Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Josh Hart records 16/14/7 stat line in Game 6 win
    Josh Hart accounted for 16 points (5-of-11 FGs, 3-of-3 FTs), 14 rebounds, seven assists, and three 3-pointers in 46 minutes in Thursday’s 118-115 win over Philadelphia.

    Advice: The Knicks are headed to the second round, the first time since 2000 that they’ve won a series in two consecutive postseasons. Hart was one of the reasons, as he hit a crucial 3-pointer with 25.1 seconds remaining to give the Knicks the lead for good. From that point onward, the Knicks hit four straight free throws, an issue in their Game 5 collapse, to lock up the series. Hart was one of four Knicks starters to log at least 44 minutes, so the second-round series against the Pacers not starting until Monday is a big deal. Rotoworld 6 minutes ago
     
  • Donte DiVincenzo bounces back, scores 23 points
    Donte DiVincenzo played all 48 minutes in Thursday’s Game 6 victory over the 76ers, finishing with 23 points (8-of-18 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), four rebounds, seven assists, two steals, three blocks, and five 3-pointers.

    Advice: Having struggled for most of the series, DiVincenzo saved his best for last as the Knicks advanced to the second round in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2000. He hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter, and the 23 points were one more than the Big Ragu’s total in Games 3 through 5. Miles McBride, who took some of DiVincenzo’s minutes during that three-game dry spell, only played nine minutes in Game 6 and finished with three points (1-of-4 3-pointers). The Knicks advance to take on the Pacers, with Game 1 set for Monday night in New York. Rotoworld 11 minutes ago
     
  • Jalen Brunson drops 41 points, 12 dimes in Game 6
    Jalen Brunson shot 13-of-27 from the field and 12-of-16 from the foul line in Thursday’s 118-115 win over Philadelphia, scoring 41 points with three rebounds, 12 assists, and three 3-pointers in 44 minutes.

    Advice: After a crushing home loss in Game 5, Brunson and the Knicks showed impressive mental fortitude to end the series in six games. The All-Star point guard became the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1973 to have three games with at least 35 points and 10 assists. He’s also the first player to score at least 37 in four straight playoff games since Michael Jordan in 1993. Due to their ending the series on Thursday instead of needing a seventh game on Saturday, the Knicks will get valuable time off before their second-round series against the Pacers. Game 1 is on Monday in New York. Rotoworld 22 minutes ago
     
  • Tyrese Haliburton drops 17 points, 10 assists
    Tyrese Haliburton (low back spasms) finished Thursday’s Game 6 win over the Bucks with 17 points (7-of-16 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), six rebounds, 10 assists, and two 3-pointers in 32 minutes.

    Advice: Haliburton only surpassed the 20-point mark once in six games, but the Pacers received enough production throughout the roster to eliminate the shorthanded Bucks in six games. The All-Star point guard hit double figures in assists for the third time in the series, with the Pacers winning all three of those games. Regardless of when the New York/Philadelphia series ends, Indiana won’t play again until Monday night, giving Haliburton and his teammates extra time off. Rotoworld Today, 6:58 pm
     
  • T.J. McConnell records 20/2/9/4 line in Game 6 win
    T.J. McConnell made the most of his 23 minutes in Thursday’s 120-98 win over Milwaukee, accumulating 20 points (7-of-9 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), two rebounds, nine assists, four steals, and two 3-pointers.

    Advice: Indiana is headed to the second round for the first time in ten years, and their bench is a significant reason why. McConnell and Obi Toppin combined to score 41 points in Game 6, with the former also racking up nine assists and four steals. While Tyrese Haliburton is the headliner, and rightfully so, the Pacers have three solid point guards in the rotation. In addition to McConnell, starter Andrew Nembhard (14/5/4/2/1 with one 3-pointer) had an efficient Game 6. Next up for the Pacers is either New York or Philadelphia, with Game 1 of the second round scheduled for Monday. Indiana would have home-court advantage if Philadelphia advances. Rotoworld Today, 6:49 pm
     
  • Damian Lillard (Achilles) scores 28 points Thurs.
    Damian Lillard (right Achilles tendinitis) shot 7-of-16 from the field and 10-of-10 from the foul line in Thursday’s 120-98 loss to the Pacers, scoring 28 points with two rebounds, four assists, and four 3-pointers in 35 minutes.

    Advice: Initially doubtful for Game 6 after sitting out Game 5, Lillard led the Bucks in scoring while playing 35 minutes. But that doesn’t change that this was a disappointing end to his first season in Milwaukee. While he was not traded until just before the start of training camp, the expectations were high for Lillard regarding fantasy value. Entering the season with a Yahoo ADP of 11.3, he finished as a top 25 player in 8- and 9-cat formats. The Bucks’ lack of continuity, with Khris Middleton being limited to 55 regular season games and Adrian Griffin being fired despite a 30-13 start, certainly impacted Lillard’s value. An entire offseason should help him and his teammates establish better on-court chemistry, but there’s always the possibility of significant changes being made to the roster. Rotoworld Today, 6:30 pm
     
  • Leads offense in return in Game 6
    Lillard tallied 28 points (7-16 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 10-10 FT), four assists and two rebounds over 35 minutes in Thursday's 120-98 loss to Indiana in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

    Advice: Lillard returned in Game 6 after missing the previous two games with an Achilles injury, doing all he could to help Milwaukee extend the series by leading all players in Thursday's series-ending contest in scoring and threes made while ending perfect from the free-throw line. Despite dealing with some injury issues during the first-round series against Indiana, Lillard posted 28 or more points in all four of his appearances while adding four or more threes in each of those contests. Rotowire.com Today, 6:25 pm
     
  • Stellar off bench in Game 6 win
    McConnell tallied 20 points (7-9 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine assists, four steals and two rebounds over 23 minutes in Thursday's 120-98 win over Milwaukee in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

    Advice: McConnell was outstanding off the Pacers bench in the series-clinching victory, ending second on the team in scoring and assists while leading all players in steals and coming up one dime shy of a double-double to provide a much-needed spark on the second unit. McConnell put forth his best performance of the postseason thus far, scoring more than 10 points for the first time while handing out his highest assist total of the first round. Indiana will look for McConnell to continue to provide a spark off the bench in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Rotowire.com Today, 6:11 pm
     
  • Top distributor in double-double
    Haliburton finished with 17 points (7-16 FG, 2-10 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 10 assists and six rebounds over 32 minutes in Thursday's 120-98 win over Milwaukee in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

    Advice: Haliburton once again provided an offensive lift for Indiana in a series-clinching victory, leading all players in Thursday's contest in assists while adding a half-dozen rebounds in a double-double performance. Haliburton recorded a double-double in three of the six games in the first round against Milwaukee, finishing with at least 15 points in four straight outings to round out the series. Rotowire.com Today, 6:11 pm