NBA Player News

Williams is back after having missed the Bulls’ last four games with a strained quad. Like Jalen Smith, his playing time will be restricted on Sunday. Given what Williams has produced when his minutes aren’t restricted, there’s no need to slot him into fantasy lineups.

Holiday was cold from the field in Game 1, regardless of whether he was shooting inside the arc or beyond it. The two-time champion was one of three Blazers starters to shoot under 30.0 percent on the evening, contributing to Portland’s overall offensive struggles. He did compensate for the scoring struggles by dishing out double-digit assists, doing so while committing only one turnover. Still, the Trail Blazers will likely need more production from Holiday as a scorer going forward.

After a quiet, three-point first half, Henderson found his rhythm in his playoff debut and scored 15 points after halftime to finish as Portland’s second-leading scorer on the evening. Henderson shot efficiently in his 27 minutes both inside and outside the arc, and was one of the Blazers’ more reliable starters overall. The former third-overall pick has logged some impressive scoring performances recently in his return from injury. He’ll have a chance to build off some Game 1 momentum and carry it over on Tuesday when the Blazers and Spurs take the floor again.

Avdija got off to a fast start in Sunday’s outing. He logged 11 first-quarter points and added eight more to total 19 points at halftime. Yet, he was much less dominant the remainder of the game, taking just two shots in the third frame before logging six points in the fourth. Still, Avdija was the only Trail Blazer with more than 20 points on the evening. He’ll likely need some of his teammates to contribute more on the offensive end if Portland wants to avoid dropping Game 2.

Fox’s playoff debut with the Spurs was an impressive one. The veteran guard led the team in assists during his time on the floor, and shot the basketball well enough to finish as one of the top scorers. Perhaps most impressively, Fox’s offensive contributions came without giving the ball away to the defense. He was under control throughout, and it helped San Antonio cruise to a comfortable Game 1 win.

Castle was one of many Spurs starters to conclude with a strong stat line on Sunday. In 33 minutes, the second-year guard made his mark as one of San Antonio’s best facilitators and rebounders, while constantly putting pressure on the defense to make his way to the charity stripe. Better efficiency on his shot attempts would have boosted Castle well into the twenties in regard to total points. Nonetheless, he finished as one of the team’s top scorers on the evening and, as mentioned previously, contributed in several other areas of the game.

Wembanyama’s first taste of the NBA postseason was a success. The superstar center was particularly productive from the three-point line in this game, where his five triples accounted for one-third of San Antonio’s total from beyond the arc. He also took advantage of his attempts from the free-throw line and converted several shots inside the arc to help land a game-high in points. Yet, his usual counting stats across the board weren’t as great as they often are; Wemby finished below his regular-season averages in rebounds, assists, and blocked shots during his time on the floor. While his impact on both ends was clear, he’ll have a chance to log a greater overall stat line in Game 2.

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 non-Cade Cunningham Piston 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.