• Present at shootaround
    Leonard (knee) is officially listed as questionable but was present for the Clippers' morning shootaround before Tuesday's Game 2 against the Mavericks, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com

    Advice: Leonard was ruled out for Sunday's Game 1 win, his ninth consecutive absence, but has a chance to return Tuesday. The Clippers will likely decide the veteran's availability closer to the 10 p.m. ET tipoff after seeing how he fares in pregame warmups. If Leonard is ruled out again, expect P.J. Tucker and Amir Coffey to pick up extra minutes. Rotowire.com 16 minutes ago
  • Goes for 22 points in Game 2
    Porter totaled 22 points (8-13 FG, 6-10 3Pt), nine rebounds, one assist and two steals in 38 minutes during Monday's 101-99 victory over the Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

    Advice: Porter sniffed a double-double for the second consecutive game after delivering a 19-point, eight-rebound effort in Game 1 on Saturday, and the forward continues to impact both ends of the court for Denver. Even though he doesn't get the same attention as Nikola Jokic or Jamal Murray, Porter is a key piece in the Nuggets' offensive scheme, and he's averaging 16.2 points with 7.3 rebounds per game in April, including regular-season contests. Rotowire.com Today, 8:12 am
  • Leads Lakers in Game 2 defeat
    Davis ended Monday's 101-99 loss to the Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals with 32 points (14-19 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 39 minutes.

    Advice: Davis has led the Lakers in scoring in each of the first two games of the series, but despite producing back-to-back 30-plus point efforts in the matchup against Nikola Jokic, the Lakers have fallen short of victory both times. Davis will likely land on the injury report ahead of Game 3, but given the situation and the workload he's handled in the first two games of the series, the star big man shouldn't have problems being active for Game 3 on Thursday. Rotowire.com Today, 8:05 am
  • Sniffs triple-double in loss
    James ended with 26 points (9-19 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 5-7 FT), eight rebounds, 12 assists, two blocks and two steals over 38 minutes during Monday's 101-99 loss to the Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

    Advice: James finished just two rebounds shy of a triple-double Monday, and even though the 39-year-old forward is competing at a high level, it seems the Lakers keep falling short against Denver. James has recorded at least 25 points, six rebounds and eight assists in the first two games of the series, and he should continue to have a high usage rate during Game 3 on Thursday. Rotowire.com Today, 8:03 am
  • LeBron James tallies 26 points, 12 assists Monday
    LeBron James finished Monday’s 101-99 loss to Denver with 26 points (9-of-19 FGs, 5-of-6 FTs), eight rebounds, 12 assists, two steals, two blocks, and three 3-pointers in 38 minutes.

    Advice: After committing seven turnovers in Game 1, LeBron was only responsible for two in Game 2. He did what he could in the fourth quarter, shooting 5-of-9 from the field, but the Lakers appeared to run out of gas. That impacted the cohesion of their offense, and Denver successfully walked them down, with Jamal Murray’s shot at the buzzer being the difference. The two nights off will be massive for James and the Lakers, who had to navigate a Play-In game to get into the playoffs. Game 3 is on Thursday night in Los Angeles, with the Nuggets holding a 2-0 series lead. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:20 pm
  • Anthony Davis records 32/11/2/1/1 line in Game 2
    Anthony Davis shot 14-of-19 from the field and 4-of-4 from the foul line in Monday’s 101-99 loss to the Nuggets, accumulating 32 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one blocked shot in 39 minutes.

    Advice: Once again, Davis produced a gaudy stat line against the Nuggets. Unfortunately for him and the Lakers, they still lost the game, as Jamal Murray’s stepback jumper as time expired was the difference. And Davis offered little in the fourth quarter, missing his lone shot attempts and going scoreless with one rebound and one turnover. If the Lakers are to have a chance of winning the series, AD can’t be non-existent in crunch time. The good news for Los Angeles is that Game 3 isn’t until Thursday in Los Angeles, as the team looked gassed down the stretch on Monday. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:08 pm
  • Michael Porter Jr. hits six 3-pointers, scores 22
    Michael Porter Jr. amassed 22 points (8-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, one assist, two steals, and six 3-pointers in 38 minutes in Monday’s 101-99 win over the Lakers.

    Advice: While Jamal Murray got hot in the fourth quarter, he shot 3-of-16 from the field in the first three periods of Game 2. Porter was one of the Nuggets who helped keep the team afloat, as Denver trailed by as much as 20 before rallying to take a 2-0 series lead. With the amount of attention the Lakers devote to Murray and Nikola Jokic, Porter and Aaron Gordon (14/7/3 in 40 minutes) will have opportunities to score. MPJ stepped up in a big way and was one of the unsung heroes in Game 2. The Nuggets head to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday night. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:58 pm
  • Report: Jarred Vanderbilt targeting Game 3 return
    According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Jarred Vanderbilt (right mid-foot sprain) targets Thursday’s Game 3 against the Nuggets as his return date.

    Advice: Vanderbilt was limited to 29 appearances during the regular season, the last of which occurred on February 1 in a win over the Celtics. He has reportedly been progressing in his recovery, and Thursday’s Game 3 could be when Vanderbilt returns to game action. According to McMenamin, the Lakers forward went through one of his most strenuous workouts on Monday, and the key now is how his body responds in the coming days. Vanderbilt won’t add much offensively, but when healthy, he is one of the Lakers’ best defenders. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:06 pm
  • Franz Wagner (shoulder) points 18/7/2/1/1 line
    Franz Wagner (right shoulder) accounted for 18 points (5-of-17 FGs, 6-of-7 FTs), seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, and two 3-pointers in 38 minutes in Monday’s 96-86 loss to Cleveland.

    Advice: Like Paolo Banchero, Wagner had a rough night offensively. In addition to the poor shooting, he committed six of Orlando’s 16 turnovers (Banchero also had six). Also, Wagner appeared to injure his right shoulder during the final minute to make matters worse. Play never stopped, so he remained on the court through the final buzzer, which may land Wagner on the injury report ahead of Thursday’s Game 3. The other injury concern is Jalen Suggs, who strained his left knee during the first quarter. He returned to begin the third and finished with nine points, six rebounds, five assists, and one steal in 29 minutes. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:18 pm