4 days agoBoston Celtics forward/center
Al Horford got his fingerprints all over Wednesday's 113-98 win over Cleveland, notching 22 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, one steal, and three blocks with six makes from downtown. At 37 years old, Horford became the oldest player in league history to finish a playoff game with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five triples His efforts in the postseason tend to be inconsistent, but Horford was certainly a man on a mission Wednesday night. He can now get his body some rest as Boston awaits its Conference Finals opponent from the Knicks-Pacers matchup.
Kristaps Porzingis (calf) is expected to return in the next series, pushing Horford back to the bench, but the savvy veteran should still find ways to impact games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoBoston Celtics forward
Jayson Tatum came very close to his second postseason triple-double as the C's closed out the Cavaliers on Wednesday with a 113-98 win. Tatum played his part on offense with a team-high 25 points and nine assists while grabbing 10 rebounds. He had a major impact at the other end as well, recording four of Boston's six steals. This was a pretty rough series for Tatum shooting-wise, but he finally got things to click in Game 5, hitting 9-for-16 from the field with a 3-for-7 effort from deep. He can now start preparing for already his fifth Conference Finals series in seven years.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoCleveland Cavaliers guard
Darius Garland struggled in Wednesday's loss to Boston.
Donovan Mitchell (calf) and
Jarrett Allen (rib) weren't available for Game 4 on Monday, resulting in Garland dropping 30 points. However, despite the pair being out again, he took a step back in Game 5, amassing 11 points and shooting 4-for-17 from the field. While Garland added nine assists and two steals, DFS participants expected more. The 24-year-old finished the regular season by averaging 18.0 points, 6.5 assists, and 2.7 boards, a drop from the 2022-23 campaign. Nonetheless, with Mitchell potentially on the move, Garland may become the No. 1 option for the offense next season. Of course, he'll need to stay healthy for a potential increase in production to make a difference for fantasy managers.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoCleveland Cavaliers forward/center
Evan Mobley finished with a game-high 33 points in Wednesday's loss to the Boston Celtics. He added seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and one steal. With
Jarrett Allen (rib) and
Donovan Mitchell (calf) both sidelined, Mobley stepped up to deliver his best game of the postseason. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, as the Cavs' loss on Wednesday meant an end to their playoff run. The 22-year-old ended the regular season by averaging 15.7 points, 1.4 blocks, and a career-high 9.4 rebounds. However, he was limited to just 50 games due to various injuries. Without question, Mobley has plenty of untapped potential, so he'll remain a hot commodity for fantasy managers heading into the 2024-25 campaign. He needs to get more consistent on the scoring end. But that should come in time.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoMinnesota Timberwolves guard
Mike Conley (calf) is questionable for Thursday's matchup with the Nuggets. Like others around the National Basketball Association, the veteran is battling a Soleus Strain. He wasn't available for Game 5, resulting in
Nickeil Alexander-Walker entering the starting lineup and finishing with 14 points, five assists, and two steals. The Timberwolves are a loss away from elimination, so Conley will do all he can to get out there. However, if he does suit up, he likely won't be fully healthy, which isn't ideal for his DFS potential. But if Conley isn't out there, Alexander-Walker has value potential for DFS participants.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
4 days agoDenver Nuggets guard
Jamal Murray (calf) is questionable for Thursday's postseason contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Murray has been dealing with a strained left calf for weeks but has played through it, so he'll likely be on the court for Game 6. He got off to a rough start in the series with the Timberwolves. But he's turned things around, recently amassing 16 points in Tuesday's win. Although others have played better in this series, DFS managers can't ignore Murray's upside.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
4 days agoCleveland Cavaliers point guard
Craig Porter Jr. (ankle) will remain on the shelf Wednesday versus Boston. He has been downgraded from doubtful to out. After featuring in 51 games during the regular season, Porter Jr. has not seen any action in the playoffs due to a sprained left ankle. With
Donovan Mitchell (calf) and
Caris LeVert (knee) also out,
Darius Garland and
Max Strus are set to carry huge workloads on the Cavaliers' backcourt Wednesday as the team tries to stave off elimination.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
4 days agoCleveland Cavaliers center
Jarrett Allen (rib) will not make his comeback in Game 5 against the Celtics on Wednesday. The big guy has been downgraded from questionable to out. Allen will be absent for an eighth consecutive game. His injury has given
Isaac Okoro an opportunity to run with the starters, but he's been very unproductive fantasy-wise. Okoro has had back-to-back two-point outings.
