Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (side) is not expected to miss extended time, Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette reports. Watson played only six minutes in Monday's 128-125 overtime win against the Houston Rockets, leaving the action with a right trunk contusion. "Nothing long term as far as I can understand," Nuggets head coach David Adelman said postgame about Watson's injury, calling it a "stinger." Due to injuries, Watson has held a very important role in the rotation, starting every game over the last month. He has averaged 14.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 30.0 minutes as a starter. Watson must recover by Thursday to avoid missing his first game of the season.

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (ankle) suffered another injury blow in Monday's 121-103 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal reports. The enigmatic star tweaked his left ankle on a drive to the basket late in the fourth quarter. He missed the final 3:40 of action, finishing with 12 points, three rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block in 21 minutes. This was Morant's second game back after he missed 10 contests with a calf injury. Morant also dealt with a left ankle injury during preseason and didn't play in any of the exhibition games. Memphis will re-evaluate Morant on Tuesday to determine his availability for the rest of this week's slate.

Rockets' C Alperen Sengun recorded a triple-double, finishing with 33 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in a 125-128 loss to Denver on Monday, Dec. 15.

Denver's C Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 39 points, 10 assists and 15 rebounds in a 128-125 win over the Rockets on Monday, Dec. 15.

Mavericks' F Cooper Flagg scored 42 points on 13-of-27 shooting in a 133-140 loss to Utah on Monday, Dec. 15.

Memphis Grizzlies forward/center Brandon Clarke (knee) is not ready to make his season debut on Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers. The team has downgraded Clarke's status from doubtful to out. Clarke's next chance to return will be a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. With Zach Edey (ankle) ruled out for several weeks, Clarke could have a significant role in the rotation once he's available. A season ago, Clarke averaged 8.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game.

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (calf) will play on Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk reports. Some confusion arose about Harden's status when he was labeled a game-time decision, despite Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue seemingly confirming his availability during his pre-game press conference with reporters. Harden has struggled to score in meetings with Memphis this season, managing just 20.5 points per game on 38.7 percent shooting. However, he has notched one of his eight double-doubles against the Grizzlies, averaging 9.0 assists per contest in the matchup.

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant will continue to have his minutes monitored in Monday's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, Janis Carr of The Orange County Register reports. On Friday against the Utah Jazz, Morant returned from a 10-game absence and was limited to 25 minutes. He will likely have a similar workload on Monday. Even with the restriction, Morant recorded a double-double versus Utah, finishing with 21 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, and one block. Monday presents another favorable matchup for Morant, as the Clippers give up the 10th-most fantasy points this season to point guards.

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (calf) may not be available after all on Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue reportedly misspoke when he said Harden would definitely play against Memphis. According to Janis Carr of The Orange County Register, the former MVP is actually considered a game-time decision. If Harden is unavailable, Kris Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanovic are likely to take on larger roles.

Memphis Grizzlies guard/forward John Konchar (thumb) will be re-evaluated in three weeks, the team announced on Monday. Due to a UCL tear in his left thumb, Konchar will miss a second consecutive game on Monday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Konchar has averaged 13.0 minutes per game this season, posting 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds. He has recently enjoyed a slightly larger workload due to Memphis' injury situation. Konchar has joined Brandon Clarke (knee), Zach Edey (ankle), Ty Jerome (calf), Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), and Javon Small (toe) on the shelf.

Denver Nuggets guard/forward Julian Strawther (back) has been cleared to return to the lineup on Monday versus the Houston Rockets. He has missed 12 games due to a back problem and was initially listed as questionable for the matchup. Strawther's return adds another body to the Nuggets' rotation, but he likely won't play a large role for the team, even with Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Christian Braun (ankle) on the shelf. This season, Strawther has been limited to 3.7 points and 1.6 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per game.

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (calf) will suit up on Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. Due to a calf contusion, the former MVP was in danger of missing his second game of the season. However, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue has confirmed that Harden will play. Recently, Harden dropped 34 points on the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he has been sluggish overall this month. In five December outings, Harden has posted 22.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. The veteran superstar met the Grizzlies only a couple of weeks ago, settling for 16 points in 36 minutes and handing out seven assists.

Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (oblique) has been ruled out for Monday's clash against the Denver Nuggets, ESPN's Vanessa Richardson reports. He has been out of action since Nov. 14 due to a right oblique strain and isn't ready to return on Monday night after carrying a questionable tag on the initial injury report. Jabari Smith Jr. has taken on some heavy minutes during Eason's absence, with the Rockets also relying more on Josh Okogie and Jae'Sean Tate. Eason's next opportunity to return will come on Thursday night in a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Utah Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski will make his eighth start of the season in Monday's matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports. A spot in the starting five opened up after Jusuf Nurkic (rest) was ruled out for the contest. Filipowski posted a nice 21-point, 10-rebound double-double in his last start on Dec. 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Overall, he has averaged 9.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in a starting role this season. Filipowski is in a great spot to perform on Monday, as the Mavericks won't have Anthony Davis (calf) in the lineup, and they are a team that allows the fifth-most fantasy points in the league to centers.

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (ankle) will be limited to 17-20 minutes in Monday's contest against the Utah Jazz, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports. The athletic big man has featured in only one of Dallas' six games, missing time due to a lingering ankle injury. The Mavericks are without Anthony Davis (calf) on Monday, and with Gafford on a minutes restriction, Dwight Powell could have a larger workload. Moussa Cisse is also an option to get some work at the five spot.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Brandon Williams (Achilles) will miss Monday's meeting with the Utah Jazz. Earlier in the day, Williams was added to the injury report due to right Achilles soreness, and the team has downgraded him from questionable to out. Williams has been ever-present in the Mavericks lineup since November, averaging 10.8 points, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals in 21.8 minutes this season. Rookie Ryan Nembhard, who was promoted to the first unit late last month, looks set for a busy night in Dallas' backcourt, with Jaden Hardy potentially also having a significant role to play.

Dallas Mavericks forward/center Anthony Davis (calf) won't play on Monday against the Utah Jazz. Davis was listed as questionable on the initial injury report. The star big man participated in the morning shootaround, but Davis won't be ready to play on Monday after making five consecutive appearances. Fortunately for the Mavericks, they will have Daniel Gafford (ankle) available in the middle. Gafford has missed three games while managing an ankle injury. On Monday, Gafford will share the load at center with Dwight Powell and Moussa Cisse. This is a favorable matchup for Dallas' big men, as Utah gives up the seventh-most fantasy points to centers in the league.

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (toe) won't play against the Toronto Raptors on Monday. He was a late scratch for the contest as Herro continues to deal with a toe injury. Simone Fontecchio received the starting nod in Herro's place. Fontecchio's minutes have fluctuated lately, but he could secure a regular spot in the rotation again if Herro must miss additional time. Including Monday's contest, the 2025 All-Star has appeared in just one of the last four games due to a right big toe contusion.

Utah Jazz forward Georges Niang (foot) is not close to making his season debut, as the team announced he will be re-evaluated in two weeks. The veteran sniper has not been able to play so far this campaign due to a stress reaction in the fourth metatarsal of his left foot. Utah could really use Niang's shooting ability, as the team is currently ranked 25th in three-point shooting percentage. Niang has been a 40.6 percent career shooter beyond the arc. Youngsters like Ace Bailey and Brice Sensabaugh have more playing opportunities with Niang out.

Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (illness) will return from a one-game absence on Monday against the Miami Heat. Due to illness, Quickley missed his first game of the season last week against the New York Knicks. Jamal Shead started in Quickley's place and will return to the second unit on Monday night. However, the continued absence of RJ Barrett (knee) means Shead will likely remain a significant piece in the rotation. Quickley has blown hot and cold in December, averaging 19.5 points and 5.5 assists. He finds himself in a great spot to make noise on Monday, as the Heat allow the fifth-most fantasy points in the league to point guards.