April 24, 2025
Miami Heat guard
Tyler Herro was the leading scorer in Wednesday's 121-112 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, finishing with 33 points on 14-for-24 shooting. Over 40 minutes of action, Herro notched six rebounds and five assists, going 4-for-11 from three-point range. Sitting in a 2-0 deficit in the series, the Heat are in trouble, but Herro has been on fire during the postseason. Since the start of the Play-In Tournament, he has averaged 30.5 points. With him at the top of his game, there is still hope for Miami to take the series back to Cleveland.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 24, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers guard
Donovan Mitchell heated up in the final quarter and finished Wednesday's 121-112 victory over the Miami Heat with a team-high 30 points on 10-for-21 shooting. He tallied 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, including 10 over the final four minutes when Miami cut it to a two-point game. The Cavaliers star had a busy night, totaling six rebounds, six assists, and one steal over 36 minutes of action. Mitchell also had 30 points in the series opener and looks to be in fine form despite sitting out the end of the regular season due to an ankle injury.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 24, 2025
Orlando Magic forward
Paolo Banchero recorded 32 points on 12-for-25 shooting in Wednesday's 109-100 loss to the Boston Celtics. He finished 2-for-6 from three-point range and flirted with a triple-double, amassing nine rebounds and seven assists along with two blocks in 43 minutes. Banchero has been exceptional at the start of the postseason, but Orlando finds itself 2-0 down in the first-round series. The 22-year-old has averaged 34.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals, shooting 46.2 percent from beyond the arc. It seems the Magic may need even more from Banchero to make this a competitive series.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 24, 2025
Boston Celtics guard/forward
Jaylen Brown notched a game-high 36 points on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic, guiding his team to a 109-100 victory. With
Jayson Tatum (wrist) sidelined for the contest, Brown needed to take on more offensive duties, and he delivered one of the best postseason performances of his career. His line included 10 rebounds, five assists, and one steal in 42 minutes, as Brown shot 12-for-19 from the floor and an eye-popping 5-for-7 from downtown. Brown battled a knee injury late in the regular season but appears to be 100 percent, at least based on his effort in Wednesday's win. He will be leaned on heavily again on offense in Game 3 on Friday night if Tatum misses additional time.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 24, 2025
Houston Rockets guard
Jalen Green led all scorers with 38 points on 13-for-25 shooting on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors, helping the team tie the series at one with a 109-94 victory. The 23-year-old had a rough seven-point outing in his postseason debut on Sunday but looked like a completely different player in Game 2, hitting 8-for-18 from outside and completing his work with four rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Green tied a franchise record with eight triples made in a postseason game and became the youngest Rocket in history with 35-plus points in the playoffs. Houston will hope that this marks the end of Green's offensive slump, which included three regular-season games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 24, 2025
Golden State Warriors guard
Brandin Podziemski (illness) played only 14 minutes in Wednesday's Game 2 loss to the Houston Rockets. The 22-year-old battled a stomach bug, finishing scoreless with five shot attempts. Golden State added Podziemski late to the injury report with a questionable tag. He was upgraded to available before tip-off, but Podziemski clearly wasn't in good condition to play, missing the entire second quarter. The Warriors removed him from the contest with 9:44 left in the fourth quarter. Podziemski will now have two days to recover from the illness before the Warriors and Rockets meet in San Francisco on Saturday for Game 3.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 24, 2025
Golden State Warriors forward
Jimmy Butler III (pelvis) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday after experiencing a hard fall in Wednesday's Game 2 against the Houston Rockets. The six-time All-Star was limited to eight minutes in the contest, leaving the floor with 1:51 remaining in the first quarter. According to
Draymond Green, Butler told his teammates that "he feels good." Butler will have two days to recover before Game 3. His exit on Wednesday opened the door for
Jonathan Kuminga to re-enter the rotation. Playing for the first time since April 11, Kuminga recorded 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one block in 26 minutes. He may play a larger role again in Game 3 if Butler is unavailable.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 23, 2025
Golden State Warriors guard
Brandin Podziemski (illness) will be available to play on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets. The second-year player was a late addition to the injury report due to an illness, but Golden State has upgraded his status from questionable to available. This is great news for the Warriors, who are aiming to grab a 2-0 series lead on the road. Podziemski has been a regular starter since mid-February and began the first-round series with a strong performance on Sunday. He finished a 95-85 victory with 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals, sinking three attempts from downtown.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
April 23, 2025
Denver Nuggets forward
Michael Porter Jr. (shoulder) is listed as questionable on the injury report for Thursday's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers. After suffering a left shoulder sprain in Game 2 of the series on Monday night, Porter Jr. was able to participate in Wednesday's practice session, and Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman has expressed optimism regarding Porter Jr.'s availability for Thursday's game. However, the questionable designation leaves his status uncertain for Game 3.
