Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Kyrie Irving tallies 21 points in Game 4 blowout
    Kyrie Irving played 31 minutes in Friday’s 122-84 win over Boston, amassing 21 points (10-of-18 FGs), four rebounds, six assists, and one 3-pointer.

    Advice: Game 4 was the first time in this series that Irving has shot 50% or better from the field and made nine of his 12 2-point attempts. Outside of Game 3, when he shot 4-of-6, the 3-point accuracy has not been there for Kyrie. In Games 1, 2, and 4, he was a combined 1-of-14, well below his mark for the postseason (40.5%). Irving struggled mightily in the first two games of the NBA Finals, played in Boston. He’ll look to put forth a better effort when the series returns to Beantown for Game 5 on Monday. Rotoworld Friday, 8:03 pm
     
  • Suffers ankle injury
    Jovic was diagnosed with a minor left ankle sprain Thursday and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

    Advice: Jovic is still expected to compete for Serbia in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, which begin on July 28. Jovic made 38 starts for Miami this year and could start alongside Nikola Jokic in the frontcourt for Serbia. Rotowire.com Thursday, 11:24 am
     
  • Posts double-double in Game 3 loss
    Lively finished with 11 points (5-6 FG, 1-1 FT), 13 rebounds, one assist and two steals in 30 minutes during Wednesday's 106-99 loss to Boston in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

    Advice: Lively was limited to just two points in Games 1 and 2, respectively, but he bounced back in this one, and the rookie posted his first double-double since the team's May 18 win over the Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals. The rookie was able to make an impact without Kristaps Porzingis (lower leg) on the court, and Lively will aim to be a factor in Game 4 on Friday, where the Mavericks need a win to keep the series alive. Rotowire.com Thursday, 6:52 am
     
  • Leads Dallas in Game 3 defeat
    Irving supplied 35 points (13-28 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 5-5 FT), three rebounds and two assists across 45 minutes during Wednesday's 106-99 loss to Boston in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

    Advice: Luka Doncic was disqualified in the fourth after picking up his sixth foul, meaning Irving had to step his game up, and the veteran floor general was Dallas' most reliable scoring alternative throughout the entire contest. Irving bounced back from two subpar outings in the first two games of the series, but not even his highest scoring mark of the current postseason run was enough to lift Dallas to victory. Irving will aim to keep the momentum going ahead of Game 4 on Friday, as the Mavericks will have their backs against the wall for the remainder of the series due to their 0-3 deficit. Rotowire.com Thursday, 6:50 am
     
  • Active on both ends in Game 3
    Horford registered eight points (3-6 FG, 2-5 3Pt), five rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals across 37 minutes during Wednesday's 106-99 win over the Mavericks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

    Advice: Horford plays a secondary role in the Celtics' offensive scheme, though that's not surprising since he shares the court regularly with established superstars such as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. However, the veteran big man does all the little things contending teams need to win games consistently, and he regularly finds a way to contribute. Though he's not much of a reliable fantasy option at this point of his career, Horford is averaging 7.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in the current NBA Finals. Rotowire.com Thursday, 6:44 am
     
  • Drains three threes in Game 3 win
    Hauser ended Wednesday's 106-99 victory over the Mavericks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals with nine points (3-4 FG, 3-4 3Pt), three rebounds and one assist across 14 minutes.

    Advice: Hauser led the Celtics with a plus-16 plus-minus ratio during the win. In addition to hitting three of four attempts from beyond the arc, Hauser also delivered excellent defense. The reserve forward stopped Mavericks star Luka Doncic on a few drives. Hauser's 14 minutes of run led Boston's bench. The three-point sniper has now hit 1.2 triples per game throughout the playoffs. The Celtics will try to sweep the Finals on Friday in Dallas. Rotowire.com Thursday, 6:03 am
     
  • Dereck Lively II drops double-double in Game 3
    Dereck Lively II played 30 minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s 106-99 loss to the Celtics, recording a line of 11 points (5-of-6 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), 13 rebounds, one assist, and two steals.

    Advice: Lively and starter Daniel Gafford effectively have a timeshare at the center position, with Mavericks coach Jason Kidd tending to stick with the “hot hand.” The rookie was that player in Game 3, recording a double-double and also accumulating two steals. As for Gafford, he finished with six points, three rebounds, one assist, and one blocked shot in 16 minutes. The unpredictable nature of the minutes split makes it difficult to rely on Lively or Gafford in DFS, but the former proved to be a quality play on Wednesday. Rotoworld Wednesday, 8:48 pm
     
  • Kyrie Irving rebounds, leads Mavs with 35 points
    Kyrie Irving shot 13-of-28 from the field and 5-of-5 from the foul line in Wednesday’s 106-99 loss to Boston, accounting for 35 points, three rebounds, two assists, and four 3-pointers in 45 minutes.

    Advice: Having struggled in the first two games of the NBA Finals, Irving apologized to teammate Luka Doncic between Games 2 and 3. He stepped up on Wednesday, knocking down four 3-pointers and scoring a game-high 35 points. Irving was at his best during the first half, shooting 8-of-14 from the field and scoring 20 points. However, like many of his teammates, things took a downward turn during the third quarter, and the Mavericks’ fourth-quarter rally was a case of “too little, too late.” Irving, who has lost his last 14 games against the Celtics, will look to avoid being swept on Friday night. Rotoworld Wednesday, 8:37 pm