NBA Player News

Murphy has scored at least 31 points in four of his last five appearances, continuing to lead the way offensively for the Pelicans. A top-20 player in eight-cat formats for the season, he’s been a top-5 player over the past two weeks. With the Pelicans not having control of their first-round pick, there’s no reason for them to consider tanking. That’s great news for managers who have Murphy rostered, as it should ensure that he’ll be available during the fantasy playoff weeks.

Ingram’s absence from the lineup leaves the Raptors in a similar situation to Game 6, needing to win without one of their best players to avoid elimination. The former Most Improved Player had struggled to score the ball efficiently, however, over the first five games of the series when he was available. Jamal Shead filled in for Ingram as a starter in Game 6’s victory, tallying seven points and six assists; he’s likely to occupy that starting spot again on Sunday.

Dosunmu’s latest injury update is positive, indicating a return to the floor may be near. He had a coming-out party in the first-round series against the Nuggets, which included a career-best 43-point Game 4 from him. Regardless of which other injured Timberwolves are available, his potential return to the lineup would be a big one for Minnesota. Dosunmu has been one of the team’s most reliable scorers this postseason.

Embiid showed up on Sunday’s injury report with a hip contusion, likely sustained in Game 7 of the Sixers’ victory over the Celtics. The former league MVP got a late start to the postseason due to recovery from a late-season appendicitis surgery. Embiid averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in four games in the first-round win over Boston. He’ll look to have similar dominance against the Knicks to begin the Eastern Conference Semifinals, should he be available to play on Monday.

Sochan hasn’t logged many significant minutes for the Knicks during the postseason thus far, making his injury status for Monday’s opening game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals likely unimpactful. Nonetheless, he’ll provide defensive versatility on the wing, should he see the floor.

Sunday’s series decider will be the third game that Huerter has missed due to a strained left adductor. Given what’s on the line, the Pistons will continue to lean heavily on Cade Cunningham, who has played 44 and 42 minutes in the two games that Huerter has missed.

Sidelined since March 12, Isaac will miss Sunday’s series decider due to a sprained left knee. His continued absence does not affect the Magic rotation.

Ingram, who sat out Friday’s Game 6 victory with an inflamed right heel, was seen at pregame shootaround with his foot in a walking boot. He’s now on track to miss a second consecutive game and has since been downgraded to doubtful. Jamal Shead moved into the starting lineup on Friday and should remain in that role as the Raptors look to become the first team to win a road game in this series.

Added to the 76ers’ injury report early Saturday afternoon due to an illness, George logged 42 minutes in Game 7. While the final stat line wasn’t elite, his two-way abilities were a factor in the Game 7 victory that should not be overlooked. Solid defensively throughout, George shot 22-of-40 from three in the series. Philadelphia will need steady production from George on both ends of the floor in their second-round series againt the Knicks, which begins on Monday.

With Neemias Queta being removed from the starting lineup for Game 7, this appeared to be a spot in which Vučević would have an opportunity to start on Saturday. However, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla decided to go with Luka Garza, who played nine minutes and recorded just one blocked shot. Vučević’s production was limited throughout the series, which led to him not playing at all in Game 7. When allowed to start and log heavy minutes, as he did in Chicago, Vučević has been a positive fantasy asset in recent seasons. However, the limited production after being traded to Boston may affect his market in free agency this summer. Vooch has top-50 potential as a starter, but that kind of role may not be available to him at this stage. At least for a team with championship aspirations.

Removed from the starting lineup for Game 7, Queta had his most productive game of the series on Saturday. The Celtics’ center’s 17 points were a playoff career high, and he hit double digits in rebounds for the third consecutive game. Thrust into a more prominent role this season following the departures of Kristaps Porziņǵis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet, Queta rewarded fantasy managers with a top-100 regular season. He has a team option for next season worth just under $2.7 million, so it feels as if the chances of Queta remaining in Boston are high. However, the inconsistent offensive production may prompt the Celtics also to look to upgrade at center via free agency or the trade market.