5 hours agoIndiana Pacers point guard
T.J. McConnell enjoyed another productive bench outing on Monday against the Celtics, scoring 15 points and tallying five rebounds, four assists, and one steal as Indiana's season ended with a 105-102 loss. He finished with 7-for-16 shooting, missing his lone attempt from three-point range. McConnell impressed throughout the playoffs with his high-energy performances off the bench. He averaged 11.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists across 20.5 minutes. Plenty of teams will likely be looking at him as a potential offseason acquisition, with McConnell on a very affordable $9.3 million deal for next season. Recent reports suggest that he has been a long-term target of the Phoenix Suns, who are desperate for a point guard.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 hours agoIndiana Pacers forward/center
Pascal Siakam finished the 2023-24 campaign with a double-double, notching 19 points and 10 rebounds in Monday's 105-102 loss to the Celtics. His line included three assists as Siakam shot 8-for-18 from the field with a 0-for-3 effort from downtown. It was a bad ending to an otherwise productive series, which saw Siakam become the first player in history to record 50-plus points with zero free-throw attempts in the first two games of a Conference Finals series. The Cameroonian star is set to become an unrestricted free agent, but he had a good spell with the Pacers and is expected to re-sign with the team. He is eligible for a five-year, $245 million deal.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 hours agoIndiana Pacers guard
Andrew Nembhard was the squad's leading scorer with 24 points on 10-for-18 shooting as the team's season ended with a Game 4 defeat against Boston on Monday. The 24-year-old added 10 assists for a nice double-double and recorded six rebounds with one steal and one block. Indiana will be very disappointed by getting swept in the Eastern Conference Finals, but Nembhard's performances in the series are definitely a positive for the team. He averaged 28.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 9.5 assists in the two full games played without
Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring). This was only his second season in the league, and Nembhard could be ready to make big strides in 2024-25.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 hours agoBoston Celtics guard
Jrue Holiday finished Monday's Game 4 victory against Indiana with 17 points, nine rebounds, and two assists, shooting 7-for-13 from the floor and hitting twice from downtown with six attempts. Despite picking up an illness bug in the middle of the series, Holiday was highly efficient throughout the matchup. He hit nearly 42 percent of his three-point attempts and shot 58.7 percent overall to average 18.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.5 steals. With him in such good form, the Celtics look near unbeatable.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 hours agoBoston Celtics guard
Derrick White had an incredible defensive performance against the Pacers in Monday's closeout game, recording five steals and three blocks. He also picked up four rebounds and four assists in the contest, capping off the big performance with a game-winning three-pointer to push Boston into the 2024 NBA Finals. He was a poor 2-for-9 with the three-ball for the night but shot a solid 7-for-14 overall to finish with 16 points. Incredibly, White leads the C's in both blocks and three-pointers made in these playoffs. He's averaging 17.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 0.9 steals for the postseason.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 hours agoBoston Celtics forward
Jayson Tatum collected his 11th double-double of the 2024 postseason on Monday with 26 points and 13 rebounds in a 105-102 win over the Pacers. He was two assists short of a triple-double and added one steal to his tally. It was a productive effort from Tatum, although the Celtics star had a tough time from three-point range with a 3-for-11 effort, which left a bad mark on his shooting efficiency. He finished the closeout game with 11-for-26 overall shooting. Tatum's shooting struggles aren't anything new in these playoffs, but he has improved his numbers throughout the postseason and pushed his scoring average to 30.3 points in the Eastern Conference Finals. The five-time All-Star also recorded 10.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.3 steals in the series.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 hours agoBoston Celtics guard/forward
Jaylen Brown was named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP on Monday after his squad completed a sweep against Indiana. Brown ended the series with a 29-point effort on 11-for-22 shooting while filling up the stat sheet in a 105-102 win with six rebounds, two assists, three steals, and one block. He averaged 29.8 points in the series with 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals. In Game 2 of the series, Brown became the first player in Celtics history with multiple 40-point efforts in the Eastern Conference Finals. The 27-year-old didn't make any of the All-NBA teams this season, but he must be fired up by the snub and continues to play a hugely important role for Boston.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
18 hours agoDallas Mavericks center
Dereck Lively II (neck) is doubtful for Tuesday's playoff meeting with Minnesota. The rookie to a knee from
Karl-Anthony Towns to the back of the head on Sunday night and didn't return, with the team reporting he suffered a sprained neck. It's a tough blow for Dallas, considering Lively averaged 11.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in the first two games of the Western Conference Finals. Numerous outlets have reported that he's already been ruled out, so DFS managers shouldn't expect to see him on the floor. As a result,
