May 5, 2025
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Kenny Atkinson has been named the NBA Coach of the Year for the 2024-25 season. After spending four years at the helm in Brooklyn, the 57-year-old then spent time as an assistant for the Clippers and Warriors. However, after Cleveland relieved head coach J.B. Bickerstaff of his head coaching duties last offseason, Atkinson took over, leading the Cavs to a 64-18 record to claim the top spot in the Eastern Conference heading into the playoffs. Under Atkinson,
Evan Mobley was named the 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year while
Darius Garland had one of the best seasons of his career. Also,
Donovan Mitchell had another quality campaign, with
Jarrett Allen and
Ty Jerome following suit.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Shams Charania
May 5, 2025
Golden State Warriors guard/forward
Gary Payton II (illness) is regarded as questionable for Tuesday's Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The veteran sat out Sunday's Game 7 against the Houston Rockets due to an illness and still isn't fully recovered. With Payton II out, we again had a
Jonathan Kuminga sighting on Sunday, but he played only seven minutes.
Moses Moody could get more action off the bench if Payton II remains unavailable for Tuesday night. He logged just 11 minutes on Sunday as Golden State relied heavily on its starters in the must-win game.
--Taavi PailkSource: Alan Horton
May 5, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers forward
De'Andre Hunter (thumb) is considered questionable for Tuesday's meeting with the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Following Sunday's Game 1, he has been left nursing a right thumb sprain. Hunter is a right-handed shooter, meaning he may have difficulty performing at a high level even if he suits up for the game. In the series opener, Hunter shot a solid 4-for-8 from the field to contribute 11 points in 30 minutes off the bench. He also recorded four rebounds and one assist.
Isaac Okoro and
Dean Wade can expect to be more involved on Tuesday night if Hunter can't play, while his absence might also help
Javonte Green regain a spot in the rotation.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
May 5, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center
Evan Mobley (ankle) may be forced to sit out Tuesday's Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers after the team listed him as questionable for the clash. Mobley opened the series with an impressive performance on Sunday, but he also injured his left ankle. The first-year All-Star finished Game 1 with 20 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 36 minutes.
De'Andre Hunter (thumb) was also hurt in the contest, and Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said after Monday's practice that there is "real concern" about the availability of the two for Tuesday night.
Dean Wade and
Isaac Okoro will have to step up if Mobley and Hunter can't take the court on Tuesday, while Atkinson may also introduce a new big man into the rotation.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
May 5, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard
Darius Garland (toe) has been listed as questionable for Tuesday's Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers. He was out for the series opener on Sunday due to a toe sprain, missing a third consecutive contest. Now, Garland is in danger of missing another game, which would be a big blow for the Cavaliers, who dropped Game 1 on home court 121-112. Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has used
Sam Merrill as Garland's replacement in the starting lineup, but he played only 18 minutes on Sunday, finishing with six points, four rebounds, and four assists. At the same time,
Ty Jerome's workload increased to 29 minutes off the bench, and he made many DFS managers happy with a 21-point, eight-assist effort.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
May 4, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers guard
Ty Jerome had 21 Points in Sunday's loss to the Indiana Pacers. He added eight assists and one steal.
Darius Garland (toe) remained out for this one, so Jerome continued to get more opportunities to produce, with the 27-year-old and
Donovan Mitchell combing for 50 shot attempts on the night. Garland may be back for Game 2 on Tuesday. However, he could be limited if he does return. Still, it's hard to imagine Jerome staying as involved on the scoring end, regardless of Garland's status.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers center
Jarrett Allen had 12 points, five boards, and two steals in the loss to Indiana on Sunday night. Allen wasn't much of a factor offensively, although he did shoot an efficient 6-for-7 from the field.
Darius Garland (toe) wasn't available for this one. However, there's a chance he could be back for Game 2 on Tuesday night. If so, Allen should be more involved on the offensive end. But if Garland doesn't return, Allen could continue to struggle to put up points.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Indiana Pacers forward
Pascal Siakam had 17 points, eight rebounds, and one steal in Sunday's win over the Cavs. While
Tyrese Haliburton,
Andrew Nembhard,
Aaron Nesmith, and
Myles Turner were also productive, Siakam did his part to help Indiana take the opening game of the series. The Cavs had trouble keeping up with the speedy Pacers' offense. It's likely head coach Rick Carlisle will look to keep things moving in Game 2 on Tuesday evening, meaning Siakam should continue to be involved on both ends of the floor.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Indiana Pacers center
Myles Turner finished with a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double in Sunday's win over the Cavaliers. He added three steals and two blocks. Turner had a nice showing for DFS participants in Game 1, which also could be said for
Tyrese Haliburton,
Andrew Nembhard, and
Pascal Siakam. With that in mind, the 29-year-old wasn't as productive versus the Cavs during the regular season, at least on the glass, amassing 5.8 boards in four meetings. Still, Turner should get all the work he can handle in Game 2 on Tuesday, leaving little room for involvement from
Thomas Bryant, who had two points, two rebounds, and one block in six minutes.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
May 4, 2025
Indiana Pacers guard
Andrew Nembhard scored a team-high 23 points in Sunday's win over the Cavaliers. The 25-year-old also logged 37 minutes, more than anyone else on the roster, while missing only one of his six tries from behind the arc. While Nembhard struggled versus Cleveland during the regular season, averaging 8.5 points in four meetings, DFS managers must keep him on the radar on Tuesday night after such a strong effort.
--Dennis ClausenSource: ESPN
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
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