RADIO
James Harden Struggles in Eastern Conference Finals Opener
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden had a tough time on the floor in Tuesday's 114-105 Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks. His offensive contribution was limited to 15 points and three assists with a 5-for-16 record from the field. The Knicks also exploited Harden on defense late in the game, with Jalen Brunson leading his team to the largest playoff comeback in franchise history. Harden, who went 1-for-8 with the three-ball, completed his line with four rebounds, one steal, one block, and six turnovers. While the biggest talking point after Game 1 is Harden's defense, he has also been off his game offensively, scoring just 24 points with a 7-for-26 effort from the field across the last two games.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Evan Mobley Bags Second Consecutive Double-Double
Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Evan Mobley registered his second consecutive double-double with 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds in Tuesday's 115-104 overtime loss to the New York Knicks. He blocked three shots and dished out three assists, but Mobley had little impact late in the game, when Cleveland fell apart and blew a 22-point fourth-quarter lead. Typically an efficient scorer, Mobley went 6-for-16 from the field and 2-for-8 from downtown during the Eastern Conference Finals opener. He will hope to turn things around in Game 3, where Mobley has a chance to record his first three-game postseason double-double streak since 2024.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Donovan Mitchell Produces Top Two-Way Performance in Game 1 Loss
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell made a big impact on both ends in Tuesday's 115-104 overtime loss to the New York Knicks, leading his team with 29 points and six steals. He also grabbed five rebounds, delivered three assists, and blocked one shot, while going 12-for-23 from the field and 4-for-11 from downtown. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, Mitchell didn't have much juice left for the latter stages of the game as the team blew a 22-point fourth-quarter lead. The star guard scored just three points after the third quarter. On a positive note, Mitchell has heated up since the start of the last round, and this is unlikely to remain his best outing of the series. In his last eight games, Mitchell has posted averages of 28.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
OG Anunoby Plays Key Role in Comeback Win
New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby returned from injury with a 13-point effort in a 115-104 overtime win in Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Knicks overcame a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter and recorded the largest playoff comeback in franchise history, with Anunoby scoring nine of the team's 14 points in overtime. Across 34 minutes of action, Anunoby added five rebounds, two assists, and one steal to his tally. He played a key role late in the game despite finishing with a 2-for-9 record from the field. Most of Anunoby's points were scored through an 8-for-10 effort at the free-throw line. This was Anunoby's first game in two weeks, and his performance should improve in Game 2 now that he has shaken off some rust.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Mikal Bridges Remains Efficient in Game 1 Against Cavaliers
New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges contributed 18 points, five rebounds, one assist, and two steals during Tuesday's 115-104 comeback victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He finished 6-for-11 from the floor, marking Bridges' sixth consecutive outing with a field-goal efficiency of 57% or better. The 29-year-old was 2-for-4 from outside and 2-for-2 at the line. After an awful start to the postseason, Bridges has once again become an important two-way contributor for the Knicks, who are looking to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. Since Game 6 against Atalanta in Round 1, Bridges has averaged 18.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Karl-Anthony Towns Extends Double-Double Streak to Four Games
New York Knicks forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a fourth consecutive double-double in Tuesday's 115-104 Game 1 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The star big man had a quiet outing, but extended his double-double streak by scoring 13 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Additionally, Towns contributed five assists, one steal, and one block, going 6-for-14 from the field. On the negative side, Towns struggled from deep with a 1-for-5 effort and committed a game-high seven turnovers. While his performance could have been better on Tuesday night, Towns has finished eight of 11 postseason outings with a double-double, providing plenty of fantasy value.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jalen Brunson Leads Knicks to Historic Comeback Win
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson poured in 38 points during the team's spectacular comeback win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 on Tuesday. With 8:19 left in the fourth quarter, the Knicks trailed by 22 points, but they stormed past Cleveland to win 115-104 in overtime. It marks the second-biggest fourth-quarter comeback in a playoff game in the last 30 years. Brunson produced 17 of his 38 points after the third quarter. He also bagged five rebounds, six assists, and three steals in 46 minutes. While Brunson made only one of his six attempts from deep, he went over 50% from the field with a 15-for-29 effort. During a 15-point fourth quarter, Brunson missed only two of nine field-goal attempts. The star guard posted his second-best scoring performance of the postseason and appears poised to do even more damage in the series, given the Cavaliers' struggles to contain him in Game 1.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Dean Wade Returns to Starting Unit Tuesday
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade will rejoin the starting lineup for Game 1 against the New York Knicks on Tuesday. In Sunday's Game 7 matchup with Detroit, Wade was benched in favor of Max Strus. He's now getting a new opportunity to start, though this is unlikely to impact his numbers. Wade has been limited to 4.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per game this postseason. Strus makes a living as a three-point specialist and may get another chance in the first unit later in the series.
