MIA • Guard • #2
10 days ago
Rozier’s absence stems from an ankle injury sustained during Monday’s optional workout. He fell out of Miami’s rotation before injuring his ankle, so his absence won’t have a noticeable impact on Miami’s rotation.
Source: Ira Winderman
BOS • Forward-Guard • #0
10 days ago
Tatum took a hard fall in the fourth quarter of Game 1, and though he remained in the game, he left early after looking uncomfortable. Tatum’s status for Game 2 is a monster storyline, and if the superstar forward is not able to go, his playing time could be filled with a committee approach. Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Al Horford should see bumps in playing time if Tatum is sidelined.
Source: Gary Washburn
MIL • Guard • #0
10 days ago
Lillard has not played since March 18, but he’ll be available for Game 2 after Milwaukee got smoked in Game 1. Lillard did some chirping with Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam from the bench in that one, so expect him to be fired up when he takes the court on Tuesday.
Source: Shams Charania
MIL • Guard • #0
10 days ago
Lillard has not played since March 18 due to a deep vein thrombosis in his calf, but he’ll be available for Game 2 after Milwaukee got smoked in Game 1. Lillard did some chirping with Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam from the bench in that one, so expect him to be fired up when he takes the court on Tuesday.
Source: Shams Charania
DEN • Guard • #27
10 days ago
Murray struggled with his shot in Game 1 but was able to improve his shooting efficiency in Game 2. However, that wasn’t enough to help Denver defend their homecourt. Murray was able to make a strong impact and hit a triple to tie the game at 100 with 2:07 left in the fourth. However, that ended up being his final shot attempt of the night. The Nuggets ceded homecourt advantage by losing this game, and they’ll need to win one of the next two games to get it back. Game 3 will be in Los Angeles on Thursday.
LAC • Guard • #1
10 days ago
After dropping 32 points in Game 1, Harden didn’t replicate that scoring in Game 2. That can mostly be attributed to Kawhi Leonard taking over this game, which led to fewer shots from Harden. The series shifts to Los Angeles, and Thursday will be the first playoff game in the Intuit Dome. Harden had 35 points and 10 assists against the Rockets in the Clippers’ last home game. Unless Kawhi goes nuclear again, expect Harden to be more involved on offense in Game 3.
LAC • Center • #40
10 days ago
It has been over a month since Zubac played a game and didn’t record a double-double. Playoff basketball hasn’t changed that. He has averaged 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds through the first two games of this series while trying to slow down Nikola Jokic. Zubac is a finalist for the league’s Most Improved Player award, and even if he doesn’t win it, the strides that he has taken this season will help him get paid. He’s in year one of a three-year, $58.7 million contract, which is a bargain for the Clippers.
LAC • Forward • #2
10 days ago
This was an unreal performance from Leonard. He entered halftime with just one brick and didn’t miss his second shot until the fourth quarter. He also ended the first half with a triple at the buzzer to give the Clippers a lead. He scored or assisted on LA’s final seven points, and he had a steal with 37.1 seconds left that helped secure the win. Kawhi played like the player that willed the Raptors to a championship in 2019. Injuries have derailed his tenure with the Clippers, but if he continues to channel the Kawhi of the past, they’ll have a chance to make a run.
DEN • Forward • #1
10 days ago
When asked about how to help Michael Porter Jr. stay engaged after Game 1, Nikola Jokic said, “If you’re not going to be engaged right now, then you’re not supposed to be playing this sport.” Well, MPJ seemed to be more engaged in Game 2, and he ended up making some big plays down the stretch of this game as both a shooter and rebounder. He set a new playoff career-high for rebounds after finishing with just three points and four rebounds in 27 minutes on Saturday. Even though Denver didn’t get the win, MPJ playing better was a positive takeaway. If he keeps this up moving forward, Denver will be tough to beat.
DEN • Center • #15
10 days ago
After narrowly missing out on a triple-double in Game 1, Jokic had no problems reaching those marks on Monday. This was the 19th playoff triple-double of his career, which is third in NBA history behind Magic Johnson and LeBron James. As impressive as parts of his stat line were, this wasn’t a flawless night for Jokic. He left four points at the free throw line in a three-point loss, and he turned it over seven times, including once with 37.1 seconds left in the game. Jokic was incredible, but he will need to be even better in Game 3 on Thursday to help Denver take back home-court advantage in this series.
