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  • 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
     
  • Josh Hart tallies 21 points, 15 rebounds in Game 2
    Josh Hart finished Monday’s 104-101 win over Philadelphia with 21 points (7-of-16 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), 15 rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks, and four 3-pointers in 48 minutes.

    Advice: Hart played every second of Game 2, with his steal sparking a sequence capped by Donte DiVincenzo’s game-winning three with 13.1 seconds remaining. The 76ers continued to let Hart fire away from beyond the arc, and he made them pay for the second straight game. The Knicks wing was 4-of-7 from beyond the arc in Game 2, in addition to recording another double-double. Philadelphia did a much better job on the boards than in Game 1, but the approach of simply letting Hart shoot may need to change heading into Thursday’s Game 3. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:47 pm
     
  • Donte DiVincenzo hits game-winner, scores 19 PTS
    Donte DiVincenzo played 37 minutes in Monday’s 104-101 win over Philadelphia, tallying 19 points (5-of-10 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and four 3-pointers.

    Advice: While former college roommate Jalen Brunson struggled with his shot most of the night, DiVincenzo performed better than in Game 1 on Saturday. He also made the biggest shot of Game 2, as his 3-pointer with 13.1 seconds remaining gave the Knicks the lead for good. Unlike Game 1, when Miles McBride replaced him in the lineup in crunch time, DiVincenzo was on the court on Monday and came up big for the Knicks. McBride played 21 minutes off the bench, accounting for nine points, one rebound, two assists, and one steal. Game 3 is on Thursday night in Philadelphia. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:29 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
     
  • Nears 20 points in balanced outing
    Wagner tallied 18 points (5-17 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 6-7 FT), seven rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 38 minutes in Orlando's 96-86 loss to Cleveland in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series.

    Advice: Wagner struggled to find his shot a bit in Monday's defeat but still provided a lift offensively by ending two points shy of the 20-point mark while leading all Magic players in rebounds in a balanced performance. Wagner has put together back-to-back strong showings for Orlando to start the opening-round series, posting 18 points and seven boards in both contests. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:10 pm
     
  • Strong from deep in loss
    Harris ended with 14 points (5-10 FG, 4-7 3Pt), four rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 34 minutes in Orlando's 96-86 loss to Cleveland in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series.

    Advice: Harris led all Orlando players in threes made while hauling in a quartet of rebounds and ending as one of four players with a double-digit point total in a losing effort. Harris bounced back in Game 2 after a disappointing performance in Game 1, during which the guard did not connect on a shot while being held scoreless. Harris will need to continue to provide a lift offensively for Orlando as it tries to erase a 2-0 series deficit entering Game 3. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:10 pm