NBA Player News

The positive from Olynyk’s performance was that he finished two assists shy of what would have been his first career triple-double. The negative: he turned the ball over seven times on the night. Olynyk’s averaging 2.4 turnovers per game on the season, so nights like Thursday have not been the norm for him. Utah being without Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler meant more touches for Olynyk, which does boost his fantasy value in leagues that are still active. However, with the veteran big being a known commodity at this point, it’s fair to wonder how much he’ll play in Utah’s final two games. Expect to see more of Udoka Azubuike (12 points, seven rebounds, and one block in 25 minutes) and Damian Jones (four points, two rebounds, one steal, and one block in 21 minutes) if the Jazz decide to lighten Olynyk’s workload.

The scuttlebutt surrounding the Kings heading into the February trade deadline was that the team would look to move some of its veterans to kickstart a reset of the roster. No one was moved, and Sabonis underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn left meniscus during the All-Star break. The veteran center once again being the subject of trade rumors is unsurprising, especially considering the Kings’ struggles and current salary cap situation. The Kings hold the seventh overall pick in this month’s draft, and Sabonis’ future could affect that, as well as Maxime Raynaud. Raynaud earned second-team All-Rookie honors and started 56 of the 74 games he played.

The 41st overall pick in the 2022 draft, Liddell spent this season with the Nets on a two-way deal. Due to be a free agent this summer, the former Ohio State standout has reportedly decided to move to Greece on a two-year deal. Liddell’s exit will not affect the Nets’ rotation or fantasy basketball next season.

Bridges was excellent on the offensive end in Game 2. He was 7-of-8 from the field to start the game, but was also finding his teammates as he had six assists. Bridges has had one game with at least 20 points in every round of the playoffs. This one certainly came at the right time as the Knicks were able to take a 2-0 series lead on the road. Twice before has a team won the first two games of the NBA Finals on the road and that team went on to win the series each time.

Brunson wasn’t particularly efficient with 20 points on 25 attempts, but he came through at the end of the game in typical Brunson-like fashion. With the Knicks trailing by two with less than a minute left in regulation, Brunson stopped in the lane to give himself enough space to hit a fadeaway jumper and tied the game. His made free throw with 10 second left was the difference in the Knicks’ 13th consecutive playoff win as they became the second team in history to accomplish that feat. New York will head home with a 2-0 series lead heading into Game 3 on Monday, where they’ll look to continue what’s been a dominant postseason run.

As the teams left the floor for halftime at the end of the first half, cameras caught Towns letting everyone know that Victor Wembanyama can’t mess with him. He continued to back up that talk in the second half with his second double-double of the series. Towns isn’t close to being dominated by Wembanyama the way the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren was in the Western Conference finals. The way he’s playing right now, he’s closer to having a legitimate chance of winning Finals MVP.

Wembanyama was excellent in the second half as he scored 22 of his 29 points after halftime. The 22-year-old center came up short in the final minute of regulation, though. After grabbing a rebound and with the game tied, Wembanyama passed the ball to an unsuspecting Stephon Castle. The turnover was corralled by Jalen Brunson, who Wembanyama promptly fouled. Brunson made one of two free throws to give the Knicks the lead and Wembanyama missed a midrange jumper as time expired. Now the Spurs trail 2-0 as the series shifts to New York for Game 3 on Monday.

No surprise here as Robinson was initially listed as probable for Game 2. The 28-year-old center had surgery on his broken pinky finger before the NBA Finals. Robinson will likely play between 10-20 minutes as the backup center.

Robinson is back on the injury report for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, but it’s safe to assume that he will play. The longest-tenured Knick logged 13 minutes in the series opener, grabbing six rebounds. Look for Robinson to take on a similar role as New York attempts to take a 2-0 series lead.

Champagnie’s impact can be seen by splitting Wednesday’s contest into two halves. In the first half, he sank five threes, including one to beat the buzzer before halftime, to tally 15 points and nearly a team-best plus-9 rating. But after halftime, he went 0-of-5 from the field, produced one point, and was tied for a team-worst minus-17 rating. A more consistent game may have prevented San Antonio from completely squandering a 14-point lead. Yet, Champagnie continues to shoot the three well of late, and will have another opportunity to produce from beyond the arc on Friday in Game 2.

Castle’s first-ever NBA Finals game was a respectable one. The second-year guard finished second on the Spurs in scoring and did so on decent shooting. He crashed both the offensive and defensive glass on Wednesday while also doing a little bit as a passer. Still, Castle didn’t deliver high production. He’ll likely need to do a bit more on Friday to help the Spurs avoid dropping a second straight game.