May 15, 2025
New York Knicks guard/forward
Josh Hart was the team's top scorer with 24 points on 7-for-15 shooting in Wednesday's heavy 127-102 defeat to the Boston Celtics. Hart's night began painfully when he sustained a cut near his eye in a collision with Celtics center
Luke Kornet, leaving his face and uniform covered in blood. Despite this, he ultimately had his best offensive outing of the postseason. The veteran finished 5-for-9 from downtown and bagged seven rebounds with two assists in 36 minutes.
Jalen Brunson and
Karl-Anthony Towns both battled foul trouble and combined for only 41 points. Hart's offensive outburst came at a good time for the Knicks, but his efforts weren't enough on Wednesday. Going into Game 6 on Friday, he holds averages of 15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists for the series.
--Taavi Pailk
May 15, 2025
Boston Celtics guard
Derrick White scored a game-high 34 points on 9-for-16 shooting in Wednesday's must-win clash against the New York Knicks, playing a key role in a 127-102 win. White was hot offensively right from the start and dropped seven three-point bombs on the Knicks with 13 attempts. As usual, he was also highly impactful on the defensive end, racking up three blocks. Additionally, White's line included three rebounds and two assists for the night. White stepped up big time on Wednesday night, offering Celtics fans hope that everything is not lost with
Jayson Tatum's (Achilles) injury. With Boston still in survival mode for Friday's Game 6, we can expect another busy night from White.
--Taavi Pailk
May 15, 2025
Boston Celtics center
Luke Kornet turned into an unexpected hero in Wednesday night's Game 5 against the New York Knicks, producing a hugely impressive two-way performance off the bench in a 127-102 victory. Kornet finished the contest with 10 points, nine rebounds, one assist, one steal, and a career-high seven blocks. It's the third-highest number of blocks a player has achieved coming off the bench in NBA Playoffs history. The seven-footer from Vanderbilt shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and ended up logging 26 minutes on the floor, as Boston played the entire second half without
Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis, who finished with one point in 12 minutes of action on Wednesday, is clearly not himself this postseason, and the Celtics may need to rely even more on Kornet going forward.
--Taavi Pailk
May 15, 2025
Boston Celtics guard/forward
Jaylen Brown had one of his best postseason games of the year in Wednesday's matchup against the New York Knicks, finishing a 127-102 win with a 26-point, 12-assist double-double. Brown needed to take on extra offensive duties with
Jayson Tatum (Achilles) lost for the rest of the way, and he relished the occasion, posting a new career high in assists and missing a triple-double by only two rebounds. He shot 9-for-17 from the field, including 3-for-5 from outside, and tallied one steal on the defensive end. Brown formed a dangerous attacking duo with
Derrick White on Wednesday, as the two combined for nearly half (60) of Boston's points. The Knicks will be in trouble if they can't slow them down on Friday night in Game 6.
--Taavi Pailk
May 15, 2025
Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward
Anthony Edwards recorded a double-double with 22 points and 12 assists in Wednesday's series-clinching 121-110 win over the Golden State Warriors. He added seven rebounds, one steal, and three blocks to his tally, shooting 8-for-15 from the field and 5-for-9 from downtown. Edwards' offensive play was so impactful that he was plus-20 for the game, despite committing seven of the team's 20 turnovers. Minnesota's young superstar is enjoying a great postseason, giving the team hope that they can make it all the way to the NBA Finals. Edwards has averaged 26.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.5 steals through the first two rounds.
--Taavi Pailk
May 15, 2025
Minnesota Timberwolves power forward
Julius Randle scored a game-high 29 points on 13-for-18 shooting as the team eliminated the Golden State Warriors from the playoffs with a 121-110 win on Wednesday. It was a slow start for Randle, who managed only five points in the opening frame, but he impressed throughout the series, and Golden State struggled to contain him once again. The three-time All-Star shot 2-for-6 from three-point range and added eight rebounds and five assists to his line. While Randle did plenty of offensive damage against the Warriors, averaging 25.2 points per game, he must improve his ball-handling in the Western Conference Finals. He gave up the rock at least three times in four of five games, committing a total of 18 turnovers.
--Taavi Pailk
May 14, 2025
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.com, Chicago Bulls center
Nikola Vucevic is someone who could be involved in trade discussions this offseason. It's worth noting that this isn't the first time his name has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate. But the veteran is looking to win now, and he's also entering the final year of his current agreement. Vucevic continues to play at a high level despite being in the National Basketball Association for well over a decade, finishing the 2024-25 campaign by averaging 18.5 points and 10.1 rebounds. He also shot a career-high 53.0% from the field while draining 40.2% of his attempts from deep. Granted, he can be a liability on the defensive end at times. Still, he should remain a reliable fantasy option for at least another season, potentially flirting with another trip to the All-Star game before calling it a career.
