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Steve Blake - G - Los Angeles Lakers

Steve Blake returned to action on Thursday from a rib injury and had five points in 32 minutes.

The fact he played so many minutes is impressive, but he was 2-of-7 with one 3-pointer and zero assists. At some point he might challenge Derek Fisher for the starting job, but it could take some time for him to get back in a groove.

Feb. 9, 2012 - 11:05 PM ET
Andrew Bynum - C - Los Angeles Lakers

Andrew Bynum had 16 points, 17 rebounds, a steal and a block in Thursday's overtime win against the Celtics.

He's a starting All-Star for a reason, and took advantage of a matchup with Jermaine O'Neal tonight. Maybe the short season will actually work in Bynum's favor, as he has been fantastic since opening night.

Feb. 9, 2012 - 11:05 PM ET
Pau Gasol - F/C - Los Angeles Lakers

Pau Gasol, likely disappointed by an All-Star snub, had 25 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks as the Lakers held on to beat the Celtics in overtime on Thursday.

In addition to the nice line, Gasol blocked a putback attempt from Ray Allen at the buzzer that saved the game for the Lakers, and also made some clutch plays near the end of regulation. Maybe the All-Star snub will motivate him for the rest of the season.

Steve Blake - G - Los Angeles Lakers

Steve Blake (ribs) will play against the Celtics Thursday.

Blake's conditioning isn't where it needs to be yet, so we wouldn't expect much more than 15-20 minutes. Before going down, Blake was averaging 7.2 points and 2.8 assists as Derek Fisher's backup.

Steve Blake - G - Los Angeles Lakers

Steve Blake (ribs) is "expected to play" on Thursday against the Celtics.

Blake took part in shootaround on Wednesday and said "I'm feeling pretty good." The point guard will wear a protective vest which he called a "bubble pad" to protect the damaged cartilage in his rib area. He's officially a game-time decision, but all indications are that he'll be back out on the floor after being out since January 11. Blake was averaging 7.2 points, 2.8 assists and 1.4 treys in 24 minutes per game prior to getting injured.

Kobe Bryant - G - Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant told beat writer Kevin Ding that the torn ligament in his wrist is fully healed.

Most fantasy owners should have already stopped being too concerned about Kobe's wrist, but it's nice to have confirmation that the wrist has somehow fully healed despite a high volume of shots. Kobe's is no longer taking pre-game injections and is not even taping the wrist anymore (which helps his ability to shoot 3-pointers). Bryant has provided first-round value in 8-category and 9-category leagues this year and should be able to keep it up going forward.

Steve Blake - G - Los Angeles Lakers

Steve Blake (ribs) practiced Wednesday, and is a game-time call for Thursday's matchup with the Celtics.

Blake's return will be good news for the Lakers, but has no measurable impact outside of extremely deep fantasy leagues. The platoon PG is averaging 7.3 points, 2.8 assists and 1.4 threes in 24 minutes per game this season.

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