NBA Showdown Playbook February 25: San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz DFS Picks
Things could get very interesting tonight as the San Antonio Spurs travel to Utah tonight to take on the Utah Jazz. The home team is favored by 10.5 points tonight, and with an over/under of 240.5, we can expect there to be a large amount of offense heading our way. San Antonio is dealing with some injury issues so value might be readily available on their side of the ball, but on a slate lacking for real star power, you can really take your build in any direction. Let us dig into some options for your NBA DFS Showdown Slate picks for tonight.
San Antonio Spurs Injuries
Devin Vassell – Out
Tre Jones – Out
Jeremy Sochan – Probable (quadricep)
Romeo Langford - Out
Utah Jazz Injuries
Kelly Olynyk – Questionable (ankle)
Collin Sexton – Out
NBA DFS MVP/Captain
Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
With salary cap not really an issue tonight, why not go after the best player? If there was any doubt about Markkanen coming back strong after the All-Star break, he put that to rest as he finished with 40 points and ten rebounds in an overtime victory against the Thunder. At 25.2 points per game this season, the forward certainly deserved his All-Star game berth as he continues to score at a high level while also doing a solid job of crashing the boards.
Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz
Between the trade of Mike Conley and the absence of Collin Sexton, Utah’s backcourt is wide open for the taking. After scoring 24 points on Thursday, it is clear that Clarkson is going to get all of the run he can handle as it was the fourth straight game he finished with at least 20 points. Perhaps more intriguing, as we know that he can score, is the fact that Clarkson has six assists in each of his last two games.
Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs
By default, someone needs to score for the Spurs, and they are certainly going to be in need of offense tonight as they try and keep up with the Jazz. The problem though, is that there seems to be a limit on the upper half of Johnson’s production as while he will consistently break the 20-point mark, I’m not sure how often he will go for 30 as double-digit rebounds are also not in his wheelhouse.
NBA DFS Utility Plays
Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz
While it only stands to be obvious that we shouldn’t expect crazy rebound totals for Kessler on a nightly basis after he grabbed 18 on Thursday, it was the third game of his last four in which he had at least 14 rebounds. The good news is that Kessler should not meet much resistance in the paint against the Spurs in what is a favorable matchup and Kelly Olynyk being limited at best also helps.
Malaki Branham, San Antonio Spurs
Branham figures to be starting once again for the Spurs in their backcourt tonight, and while it is all about opportunity, he has proven to be up to the task as of late. The guard has scored 23 points in each of his last two games while consistently taking double-digit shots, and tonight will certainly allow for that.
Devonte' Graham, San Antonio Spurs
We are going to see a lot of Graham again tonight, and the hope is that he has a good shooting night after a few rough performances as of late. At the very least, Graham should hit double figures offensively, but given the shot volume, another 31-point performance as we a saw earlier this month is certainly possible.
NBA DFS Dart Throws
Charles Bassey, San Antonio Spurs
The baseline for Bassey should be around 15-to-20 minutes off the bench, but tonight with the game potentially getting out hand, he could be in for a little more run. On Thursday, Bassey scored 16 points along with seven rebounds after he had picked up 11 rebounds.
Blake Wesley, San Antonio Spurs
Wesley should have a firm spot in the Spurs’ rotation once again, and game flow certainly can be his friend. He has shown the ability to be a solid scoring option for San Antonio and that should continue tonight.
Ochai Agbaji, Utah Jazz
Even though Agbajl moved back to the bench on Thursday, he still saw 22 minutes of playing time. Perhaps even more important, is the fact that the forward was productive with 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists and the rookie has proven capable of handling the extra run.
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Ivica Zubac had a productive outing, finishing with 27 points (11-of-15 FGs, 5-of-8 FTs), five rebounds, one assist and two blocks in the Game 5 loss to the Nuggets on Tuesday.
Zubac continued to score the ball well, finishing with a series-high in points on efficient shooting. However, Zubac’s usual impact on the glass was absent as he secured just five rebounds in Game 5 after tallying at least nine in the previous four, with his one assist also tying his lowest output of the series. Down in the series 3-2, the Clippers head back to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Thursday, where they face a must-win situation to keep their season alive.
James Harden concluded Tuesday’s Game 5 loss to the Nuggets with 11 points (3-of-9 FGs, 5-of-8 FTs), eight rebounds, five assists and two steals in 35 minutes.
Harden had a quiet night on Tuesday, barely cracking double figures in scoring and failing to register double-digit shot attempts. The 2018 NBA MVP has faced a stifling Nuggets defense that, over the last few games, has forced the ball out of his hands, leading to inferior performances compared to earlier games in the series. Harden will look for a bounce-back performance on Thursday as he tries to lead the Clippers to a season-saving victory in Game 6.
Kawhi Leonard stuffed the stat sheet in Tuesday’s Game 5 loss to the Nuggets, posting 20 points (8-of-15 FGs, 3-of-7 FTs), nine rebounds, 11 assists, one steal, two blocks and one three-pointer.
Leonard did a little bit of everything for the Clippers in Game 5. The two-time NBA Finals MVP posted a series-high in assists and also hit the glass hard, resulting in a near-triple-double. Leonard has scored at least 20 points in all five games of this series. However, the Clippers may need even more from him going forward as they look to extend their season beyond Thursday’s Game 6 at the Intuit Dome.
Nikola Jokic earned a triple-double in the Nuggets’ Game 5 win on Tuesday over the Clippers, finishing with 13 points (4-of-13 FGs, 4-of-5 FTs), 10 rebounds, 12 assists, one steal, two blocks and one three-pointer.
The three-time NBA MVP had a relatively quiet game by his standards, but still came away with his third triple-double of the series. Jokic struggled with shooting efficiency, and his scoring output was the lowest of the series. Yet, his points were not as necessary in this game, given how well the rest of the Nuggets shot the ball. Nevertheless, Jokic will be in line for another big performance on Thursday when the Nuggets face the Clippers in Game 6.
Russell Westbrook came off the bench and produced 21 points (8-of-15 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), one rebound, one assist and three three-pointers in the Nuggets’ Game 5 win over the Clippers on Tuesday.
Westbrook was electric in his first game back in the lineup following a foot injury that kept him out of Game 4. His second-quarter scoring ignited the crowd and helped set the table for what would be his highest-scoring game of the postseason. The 2017 NBA MVP has had himself a nice series thus far from a scoring standpoint and will have a chance to end his former team’s season on Thursday in Game 6.
Jamal Murray had a dominant Game 5 performance in the Nuggets’ win over the Clippers on Tuesday, tallying 43 points (17-of-26 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), five rebounds, seven assists, three steals, one block and eight three-pointers.
Fresh off a series-low 13 points in Game 4, Murray exploded for a series-high on Tuesday. He totaled nearly as many three-pointers in this game as he had in the previous four combined, while still managing to dish out seven assists. Murray got hot early in this one and never cooled off, and now has provided his Nuggets the opportunity on Thursday in Game 6 to eliminate the Clippers for the second time in the last five seasons.