The Scoop: Harden grew more and more comfortable as the game progressed, and he hit a couple of clutch buckets down the stretch when the Cavaliers completed a comeback. The partnership between Harden and Donovan Mitchell may only get better as both spend more time on the court together, but this game offered a glimpse of what they might achieve. They combined for 58 points and 12 assists.

 The Scoop: With Onyeka Okongwu (mouth) returning from injury, Landale shifted back to the bench. Coming off what was an inspiring debut for the Hawks, Landale was unable to repeat his heroics from two nights earlier. Assuming Okongwu remains relatively healthy moving forward, Landale is likely to be a fringe 12-team asset at best. In many situations, he could even find himself serving as nothing more than a situational streamer.

 The Scoop: Embiid was questionable to play Saturday due to right knee injury management, but the star center not only suited up, he also led the Sixers in scoring while ending just one board shy of a double-double. Embiid has been on a tear of late and has reached the 30-point mark in four of his last five appearances, establishing himself as the Sixers' go-to weapon on offense ahead of Tyrese Maxey when he's fully healthy.

 The Scoop: James had an impressive performance across the board, leading the Lakers in scoring while ending just three boards shy of posting a triple-double. The veteran forward has enjoyed an uptick in usage rate with Luka Doncic (hamstring) sidelined, and that trend should continue if the star guard is out for Monday's matchup against the Thunder.

 The Scoop: Bufkin was a steady contributor for the South Bay Lakers in the G League, and the guard has been rewarded with a two-year deal to fill the Lakers' open 15th roster spot. The second year of the deal is a team option for 2026-27. Bufkin will add wing depth for the Lakers but isn't expected to have a sizable role in the rotation.

 The Scoop: Howard was a non-factor yet again, continuing what has been another frustrating campaign. Despite providing Orlando with a much-needed perimeter threat, Howard simply hasn't been able to carve out a meaningful role for himself. In 32 appearances this season, he has averaged just 4.8 points and 0.9 three-pointers in 10.6 minutes per game.

 The Scoop: Isaac continues to play a minimal role, having now logged no more than 15 minutes in 15 of his past 16 appearances. At this point, it's hard to consider him an every-night part of the rotation, eliminating all of his fantasy appeal. In 41 games thus far, he has averaged just 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 10.1 minutes per contest.

 The Scoop: Nurkic returned from a two-game absence due to illness/rest, moving straight into the starting lineup alongside the newly acquired Jaren Jackson. Utah opted to run with a sizeable lineup, an encouraging sign for anyone rostering Nurkic. With that said, we have already started to see some questionable absences, a situation that could get worse as the season progresses. For now, managers will have to hold Nurkic or try to pass him off while he is still relatively active.

 The Scoop: Murray left the game with 4:05 left in the final frame, though at the time of his departure, the Nuggets were up by 15 points. It's unclear whether the injury will force the star floor general to miss time, but head coach David Adelman said he's confident Murray will be okay moving forward, according to Katy Winge of Altitude Sports. Murray should be considered questionable to play against the Cavaliers on Monday, and Bruce Brown and Jalen Pickett are players who could see more minutes if Murray were to miss time.

 The Scoop: Facing the team that made him the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, Durant let his younger teammates take the lead in terms of usage and shot volume -- he was fifth among Houston's starters in FG attempts -- but he still reached 20 points for the seventh time in his last nine games. Over that stretch, Durant is averaging 26.1 points, 4.8 boards, 3.6 assists, 2.8 threes and 1.2 steals.