1 month agoGolden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry turned a hot finish to a team-high 27 points in Tuesday's Game 1 loss to the Lakers. After racking up 50 points Sunday versus Sacramento, Curry looked human again, but he enjoyed a late scoring surge with 14 fourth-quarter points Tuesday. The veteran star finished with impressive 6-for-13 shooting from deep and was 10-for-24 overall from the field with six rebounds, three assists and one steal. Golden State dropped the game, but Curry is still 15-8 all-time against LeBron James in the playoffs. The rivalry resumes on Thursday.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

1 month agoGolden State Warriors center Kevon Looney continued to demonstrate the art of rebounding in Game 1 against the Lakers on Tuesday, completing a 117-112 loss with 23 boards. In his last four outings, Looney has now produced three games with at least 20 rebounds, and he has four of them in total for the 2023 playoffs. The 27-year-old did all the work in just 29 minutes on Tuesday, wrapping up a double-double with 10 points and adding five assists. Looney recorded just 16 rebounds through the first two playoff games this year, but he must have added something special to his menu after that because he's been getting 18.3 boards per game since then.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

1 month agoLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James struggled with his shot but still produced a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds in Tuesday's 117-112 win over Golden State. King James finished only 9-for-24 from the field, shooting a shocking 1-for-8 from downtown. LeBron has now made just six three-pointers after opening the postseason with a decent 3-for-8 effort from deep in Game 1 against Memphis. However, even on bad shooting nights, James always finds other ways to impact the game, and he did it again this time, adding four assists and three blocks to his rebounds. In seven games, he's recorded five double-doubles this postseason. James rarely seems to have two poor shooting nights in a row, so we could see something special from him Thursday night in Game 2.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

1 month agoLos Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis had a field day against the Warriors in Tuesday's Game 1 of the second-round series, putting up a game-high 30 points and gobbling up 23 rebounds. AD became only the fifth Laker ever to post a 30-20 game in the playoffs. He added five assists and four blocks while shooting 11-for-19 from the field and 8-for-8 at the charity stripe. This was pretty much a perfect game from Davis. He's had his shooting struggles in these playoffs, but Davis managed to add a very efficient offensive performance to his monster defensive efforts Tuesday night. Davis had his fifth game of the 2023 playoffs with at least four blocks, and he is now averaging 22.1 points and 15.0 rebounds through seven games.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

1 month agoMiami Heat guard Gabe Vincent scored 13 fourth-quarter points and had 21 in total as the team dropped a tight one to New York Tuesday 111-105. Vincent was ice-cold early in the game, but produced a big final quarter and finished with 4-for-10 shooting from outside. He was 7-for-17 overall from the field and recorded three rebounds with five assists in a team-high 41 minutes. The 26-year-old has looked great in recent games, scoring at least 20 points in three straight outings. He is averaging 15.1 points overall with 5.0 assists for the playoffs, shooting 40.4 percent from downtown.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

1 month agoMiami Heat forward Caleb Martin filled in admirably for Jimmy Butler (ankle) in the starting unit Tuesday against the Knicks, scoring a team-high 22 points in a 111-105 defeat. Having gobbled up eight boards, Martin also shared the team lead in rebounds, and he dished out one assist with zero turnovers in 38 minutes. Martin finished 4-for-8 from deep and 8-for-15 overall. This was a very good performance from Martin, but it will be tough to replicate it in Game 3, as it appears likely that Butler will be back in the lineup for this one. However, Martin has played well in these playoffs and should still have a significant role in the rotation. The 27-year-old is averaging 12.4 points and 5.7 rebounds for the postseason.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

1 month agoNew York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson couldn't get anything going in the Game 2 win over the Heat. He finished with only six points and five rebounds, logging just 21 minutes. Even worse, he went 2-for-6 from behind the charity stripe. Mitchell has struggled offensively during this series, averaging 6.5 points while sinking a laughable 30% of his tries from the free throw line. At this rate, DFS managers should think twice before putting him into the lineup on Saturday for Game 3.--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

