With the NBA regular season in the final stretch, a lot of star players are resting and a lot of guys you didn’t know about a week ago are playing big-time minutes. We’re going to try and navigate the best value options of the day to help you win!
I’m not sure many people had Talen Horton-Tucker scoring 40 actual points the last time out on their bingo cards. THT is playing without LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook in this game – and Carmelo Anthony, too. There’s no reason to think he’s not going to take all the shot attempts he wants and play as many minutes as he can here. Not to mention OKC is a bottom-five defense since the All-Star break.
With Mitchell Robinson out, we should see Jericho Sims starting once again and playing all the center minutes. He looked great earlier this week against Brooklyn as he notched a double-double across 34 minutes while also putting up 38 DKP. The Wizards have been just below league average in rebounding since the All-Star break, but it’s still very possible we see Sims notching 10+ rebounds once again with Kristaps Porzingis ruled out for Washington.
The hook shot machine that is Zavier Simpson is playing SO many minutes and he’s not stopping. He’s played 39 and 44 in his first two games and expects much of the same here. Simpson hasn’t shot the ball particularly well but has still managed 26+ DKP in each of the two games he’s played. It’s encouraging to see him shoot 10+ times in both games as well.
With the Wizards ruling Kristaps Porzingis out and officially waving the white flag, Daniel Gafford should see a big bump in playing time. With Porzingis, Bradley Beal, and Kyle Kuzma off the floor this year, Gafford averages north of one FP/min – which would be elite if he were given 30+ minutes. We just saw two games ago what Gafford can do when he’s extended, playing 31 minutes against Minnesota and scoring 24 points with 12 rebounds. He may not have even shown his real upside either, considering he only had one block and we know he can block shots with the best of them.
Welcome to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where you sign from the clouds and show up and get 30 minutes, Georgios Kalaitzakis! The former Buck has shown up on the scene and has looked pretty good, shooting 44% or better in two straight games for the Thunder. He’s also topped 29 minutes in each game and there’s no reason to think he won’t continue on that path as the season winds down. The Lakers are resting everyone and, with the same lineup on Thursday, they gave up 128 points.
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Buddy Hield had 15 points (5-of-14 FGs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and four three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Hield moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup in the first round and the team became somewhat reliant on his scoring. With Stephen Curry (hamstring) out in Game 2, Hield started and played 29 minutes. The 32-year-old shooting guard led the Warriors in field goal attempts, though no one in a Golden State uniform was able to reach 20 points. The Warriors weren’t able to overcome a double-digit first half deficit. Despite the four made three-pointers, they’re going to need more from Hield as the series shifts to Golden State, especially if Curry remains out.
Jimmy Butler had 17 points (6-of-13 FGs), seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Butler couldn’t get it done without Stephen Curry (hamstring) on the road in Game 2. The Warriors fell behind by double-digits early and never recovered. Butler had 17 points on 13 shots, which wasn’t far off from the 20 points he had in Game 1. Still, the Warriors have to regroup as they head home for Games 3 and 4 as they try to figure out a way to keep this series close until Curry can return to the court.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 20 points (7-of-13 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, one block and four three-pointers in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Alexander-Walker was a key scorer off the bench in Game 2. He, Naz Reid and Donte DiVencenzo combined for 10 made three-pointers off the bench. In a game where the Warriors were desperate for scoring without Stephen Curry (hamstring), those bench points were too much to overcome as the Timberwolves won by 24 points.
Julius Randle had 24 points (10-of-17 FGs), seven rebounds, 11 assists and one three-pointer in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring in the Game 2 victory. The 30-year-old power forward was just three rebounds away from a triple-double. He was a steadying presence in his 33 minutes as Anthony Edwards dealt with an ankle injury towards the end of the first half. Edwards recovered from his injury to play 34 minutes, but Randle is still the next most important player in this series for the Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards had 20 points (6-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and two three-pointers in the Timberwolves’ 117-93 victory over the Warriors in Game 2 on Thursday.
Edwards appeared to suffer a sprained left ankle towards the end of the second quarter as the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on his foot. Edwards turned the same ankle in the first round against the Lakers and appeared to re-aggravate the injury. The 23-year-old shooting guard would go on to start the second half and play a team-high 34 minutes in the Game 2 victory. Edwards will only have one full day off before the series resumes in Golden State for Game 3 on Saturday.
Warriors will start Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Quinten Post in Game 2 against the Timberwolves on Thursday.
No surprise here as Curry was always a long shot to make it back for Game 2 after leaving Game 1 with hamstring injury. While there has been a report that the 37-year-old point guard is expected to miss a week, there is no firm timetable for his return. The Warriors will go big with their starting lineup for Game 2 with center Quinten Post entering the lineup in Curry’s absence.