Player Notes

  • 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

NBA Roster Changes

Date
Player
Change
Apr 13
Activated
Apr 9
Activated
Apr 5
Deactivated
Apr 5
Activated
Mar 29
Activated
Mar 29
Activated
Mar 29
Deactivated
Mar 28
Activated
Mar 28
Activated
Mar 27
Deactivated

Injury Reports

PlayerInjuryStatusEffective
Marvin Bagley III WAS - PF,CKneeGTDApr 22, 2024
Dennis Smith Jr. BKN - PG,SGHipGTDApr 22, 2024