NYK • Guard • #11
10 days ago
For the second game in a row, Brunson briefly exited late in the game but was able to return. Head coach Tom Thibodeau said after Game 1 that Brunson went to get his cape. Well, he must’ve forgotten to grab it while he was back there on Monday. Brunson was still excellent in this game, but it wasn’t enough for New York to take care of business at home and head to Detroit with a 2-0 lead in the series. Brunson has now scored 34 and 37 points through the first two games, and he’ll continue to be an offensive juggernaut for the Knicks for the remainder of this series.
NYK • Guard-Forward • #25
10 days ago
Bridges was the second-leading scorer behind Jalen Brunson (37) for the Knicks in this game, but he still wasn’t great, especially down the stretch. He was held scoreless in the fourth quarter and missed multiple clean looks late in the game, including a three-pointer with 11 seconds left that would’ve tied this game. Instead, New York will now head to Detroit for Game 3 with the series tied at one game apiece. Bridges only had eight points in Game 1, and they’ll need him to be much better for the Knicks to reclaim homecourt advantage in this series.
NYK • Center-Forward • #32
10 days ago
Towns was awesome in Game 1 and contributed a 23/11/5/4/2 line in 39 minutes. However, he wasn’t able to repeat that performance, mostly because the team didn’t make him a priority. He was held scoreless in the second half and took just three shots after the break. His last shot attempts came with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter. Towns didn’t do a great job on the glass either. While he needs to be better there, Towns is a dynamic scorer. They aren’t paying him $49 million this season because he makes the hustle plays. They need to get him going in Game 3 on Thursday.
DET • Guard • #71
10 days ago
Schroder came up big for Detroit in this game. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley combined to shoot 2-of-17 from the floor and 1-of-14 from deep, but the Pistons still walked away with a win because of Schroder. He hit a late three-pointer with the game tied at 94 to give Detroit a lead that they held onto. This came after Schroder scored just eight points in Game 1. He may not score to this level often, but the veteran guard will continue to be an important piece for the Pistons in the postseason.
DET • Center • #0
10 days ago
Duren played 25 minutes in Game 1, but with Isaiah Stewart (knee) sidelined for Game 2, Duren’s minutes ballooned to 37, with Paul Reed playing the other 11 minutes at center. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff couldn’t play Duren all 48 minutes, but he isn’t going to rely on Reed unless he absolutely has to. If Stewart remains out for Game 3 on Thursday in Detroit, Duren should once again play the majority of the center minutes for the Pistons.
DET • Forward • #12
10 days ago
After scoring 24 points in Game 1, Harris didn’t have as much success as a scorer on Monday. However, he was able to make a big impact on the glass. He was one of three Pistons to grab at least 12 rebounds in a game where they outrebounded the Knicks 48-34. That ended up being a big factor in this game. Harris was ran out of Philadelphia for his poor postseason performances, but his first two games with Detroit have been great. He’ll look to keep it going in Game 3 in Detroit on Thursday.
DET • Guard • #2
10 days ago
After contributing 21 points and 12 assists in his playoff debut, Cunningham focused more on scoring in his second playoff game, which led to him getting his first postseason victory. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick accounted for nearly one-third of his teams points and contributed to more with his playmaking. He didn’t match his 12 dimes from Saturday, but Cunningham took control to lead the franchise to their first playoff win since 2008. The series will head to Detroit for the next two games, with Game 3 coming on Thursday.
MIN • Guard • #4
11 days ago
Dillingham will remain sidelined for a second straight game, but his continued absence won’t have much of an impact on the Minnesota rotation. His role has been a minimal one since February. Donte DiVincenzo and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will continue to fill out most of the reserve guard minutes.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DET • Forward-Center • #28
11 days ago
Stewart underwent postgame imaging after Saturday’s loss after struggling through that game. He won’t be available as Jalen Duren’s backup off the bench. Paul Reed is next in line at center, but he isn’t a player that Detroit wants to have to trust in the postseason. Duren may just end up playing more minutes.
Source: Ian Begley
MIA • Forward-Center • #42
11 days ago
Love hasn’t seen the floor in a month and remains away from the team after missing their play-in win over the Hawks and Game 1 against the Cavs due to personal reasons. It’s unclear if or when Love will return to the team, and when he does, he won’t see the floor often.
