April 23, 2025
Memphis Grizzlies forward/center
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a team-high 26 points on 10-for-17 shooting in Tuesday's 118-99 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jackson Jr. capped off his line with six rebounds as he bounced back impressively from his four-point effort in Game 1, going 2-for-3 from three-point land and 4-for-6 at the charity stripe. The two-time All-Star delivered an efficient scoring performance, yet he finished with the game's worst plus/minus at minus-20. Memphis needs much more from him defensively, as Jackson Jr. has yet to register a block in the series and has one steal across two games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 23, 2025
Oklahoma City Thunder guard
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went only 10-for-29 from the field in Tuesday's Game 2 against the Memphis Grizzlies but still finished as the top scorer with 27 points in a 118-99 win. The MVP candidate completed his line with eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals while going 3-for-10 from beyond the arc. Gilgeous-Alexander's shooting performance was even worse in Game 1, but the Thunder have still secured two dominant wins in the series, which reflects poorly on the Grizzlies. This could turn out to be a very short series, especially with Gilgeous-Alexander likely desperate to improve his efficiency going forward. So far, he has shot only 33.3 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from downtown, averaging 21.0 points with 5.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 23, 2025
Indiana Pacers forward/center
Pascal Siakam was the team's leading scorer in Tuesday's 123-115 Game 2 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, contributing 24 points on 8-for-16 shooting. He finished 2-for-5 from downtown and nailed all of his six free-throws. It was a big performance all around for Siakam, as he posted a double-double with 11 rebounds and had three assists and three steals. Siakam also led Indiana in scoring in Game 1 and has kicked off the series in impressive form. Over the first two games, the 2019 NBA champion has averaged 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals, with 58.1 percent shooting from the floor.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 23, 2025
Milwaukee Bucks forward/center
Giannis Antetokounmpo led all players with 34 points and 18 rebounds on Tuesday night against the Indiana Pacers, but still had to leave the court on the losing side as the Bucks were defeated 123-115. Milwaukee had
Damian Lillard back in the lineup, but he contributed only 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting, and the team continued to rely heavily on Antetokounmpo on the offensive end. He finished with 14-for-20 shooting from the field and went 6-for-10 with his free throws. Antetokounmpo also had seven assists and one block in the game. The Bucks are now 2-0 down in the first-round series, despite Antetokounmpo averaging 35.0 points and 15.0 rebounds. He will need more support in the upcoming home games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 23, 2025
Minnesota Timberwolves power forward
Julius Randle posted a team-high 27 points on 9-for-17 shooting in Tuesday's 94-85 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. After settling for 16 points in the series opener, Randle already had 15 points by halftime and finished with his postseason career high, making 2-for-4 from deep and 7-for-9 at the line. Randle had a major role as a playmaker as well, registering six of Minnesota's 14 assists in the game. He also notched four rebounds, one steal, and one block. As a former Laker, success in the matchup would be especially meaningful for Randle, and he has started the series well. Ahead of Game 3, the 30-year-old boasts a 60 percent success rate from three-point range, with averages of 21.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 23, 2025
Los Angeles Lakers point guard
Luka Doncic scored a game-high 31 points on 9-for-20 shooting in Tuesday's 94-85 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Scoring came hard for most players on the night, but Doncic made it back-to-back 30-point efforts for himself in the series, hitting 2-for-8 from downtown and 11-for-11 at the charity stripe. He nearly had a triple-double, finishing with 12 rebounds and nine assists. It seems the Timberwolves players will have nightmares of Doncic for the second consecutive year, as he has averaged 34.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists through the first two games of the series.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 23, 2025
Houston Rockets center
Jock Landale (knee) will not be in the lineup on Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors. He also missed Game 1 of the matchup on Sunday due to a right knee contusion. Houston frequently employed a two-center lineup during the series opener, meaning Landale could be a valuable addition to the rotation. However, even when healthy, the Australian big man has had a limited impact this season, averaging 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.9 minutes.