Peyton Watson and
Russell Westbrook are candidates to start instead of Porter Jr., while
Jalen Pickett may also assume a more significant role in the rotation.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
April 23, 2025
Miami Heat guard
Davion Mitchell will start Wednesday's Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. After taking a heavy 121-100 beating in Game 1, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has decided to replace
Alec Burks in the first unit with Mitchell. Mitchell's performance was one of only a few bright spots for Miami in Game 1, as he tallied 18 points, four rebounds, nine assists, and one steal. During the regular season, Mitchell made 37 starts, averaging 8.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 29.6 minutes.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Serena Winters
April 23, 2025
Golden State Warriors guard
Brandin Podziemski (illness) has been listed as questionable for Wednesday's Game 2 against the Houston Rockets. He is a late addition to the injury report due to an illness. Podziemski has played well in recent weeks and was also a major factor in Golden State's Game 1 victory, notching 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Buddy Hield and
Gary Payton II will be expected to contribute more if Podziemski is unable to play on Wednesday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brett Siegel
April 23, 2025
Boston Celtics forward/center
Al Horford has been confirmed as
Jayson Tatum's (wrist) replacement in the starting lineup for Game 2 against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. He is joining the first unit for the 43rd time this term. During the regular season, Horford averaged 9.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in a starting role. In Game 1, Horford already logged 25 minutes as a reserve, so there should be a good amount of minutes available for the rest of the Celtics bench as well on Wednesday night.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sean Grande
April 23, 2025
Denver Nuggets forward
Michael Porter Jr. (shoulder) participated in a light practice on Wednesday and looks to be on track to play in Thursday's Game 3 against the Los Angeles Clippers. Porter Jr. injured his left shoulder in Game 2. Following practice, Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman told reporters that he is "very optimistic" that Porter Jr. will be available for Thursday's contest. The Nuggets saw Porter Jr. contribute only three points in Saturday's series opener, but he did much better on Monday night, finishing with a 15-point, 15-rebound double-double. Denver will likely turn to
Peyton Watson if Porter Jr. does not feel ready to play on Thursday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Bennett Durando
April 23, 2025
Boston Celtics forward
Jayson Tatum (wrist) has been officially ruled out for Wednesday's Game 2 against the Orlando Magic. This is not surprising, given that the team initially listed Tatum as doubtful on the injury report. Games 3 and 4 are also scheduled for this week, so Tatum could miss several contests if he doesn't recover quickly from his wrist injury.
Al Horford is set to take on a larger role in the rotation in his absence, while the team will need to get more offense from
Jaylen Brown,
Kristaps Porzingis, and
Derrick White.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Boston Celtics
April 23, 2025
Detroit Pistons forward/center
Isaiah Stewart (knee) has been listed as questionable for Game 3 against the New York Knicks on Thursday night. He exited the lineup for Game 2 due to inflammation in his right knee and may have to sit out another game.
Paul Reed played well as Stewart's replacement in the rotation on Monday, but didn't see a lot of action. He finished with six points, one rebound, one steal, and one block in 11 minutes. Starting center
Jalen Duren, who posted 12 points and 13 rebounds with three blocks, logged a big shift with 37 minutes and will be relied upon heavily again on Thursday night if Stewart can't play.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
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