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Player Notes

  • D’Angelo Russell goes scoreless in Game 3 loss
    D’Angelo Russell missed all seven of his shot attempts in Thursday’s 112-105 loss to the Nuggets, going scoreless with three rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one blocked shot in 24 minutes.

    Advice: After bouncing back from a mediocre Game 1 with a quality effort in Game 2, there was hope that Russell could build on that 23-point night. That did not happen; he was 0-of-6 from three and 0-of-7 from the field overall. Due to his struggles, Russell lost minutes to Spencer Dinwiddie, who logged 22 and finished with eight points, two rebounds, and three assists. With the Lakers needing a win on Saturday to extend their season, it would be unsurprising if Darvin Ham did not wait long to pull Russell if he doesn’t have it. If that happens, Dinwiddie and Gabe Vincent (four points, four rebounds in 20 minutes) will play more minutes. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:33 pm
  • Austin Reaves records 22 points, four steals
    Austin Reaves accumulated 22 points (8-of-17 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), five rebounds, three assists, four steals, and two 3-pointers in 41 minutes in Thursday’s Game 3 loss to the Nuggets.

    Advice: Reaves was one of three Lakers starters to score at least 22 points, but that wasn’t enough to avoid an 11th straight loss to the Nuggets. D’Angelo Russell going scoreless and Rui Hachimura finishing with five points certainly didn’t help matters for the Lakers, who need a win on Saturday to extend their season. Reaves matched his point total from the first two games in Game 3 while accumulating four steals. That’s positive momentum he can take into Game 4; whether or not it matters is another conversation, given Denver’s mastery of the Lakers. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:28 pm
  • Jamal Murray produces 22 points, nine assists
    Jamal Murray finished Thursday’s Game 3 win over the Lakers with 22 points (8-of-21 FGs, 5-of-6 FTs), five rebounds, nine assists, one block, and one 3-pointer in 41 minutes.

    Advice: Murray hasn’t shot the ball well in this series, making less than 38% of his attempts in all three games, but that hasn’t mattered. He’s still scored at least 20 points in each, and the Nuggets hold a 3-0 lead in the series. While the fourth quarter was when Murray went off in Game 2, it was the second and third frames when he did his handiwork on Thursday. In those periods, he shot 8-of-15 from the field, which Denver won by a combined score of 60-42. Murray and the Nuggets will look to end the series on Saturday night. Rotoworld Yesterday, 10:06 pm
  • Reggie Jackson (ankle) limited to seven minutes
    Reggie Jackson (left ankle sprain) finished Thursday’s Game 3 win over the Lakers with five points (2-of-3 FGs), one assist, and one 3-pointer in seven minutes.

    Advice: Jackson was solid in his first stint on the court, but his playing time was cut short due to a sprained left ankle suffered during the third quarter. While the Nuggets considered him questionable to return, and Jackson attempted to loosen up his ankle while riding the exercise bike, he did not play again. Nuggets coach Michael Malone decided to stick with his starters in an attempt to stick the proverbial dagger in the Lakers (no team has erased a 0-3 deficit in NBA history), and it worked. Game 4 is on Saturday, with Christian Braun (5/2/1) and Justin Holiday (one rebound) in line for additional minutes if Jackson cannot play. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:45 pm
  • Jalen Brunson drops 39 points, 13 dimes in Game 3
    Jalen Brunson accumulated 39 points (13-of-27 FGs, 10-of-12 FTs), two rebounds, 13 assists, and three 3-pointers in 45 minutes in Thursday’s 125-114 loss to Philadelphia.

    Advice: While the Knicks won the series’ first two games, they did so with Brunson struggling offensively. The supporting cast stepped up in those victories, and JB shined in a losing effort in Game 3. In addition to the 39 points, he dished out 13 assists and played 45 of a possible 48 minutes. No Knicks reserves reached double figures on Thursday, with Miles McBride (8/2/1/1 with two 3-pointers) leading the way. Getting Brunson back on track is a positive the Knicks can take into Game 4, which will be played on Sunday afternoon. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:49 pm
  • Tyrese Maxey tallies 25 points, seven assists
    Tyrese Maxey finished Thursday’s Game 3 win over the Knicks with 25 points (9-of-21 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), four rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and three 3-pointers in 40 minutes.

    Advice: After scoring 33 and 35 points in the series’ first two games, Maxey did not shoot the ball as well in Game 3. However, the winner of the NBA’s Most Improved Player award managed turnovers better than he did in the two losses in New York. Maxey committed just one turnover in Game 3 after tallying seven in Games 1 (three) and two (four). Even if the field-goal percentage isn’t always where it should be, Maxey is talented enough to compensate for that with increased production in other areas. Philadelphia will look to even the series at two games apiece on Sunday. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:37 pm
  • Donovan Mitchell limited to 13 points on Thursday
    Donovan Mitchell shot 6-of-16 from the field and 0-of-1 from the foul line in Thursday’s Game 3 loss to the Magic, accounting for 13 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and one 3-pointer in 26 minutes.

    Advice: Dominant in the first two games of the series, Mitchell was held in check in Game 3. While he did lead the Cavaliers in assists, only Caris LeVert (15/2/3/0/1 with one 3-pointer) had a worse plus/minus than Spida, who finished at a minus-25. Mitchell largely carried Cleveland’s backcourt in the first two games, but his off night was problematic, with Darius Garland continuing to struggle. Garland shot 2-of-9 from the field in Game 3, finishing with five points, three rebounds, six assists, and one 3-pointer. Game 4 is on Saturday, with Cleveland holding a 2-1 lead. Rotoworld Yesterday, 6:56 pm
  • Jalen Suggs (knee) goes off for 24 points Thursday
    Jalen Suggs (left knee strain) shot 9-of-11 from the field and 3-of-3 from the foul line in Thursday’s 121-83 win over Cleveland, amassing 24 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block, and three 3-pointers in 28 minutes.

    Advice: After injuring his knee during the first half of Monday’s Game 2 loss, Suggs was at his best in Game 3. In addition to recording a full stat line, he provided the Magic with some much-needed perimeter shooting as Orlando picked up its first win of the series. Orlando will need a similar effort in Game 4 on Saturday as they look to even the series. Rotoworld Yesterday, 6:24 pm
  • Stephen Curry wins Clutch Player of the Year award
    Stephen Curry won the Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year award on Thursday.

    Advice: Curry beat out DeMar DeRozan and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, receiving 45 first-place votes to DeRozan’s 34. Those two were separated by 26 total points, with SGA coming in third with 160 points (11 first-place votes). Curry led the NBA in crunch time points (189), made field goals (59), and made 3-pointers (32). “Crunch time” is defined as the final five minutes of a game within five points. Rounding out the top five were Nikola Jokic and Jalen Brunson. Rotoworld Yesterday, 4:19 pm