RADIO
Kyle Lowry is Still in Pain
1 day agoToronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (hand) is still in a lot of pain, but is battling through the issue, according to head coach Nick Nurse. Lowry is not on the injury report and is fully expected to play on Thursday. Lowry has actually been playing well this series despite the hand issue. It sounds like it's going to take a lot more than a hand issue to slow down Lowry.Source: Eric Smith
Kawhi Leonard Scores 19 Points To Help Even The Series
2 days agoToronto Raptors shooting guard/small forward Kawhi Leonard got to take a bit of a backseat on Tuesday with five other Raptors' scoring 13-plus points in the 120-102 win over the Bucks. Leonard managed just five points by the half and finished the night with 19 points while adding seven rebounds with four steals and two blocks. The positive was that he played just 34 minutes after a career-high 52 minutes in Game 3. The negative was that he was regularly limping and favoring both his left and right leg and applied heat packs on every timeout to his quads. It is not clear with what he is dealing with, but the lesser minutes tonight can only mean he will be ready to go in Game 5.Source: ESPN
Kyle Lowry Leads The Raptors With 25 Points In Game 4
2 days agoToronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry dropped 15 of his 25 points in the game's opening five minutes that led to a 120-102 win over the Bucks to even the series at two games apiece. Lowry was efficient on the night as he made 6-for-11 from the floor and made all ten of his shots at the line with six dimes and five rebounds across 34 minutes of action. Lowry continues his run of inconsistencies as he scored just 26 points in Game 3 and 4 combined after putting up 30 in Game 1. We can assume Lowry will come out firing in Game 5 on Thursday, so keep him on your radar as he is probably the better play with much of the Bucks' backcourt struggling on this night.Source: ESPN
Serge Ibaka Brings It In The Game 4 Win On Tuesday
2 days agoToronto Raptors power forward/center Serge Ibaka brought some serious energy with him on Tuesday as he recorded a huge double-double in 24 minutes of action in the Game 4 win. Ibaka did his work on the glass with four of his 13 rebounds coming on the offensive end and he scored 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting of some nice pick and pops and putbacks at the rim. The Raptors are 7-0 this postseason when Ibaka scores 10-plus points and Raptors fans can only hope this version of Ibaka shows up for the crucial Game 5 that is in Milwaukee on Thursday nightSource: ESPN
Norman Powell Nets 18 Points In Game 4
2 days agoToronto Raptors shooting guard/small forward Norman Powell provided another solid line in this series on Tuesday when he scored 18 points to help secure the 18-point victory to even the series. Powell was extremely aggressive as he took 18 shots but actually only connected on six of them with four coming from three and he added five rebounds with three assists while being a game-high plus-29 across 32 minutes of action. Powell has stepped things up for the Raptors in his last three games where he is averaging 17.0 points in those games and is still worth a play for Game 5 if his price tag is still fair.Source: ESPN
Fred VanVleet Provides Big Boost Off The Bench
2 days agoToronto Raptors guard Fred Vanvleet managed to score in double digits for the first time since Game 1 in his club's series with the Magic as he contributed 13 points on Tuesday in the win. VanVleet did not stop there as he added six assists with a rebound and a steal in 25 minutes of action. VanVleet has recorded just 10 points in the series' previous three games on 20 shots, so this was a massive boost for the young guard. The newfound confidence could have been from him becoming a new father on Monday, but whatever the reason may be, he is worth an add to your roster's for Game 5 with his user-friendly price tag.Source: ESPN
Giannis Antetokounmpo Bounces Back With 25 Points
2 days agoMilwaukee Bucks guard/forward Giannis Antetokounmpo bounced back offensively in Game 4 as he made nine of 17 shots to score 25 points in the 120-102 loss to the Raptors. Antetokounmpo filled out his line with 10 rebounds and five assists with three blocks and a steal while making just 6-for-10 from the line. Antetokounmpo was once again continually swarmed by outreached arms from the Raptors' defense but was more aggressive at taking the ball to the rim then he was in the previous game. If he hasn't been scoring, he has been doing other things, so he is never a bad play in your lineups.Source: ESPN
Khris Middleton's 30 Points Not Enough In Game 4