--Dennis Clausen
May
14,
2025
Philadelphia
76ers
guard
Jared
McCain
is
progressing
after
undergoing
surgery
in
December
on
a
torn
meniscus
in
his
left
knee.
"It's
going
great,"
said
McCain
to
Cyro
Asseo
of
HoopsHype.com
regarding
his
rehab
efforts.
"Slowly
getting
back.
read more...
May 14, 2025
Golden State Warriors point guard
Stephen Curry (hamstring) was cleared for shooting drills and light on-court workouts on Wednesday. The team re-evaluated him on Wednesday and announced that he was "making good progress" in his recovery from the hamstring injury sustained in Game 1 of the second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. If Golden State extends the series with a win on Wednesday, Curry will be re-evaluated again on Saturday, ahead of Sunday's Game 6 in San Francisco. The odds are certainly against the Warriors on Wednesday night, but they can draw belief from their Game 1 victory, during which Curry logged only 13 minutes.
Brandin Podziemski and
Buddy Hield will continue to carry the backcourt in Curry's absence.
--Taavi Pailk
May 14, 2025
Boston Celtics forward
Sam Hauser (ankle) will rejoin the lineup for Wednesday's Game 5 against the New York Knicks. He has been cleared to return after missing three games due to a right ankle sprain. Hauser has been limited to 2.7 points and 1.3 rebounds in 13.0 minutes this postseason. However, he may now have a larger role in the rotation due to
Jayson Tatum's (Achilles) absence. To become impactful again, Hauser must start hitting his threes again. He has finished four of his six playoff outings without a single make from behind the arc.
--Taavi Pailk
May 14, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers guard
Donovan Mitchell put up a game-high 35 points as the team's campaign ended with a 114-105 home loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. Mitchell led the Cavaliers offense but struggled massively to hit shots, finishing 8-for-25 from the field, including 4-for-13 from behind the arc. He was 15-for-21 at the charity stripe, failing to hit a single shot late in the game after he was fouled during a three-point attempt. The six-time All-Star, who played through a left ankle injury, completed his work with nine rebounds, one assist, four steals, and one block. After dominating for most of the year, the Cavaliers seemed poised for something special. Instead, they became the fourth team in NBA history to win at least 64 games in the regular season and fail to advance past the second round. The team has won only two playoff series in three years since Mitchell's arrival, and another postseason filled with trade speculation may follow.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 14, 2025
Indiana Pacers point guard
Tyrese Haliburton led his side with 31 points on 10-for-15 shooting as the team finished off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 114-105 road win. Cleveland limited Haliburton to 15 total points in Games 3 and 4, but he completely ran the show on Tuesday night, hitting 6-for-10 from downtown and dishing out eight assists. Additionally, Haliburton collected six rebounds, had one steal, and one block. Last year, Haliburton was injured during the Conference Finals, and he now gets a chance to make up for lost time. The talented playmaker has notched 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game in 10 postseason appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 14, 2025
Denver Nuggets point guard
Jamal Murray had his second-highest scoring game of the postseason with 28 points in Tuesday's 112-105 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Canadian star flirted with a 30-point game, although Murray struggled to score efficiently. He went 10-for-27 from the field, including 3-for-13 from outside. In 42 minutes of action, Murray added four rebounds, three assists, and one block to his tally. While Murray has averaged 21.4 points per game against the Thunder, he has shot below 40 percent from the field in three of the five games and 39.5 percent overall in the matchup. A more efficient performance is needed from him for the Nuggets to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 14, 2025
Denver Nuggets center
Nikola Jokic was back to his best in Tuesday's 112-105 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder, leading all scorers with 44 points while tallying 15 rebounds, five assists, and two steals. After shooting 33.3 percent from the field over the last three games, Jokic went 17-for-25 from the field (68 percent) and was on fire from downtown with a 5-for-7 effort. However, the Nuggets failed to capitalize on their leader's incredible performance, blowing a lead in the fourth quarter to fall 3-2 behind in the series. With the Nuggets now in survival mode, Jokic will be expected to put together another monster line in Game 6 on Thursday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
May 14, 2025
Oklahoma City Thunder guard
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded a team-high 31 points on 12-for-23 shooting in Tuesday's 112-105 win over the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder grabbed a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals after outscoring Denver 34-19 in the fourth quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander had 10 points in the final frame. He left his fingerprints all over the game, completing his line with six rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks, while shooting 1-for-3 from three-point land. This was Gilgeous-Alexander's third 30-point effort in the series. Although Gilgeous-Alexander has struggled to hit three-pointers, he has otherwise demonstrated why he is among the MVP candidates, averaging 28.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.6 steals against the Nuggets.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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