NBA Player News

The lone negative for White on Sunday was the 3-point shooting, as he missed all three of his attempts. However, that didn’t keep him from scoring 26 points, as the Knicks struggled to keep the jet-quick guard from getting to his spots off the dribble. White heads into the Play-In tournament having scored 20 or more in three of his last four games. Alex Caruso didn’t struggle from beyond the arc, as he was 3-of-5 and finished with 15 points, five rebounds, eight assists, and five steals in 41 minutes. Chicago hosts Atlanta on Wednesday in the East’s 9/10 matchup.

Tate has yet to play in this series, as he has been out with a right ankle impingement. His continued absence will not impact the series, as Tate is not guaranteed rotation minutes when he is available.

After scoring 28 in a critical Game 6 victory, it appeared that Harden was ready to have a big Game 7. Unfortunately, it just didn’t happen. The assists were great, but he didn’t step up as a scorer in the way that a star should. Harden will be 36 at the start of next season, but there is no indication that he’ll slow down during the regular season. Managers should draft him with confidence next season, even if he continues to struggle during the postseason.

Zubac wrapped up a breakout season with yet another double-double, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Clippers alive. He was a finalist for the Most Improved Player award, and he averaged 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, all of which were career highs. He had a Yahoo ADP of 86.8 this season, but he will certainly go significantly earlier in drafts next season. He provided third-round value in nine-cat leagues this season.

Leonard was one of the few bright spots on offense for the Clippers, but things didn’t go well during his time on the floor. They were outscored by 33 points during his 33 minutes. It was a bitter end to a strong year for Kawhi. He didn’t make his season debut until January, but he ended up playing 37 games and was still healthy for the postseason. Though he’ll be 34 at the start of next season, he’ll be healthy heading into the offseason, which is an excellent development for him. Injuries will continue to push him down draft boards, which could make him an excellent value in fantasy basketball next season.

Braun has been solid throughout the postseason, but he had his highest-scoring performance of the series in the closeout win. This was also a new playoff career-high for him. Braun has enjoyed a breakout season, and that has continued into the postseason. He has solidified his role as a starter beyond this season, which bodes well for fantasy basketball. He’ll have a tall task in the second round of the playoffs in a matchup with the top-seeded Thunder.

Gordon led a balanced attack for the Nuggets to help them advance to the next round. He was one of six players to score in double figures for Denver, which included all five starters. Gordon had a strong series, and they’ll need him to continue to play at a high level against Oklahoma City in the second round. The Nuggets went 3-0 in the first round when Gordon scored at least 20 points.

There were plenty of highs and lows for Westbrook throughout the series, but with the season on the line, he rose to the occasion. He had some big moments in the fourth quarter to solidify the win for Denver and eliminate his former team. Despite what social media may say, Westbrook is still more than capable of making an impact in the playoffs, and they will need him to produce like he did in this game during their matchup with the top-seeded Thunder in the second round. For now, Russ gets the last laugh after both Los Angeles teams were eliminated in the first round.

Aside from a five minute stint in Game 5 during Houston’s blowout win, Landale has not seen the floor this series. He missed Game 6 and will remain sidelined once again, though it won’t impact the Rockets’ rotation.

Garland practiced on Friday, and head coach Kenny Atkinson said this was a scheduled day off to see how his toe responded. His status for Game 1 on Sunday is up in the air, but this isn’t an alarming absence from practice. Garland missed Games 3 and 4 against the Heat, and Sam Merrill would likely continue to start if Garland remains out.

When asked about Holiday’s recovery, head coach Joe Mazzulla said, “He was able to do everything that we worked on. He’s getting better everyday.” Al Horford has been starting in place of Holiday and will likely remain in that role for Game 1 against the Knicks on Monday if Holiday remains out. The injury report should provide a clearer update on Holiday, but this is a positive development for his chances of returning after missing Games 3-5 against the Magic.