• Isaiah Hartenstein goes scoreless in Game 7 loss
    Isaiah Hartenstein missed both of his shot attempts in Sunday’s 130-109 loss to the Pacers, going scoreless with eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one blocked shot in 30 minutes.

    Advice: The Knicks didn’t count on Hartenstein for consistent scoring, but his production dropped considerably as their second-round series progressed. The 7-footer went scoreless in Game 7 and did not attempt more than three shots in any of the final four games. Give Myles Turner and the Pacers credit for taking away Hartenstein’s beloved floater, and they did a better job of keeping him off the glass after iHart grabbed 17 rebounds in Game 5. Hartenstein earned himself a nice payday once he hits free agency this summer. The question is whether or not the Knicks will offer a contract that is large enough to keep him in the fold. With Mitchell Robinson’s injury history, it may take a lot for the Knicks not to get iHart re-signed. Rotoworld Today, 4:26 pm
  • Myles Turner blocks four shots in Game 7 blowout
    Myles Turner played 33 minutes in Sunday’s 130-109 win over the Knicks, accounting for 17 points (7-of-11 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), five rebounds, one assist, four blocks, and two 3-pointers.

    Advice: After blocking two shots total in the series’ first two games, Turner turned things up a notch as far as the rim protection was concerned. He had at least two in the final five games, capping his run with a four-block effort in Game 7. Add in the efficient offense, and this was a series Turner that take added confidence from heading into the Eastern Conference Finals. With Boston unlikely to have Kristaps Porzingis for the first two games, Turner establishing his presence in the middle would go a long way toward helping the Pacers win a game in Boston. Rotoworld Today, 3:42 pm
  • Pascal Siakam tallies 20 points, full stat line
    Pascal Siakam finished Sunday’s Game 7 win over the Knicks with 20 points (8-of-15 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), four rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block, and two 3-pointers in 37 minutes.

    Advice: Siakam was one of the few players on the Pacers roster with prior experience in a Game 7, and his leadership helped set the stage for Sunday’s 130-109 victory. The brief return of OG Anunoby did not impact Spicy P, as the Knicks forward could barely move due to his strained hamstring. Siakam was once again efficient offensively, hitting a few 3-pointers while doing most of his damage in the mid-range. Next up for the Pacers are the Celtics, with Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals scheduled for Tuesday night. Rotoworld Today, 3:22 pm
  • Stands tall in victory
    Lively had 12 points (5-6 FG, 2-3 FT), 15 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in 29 minutes during Saturday's 117-116 victory over the Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Lively continues to play well above his age, producing when it mattered most as the Mavericks eliminated the Thunder. Despite coming off the bench, Lively played the majority of the center minutes, recording his second straight double-double. Dallas will face either the Timberwolves or the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, and either team will provide Lively with elite opposition at the center position. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 9:07 pm
  • Chet Holmgren records 21/3/1/2 line in Game 6 loss
    Chet Holmgren finished Saturday’s Game 6 loss to the Mavericks with 21 points (9-of-15 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), three rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one 3-pointer in 35 minutes.

    Advice: Despite scoring 21 points, Holmgren’s final game of the season wasn’t his best. More concerning than the 1-of-7 night from three was the rebounding, with the rookie only grabbing three. By comparison, Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II grabbed 15 by himself. Holmgren’s struggles to rebound prompted Thunder coach Mark Daigneault to go with a bigger lineup down the stretch, with Jaylin Williams (6/2/2/1/1 with one 3-pointer in 18 minutes) joining the rookie in the frontcourt. Overall, Holmgren had an excellent rookie campaign, finishing second to Victor Wembanyama in Rookie of the Year voting and providing top-20 per-game value in 9-cat formats. Based on his Yahoo ADP, Chet was expected by many to be a 4th-round player. Those days are over; he should not get out of the third round in standard league drafts, and that’s being conservative. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:24 pm
  • PJ Washington sinks series-winning free throws
    PJ Washington shot 2-of-6 from the field and 3-of-5 from the foul line in Saturday’s win over Oklahoma City, scoring nine points with five rebounds, two assists, and two 3-pointers in 30 minutes.

    Advice: Scoring-wise, Game 6 was Washington’s worst of the series. However, more will remember the two free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining that clinched the game (and the series) for Dallas. Washington had a good series overall, scoring 21 points or more in Games 2 through 4 and recording three double-doubles. Next will be another difficult matchup, with the Mavericks facing the Nuggets or Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:11 pm
  • Dereck Lively II grabs 15 rebounds in Game 6 win
    Dereck Lively II accumulated 12 points (5-of-6 FGs, 2-of-3 FTs), 15 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one blocked shot in 30 minutes in Saturday’s 117-116 win over Oklahoma City.

    Advice: He may not have been a starter like fellow rookie Chet Holmgren, but that did not prevent Lively from impacting the action in this series. He was outstanding in Game 6, establishing a new playoff high with 15 rebounds while dishing out three assists. Lively hit double figures in scoring in three of the series’ final four games, and the Game 6 double-double was his first. Lively’s play meant he took the lion’s share of the playing time on Saturday, with starter Daniel Gafford (10/7/1/0/1) playing 19 minutes. The partnership has worked well for the Mavericks, and that will also need to be the case in the Western Conference Finals. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:08 pm
  • Rare appearance in loss
    Sims racked up one rebound, one assist and one block across four minutes during Friday's 116-103 loss to the Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Sims played four minutes of garbage time as the Knicks were soundly beaten by the Pacers. Though he is known for playing his stars heavy minutes, even in losses, common sense prevailed with Tom Thibodeau closing with his second unit. Despite another ankle injury to Mitchell Robinson, Sims has been unable to carve out a consistent role, something that doesn't bode well for his future when looking beyond this season. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 3:42 am
  • Held in check Friday
    Hartenstein contributed four points (1-3 FG, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and one steal over 33 minutes during Friday's 116-103 loss to Indiana in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Hartenstein was unable to repeat his heroics from Game 5, grabbing just seven total rebounds in the loss. Coming off an astonishing 12 offensive rebounds, he struggled to have a meaningful impact as the Knicks were simply outclassed. With the series now deadlocked at 3-3, the two teams will face off one final time in Madison Square Garden on Sunday, with the winner moving on to face the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 3:36 am