1 month agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Khris Middleton notched 29 points as the team fought off elimination in Game 5 against Indiana with a 115-92 victory on Tuesday. He was a superb 4-for-7 from behind the arc and shot 9-for-20 overall while adding a game-high 12 rebounds to his tally. Middleton posted his third consecutive double-double in the series and also helped out on offense with five assists. The Bucks would be dead and buried without his fantastic play in the 2024 playoffs. With
Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and
Damian Lillard (Achilles) battling injuries, Middleton had notched 26.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists against the Pacers.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoCleveland Cavaliers guard
Donovan Mitchell led his team with 28 points in Tuesday's Game 5 win over the Magic. The multi-time All-Star finally lived up to his reputation points-wise in the series, but he shot a poor 9-for-23 from the field, including 1-for-7 from outside. Mitchell also committed four of the team's 10 turnovers while picking up six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. The Cavaliers star has been off his game in the 2024 playoffs thus far, shooting below 23 percent from deep and averaging only 22.4 points. His other numbers have dropped as well compared to the regular season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoCleveland Cavaliers forward/center
Evan Mobley was the hero of the night in Tuesday's 104-103 Game 5 win over Orlando. With mere seconds left in regulation, Mobley blocked
Franz Wagner's layup to complete a good all-around performance. The USC product posted a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double and had four assists, two steals, and two blocks with 7-for-11 shooting. The Cavaliers needed every bit of Mobley's contributions after seeing
Jarrett Allen (ribs) ruled out for the contest. He's set to have a huge role again in Game 6 on Friday if Allen can't return.
Marcus Morris Sr. helped out on the frontcourt with 12 points and three rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoOrlando Magic forward
Paolo Banchero led the way with 39 points in Tuesday's 104-103 Game 5 loss to Cleveland. He shot 14-for-24 from the field and 4-for-7 from downtown en route to becoming the third-youngest player ever with 39-plus points in a playoff game, behind only
LeBron James and Magic Johnson. Banchero's night included eight rebounds and four assists with five turnovers. The Magic star now boasts two 30-point efforts in the series and is averaging 24.8 points overall, along with 7.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Orlando will need similar numbers from him in Friday's Game 6 to survive for another day.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoOrlando Magic guard/forward
Gary Harris suffered a hamstring strain in Tuesday's Game 5 against Cleveland. After averaging 28 minutes in the first four games of the series, the veteran was limited to a 19-minute outing. Harris came up with a pair of blocks in the contest but didn't contribute anything else on the box score, shooting 0-for-3.
Jalen Suggs went close to 40 minutes on the night with Harris out of the lineup for the fourth quarter.
Markelle Fultz and
Cole Anthony could be looked at for bigger contributions in Friday's Game 6 if Harris is unavailable.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Cody Taylor
1 month agoNew York Knicks guard
Jalen Brunson had a team-high 40 points in Tuesday's overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He added six assists, three rebounds, and three steals. While
Tyrese Maxey had a game-high 46 points, Brunson had another stellar performance. Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough, with the series heading back to Philly for Game 6. Brunson has scored at least 39 points in each of his last three games, and he has an excellent chance to remain as dominant on Thursday night.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoPhiladelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid had a triple-double in Tuesday's overtime win over the Knicks. Embiid's performance wasn't pretty, with the 30-year-old scoring only 19 points, by far his fewest of the series. While DFS managers appreciated his 16 rebounds, 10 assists, and four blocks, he still had nine turnovers. As usual, Embiid was favoring his knee during the contest. Although he'll likely appear on the injury report ahead of Game 6 on Thursday night, he should be on the floor. Embiid has played better at home during the series, including a 50-point showing in Game 3, meaning he has a good chance to turn things around.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoPhiladelphia 76ers guard
Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 46 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, to lead his team to an overtime win over the Knicks. He added nine assists and five rebounds. On a night when
Joel Embiid struggled, Maxey put the Sixers on his back to keep the series alive. The 23-year-old easily had one of the best games of his career, so he'll try to keep it going in Game 6 on Thursday night. With that in mind, Maxey has played much better on the road during this series, so he could have trouble replicating his Game 5 performance.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoCleveland Cavaliers center
Jarrett Allen (ribs) couldn't shake off a questionable tag for Tuesday's Game 5 battle against Orlando. He suffered a right rib contusion in Game 4. There were hopes of him being available on Tuesday, but Allen was ruled out after going through a warmup.
Isaac Okoro started the game in his place.
Evan Mobley has a huge role to play without Allen on the Cavaliers frontcourt, with
Marcus Morris Sr. and
Tristan Thompson working as his backups. Allen's first chance to return comes in Friday's Game 6.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 month agoIndiana Pacers point guard
Tyrese Haliburton (back) will be good to go for Tuesday's Game 5 against Milwaukee. He's been dealing with lower back spasms, and the team initially had him as questionable for the game, but Haliburton has been upgraded to available. The two-time All-Star will look to register his third double-double of the series on Tuesday. He's averaging 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 10.0 assists in the playoffs.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
1 month agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Khris Middleton (ankle) and guard
Patrick Beverley (oblique) will play on Tuesday against Indiana. The team has upgraded both players from probable to available. With
Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and
Damian Lillard (Achilles) on the shelf, the Bucks offense will lean heavily on Middleton, while Beverley will mostly fill defensive duties. The rest of Milwaukee's starting five also needs to step up for the team to avoid a fourth consecutive loss and elimination on Tuesday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
1 month agoMilwaukee Bucks stars
Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and
Damian Lillard (Achilles) have both been ruled out for Tuesday's Game 5 against Indiana. They were considered doubtful for the clash and unfortunately for Milwaukee, the team won't have either available on Tuesday.
Bobby Portis and
Malik Beasley will likely remain among the starters. The first unit should get massive minutes in the contest as the Bucks face elimination.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
1 month agoDallas Mavericks guard
Luka Doncic (knee) is listed as probable going into Wednesday's Game 5 matchup with the Clippers. Doncic has a sprained right knee after tweaking it in Game 4 on Sunday. However, the 25-year-old will likely suit up in a crucial Game 5 in LA. He has averaged 29.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists while shooting only 38.6 percent from the field across the series' first four games.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Tim MacMahon
1 month agoNew York Knicks point guard
Jalen Brunson (knee) has been upgraded from probable to available for Tuesday's Game 5 against Philadelphia. He's ready to finish off the 76ers after being on the injury report with a right knee contusion. The Knicks star has posted 86 points and 23 assists across the last two games in the series, and he should be ready for another big performance in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd on Tuesday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
1 month agoPhiladelphia 76ers guard/forward
Kelly Oubre Jr. (illness) will play in Game 5 against the Knicks on Tuesday. He skipped the morning shootaround due to an illness, which raised some questions regarding his availability for the contest, but the team has officially listed him as available. Oubre Jr. has shot a fantastic 46.2 percent from deep in the playoffs, but his scoring average has dropped to 12.0 points. Across 35.5 minutes of action, he's also notched 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 2.0 steals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
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