RADIO
Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we will highlight three fantasy basketball takeaways from last night's slate of NBA games. We had a busy Sunday slate with 11 games taking place, as no games will be played tonight on Christmas Eve.
Although the Dallas Mavericks lost in overtime to the Portland Trail Blazers, Mavericks first round draft pick Luka Doncic has been playing great as of late and he nailed an absolutely insane three-pointer in the corner to force overtime. He finished the game with 23 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the tanking bowl, as the Cavaliers now hold the worst record in the Eastern Conference and are tied with the Phoenix Suns for the worst record in the NBA.
Let's take a look at the recap for NBA games on Sunday, December 23rd.
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Clutch Curry
Earlier, we discussed Doncic's corner three-pointer to force overtime in the Dallas/Portland game, but the heroics were continued with Stephen Curry's clutch late shot to secure the win for the Golden State Warriors over the Los Angeles Clippers 129-127.
Curry drove through the lane with four seconds remaining and lofted up an off-balance shot that fell through the hoop with less than a second left in the game. The basket lifted Curry to 42 points in the game, which included six three-pointers. He also added six rebounds.
Watching a healthy Curry is unlike many other feelings, and he is back to playing like an MVP.
Deandre Ayton Not Playing Like A Rookie
The first overall draft pick in last summer's draft has been extremely impressive this season, but last night's performance by Deandre Ayton stood out to me.
Ayton put up 26 points and 18 rebounds on 13-for-16 shooting. He tacked on three blocks and two steals, while logging 32 minutes. The big man has been on a tear for the majority of December with double-doubles in nine of his 12 games, as he has seen his minutes in the rotation be boosted over the past week.
Those who took a chance on him in their drafts are reaping the benefits, and those who don't own him should target him, as he will be a great addition to your roster for the remainder of the season, regardless of the Suns being a horrible team in reality.
Alex Len Provides Cheap Production
From a current Phoenix Sun to a former member of the organization, Alex Len has been putting up consistent numbers since joining the Atlanta Hawks. In a road win over the Detroit Pistons yesterday, Len notched a double-double with 15 points and 17 rebounds in 35 minutes, while having to guard both Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin.
The Pistons' front court duo combined for just 28 points and 22 rebounds, as the Hawks dominated the paint by outscoring them down low 52-40.
Len has received at least 30 minutes of playing time in three games this year and has posted a double-double in two of those games. He has seen an uptick in playing time this week, with two games of 21 minutes and then last night's contest of 35 minutes.
If Len can maintain his role in the rotation with around 30 minutes coming his way then he should be able to produce enough to make fantasy owners happy with their waiver wire addition.
