NBA Player News

Martin will return after a two-game absence, giving the Hornets another playmaker with LaMelo Ball sidelined. Ish Smith will likely be asked to come off the bench, with his fantasy value taking a hit. Martin is worth utilizing in deep leagues, with Ball lacking a timeline for return.

Relative to his regular-season production, Duren had an underwhelming performance in Sunday’s opener. He was hardly involved across his 33 minutes, taking just four total shots. The result was a single-digit scoring performance from the first-time NBA All-Star and a team worst minus-21. If the Pistons want to avoid falling two games behind in the series on Wednesday, they’ll almost certainly need more on both ends of the floor from Duren.

Harris was one of several Pistons players to struggle on the offensive end on Sunday. He was particularly inefficient from beyond the arc and had to often rely on getting to the free-throw line to produce. Still, he was productive enough to score above his regular-season average and was the only other player, not named Cade Cunningham, to reach double figures in points. As one of the team’s veterans, Harris could be relied on for more offensive output in Wednesday’s Game 2.

Cunningham led all players in scoring on Sunday, nearly logging as many points as minutes played. The points came from all levels — the three-point line, midrange, and at the rim — while he also did damage at the charity stripe. Yet, the superstar point guard couldn’t manage to get his teammates going as effectively as he had done throughout the regular season, as reflected in the four total assists he generated. Nonetheless, Cunningham did a lot for the Pistons on the offensive end on Sunday, and will need his teammates to make larger contributions in Game 2. Tobias Harris was the only other Detroit player to score in double figures on Sunday.

Carter was one of Orlando’s most efficient players in Sunday’s win. In 37 minutes, he tied a team-high in assists, doing so without committing a turnover. Additionally, the veteran center missed just one of his nine shot attempts, was one of the team’s leading rebounders, and chipped in defensively with two stocks. Carter’s number wasn’t often called, but he seemed to always make a play when the situation called for one. He’ll have a chance to land strong production again in Wednesday’s Game 2.

Wagner was fairly quiet offensively through the first three quarters of Sunday’s contest, having totaled just eight points on 2-of-8 shooting. Yet, he served as Orlando’s closer. In the fourth quarter alone, the fifth-year forward consistently attacked the rim and ultimately converted all five of his field-goal attempts, scoring 11 of the Magic’s 31 points in the frame. Wagner ended as the team’s second-leading scorer on the evening and was one of five Magic players to log at least four assists. He was effective and timely in the victory, which is what Orlando hopes he can duplicate in Game 2.

Banchero rode the hot hand into Sunday’s performance and delivered another fine offensive outing in Game 1. As a result of efficient shooting, the former first-overall pick led Orlando in scoring and was the only one to reach the 20-point mark, even without tallying any points in the fourth quarter. Still, his scoring contributions through three periods helped the Magic build and mostly maintain a lead from start to finish. He also chipped in as a passer and came within one rebound of a double-double. Banchero played a strong game on Sunday and has Orlando in position to potentially steal two games on the road to open the series.

Watson’s 2025-26 postseason debut will have to wait at least one game longer, as the fourth-year guard is set to miss Monday’s second game. Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Spencer Jones should remain the primary wing options off the bench, as was the case in Denver’s Game 1 victory.

Edwards is showing up on Sunday’s injury report with a knee issue, likely the same injury that gave him issues and caused him to miss time down the stretch of the regular season. His potential absence would serve as a big blow to the Timberwolves as they look to even up the series. But even if he does play, he’ll likely need to improve on the inefficient 22-point performance he had in Game 1.

J-Dub and the Thunder grabbed control of Game 1 early and never looked back, winning by 35 points. As a playmaker, Williams was especially impactful during the second quarter, as he accounted for six points and four assists. Oklahoma City is a heavy favorite in this series, and its depth and defense carried the day in Game 1. They’ll look to do the same in Game 2 on Wednesday.

Holmgren came out hot in Game 1, scoring 13 points in the first quarter. He didn’t offer much production after that, but the Thunder really didn’t need much from him. Holmgren’s final line only lacked an assist, and he was one of three starters to block two shots. Oklahoma City’s bigs were excellent defensively, with Isaiah Hartenstein (eight points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks) and Jaylin Williams (five points, four rebounds, two assists, four steals and one three-pointer) all recording at least two “stocks.” Holmgren is one of the finalists for Defensive Player of the Year, joining San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and Detroit’s Ausar Thompson.