NBA Player News

Anunoby may have scored 17 points in Thursday’s Game 3 defeat, but Sunday’s performance was his best of the series. In addition to recording his first double-double, OG combined with Precious Achiuwa to shut down Joel Embiid during the fourth quarter. With Isaiah Hartenstein (8/4/2/1 in 28 minutes) sitting due to foul trouble, Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa (1/7/2/0/4 in 19 minutes) combined to limit the reigning MVP to one point on 0-of-5 shooting in the final period. It’s unknown if Mitchell Robinson (ankle) will be available for Game 5 on Tuesday, but the Anunoby/Achiuwa tandem gives Tom Thibodeau another strategy to consider.

As expected, Kornet will be available to play the backup center minutes in this game. He played 21 minutes in the blowout win in Game 1, but he has played a total of 20 minutes in the two games since then. Barring a lopsided score, Kornet will likely play a minimal role in this game.

Murray continues to deal with this calf injury, but it hasn’t force him to miss any time during this postseason. That likely won’t start in a pivotal Game 5, though if something changes, Reggie Jackson would start in his place.

Joker led his team in scoring and finished with his most points of this postseason run. He was a bit light on the peripheral contributions (especially for his lofty standards), but Jokic was still masterful across the board as he led his team to a much-needed win to even up the series with Minnesota. Jokic and Co. dropped their first two games of this series at Ball Arena, and after two road wins, they should be fired up for Tuesday’s home date with the Timberwolves. Expect the three-time MVP to deliver another strong performance in the much-anticipated Game 5.

Towns scored at least 20 points in Games 1 and 2 of the semifinals in Denver, but he failed to eclipse 14 points at home in Games 3 and 4. Towns has been mostly deferential on offense through eight postseason games, averaging 18.5 points on just 11.5 shots per contest. Anthony Edwards has been doing the heavy lifting as a scorer, and Towns has been chipping in as a rebounder and secondary scoring option. He’ll need to be much more efficient than this in Game 5 on Tuesday if Minnesota hopes to reclaim the series lead.

Gordon had himself a night on Sunday, missing only one shot en route to a monster scoring performance. His 27 points are tied for the second-most in his playoff career, bested only by the 29 he dropped in Game 3 of the first-round series with Los Angeles. Gordon finished behind only Nikola Jokic (35 points) for the team lead in scoring in this one, and the 62 combined points from the two big men fueled Denver to a big win. The semifinal series shifts back to Denver for Game 5 on Tuesday notched up at two games apiece.

Ant-Man was superhuman yet again, though the rest of his team was more like the Wasp and stung him badly in the loss. Edwards shot an efficient 16-of-25 from the floor, while his teammates combined to shoot 23-of-57 for just 63 points. The next highest scorer on the team was Mike Conley, who chipped in 15, while Karl-Anthony Towns struggled to find his shot, and Naz Reid was given just 19 minutes. Edwards has been absolutely dominant in this season’s playoffs, but he’ll need more from his teammates now that the Western Conference semis are tied up and heading back to Denver for a pivotal Game 5.

All three players will be available despite sporting questionable tags heading into Sunday’s pivotal matchup in Minnesota. The Nuggets can even up the series before heading back to Ball Arena, so the availability of the trio is crucial. All three should handle their typical workloads.

Turner and the Pacers were dominant throughout Game 4, as they picked up the win to even the series at two games apiece. He didn’t miss a shot from the field while recording a full stat line, including three blocked shots. Outside of Game 2, Turner has played well in his matchup with Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein. The ability to step out beyond the 3-point line makes Turner a problematic matchup for Hartenstein, who appears more comfortable in drop coverage than playing at the level. Myles will look to build on Sunday’s performance in Game 5 on Tuesday night in New York.

Siakam’s stat line was modest, but this was due to the nature of Game 4 more than anything else. With the Pacers leading 34-14 after the first quarter, Rick Carlisle had little reason to push his starters on Sunday afternoon. As a result, Spicy P only played 22 minutes and did not have much trouble getting to his spots when on the floor. With OG Anunoby unlikely to be available for Game 5 on Tuesday, dealing with Siakam is another issue for the Knicks. Indiana’s win on Sunday tied the series at two games each.

While the decision to shift Aaron Nesmith onto Jalen Brunson has received a lot of attention, and rightfully so, McConnell’s role has also been significant. The veteran point guard took on the task when Nesmith (8/12/1/0/1 in 24 minutes) wasn’t in the game, and he was highly impactful in both of Indiana’s wins at home. In addition to being a pest on the defensive end of the floor, McConnell recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists. For those interested in this series for betting purposes, McConnell is worth considering for prop bet action. Game 5 is on Monday in New York, with the teams tied at two wins each.