4 weeks agoMilwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton produced a fantastic performance in Friday's Game 3 against Indiana, leading all scorers with 42 points in a 121-118 loss. His day at the office included a pair of big triples near the end of the regulation and overtime. The 42 points mark his new playoff career high. Middleton got there with 16-for-29 shooting, nailing four shots from deep with nine attempts. He also collected a double-double with 10 rebounds and dished out five assists. The Bucks are without Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf), and Damian Lillard (Achilles) also hurt himself on Friday, so Middleton might have to do even more in Sunday's Game 4 to keep the Bucks competitive.Source: ESPN
4 weeks agoLos Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis (wrist) is regarded as questionable for Game 4 against Denver on Saturday. He's on the injury report with a left wrist sprain, which Davis suffered in Thursday's Game 3 loss. It would be surprising to see Davis miss Saturday's contest with the Lakers' season on the line. Darvin Ham's team has fallen to a 3-0 hole despite Davis averaging 32.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.7 blocks across 42.0 minutes in the series. We should see another big effort from him on Saturday.Source: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoDenver Nuggets point guard Reggie Jackson (ankle) has been listed as questionable for Saturday's Game 4 against the Lakers. Jackson tweaked his left ankle in Thursday's Game 3. Jackson has averaged only 8.3 minutes in the series, meaning he wouldn't be a major miss for the Nuggets. However, the veteran has been something of a talisman for teams through the years against the Lakers, winning 17 consecutive games against them. Christian Braun could fill Jackson's minutes on Saturday, but he hasn't been a good fantasy producer.Source: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoMilwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard aggravated an Achilles injury in Friday's epic playoff battle against Indiana. Lillard had a good game with 28 points, eight assists, and three steals, but he tweaked his Achilles near the end of the fourth quarter and was hindered by the injury in overtime. The ailment leaves Lillard iffy for Sunday's Game 4. With Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) on the shelf, Khris Middleton already carried a huge load on Friday and could be asked to do even more in Game 4. Pat Connaughton or Malik Beasley should take Lillard's position in the starting lineup if he's out on Sunday.Source: ESPN
4 weeks agoLos Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard amassed nine points and nine rebounds in Friday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The 32-year-old missed time because of knee inflammation but returned for Game 2. While he played well enough in that contest, he took a step back on Friday night. Even more concerning, Leonard only logged 25 minutes. He's likely still bothered by the knee issue, so there's reason to believe he will miss Game 4 on Sunday. If that's the case, Paul George and James Harden could pick up some of the slack. But Norman Powell, finishing with 21 points in Game 3, will be a coveted DFS option.Source: ESPN
4 weeks agoMiami Heat guard Delon Wright (personal) is questionable for Saturday's meeting with the Celtics. With Terry Rozier (neck) out of commission, Wright has been getting some work during this series. He's played well, too, averaging 11.0 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 75.0% from behind the arc. If he can't suit up, Tyler Herro could see even more minutes at the one. In addition, Patty Mills may finally make an appearance, although he doesn't have much upside.Source: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoDallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (back) will suit up for Friday's matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers. He's taken a beating during this series, so he was listed as questionable heading into this contest. However, the former Wizard will be on the floor. Gafford didn't see much work in the first two games, and that likely won't change on Friday night. Yet, his availability will still lower the fantasy ceilings of Maxi Kleber and Dereck Lively II.Source: Mike Curtis
4 weeks agoLos Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (knee) is available for Friday's postseason matchup with the Dallas Mavericks. Leonard returned for Game 2 after missing time because of knee inflammation. He played well despite the lengthy layoff, amassing 15 points with seven boards, four steals, and one block. While the 32-year-old had issues finding the bottom of the net, he'll likely play better this time around.Source: Tomer Azarly
4 weeks agoMiami Heat guard Terry Rozier (neck) won't play on Saturday against the Celtics. Miami stole Game 2 in Boston. However, it will be difficult for the Heat to win the series without their starting point guard. At this point, nobody can say for sure when he'll be back. But until that happens, Tyler Herro should continue to hold things down at the one. Herro is coming off a potent performance, accumulating a team-high 24 points with 14 assists, five rebounds, and one steal. Still, the C's will make some adjustments, meaning Herro may not be as productive in Game 3. Delon Wright, who has been coming in off the bench for relief, is questionable for this one. If Wright can't suit up, Patty Mills could make an appearance, although he likely won't do much for DFS managers.Source: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoMilwaukee Bucks guard/forward Khris Middleton (ankle) was originally listed as questionable after not practicing on Thursday but has officially been upgraded to available on Friday for Game 3 in Indiana. The Bucks will have to lean on Middleton a lot as the second scorer alongside Damian Lillard since Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) has already been ruled out. So far, Middleton is averaging 19.0 points per game but hasn't been able to be a consistent threat from deep while he's shooting just 28.6% from beyond the arc. He'll likely play heavy minutes to try to get the offense kickstarted in their first road game of the series which is where this team has been the worst this year.Source: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoPhoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (ankle) still hasn't been officially ruled out of Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. The 28-year-old has been an important piece to the Suns' offense this season as he registered career-highs in points, threes, three-point percentage, field goal percentage, rebounds, and even assists. He also led the entire league in three-point percentage with a mark of 46.1%. Unfortunately, he hurt his ankle in Game 1 and has only been able to put up 3.5 points per game so far. As of right now, he's still considered questionable, but if he can't play, we may see some minutes for Isaiah Thomas off of the bench while Eric Gordon and Royce O'Neale see more opportunities too.Source: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoMinnesota Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson (hip) has been listed as questionable for the Game 3 matchup on Friday against the Phoenix Suns. Anderson has only played five minutes across two games in this series so far, and it's unclear how he'd fit back into the rotation if he was upgraded to active. His minutes have fluctuated all season long and it could come down to matchups. If he remains sidelined, however, Monte Morris, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will likely remain the main three players off of the bench.Source: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoMilwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) has been downgraded to out and will not play in Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers on Friday. This doesn't come as a surprise since Antetokounmpo was already listed as doubtful, but this series gets even harder for the Bucks now that they don't have the two-time MVP for the first game on the road. The Bucks only had a record of 18-22 on the road and the Pacers have the momentum after grabbing a win in Game 2. With Antetokounmpo remaining on the bench, Bobby Portis should stay in the starting lineup while Khris Middleton will have to step up as a scorer alongside Damian Lillard.Source: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoCleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell couldn't get much going and the team as a whole could only muster up 83 points in a blowout loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday. The star combo guard posted just 13 points on 6-for-16 shooting and only knocked down one out of six three-point attempts. Throughout Mitchell's playoff career, which consists of 47 games, he's only scored fewer than 13 points five times. Despite the rough shooting night, he didn't produce many turnovers as he only committed two of them and registered seven assists with five rebounds.Source: Basketball Reference
4 weeks agoOrlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers en route to a blowout win in Game 3 on Thursday night. After producing two high-turnover totals in the first two playoff games of his career, Banchero settled in and didn't turn the ball over once on Thursday. The Duke product finished this contest with 31 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and one steal while shooting 13-for-26 overall and 4-for-9 from downtown. Banchero is the driving force of the Magic offense, so when he gets into a rhythm, the Magic look a lot better as a unit. He's also produced fewer turnovers and better shooting percentages when playing at home this season.Source: Basketball Reference