NBA Player News

The Knicks won’t have Josh Hart for Wednesday’s game, as he’s been ruled out with a knee injury. Shamet moves into the starting lineup, and he’s a solid streaming option for fantasy managers who need three-point production.

There were certainly some lows for Mathurin in April, but he was able to end his first season as a Clipper with back-to-back 20-point outings. There aren’t any questions about his scoring ability, but he hasn’t been able to contribute value in other categories consistently, and that is unlikely to change next season. He’s still a talented young guard, and he played well in this game, but that shouldn’t change how fantasy managers view him heading into next season.

In what was an amazing season for Leonard, it ended on a sour note. He played in 65 games and had one of the best offensive seasons of his career. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to bring some of that magic into the play-in tournament. His five turnovers were the most he has had in a game since February. Kawhi will turn 35 in June, which certainly means there will be rumors and questions floating around about the Clippers’ chances of building a contender around him. Regardless, Leonard is still one of the most talented players in basketball and will have a chance to be a fantasy superstar once again next season, no matter who he suits up for.

Prior to fouling out, Garland was able to have a productive night in his postseason debut for the Clippers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for them to stay alive and have a chance to make the playoffs. Garland was acquired at the trade deadline in a deal that sent James Harden to Cleveland. He has been limited by a toe injury for over a year, but when he was finally able to make his debut for the Clippers, he was able to close the year out with a productive stretch. The former All-Star will be a pivotal piece for the Clippers moving forward.

Santos stepped up in a big way for the Warriors during the second half of the season, and that continued into a strong play-in performance for him. He entered the starting lineup when Stephen Curry went down with a knee injury in late January and took full advantage of the opportunity. He ended up signing a three-year, $15 million contract extension with Golden State that may end up looking like a bargain. Santos will continue to be a pivotal piece for the Warriors with the postseason continuing for them on Friday in Phoenix.

Porziņģis entered the postseason having shot below 40 percent in three straight games. However, he was able to post his best field goal percentage as a Warrior in this game, which contributed to them surviving the 9/10 play-in game. They’ll need Porziņģis at his best in Friday’s game against the Suns to have a chance to advance to the playoffs. Porziņģis’ availability has been limited this season, but when he’s been on the floor, his impact has been clear.

Curry came alive late in this game in a way that only he can. He shot 10-of-14 from the floor in the second half and scored 27 points after the break to help bring the Warriors back. He also played 36 minutes, which is the most he has played in a game since December. Curry missed most of the second half of the season with a knee injury, but it didn’t seem to limit him in this game. He’ll need to have another big performance in Phoenix on Friday for the Warriors to advance to the playoffs.

This certainly wasn’t the performance the Magic were hoping to get out of their star player. Banchero and Franz Wagner combined for just 30 points in the loss, though Banchero’s inefficiencies stuck out. He also shot 7-of-22 and had six turnovers in the regular season finale on Sunday. They’ll need him to be much better against the Hornets on Friday to keep their season alive.

With the rest of the Magic healthy, Black hasn’t been able to contribute as much since returning to the lineup after missing nearly a month with a core injury. However, he was able to provide some offense in this game, and he may be asked to do more on Friday. Franz Wagner appeared to injure his left leg late in the game, though it’s unclear if that will impact his status for their play-in matchup with the Hornets. If Wagner is sidelined, Black will take on extra minutes and could step into a starting role.

Wagner played 29 minutes, which was the most he has played in a game since December. However, that wasn’t the main story. Wendell Carter Jr. ran into Wagner with about 70 seconds left in the game, and Wagner came up hobbling and grabbing his left leg. It’s worth noting that he suffered a left knee injury a week prior to this, but he didn’t end up missing any time because of it, and that it was his left ankle that caused him to miss so many games this season. Head coach Jamahl Mosley didn’t have an update after the game, but there should be one before Friday’s play-in matchup with the Hornets.

Oubre scored in double figures in the 76ers’ final three games of the regular season and picked up right where he left off to kick off the postseason. His five triples matched his season high, which was great to see after he hit four triples total over the final five games before the postseason. He’ll look to stay hot in their series against the Celtics, which will start on Sunday in Boston.