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  • Darius Garland struggles in season-ending defeat
    Darius Garland accounted for 11 points (4-of-17 FGs, 3-of-3 FTs), nine assists, and two steals in 43 minutes in Wednesday’s 113-98 loss to the Celtics.

    Advice: Boston eliminated Cleveland in five games, an unsurprising outcome given the Cavaliers’ many injuries. What was incredibly disappointing about Game 5 was Garland’s performance. After scoring 30 points and dishing out seven assists in Game 4, he shot 4-of-17 from the field and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. As with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, injuries were a significant factor for Garland, as he was limited to 57 regular-season games. While his value in 8-cat formats wasn’t far from his Yahoo ADP (40.3), he failed to crack the top 100 in 9-cat. Selecting Garland within the top 50 of standard league drafts wouldn’t be a bad idea, but fantasy managers can’t be blamed if they decide to look elsewhere next fall. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:10 pm
     
  • Darius Garland drops 30 in Game 4 loss to Boston
    Darius Garland led Cleveland with 30 points (12-of-27 FGs), three rebounds, seven assists, two steals and four triples in a 109-102 loss to the Celtics in Game 4 on Monday.

    Advice: Cleveland had to play this game without Donovan Mitchell, who was sidelined with a calf injury. That meant that Garland was going to be asked to do a lot more, and he rose to the occasion. It wasn’t enough for them to get the win, but he had by far his best game of this postseason. If Mitchell remains sidelined for Game 5 on Wednesday, Garland will once again have to orchestrate Cleveland’s offense like he did in this game. This has been a disappointing playoff run for Garland, but this was an encouraging performance that showed that he can still shine when he needs to. Rotoworld Monday, 7:24 pm
     
  • Leads offensively in Game 4 loss
    Garland accumulated 30 points (12-27 FG, 4-13 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds, seven assists and two steals over 40 minutes during Monday's 109-102 loss to Boston in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Garland led all Cavaliers in scoring while connecting on a quartet of threes, handing out a team-high-tying assist total and adding a pair of steals in a well-rounded Game 4 against the Celtics. Garland, playing with more weight on his shoulders to lead the short-handed Cavaliers offensively, posted his highest scoring total of the postseason thus far. He has recorded at least 14 points and four assists in all four games against Boston in the semifinals. Rotowire.com Monday, 7:15 pm
     
  • Not close to full health
    Antetokounmpo (calf) disclosed last Friday that he was "not close" to returning to the Bucks lineup before the team was eliminated from the playoffs May 2 in a 120-98 loss to the Pacers in Game 6 of the first-round series, Jamal Collier of ESPN.com reports. "I did all the tests I had to do, these like protocols you have to follow and have to check the boxes," Antetokounmpo said. "I wasn't even close at checking the boxes."

    Advice: Though head coach Doc Rivers had suggested last week that Antetokounmpo was close to being available to play after missing the final three games of the regular season with a left soleus strain, Rivers' comments may have been an act of gamesmanship. Antetokounmpo ultimately missed all six playoff contests, and his absence likely would have extended into the Eastern Conference semifinal round if the Bucks had advanced, as the 29-year-old estimated that he was running at about 30 or 40 percent speed. He should be closer to full health by the end of May, but Antetokounmpo likely won't have a full offseason to rest up, as he had previously expressed a desire to play for the Greek national team in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Greece will have to first earn a spot in the Olympics through a qualification tournament that will take place in the first week of July, so confirmation on whether Antetokounmpo is healthy should come shortly before that time. Rotowire.com Thursday, 1:52 pm
     
  • Poor shooting display Tuesday
    Garland had 14 points (6-15 FG, 2-8 3Pt), three rebounds, five assists and one steal over 36 minutes during Tuesday's 120-95 loss to the Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Garland is in line for a rough matchup in this series, as he'll have to deal with two excellent defenders in Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, so his Game 1 display is not entirely surprising. He didn't have his best performances in the first-round series against the Magic either, and he's averaging just 14.8 points and 5.4 assists per game through eight playoff appearances. In fact, Garland has failed to surpass the 15-point mark in six of his eight playoff outings, a clear downgrade after averaging 18.0 points per contest during the regular season. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 6:56 am