Source: Cleveland Cavaliers
Source: Cleveland Cavaliers
OG Anunoby Starting on Tuesday
New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (hamstring) will start Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Ian Begley of SNY reports. Due to a hamstring injury, the 28-year-old missed the last two games of the second-round series matchup with Philadelphia, but he has been cleared to return to the lineup against Cleveland. Miles McBride will drop to the second unit to accommodate Anunoby's return. Anunoby has played some of the best basketball of his career this postseason, averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 1.9 steals.
Source: Ian Begley
Source: Ian Begley
Tobias Harris May Remain in Motown
Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but the team wants to keep him around. "We hope that we can bring him back," Pistons general manager Trajan Langdon said on Tuesday. "He's somebody we want to keep in a Pistons uniform." Harris has spent the last two seasons in Detroit after signing a $52 million contract as a free agent in 2024. He averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 63 regular-season appearances this term. During the playoffs, Harris improved his production to 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, which might have been the decisive factor in Detroit's willingness to negotiate a new contract with him. At 33, Harris remains a dependable but modest contributor in fantasy basketball.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Pistons Eager to Keep Jalen Duren
Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren had a disappointing postseason, but the team remains high on him and plans to lock him up with an extension this offseason. "JD had a fantastic season," Pistons general manager Trajan Langdon said on Tuesday. "He's one of the biggest contributors to us being a No. 1 seed." Duren became an All-Star in 2025-26, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds. However, his production dipped to 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds during the playoffs. This is set to hurt his value as a restricted free agent in the summer. But Duren, who has plenty of room to develop as a 22-year-old, remains very much part of Detroit's plans and should continue to be a double-double threat in fantasy for many years to come.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jason Kidd Fired as Mavericks Head Coach
Jason Kidd won't continue as the Dallas Mavericks' head coach, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. Two weeks ago, the Mavericks hired Masai Ujiri as the new team president, and they will now be looking for a new head coach. Kidd took over the Mavericks in 2021 after two years as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers. Under his guidance, the team achieved instant success, reaching the 2022 Conference Finals. Two years later, Kidd led Dallas to the NBA Finals, where the team lost to Boston in five games. However, the Mavericks didn't make the playoffs in the other three seasons under Kidd, and he posted a losing regular-season record of 388-395. Kidd, who has also served as a head coach for the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, had four years and more than $40 million remaining on his Mavericks contract.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
De'Aaron Fox Officially Listed as Questionable for Game 2 Against Thunder
San Antonio Spurs point guard De'Aaron Fox (ankle) has been officially listed as questionable for Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Earlier on Tuesday, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson deemed Fox a game-time call. The team will presumably make the final decision on Fox after he goes through the pregame warmup. Fox injured his right ankle in Game 4 against Minnesota in Round 2. He played through the injury for two games before sitting out the Western Conference Finals opener on Monday. If Fox isn't ready to return in Game 2, Dylan Harper will continue to have additional fantasy value as his replacement in the starting lineup.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Alex Caruso Erupts for 31 Points in Game 1 Loss to Spurs
Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Alex Caruso led his team with a season-high 31 points in a 122-115 double-overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night. The veteran, who scored 25 total points in the second-round series against the Lakers, looked incredible in the Western Conference Finals opener, going 11-for-19 from the field with an 8-for-14 record from downtown. Additionally, he was busy on the defensive end with two blocks and two steals. In 32 minutes off the bench, Caruso also contributed a pair of rebounds and one assist. In the previous eight playoff games, Caruso finished with double-digit points just twice, so he is unlikely to match his Game 1 effort on Wednesday night. But he's a valuable member of the rotation and generally does a little bit of everything.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jalen Williams Productive in Comeback Game
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams made an all-around impact in Monday's Game 1 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. In his first game in nearly four weeks, Williams had 26 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. He finished 11-for-25 from the field, including 1-for-3 at the free-throw line. Williams logged 37 minutes, proving he's fully healthy after overcoming a left hamstring injury. While the Thunder did well without Williams, his return may prove essential in the Western Conference Finals after the Spurs' impressive performance on Monday.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