Alperen Sengun and
Steven Adams are set for another busy night on Wednesday. Sengun led the Rockets in scoring on Sunday with 26 points, while Adams grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
April 23, 2025
Houston Rockets forward
Jae'Sean Tate (ankle) will remain sidelined for Game 2 against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night. The 29-year-old is nursing an ankle injury, which took him out of action with two games to go in the regular season. Tate is a versatile player who can contribute to his team in several areas, but he has not seen much playing time this term. During the regular season, Tate averaged 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 11.3 minutes.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
April 22, 2025
Miami Heat point guard
Terry Rozier (ankle) has been downgraded to out for Wednesday's Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He injured his left ankle in Monday's practice and was initially considered questionable for the contest. Rozier has not had a role in Miami's regular rotation, so his absence won't make much of a difference.
Davion Mitchell has been the first guard off the bench and is likely to shoulder a big load again on Wednesday night. He almost posted a double-double in Game 1, notching 18 points and nine assists in 34 minutes.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
April 22, 2025
Milwaukee Bucks point guard
Damian Lillard (calf) will return from a 15-game absence on Tuesday against the Indiana Pacers but may have a limited workload. According to Bucks head coach Doc Rivers, Lillard will start the contest, but the team plans to monitor his conditioning and minutes. After being sidelined for several weeks due to a blood clot in his right calf, Lillard has participated in only three practices with the Bucks. Lillard is set to replace
Ryan Rollins in the starting lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jeremiah Johnson
April 22, 2025
Boston Celtics forward
Jayson Tatum (wrist) carries a doubtful tag on the injury report for Wednesday's Game 2 against the Orlando Magic. Tatum injured his right wrist in Sunday's Game 1 win and has been labeled day-to-day. The doubtful designation suggests it is unlikely he will play on Wednesday night. Boston will likely use
Al Horford as Tatum's replacement in the starting lineup, while
Sam Hauser is also an option. At the same time,
Jaylen Brown and
Kristaps Porzingis will become the team's primary scoring options, although the latter struggled in the series opener, finishing with just five points on 1-for-8 shooting.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
April 22, 2025
Milwaukee Bucks point guard
Damian Lillard (calf) will be back in action on Tuesday against the Indiana Pacers. He has been cleared to return from a deep-vein thrombosis in his right calf, which sidelined Lillard for the final weeks of the regular season and Game 1 against the Pacers. Lillard's presence is sure to provide a boost for the Bucks, who lost Saturday's series opener 117-98. However, the nine-time All-Star struggled in this matchup during the regular season, scoring only 18.3 points per game on 35.5 percent shooting from the field.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
April 22, 2025
Denver Nuggets center
Nikola Jokic recorded his 19th career postseason triple-double in Monday's 105-102 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, finishing with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. He added three steals to his tally while shooting 8-for-16 from the field with a 4-for-8 effort from deep. Jokic had an extremely busy night and played the entire second half. Fatigue may have contributed to Jokic recording five of his seven turnovers after halftime, including three in the fourth quarter. Still, it was another hugely impressive performance from Jokic, who trails only Magic Johnson (30) and
LeBron James (28) on the all-time postseason triple-doubles list.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 22, 2025
Los Angeles Clippers forward
Kawhi Leonard was sensational in Monday's matchup against the Denver Nuggets, helping the team tie the first-round series with a 105-102 road win. Leonard already had 21 points by halftime and finished as the leading scorer in the contest with 39 points on 15-for-19 shooting. He went 4-for-7 from deep, including a buzzer-beating triple to end the first half. The two-time Finals MVP also produced a high-level defensive effort, notching two steals and one block. Additionally, he had three rebounds and five assists in 39 minutes. Leonard has always been a strong playoff performer and looks set to have another impressive series. With two games played, he is shooting 70.6 percent against the Nuggets, averaging 30.5 points with 2.5 steals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
April 22, 2025
New York Knicks point guard
Jalen Brunson put up a game-high 37 points on 12-for-27 shooting in Monday's 100-94 Game 2 loss to the Detroit Pistons. Brunson made it back-to-back 30-point efforts to start the 2025 postseason, but he failed to lead his team to victory this time around. The two-time All-Star finished 4-for-12 from downtown and shot 9-for-11 from the free-throw line, wrapping things up with three rebounds, seven assists, and two steals across 44 minutes of action. For the second game in a row, Brunson briefly exited the contest in the fourth quarter, which is slightly concerning. However, even if he is dealing with some ailment, it certainly isn't affecting his performance. Through the first two games of the series, Brunson has averaged an impressive 35.5 points along with 7.5 assists.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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