We are in the final week of the regular season, which means that it is time for you guys to win your fantasy championships! Most teams have about two games remaining on the regular-season schedule, meaning that there are two more opportunities for you to put together some clutch-time performances. There were only six games on Wednesday, but there were still plenty of takeaways that will be vital for you to keep an eye on as we head into the final four days of the regular season in the NBA. So without any further delay, let’s hop into Wednesday’s games and I’ll give you the things that stood out to me the most.
Seth Curry returns for Brooklyn in win Wednesday
Curry returned from a two-game absence due to a left ankle sprain, and he slid right back into the starting lineup against the Knicks. Curry played 30 minutes and scored 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting (3-of-7 3-pointers) to go with two rebounds, two assists, and one steal as the Nets beat the Knicks 110-98. Patty Mills moved back to the second unit as a result, but he played well off the bench, scoring 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from deep to go with two assists and one steal in 24 minutes. Kevin Durant was also unstoppable as he poured in 32 points on 11-of-22 shooting (8-of-9 free throws) to go with 11 assists, 10 rebounds, two triples, two blocks, and one steal in 42 minutes. In the fourth quarter alone, he scored 13 points to go with nine rebounds and six assists.
The Nets are in the midst of a battle for seeding in the play-in and are currently tied with the Hawks at 42-38. With this in mind, and given the fact that Curry seemed as close to healthy as you could want at this point in the season, there is a chance that Curry will play in both of the remaining games against the Cavaliers and the Pacers. We haven’t heard an official confirmation from Steve Nash though so be sure to check back prior to Friday’s tip-off.
Suns rest starters, lose to Clippers
On Tuesday, the Suns set a franchise record for wins in a regular season with 63 as they officially eliminated the Lakers from playoff contention. With that in hand, and home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs clinched, they decided to rest Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Chris Paul, and Jae Crowder for Wednesday’s game against the Clippers. Now it was the second night of a back-to-back so that certainly had something to do with it. There is no telling what the Suns will do for the last two regular-season games against the Jazz and the Kings, but there is no real incentive for the veterans to play other than to try to keep from getting rusty as they will get about a week off from the end of the regular season to the beginning of the regular season. Knowing Paul and Booker though, they won’t want to rest so be sure to check back prior to Friday’s game against Utah.
Norman Powell scores 24 off bench in return Wednesday
Norman Powell returned on Wednesday after being out nearly two months with a fractured left foot. He played 23 minutes and led the Clippers in scoring with 24 points on 6-of-10 shooting (3-of-4 3-pointers) to go with four rebounds, one block, and one turnover. He also made 9-of-20 free throws as the Clippers beat the Suns 113-109 after leading by as much as 39 points at one point in this one. The Clippers have now gotten both Paul George and Norman Powell back after extended absences, and they have quietly won three games in a row, and four of their last five. They will play the Timberwolves in the first round of the play-in tournament, and if they win they will get Memphis in the first round of the western conference playoffs. But before we get to that point, Powell is worth a look as a streamer for the last two regular-season games if you need some scoring,
Cade Cunningham plays well in return
Cunningham missed Sunday’s game against the pacers due to a left hip injury, but he was back in the lineup on Wednesday against Dallas. He played 38 minutes and scored 25 points on 7-of-19 shooting (1-of-4 3-pointers) to go with nine assists, seven rebounds, two steals, one block, and five turnovers. With just two games left in his rookie season, you have to think Cunningham will be in the lineup against the Bucks and Sixers to finish things up. The Pistons also got a big night out of Isaiah Stewart, who scored 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting (3-of-3 3-pointers) while grabbing 14 rebounds with one assist, and one block. Stewart was perfect from the three-point line and also made all four of his free throws, but the Pistons still lost to the Mavericks 131-113 on Wednesday night. Hopefully, the young guys can finish the season on a good note, and carry some momentum into next season as the rebuild in Detroit continues.
Thunder resting more starters as tank continues
For the second-straight game, the Thunder elected not to play Aaron Wiggins, Theo Maledon, and Aleksej Pokusevski without any of them having an injury distinction. This is frustrating to managers wh picked them up, and at this point, there is no telling if they will play in the final two regular-season games. The Thunder have absolutely no interest in being competitive so it’s a safe bet to drop these three and look elsewhere if you need a streaming option.
Jaylen Hoard was great again on Wednesday as he led the Thunder in scoring with 23 points on 8-of-17 shooting (5-of-8 3-pointers) to go with five rebounds, three assists, one rebound, one block, and one turnover in 36 minutes. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl played just 16 minutes but scored 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting (2-of-3 3-pointers) to go with two rebounds and no turnovers. The Thunder lost to the Jazz 137-101 on Wednesday, and Utah was without their leading scorer Donovan Mitchell, who got the night off to rest on night two of a back-to-back. He should be back in action for Friday’s game against Phoenix.
Al Horford leads Celtics to win over Bulls
The Celtics will be without Robert Williams for a few more weeks at minimum so they will be relying heavily on Al Horford to not only score but to anchor their interior defense as well. He delivered on Wednesday as the Celtics earned a big win over the Bulls. Horford scored 17 points on a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor (3-of-3 3-pointers) to go with 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block in 30 minutes. This was a masterful performance for the veteran big man, who did a little bit of everything to help lead the Celtics to their 50th win of the season.
Daniel Theis also played well as he made his third-straight start on Wednesday. Theis scored 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting (1-of-4 3-pointers) and added six rebounds, one assist, and just one turnover. After the game, Horford spoke about the chemistry that he and Theis have been building and the way that they are playing at the moment. “We feel good playing with one another. We’re reading each other, trying to make plays, trying to make the game easy.” Boston is currently trying to lock up the second seed in the Eastern Conference, and they have a monumental game on Thursday on TNT against the Bucks in what will likely decide that second seed, so we will see if they can get the job done in Milwaukee.
Danilo Gallinari fills it up in return Wednesday
Gallinari missed Tuesday’s game against the Raptors with some left knee inflammation. He was back for this one, and he did not disappoint as he scored 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting (4-of-7 3-pointers) and grabbed 10 rebounds with one assist, one steal, and one turnover a the Hawks beat the Wizards 118-103 on Wednesday night. This was just a one-game absence, and Gallinari looked outstanding in this one and played 29 minutes so we don’t expect this to be a lingering issue. Trae Young was also huge, as he scored 30 points on 8-of-17 shooting (3-of-9 3-pointers) and dished out 11 assists to go with two rebounds, and three turnovers in 37 minutes. The Hawks have two games left on the schedule with the Heat and the Rockets and are currently tied with the Nets for the eighth seed in the east. We will see if they can finish strong and avoid having to win two games in the upcoming play-in tournament.