May 29, 2025
Indiana Pacers forward
Aaron Nesmith (ankle) has been cleared to play in Thursday's Game 5 against the New York Knicks. He was initially listed as questionable for the contest due to a right ankle sprain Nesmith suffered in Game 3 of the series. Nesmith has been excellent in the series, averaging 16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals with red-hot 61.9 percent shooting from downtown. The Knicks must do a better job guarding Nesmith around the three-point line; otherwise, their season could be over following Thursday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: Indiana Pacers
May 29, 2025
Minnesota Timberwolves power forward
Julius Randle led his squad with 24 points in Wednesday's disappointing 124-94 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, which ended the team's season. Randle finished 8-for-14 from the field and went 4-for-6 from three-point land, adding five rebounds, three assists, and one steal to his tally. The 30-year-old impressed through the first two series during the postseason but had a tough time against the Thunder, finishing two games with single-digit scoring. A second consecutive trip to the Western Conference Finals shows that Minnesota's move to acquire Randle worked out well, though he did not reach the level of play that earned him All-Star honors in New York. Randle's numbers dipped across the board, as he averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists across 69 regular-season appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 29, 2025
Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward
Anthony Edwards was ineffective against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, notching only 19 points on 7-for-18 shooting in a season-ending 124-94 loss. Minnesota's offense was flat from the beginning, as the team scored only nine first-quarter points, and Edwards' crew never recovered. The Timberwolves superstar had more turnovers (3) than assists (2) while shooting 1-for-7 from behind the arc. After posting back-to-back 30-point efforts, Edwards managed only 35 total points over the final two games of the series. It was a hugely disappointing finish to an otherwise successful campaign. This season, Edwards led the league with 320 three-point makes, pushing his scoring average to a career-high 27.6 points. Additionally, he recorded 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 29, 2025
Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward
Jalen Williams produced another good all-around performance in Wednesday's blowout win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, racking up 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block. While he went only 1-for-4 with the three-ball, Williams shot a solid 7-for-14 overall and had a 4-for-5 record at the foul line. Williams was a two-way beast against the Timberwolves, averaging 22.2 points and 2.0 steals per game. He will be expected to keep up this level of play in the team's first NBA Finals since 2012.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 29, 2025
Oklahoma City Thunder forward/center
Chet Holmgren recorded 22 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks in Wednesday's series-clinching 124-94 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He had his third outing in four games with at least 20 points, shooting 8-for-13 from the field, including 2-for-4 from outside, and 4-for-6 at the charity stripe. Before the series against his hometown Timberwolves, Holmgren had managed only two games with 20-plus points this postseason, showcasing a significant improvement in his offensive output leading up to the Finals. The 23-year-old is averaging 16.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks this postseason.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 29, 2025
Oklahoma City Thunder guard
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 34 points on 14-for-25 shooting as the team clinched a spot in the 2025 NBA Finals with a 124-94 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. The Timberwolves restricted Gilgeous-Alexander to just four free throws in Game 5, but they were still no match for the MVP and his team. Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished 2-for-4 from beyond the arc, recorded his 11th game of the postseason with at least 30 points and still had time to tally eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. He will now begin preparing for his first career Finals appearance, having averaged 29.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.6 steals during the playoffs.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 29, 2025
Golden State Warriors guard
Brandin Podziemski underwent left wrist debridement surgery Tuesday, the team announced. He is expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp. Podziemski had his sophomore campaign in 2024-25. While it had its ups and downs, the 22-year-old will be happy with how it ended, as Podziemski battled out a starting role during the second half of the season and had a couple of standout performances in the playoffs. He will look to take another step forward in 2025-26, having averaged 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals this campaign.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 28, 2025
Indiana Pacers forward
Aaron Nesmith (ankle) is listed as questionable for Thursday's Game 5 against the New York Knicks. He rolled his right ankle in Game 3 of the series and was also deemed questionable for Tuesday's Game 4. However, Nesmith managed to play through the injury, recording 16 points, three rebounds, one assist, and two steals in 32 minutes. Since he had no issues playing in Game 4, it seems likely that Nesmith will remain in the lineup on Thursday night. His presence limits the impact that
Ben Sheppard and
