May 4, 2025
Indiana Pacers guard
Tyrese Haliburton scored 22 points in Sunday's win over the Cavs. He added 13 assists, three blocks, and one steal. The 25-year-old was all over the place in Game 1, and he was also efficient shooting the ball, going 9-for-15 from the field. Cleveland fought hard to get back into the contest. However, it wasn't enough, with Indiana taking the series opener, mostly due to Haliburton's efforts on both ends of the floor. The teams will meet again on Tuesday night. With that in mind, DFS managers should expect to see an increase in Haliburton's rostering cost after the superb outing.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center
Evan Mobley had a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semi-finals versus Indiana. He added two steals. Unfortunately, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year had trouble taking care of the ball, committing a game-high four turnovers on the night. Still, Mobley was at least efficient from the field, going 9-for-13, while draining two of his five attempts from deep. With the Pacers taking Game 1, both clubs will go at it again on Tuesday night. While head coach Kenny Atkinson will surely make some adjustments, Mobley will likely see between 30-35 minutes of work.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers guard
Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 33 points in the Game 1 Eastern Conference semi-final meeting with Indiana. He added five rebounds, four assists, and one steal. While Mitchell was productive, he struggled shooting the ball, going 13-for-30 from the field and 1-for-11 from behind the three-point line. He did have a strong run in the third quarter. Still, his efforts weren't good enough to lead the Cavs to a victory. With Cleveland dropping the first game of the series, both clubs will do it again on Tuesday night. Mitchell should remain heavily involved on the offensive end even if
Darius Garland (toe) is back in the mix.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Golden State Warriors guard
Brandin Podziemski will start in Sunday's postseason meeting with the Rockets.
Gary Payton II (illness) was ruled out, so head coach Steve Kerr made the call to move Podziemski back into the starting lineup. He logged 29 minutes off the bench in Friday's loss to Houston, finishing with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal. However, those marks fall in line with what Podziemski has averaged throughout the series, meaning the move back to the starting lineup won't increase or decrease his DFS ceiling.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Golden State Warriors
May 4, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers guard
Darius Garland (toe) won't play on Sunday against the Pacers. NBA TV's Jared Greenberg indicated Garland has been battling a left toe sprain, an injury that's been causing him a great deal of pain. Greenberg also added that had this injury occurred during the regular season, he likely would have been shut down for "a week to two weeks." But now it appears
Donovan Mitchell will continue to handle most of the play making duties, at least for Game 1, with
Ty Jerome and
De'Andre Hunter both expected to benefit from a fantasy standpoint.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Chris Fedor
May 4, 2025
Golden State Warriors guard/forward
Gary Payton II (illness) won't play on Sunday night versus the Rockets. He popped up on the injury report earlier in the day. Unfortunately, Payton's illness will keep him on the floor for the series finale. Although he hasn't done much on the offensive end during the series, his absence will be felt on the defensive side of the ball. At any rate, DFS managers should expect more involvement from
Moses Moody,
Quinten Post, and
Buddy Hield. There is also a chance
Jonathan Kuminga works his way back into the rotation for Game 7.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
May 4, 2025
Boston Celtics forward
Jaylen Brown (knee) is not listed on the injury report ahead of Monday's series-opening matchup versus the Knicks. He had routinely carried questionable designations because of a nagging knee issue during the previous series against the Orlando Magic. However, the 28-year-old didn't miss any time. He recently indicated he's feeling better, which is great news. Unfortunately, Brown averaged only 16.3 points in four regular season meetings with New York, making him hard to trust from a DFS standpoint.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Boston Celtics
May 4, 2025
Boston Celtics guard
Jrue Holiday (hamstring) isn't listed on the injury report heading into Monday's Eastern Conference semi-final clash with the Knicks. The 34-year-old missed the last three games of the C's series versus the Orlando Magic. As a result,
Al Horford had been getting the start, most recently amassing nine points, six boards, one block, and one steal in Game 5. While Horford will presumably head back to the bench, he should still remain involved enough to continue receiving lineup consideration from DFS managers.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Boston Celtics
May 4, 2025
Golden State Warriors guard/forward
Gary Payton II (illness) is questionable for Sunday's postseason clash with the Rockets. He has averaged only 6.3 points during the series against Houston. Still, the 32-year-old, who got the start in Game 6, is certainly valued for his abilities on the defensive side of the ball. It's unknown if Steve Kerr will keep Payton with the first-five in Game 7. But with Kerr keeping his rotation tight to the vest, it appears the door is open for more work for