Source: Anthony Chiang
MIA • Guard • #2
11 days ago
Rozier reportedly injured his ankle during an optional workout and will be listed as questionable for Game 2. However, Rozier fell out of the rotation in March and didn’t see the floor at all during either play-in game and Game 1 of this series. His status won’t impact Miami’s rotation or gameplan.
Source: Anthony Chiang
MIL • Forward • #21
11 days ago
Smith was ruled out for Game 1 and will remain sidelined for Game 2. Even if he is made available later on during this season, don’t expect him to see the floor until the result is decided.
Source: Milwaukee Bucks
MIL • Guard • #0
11 days ago
Nehm quotes head coach Doc Rivers as saying: “He’s close. He looks great to me.” When asked about Dame’s availability for Game 2, Rivers was non-committal, opening the door for a potential return earlier than expected. For now, we’ll consider Lillard questionable for Game 2. Keep a close eye on his status ahead of Tuesday’s tip-off from Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Source: Eric Nehm
GSW • Forward • #00
11 days ago
After playing at least 17 minutes in six straight games, Kuminga picked up a DNP-CD in Golden State’s final two games before the playoffs. He met a similar fate in Sunday’s Game 1, and that may be the norm for Kuminga moving forward. Multiple outlets reported during the game that he’s unlikely to crack the rotation unless there’s a need to adjust the game plan within a game or the series. With restricted free agency looming in the summer, Kuminga’s Warriors career appears to be ending on the pine.
Source: Anthony Slater
HOU • Center • #12
11 days ago
On a night when their backcourt struggled mightily, the Rockets received solid contributions from their reserve bigs. Adams led the way with 12 rebounds, while Jabari Smith Jr. didn’t miss a shot and finished with 11 points, six rebounds, one steal, one block and one three-pointer in 25 minutes. Houston also took the approach of pairing Adams and Alperen Sengun when Stephen Curry was not on the court, but this had minimal impact on the action due to Houston’s guards struggling to hit shots. Game 2 is on Wednesday.
HOU • Guard • #5
11 days ago
Sunday’s series opener was brutal for the Rockets’ starting guards. VanVleet and Jalen Green (7/8/2 in 31 minutes) combined to shoot 7-of-34 from the field overall and 2-of-17 from beyond the arc. Neither was an efficient shooter during the regular season, with VanVleet making 37.8 percent of his attempts and Green slightly better at 42.3 percent. That said, neither reached those levels in Game 1, which was a significant reason why Houston lost. VanVleet and Green will look to bounce back in Game 2 on Wednesday.
HOU • Guard-Forward • #9
11 days ago
Having scored 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting in Houston’s April 6 win over the Warriors, Brooks likely entered Sunday’s series opener with ample offensive confidence. While he did have a better night shooting-wise than starting guards Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green, Brooks offered limited offensive value, and the defensive stats weren’t there, either. He and Amen Thompson (8/9/6/1/1 in 33 minutes) will have their hands full in this series, and they’ll need to provide some offense as well. The Rockets will look to even the series at 1-all in Game 2 on Wednesday.
HOU • Center • #28
11 days ago
Sengun was one of the few Rockets who managed to get going offensively in Sunday’s series opener, shooting over 50 percent from the field. The two-big lineup of him and Steven Adams did not significantly impact the action, but that’s an approach the Rockets will take when Stephen Curry is not on the floor. However, more important will be getting consistent production from the guards, as Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green shot a combined 7-of-34 from the field in Game 1. Life will become far more difficult for Sengun if the guards are unable to space the floor effectively. Game 2 is on Wednesday.
GSW • Guard • #2
11 days ago
Only three Warriors reached double figures in Sunday’s 95-85 victory, with Podziemski joining Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. Making his first postseason appearance, the second-year guard offered solid value in rebounds, assists, steals and three-pointers in Game 1. Podziemski isn’t part of Golden State’s “big three,” with Draymond Green owning that seat next to Curry and Butler. But his contributions are essential, especially in a series that may be low-scoring due to the defensive ability of both teams. The Warriors will look to extend their series lead to 2-0 on Wednesday.
GSW • • #
11 days ago
Butler’s first playoff game as a Warrior went about as well as his new team would have hoped. Not only was he efficient offensively, but the veteran forward was also impactful defensively. Sunday’s win was Butler’s fourth postseason game with at least five steals and first since Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. With the amount of attention Houston will pay Stephen Curry defensively, Butler’s production will be crucial as the Warriors look to get out of the first round. Game 2 is on Wednesday.