Bennedict Mathurin can have, although the latter impressed with a 20-point performance in just 12 minutes during Tuesday's 130-121 win.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
May 28, 2025
New York Knicks forward/center
Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) has been tagged as questionable for Thursday's Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers. He is dealing with a left knee contusion after getting hurt in a collision with Pacers forward
Aaron Nesmith during Game 4 on Tuesday night. If Towns can't play on Thursday, we will likely see
Josh Hart rejoin the first unit. However, with the Knicks' season on the line, Towns will likely do everything he can to play and help his team. The five-time All-Star has averaged 25.8 points and 11.5 rebounds in the Eastern Conference Finals, shooting an impressive 45.5 percent from three-point range.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
May 28, 2025
New York Knicks guard/forward
Josh Hart produced a double-double in Tuesday's 130-121 loss to the Indiana Pacers, despite coming off the bench for the second consecutive game. He was among the game's leading rebounders with 11 boards and posted 12 points on 3-for-5 shooting. He made five of six attempts at the foul line. However, on the negative side, Hart registered a game-high five turnovers in 36 minutes. The Knicks have dropped Hart to the bench in favor of
Mitchell Robinson, but he has continued to play starter's minutes and is sure to feature heavily in Thursday's elimination game. The veteran has averaged 8.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 35.8 minutes throughout the series against Indiana.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 28, 2025
New York Knicks forward/center
Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 12 rebounds with three assists in Tuesday's 130-121 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. He was the only Knicks starter with a positive plus/minus for the contest, shooting 8-for-15 from the field with a 1-for-2 mark from downtown and finishing 7-for-9 at the charity stripe. Towns posted his third double-double of the series and his 10th in his last 12 games. The Knicks will certainly need another big performance from the big man in Thursday's Game 5 to stay alive in the series. Towns may appear on the injury report before the game after hurting his left knee in a collision with
Aaron Nesmith late in Tuesday's game.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 28, 2025
New York Knicks point guard
Jalen Brunson finished Tuesday's 130-121 loss to the Indiana Pacers with a team-high 31 points, shooting 9-for-19 from the field and 11-for-12 at the free-throw line. He was 2-for-6 with the three-ball while completing his line with two rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block. This marks the third time in the series that Brunson's big individual effort did not lead to victory for the Knicks, who are now down 3-1 in the series and will be facing elimination on home court Thursday night. Brunson is averaging 33.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in the series. It looks like he must find one more gear for the Knicks to be competitive in the series.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 28, 2025
Indiana Pacers forward/center
Pascal Siakam shot 11-for-21 from the field and 5-for-6 at the charity stripe en route to 30 points in Tuesday's 130-121 victory over the New York Knicks. He matched his best performance of the postseason from behind the arc with a 3-for-4 effort. Following a relatively quiet night in Game 3, Siakam did a little bit of everything for the Pacers, finishing with five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. The 2019 NBA champion had his second 30-point outing in the series. New York has allowed him to take 20-plus shots in the games Siakam has gone off for 30-plus points, while he has attempted only 30 shots combined in the two games where his offensive production was limited. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau must devise a plan to limit Siakam's touches to boost his team's chances in the series.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 28, 2025
Indiana Pacers point guard
Tyrese Haliburton had a special outing in Tuesday's Game 4 against the New York Knicks, leading his team to a 130-121 victory. He became the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double in a Conference Finals game without a single turnover. Haliburton filled the stat sheet with 32 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, and four steals, leading his team in all four categories. The Pacers star shot 11-for-23 from the field, including 5-for-12 from outside, and finished 5-for-6 at the line. The matchup against the Knicks appears to be suiting Haliburton very well, as he has significantly increased his production. Through four games, he has averaged 24.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 11.0 assists, and 2.5 steals.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 28, 2025
Denver Nuggets point guard
Russell Westbrook has undergone surgery on his right hand. The team announced that the procedure was necessary to repair multiple ligament tears in his hand. In the announcement, the Nuggets mentioned that Westbrook is expected to resume full offseason training in the summer. This indicates that he will be at 100 percent for the start of next season. The former MVP has a $3.47 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign. While coming off the bench for most of the season, Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.4 steals in his first year with the Nuggets. He isn't the player he once was, but he can still make an impact in fantasy basketball.
--Taavi PailkSource: Denver Nuggets
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