Western conference team, so this situation could carry on for a bit. Brewer can be ignored for now, while Gordon’s value will take a bit of a hit.

Sam Dekker, who fits the D’Antoni-favored stretch four mold, had 10 points, seven boards, two treys, a steal, and a block. Deep-leaguers should watch him closely. Clint Capela played only 18 minutes and we could see more of Dekker in small-ball lineups moving forward.

Kawhi Leonard was his usual MVP-caliber self with 34 points in a full line. Danny Green made his 2016-17 debut for the Spurs and it was kind of decent in a Danny Green sort of way, with eight points, two triples, four steals, and a blocked shot.

Pau Gasol disappeared in 13 minutes of action, scoring two points and pulling down seven boards. He’s won’t likely return to his Chicago Bulls form this season, but he should still remain a solid, second big man for most fantasy teams.

Portland Trail Blazers 80, Los Angeles Clippers 111: Fugliest Blazers game. Ever.

I’m at a loss for words. The box scores of this game hurt my eyes every time I look at it. The Blazers were awful and could not buy a bucket, even if buckets were being handed out by the hundreds. Shabazz Napier emerged from the shadows to lead the hapless Blazers in scoring with 11 points.

C.J. McCollum, 4-of-11 from the field
Damian Lillard, 1-of-10 from the field
Mason Plumlee, 1-of-12 from the field

The Blake Griffin resurgence movement continued with the talented power forward dropping 22 points and 13 rebounds on the Blazers.

Dallas Mavericks 95, Golden State Warriors 116: Curry vs. Curry

The Warriors steamrolled over the Mavericks, who rested regular contributors J.J. Barea, Wesley Matthews, and Andrew Bogut.

The Warriors’ starters played well. Yes, even Klay Thompson showed a glimpse of his former fantasy basketball glory tonight. It was an easy win and there was little to contest him on defense.

Seth Curry, he’s the younger one and the one playing for the Mavs, had good showing as a starter. He had 10 points, nine assists, five steals, and two blocks. Seth has been gaining some traction and is worth a speculative add in moderately deep leagues right now.

That’s it folks. If you dig the dish, feel free to give me a follow on Twitter and ask me questions about your fantasy teams. There are a few things in the pipeline and I could be jumping in the podcasting schtick here in Hoop Ball, because I’m a multi-cat contributor kind of guy. Haha!