2 days agoMilwaukee Bucks shooting guard/small forward Khris Middleton poured in 30 points on Tuesday, but it was not enough in the 120-102 loss to the Raptors. Middleton missed his first shot of the night, but then connected on eight straight field goals and made some big shots for his club when the rest of his squad was struggling. Middleton finished the night by adding seven assists and six rebounds while connecting on a sizzling 11-for-15 shooting overall. Middleton will look to continue to keep things going in Game 5, but with a combination of Raptors' adjustments and his consistency issues, it is hard to know which Middleton will show up for the crucial Game 5.Source: ESPN
Malcolm Brogdon Scores Just Four Points Off The Bench
2 days agoMilwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon struggled to get his shot to fall on Tuesday in the 18-point Game 4 loss to the Raptors. Brogdon managed to hit just 2-for-11 from the floor for four points and added five rebounds with three assists across 28 minutes of action. Brogdon came into the night's contest averaging 14.8 points in his prior four games and he did not make his first field goal on this night until there was one minute left on the clock in the third quarter. The Bucks are going to need either Malcolm Brogdon or Eric Bledsoe to get back to form in Game 5, with Brogdon looking to be the better bet.Source: ESPN
Eric Bledsoe Struggles On Tuesday In Loss
2 days agoMilwaukee Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe could not find any rhythm in the 120-102 Game 4 loss in Toronto. Bledsoe has become a non-factor in this series as he played just 20 minutes and provided just five points on 2-for-7 shooting from the floor. The Raptors are sagging off of Bledsoe, daring him to shoot and he is averaging just 8.3 points a game in the series' four games. There is a chance that the Bucks shuffle their lineup for Game 5 and this could mean George Hill or Malcolm Brogdon entering the starting lineup for Bledsoe. Bledsoe is someone to avoid in DFS until he can show a glimpse of confidence.Source: ESPN
Stephen Curry's 37 Points Helps Finish Off The Trail Blazers
3 days agoGolden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry continued his elite play on Monday when he recorded 37 points to complete the series' sweep over the Trail Blazers. Curry did not stop there as he recorded a triple-double with 13 rebounds and added 11 assists while drilling seven triples. Curry stepped up in this series with Kevin Durant (calf) out as he averaged 36.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists across the four games. The Warriors now have nine days off before the 2019 NBA finals begin so we can expect a fresh Curry to be ready for Game 1.Source: ESPN
Klay Thompson Struggles With Shot In Overtime Win
3 days agoGolden State Warriors shooting guard/small forward Klay Thompson connected on just 7-for-21 shooting from the floor en route to 17 points in the two-point win over Portland on Monday. Thompson also grabbed six boards with two assists and a steal with a block. Thompson did not have the best offensive series against the Blazers where he shot just 37.9% from the floor, yet still managed to average 21.5 points across the four games. The Warriors will need Thompson to find his form in the Finals in order to have better odds at winning another title.Source: ESPN
Kevon Looney Provides Lift In Game 4 Win
3 days agoGolden State Warriors power forward/center Kevon Looney provided a big double-double in the Game 4 clinching win on Monday over the Trail Blazers. Looney scored 12 points and grabbed 14 boards with a steal and a block across 29 minutes. Looney has played 20-plus minutes in his last seven games and depending on the situations of players Kevin Durant (calf), DeMarcus Cousins (quad) and Andre Iguodala (calf) for Game 1 of the Finals, this will have a major influence on Looney and his minutes for when the series begins.Source: ESPN
Draymond Green Records Another Triple-Double On Monday
3 days agoGolden State Warriors power forward/center Draymond Green continued his postseason resurgence on Monday when he posted another triple-double in the overtime win in Game 4. Green did it all once again as he scored 18 points while grabbing 14 boards with 11 assists and three steals with two blocks across 43 minutes. Green, along with teammate Stephen Curry became the first teammates to record triple-doubles in a postseason game. Green has been an absolute beast, but his value may take a slight hit when some of the Warriors' injured players return for the Finals, so stay tuned for updates to see where Green's value will be for Game 1.Source: ESPN
Damian Lillard's Series-High 28 Points Not Enough
3 days agoPortland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard poured in 28 points and added 12 assists but it was not enough in the 119-117 overtime loss to the Warriors to end the series in four games. Lillard connected on 11 of 24 shooting and added four rebounds to probably his best game of the series. Lillard struggled throughout the series after separating his ribs in Game 2 as he just did not look himself much of the series. Either way, we know Lillard will come back hungrier than ever next season and again will be a late first-round pick across all formats for next season's drafts.Source: ESPN