Tristan Thompson and
Marcus Morris Sr. have also benefited from Allen's absence, but they haven't been great for fantasy production either.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Schudel
4 days agoCleveland Cavaliers guard/forward
Caris LeVert (knee) will not play against Boston on Wednesday. The team has downgraded him from questionable to out ahead of tip-off. LeVert was
Donovan Mitchell's (calf) replacement in the starting lineup in Game 5.
Dean Wade, who averaged 6.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 32 stars during the regular season, will be the next man up.
Sam Merrill should also play a much larger role in the rotation.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Schudel
4 days agoCleveland Cavaliers guard
Donovan Mitchell (calf) has been officially ruled out for Wednesday's clash with the Celtics. The Cleveland star misses a second consecutive game, and the team finds itself in a very tough situation on Wednesday, with
Caris LeVert (knee) also joining
Jarrett Allen on the sidelines.
Dean Wade will move to the starting lineup, which will boost his fantasy value. However, the 27-year-old hasn't been a very productive per-minute performer in his career.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Schudel
4 days agoAccording to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Cleveland Cavaliers guard
Donovan Mitchell (calf) is expected to miss Game 5 versus the Boston Celtics. The star guard sat out Game 4 because of a calf strain, and the latest news is not encouraging for Cavaliers fans. The team travels to Boston and faces elimination against a talented Celtics lineup. Without Mitchell, everyone in the rotation will be forced to take on much larger roles again.
Darius Garland was the primary playmaker in Game 4, scoring 30 points and dishing out seven assists. Final confirmation of Mitchell's status will come later today before tip-off.
--Dave Goldsholl - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
5 days agoChicago Bulls point guard
Lonzo Ball (knee) gave an update on his injury status on his new podcast, "What an Experience." "It's coming along, man. Week by week," Ball said. "It's improving, so that's all I can ask for. Still not where I want it to be. Out of 100 (percent), I'd say I'm about 70 (percent). Good enough to play, but it could still get better. I still got a long summer ahead of me. But definitely looking forward to the future." The talented playmaker hasn't played in an NBA game since January 2022 due to a left knee injury. Ball, who will turn 27 in October, recently picked up a $21.4 million option on his contract for the 2024-25 season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBC Sports Chicago
5 days agoMinnesota Timberwolves forward/center
Karl-Anthony Towns posted a team-high 23 points in Tuesday's 112-97 loss to the Nuggets despite hurting his left knee early in the game. In an unfortunate incident, Towns banged knees with
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and had to briefly exit the game near the end of the first quarter. He moved gingerly after returning, but the Timberwolves trainers apparently worked wonders during the halftime break, as Towns looked completely fine in the second half. Towns, who had meniscus surgery on the same knee during the regular season, added six rebounds, four assists, and two steals to his line, shooting 10-for-19 from the field, including 2-for-5 from deep. It looks like the Timberwolves star escaped serious injury, but he could still pop up on the injury report ahead of Thursday's Game 6.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoDenver Nuggets power forward
Aaron Gordon picked up two early fouls against Minnesota on Tuesday night but still put together a strong performance in a big win. He recorded his third double-double of the 2024 playoffs with 18 points and 10 rebounds on 7-for-14 shooting while delivering five assists and collecting one steal. Gordon's high-energy efforts included multiple dunks. The 28-year-old has quietly been Denver's second-best player in the series, posting 17.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.4 steals with 66 percent shooting from the field.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoDenver Nuggets center
Nikola Jokic dominated Game 5 against Minnesota on Tuesday, finishing a 112-97 win with 40 points on 15-for-22 shooting. He went 2-for-3 from downtown and added seven rebounds, 13 assists, two steals, and one block to his tally, becoming only the second player after
Chris Paul to record a playoff game with 40-plus points, 10-plus assists, and zero turnovers. This also marks Jokic's highest-scoring game of the 2024 playoffs. Jokic, who received his third MVP trophy ahead of Tuesday's contest, has looked back to his best in the last couple of games, and it spells doom for the Timberwolves, who are now 3-2 down in the series after leading 2-0.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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