Daniel Gafford could spend more minutes in the middle. The Mavs could also give work to
Dwight Powell and
Maxi Kleber (shoulder), with the latter being listed as questionable heading into Tuesday evening.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
18 hours agoAccording to NBA insider Evan Sidery, the Warriors are anticipated to "actively shop" forward
Andrew Wiggins this offseason. The 29-year-old has nearly $85 million remaining on his current contract. However, with the emergence of
Jonathan Kuminga in 2023-24, the Warriors could move Wiggins to upgrade another area of need. He averaged a career-low 13.2 points last season, meaning his fantasy outlook isn't as bright as in previous years. But Wiggins is still young enough to turn things around, especially if he gets more looks at the basket with a new team.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Evan Sidery
18 hours agoAccording to NBA insider Evan Sidery, the Philadelphia 76ers could make a push to acquire Pelicans forward
Brandon Ingram this offseason. There are reports the Sixers are interested in
Paul George. But if George decides to remain in Los Angeles, Philadelphia views Ingram as a "plan B option." The 26-year-old is coming off a down season, averaging 20.8 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.1 boards. He also shot 35.5% from behind the arc. With that said, Ingram is always one of the best players on the floor. Yet, he can't stay healthy, so his fantasy stock is nearly at an all-time low.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Evan Sidery
18 hours agoAccording to NBA insider Evan Sidery, the Pelicans and Cavaliers are expected to "re-engage" in discussions surrounding guard
Darius Garland. The Cavs may want to break up the backcourt duo of Garland and
Donovan Mitchell. Of course, Cleveland would rather keep Mitchell on the roster. If that happens, Garland could be on his way to a new team. The 24-year-old averaged 18.0 points during the 2023-24 campaign, over three points fewer than the previous season. He also appeared in only 57 games due to injury. There's no denying Garland's upside. However, he isn't a reliable offensive contributor. His inability to stay healthy will also negatively impact his fantasy stock. But the 2019 No. 5 overall pick could benefit from a change of scenery and surpass fantasy expectations if he can figure out how to stay on the floor. The Pelicans could also use a stable presence at the one position.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Evan Sidery
20 hours agoIndiana Pacers guard
Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) won't play in Monday's pivotal matchup with the Boston Celtics. He injured his left hamstring in Game 2 and was ruled out for Game 3 on Friday night. While the team had him listed as questionable on the league's official injury report, most had assumed he wouldn't be available. With that said, Haliburton's status for the remainder of the series is a mystery. However, the Pacers would be eliminated from the postseason with a loss on Monday night, so his status might not matter as much after Game 4. Nonetheless, DFS managers should anticipate more production from
T.J. McConnell,
Andrew Nembhard,
Pascal Siakam, and
Myles Turner.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA On TNT
1 day agoMinnesota Timberwolves forward
Kyle Anderson had a good 17-minute outing off the bench in Sunday's Game 3 loss to the Mavericks. He finished with 10 points, three assists, and two blocks, scoring eight of his points inside a five-minute stretch in the fourth quarter to give Minnesota a 104-102 lead. Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, the team was able to add just three more points on the board in the final five minutes, losing 116-107. Minnesota has had an awful time in the series, losing all three games so far, but Anderson has done well in the matchup. He's shot 63.2 percent from the field to average 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 18.0 minutes.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoMinnesota Timberwolves forward/center
Karl-Anthony Towns had another night to forget in the Western Conference Finals on Sunday, finishing a 116-107 loss to Dallas with 14 points on 5-for-18 shooting. His ugly shooting performance included a 0-for-8 effort from three-point range. Towns has been very active from deep in the series, but he's nailed only three shots, with his 13.6 percent efficiency the worst in Conference Finals history among players with at least five attempts. Overall, Towns has shot 27.8 percent in the series to average 15 points. On Sunday, the Timberwolves big man at least managed to salvage some of his line with a game-high 11 rebounds, which gave him his seventh postseason double-double of the year. The Timberwolves need a massive improvement from Towns to extend their season beyond Tuesday's Game 4.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoMinnesota Timberwolves guard/forward
Anthony Edwards posted a team-high 26 points in Sunday's Game 3 loss against Dallas, shooting 11-for-24 from the field with no makes from downtown. It was another inefficient scoring performance from the Timberwolves star, although Edwards played better compared to the previous games and was even close to triple-double numbers. The 22-year-old picked up nine rebounds with nine assists and two turnovers. Edwards has been limited to only 38.6 percent shooting in the Western Conference Finals, and the Timberwolves are in big trouble following three losses.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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