.jpg)
Dallas Mavericks @ Golden State Warriors
O/U: 222
Spread: GSW -5
Injuries
Dallas
Luka Doncic - IN
Kristaps Porzingis - OUT
Dorian Finney-Smith - IN
Maxi Kleber - IN
Josh Richardson - OUT
JJ Redick - IN
Tyrell Terry - OUT
Golden State
James Wiseman - OUT
Kent Bazemore - OUT
Damion Lee - OUT
Klay Thompson - OUT
Eric Paschall - OUT
MVP/CPT
I mean, yeah. He’s scored 30+ actual points in 13-of-14 games and has put up 50+ DKP in 11 of them. The Mavericks are decimated with hobbled players and Curry has already torched them this season averaging 42.5 PPG and 57.4 DKP/game. Nobody in the league can stop Curry right now and your decision to put him in the CPT spot becomes that much easier if Luka Doncic gets ruled out.
Doncic has been in great form of late. He’s averaged 56.1 DKP/game over his last six contests and was just deemed the Western Conference player of the week. Doncic has had a couple of good showings against the Warriors this year averaging 34.5 points, 8.5 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 57.6 DKP/game.
He didn’t do anything special against the Kings, but Oubre has really looked good coming off the Warriors bench. He poured in 37+ DKP in three of his last five games and the scoring has really picked up as well putting up 19+ actual in six-of-seven. Dallas has had no answer for Oubre this year as he’s averaged 27 PPG and 41 DKP/game in two meetings.
Mid-Tier
Green is coming off two straight double-doubles. The significance? Neither double-double include points. He’s had 26 rebounds and 32 assists in those two games and in each contest, he’s put up 44+ DKP. Green is orchestrating this Warriors offense and the defensive numbers haven’t really been there either. If they show up while he’s putting up the stats he is in the rebounding and passing categories, look out.
It’s been under-the-radar, but Finney-Smith has been a really solid fantasy contributor lately. He’s put up 30+ DKP in two straight, in three-of-five and six-of-10 overall. His role will be expanded with Kristaps Porzingis and Josh Richardson both out as Dallas will need him to play some PF, which will help him on the glass and they’ll need him to continue to be productive offensively.
Wiggins has actually been very productive lately, more productive than he had been for a while there. He’s put up 35+ DKP in three-of-four games and has topped 28 or more in seven-of-10 overall. Wiggins plays monster minutes every game and has been helping in every category lately, notching 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks to go along with his 16.8 points over his last five.
Value Tier
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Look, he’s a high usage player that happens to be very streaky and if you catch him on a good night, he can win you a tournament. Kristaps Porzingis and Josh Richardson are both out and they make up a lot of this team’s offense. Hardaway is a no-brainer to make up for their lost offense with the others out.
JTA has played a lot of minutes lately notching 25+ in four straight and he put up 19+ DKP in each of those games. Dallas has a very bad and exploitable front court and with their choice of likely going small with DFS at PF, JTA could see a lot of extra run here
Player News
Rob Dillingham (ankle) has been ruled out for Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Dillingham has been sidelined for the entire postseason so far, and it’s unclear if that will change moving forward. However, even when he is healthy enough to play, it is unlikely that he would enter the rotation.
Sam Hauser (ankle) has been ruled out against the Knicks in Game 2 on Wednesday.
Hauser was listed as doubtful, so his absence isn’t surprising. Head coach Joe Mazzulla will likely lean on his starters more in what could be considered a must-win game after the Celtics dropped Game 1 at home.
Kristaps Porzingis (illness) has been upgraded to available to play in Game 2 against the Knicks on Wednesday.
Porzingis wasn’t available to finish Game 1, but he was initially listed as probable for Game 2, so his availability isn’t surprising. However, Al Horford will get the starting nod, with Porzingis coming off the bench. Porzingis should still play a significant role as the Celtics look to tie this series up before it shifts to New York.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Stephen Curry has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and is expected to miss at least a week.
Shams notes that Curry has already been ruled out for Game 2 on Thursday, but the week timeline means he’ll miss Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday with a chance to return for Game 5 on Wednesday. This is the first muscle strain of Curry’s career, so how quickly he returns will depend on how he responds to rehab. Fortunately for Golden State, the team came away with a win on the road in Game 1, and two of the next three games will be at home, giving the Warriors a chance to stay alive while their superstar PG is out. Expect Buddy Hield to step into a much larger role on offense while Curry is sidelined. Hield has totaled 57 points across his last two games while stroking a blistering 14-of-18 shots from beyond the arc.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters Stephen Curry is day-to-day with a hamstring injury and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday.
Kerr relayed that Curry was “crushed” after being forced from the game due to injury. While Kerr described Curry as day-to-day, he also mentioned that the 37-year-old point guard will undergo imaging on Wednesday to determine the severity of the injury. There should be an update on his status at some point prior to Thursday’s Game 2 showdown. With the Warriors taking Game 1 on the road Tuesday, Kerr added that it’s hard to imagine Curry being available for Game 2 on Thursday. With Game 3 Saturday at Golden State, Curry could have more time to rest and recover.
Naz Reid had 19 points (8-of-14 FGs), five rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and three three-pointers in Game 1 against the Warriors on Tuesday.
Reid briefly left the floor with an apparent leg injury towards the end of the second quarter before returning in the second half. The 25-year-old center played 34 minutes and was the second leading scorer for the Timberwolves in what turned out to be a lackluster game for Minnesota. Reid appeared healthy in the second half and should continue to be counted on for starter-level minutes despite coming off the bench.