Wednesday’s NBA action ended with a shocking result. The reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Chicago Bulls and lost Khris Middleton to a knee injury along the way. That could spell trouble for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co., but they’re not in as much trouble as the other losing sides that hit the hardwood. The Toronto Raptors fell into a three-game hole against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets have dropped two straight to the Boston Celtics. Need a recap of the action ahead of Thursday’s three-game slate? We’ve got you covered.
Wednesday Standouts
Antetokounmpo’s Herculean effort wasn’t enough to lift the Bucks past the Bulls on Wednesday. Milwaukee’s superstar fell just short of a triple-double with 33 points, 18 rebounds, and nine assists. The reigning NBA Finals MVP often carries a heavy load for the Bucks and could have to do more while Middleton is on the shelf with an MCL sprain.
DeRozan said he wouldn’t go 6-for-25 from the field again after his disappointing Game 1 and followed through on that promise. The Bulls wing scored 44 points on Wednesday with seven rebounds and four assists. He shot 16-for-31 from the field and powered Chicago past the Bulls. He averaged 31.3 points per game against Milwaukee through four meetings in the regular season and things could get easier for him moving forward without Middleton in the picture.
Embiid hit the most impressive shot of the night on Wednesday when he sank a turnaround 3-pointer to put his 76ers up 3-0 against the Raptors. The big man recorded his third consecutive playoff double-double with 33 points and 13 rebounds. He’s averaging 27.7 points and 13 rebounds per game in this year’s playoffs and has notched a double-double in 14 straight contests. He’ll look to stay hot and close out Toronto on Saturday.
Who to play
Morant fell short of a triple-double with 23 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists in Game 2 of the Grizzlies-Timberwolves series. He appears to be 100 percent and will play his first road game of the first round on Thursday. While his numbers in Minnesota during the regular season were mediocre, his road playoff game career averages are impressive. He’s averaging more than 30 points away from home on the road and the Timberwolves aren’t nearly as formidable as last year’s Utah Jazz squad.
Who to fade
Conley had what was probably his worst playoff performance ever earlier this week. The Jazz veteran was held scoreless and missed all seven of his field goals. He tallied four rebounds, three assists, and committed four fouls. While Conley could bounce back in Game 3, he’s only averaging 22.5 minutes per game and there are other players at his price point who’ll likely get more exposure.
Still deciding who to lock in for your DFS roster? We’ve identified a player worth locking in and one to avoid ahead of tip-off below, but you can get my full selection of stud and value plays at each position by heading over to SportsLine.