1 month agoNew York Knicks guard Josh Hart narrowly missed out on a triple-double in the Game 2 win over Miami. Jalen Brunson (ankle), Julius Randle (ankle), and RJ Barrett were the primary offensive contributors. However, Hart was just as impactful, amassing 14 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists in 33 minutes. The 28-year-old is now averaging 12 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in this series, so he deserves some recognition from the DFS community for Game 3 on Saturday.--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

1 month agoNew York Knicks forward RJ Barrett had an impressive night on Tuesday in the postseason victory over the Miami Heat. Julius Randle (ankle) finished just shy of a triple-double, while Jalen Brunson (ankle) scored a game-high 30 points. However, Barrett was just as impactful offensively, dropping 24 points in 38 minutes. He also shot 8-for-17 from the field and 5-for-9 from deep, capping off an efficient showing. With the series knotted at one game a piece, both teams will square off on Saturday for Game 3. Barrett has played well during the postseason, and the minutes he'll be afforded by head coach Tom Thibodeau make him an ideal DFS option.--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

1 month agoNew York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (ankle) had a stellar showing in Tuesday's playoff win over the Heat. The former Maverick carried a questionable tag heading into this one. However, he looked better than ever, scoring 30 points while shooting 10-for-19 from the field and 6-for-10 from behind the arc. Brunson also had five boards and two steals, adding to what was already an impressive performance. The 26-year-old is now averaging 27.5 points in this series, so he should see plenty of interest from DFS managers on Saturday for Game 3 in Miami.--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

1 month agoNew York Knicks forward Julius Randle (ankle) managed to suit up for the Game 2 win over the Miami Heat. The 28-year-old had carried a questionable tag heading into this one after sitting out Game 1 because of right ankle soreness. He looked good, finishing just shy of a triple-double in 38 minutes. With the series knotted, both teams will head to Miami for Game 3 on Saturday. Randle may carry an injury designation but should be good to go, assuming he didn't overdo it on Tuesday. But if he's on the floor, he should draw serious consideration from DFS managers, especially if Jimmy Butler (ankle) doesn't play.--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

1 month agoAccording to reports from The Athletic and the Dallas Morning News, forward/center Christian Wood is unlikely to return to the Mavericks. There have been rumblings that the Mavericks coaching staff never wanted him on the team. However, the 27-year-old has lashed back at the reports, stating he will soon "tell the real story." He had a down year in 2022-23, averaging 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 67 games. Wood is now heading toward free agency, with many teams likely to express interest. That said, his durability has been an issue over the years. Yet, he has double-double upside whenever he steps on the floor. Wood's precision from deep is also a bonus for category managers.--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Grant Afseth

1 month agoBoston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (chest) is listed as questionable to play Wednesday against the Boston Celtics. Smart is being listed with a chest contusion which he likely picked up in Game 1's loss. The Celtics should have more updates throughout the day Wednesday, but if Smart is unable to go, Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White should see more minutes.--Dale JohnsonSource: NBA Injury Report

1 month agoPhiladelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) will remain doubtful for Wednesday's Game 2 against the Boston Celtics. Embiid continues to rehab his injured knee, but a return to the court Wednesday is unlikely. Paul Reed got another start and followed up with his second-straight double-double while hauling in 13 rebounds. Reed should start again while playing heavy minutes. Philadelphia should make an official ruling on Embiid closer to tip-off.--Dale JohnsonSource: NBA Injury Report

1 month agoPhoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul (groin) will be re-evaluated in one week after suffering a groin injury on Monday. Paul appeared to injure his groin late Monday night and received an MRI. It remains to be seen the full severity of the injury, but the Suns are expecting Paul to be out through Game 5 at the least. With the Suns already down two games, this is tough news for the Suns. Cameron Payne and Josh Okogie figure to see an uptick in minutes. Damion Lee may also be in line for an increased role.--Dale JohnsonSource: Shams Charania