Jonathan Kuminga,
Buddy Hield,
Moses Moody, and
Quinten Post, regardless of Payton's status for Game 7.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
May 4, 2025
According to Law Murray of The Athletic, Los Angeles Clippers guard
James Harden is expected to remain with the team. Harden has a $36 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign, although it's realistic both sides will work on a new contact over the summer. The 35-year-old had only seven points in the series-clinching, Game 7 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. Still, he is coming off another quality year, averaging 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, and 1.5 steals in 79 games while being named an All-Star for the seventh time of his career. Without question, Harden should continue to receive attention from fantasy managers heading into next season, and he should remain a top fantasy option, regardless of how the Clippers do in the standings, assuming he stays in Los Angeles.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Law Murray
May 3, 2025
Los Angeles Clippers center
Ivica Zubac had a double-double in Saturday's loss to the Nuggets, ending the night with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Still, it wasn't good enough, with the Clippers losing a decisive Game 7 and failing to advance to the Western Conference semi-finals to face the Oklahoma City Thunder. From a statistical standpoint, Zubac had a stellar 2024-25 campaign, amassing career-highs in points (16.8), rebounds (12.6), assists (2.7), and games (80). With that said, his stock is higher than ever, and it's possible he earns serious consideration for an All-Star selection next season.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 3, 2025
Los Angeles Clippers forward
Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points in Saturday's playoff loss to the Nuggets. He added five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. The two-time NBA Champion had a fantastic series. Unfortunately, his efforts weren't enough, with the Clippers falling short of advancing to the Western Conference semi-finals to meet OKC. Statistically speaking, Leonard played as well as expected during the regular season, averaging 21.5 points, 5.9 boards, and 1.6 steals while shooting 41.1% from behind the arc. However, he was limited to only 37 games because of a knee injury. Leonard is one of the best players in the NBA. But the question moving ahead is if he can stay healthy in 2025-26. If he does, he should re-enter the All-Star conversation.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 3, 2025
Los Angeles Clippers guard
James Harden had only seven points in Saturday's postseason loss to Denver. However, he made up for it by amassing 13 assists, two steals, and one block. Although Los Angeles couldn't advance to the Western Conference semi-finals to face Oklahoma City, Harden can look back on another quality year, averaging 22.8 points, 8.7 dimes, and 1.5 steals. He also appeared in 79 games and was named an All-Star for the seventh time of his career. The 35-year-old will next need to decide if he will exercise his $36 million player option heading into the 2025-26 campaign. But one thing is for sure, Harden should see plenty of interest from clubs around the National Basketball Association this summer if he doesn't. Either way, he is expected to remain a top fantasy option, although he may only have a few more productive years left in the tank.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 3, 2025
Denver Nuggets center
Nikola Jokic had 16 points in Saturday's series-clinching win over the Clippers. He added 10 boards, eight assists, three steals, and one block. The three-time MVP accumulated five fouls through the first three quarters, resulting in more time spent on the bench. However, with Denver building a decisive lead, Jokic wasn't needed much in the fourth quarter. With the Nuggets dispatching the Clippers in seven games, the team will hit the road for a meeting with OKC on Monday night to begin the Western Conference semi-finals. In four meetings with the Thunder this season, Jokic averaged 24.5 points, 15.8 rebounds, 11.5 dimes, 1.8 blocks, and 1.5 steals. He also shot 52.6% from the field, one of his worst averages against any club during the year.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 3, 2025
Boston Celtics guard
Jrue Holiday (hamstring) was a full participant in Saturday's practice. "He was able to do everything that we worked on. He is getting better every day," Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said. This is a very encouraging development regarding Holiday's potential return to action for Game 1 versus the New York Knicks on Monday. He missed the final three games of Boston's first-round series against the Orlando Magic due to a hamstring strain. Before getting hurt, Holiday notched 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game at the start of the postseason. His return to the lineup is set to send
Al Horford back to the bench, although the veteran big man should remain an important part of the rotation.
--Taavi PailkSource: Justin Turpin
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