Wednesday’s NBA action ended with a shocking result. Defending champion Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Chicago Bulls and lost Khris Middleton to a knee injury along the way. This could spell trouble for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co., but they aren’t as struggling as other losing teams who have hit hardwood. The Toronto Raptors fell to a three-game hole against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets lost two straight to the Boston Celtics. Need a recap of the action ahead of Thursday’s three-game slate? We have what you need.
Wednesday Highlights
Antetokounmpo’s Herculean effort wasn’t enough to lift the Bucks past the Bulls on Wednesday. The Milwaukee superstar missed 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 may need to do more while Middleton is on the shelf with an MCL sprain.
DeRozan said he wouldn’t leave the field again at 6-25 after his disappointing opener and delivered on that promise. The Bulls wing scored 44 points Wednesday with seven rebounds and four assists. He shot 16 for 31 from the field and propelled Chicago past the Bulls. He averaged 31.3 points per game against Milwaukee in four regular season meetings and things could get easier for him without Middleton in the picture.
Embiid had the most impressive shot of the night on Wednesday when he sank a 3-point turnover to put his 76ers up 3-0 against the Raptors. The big man recorded his third straight double-double in the playoffs with 33 points and 13 rebounds. He’s averaging 27.7 points and 13 rebounds per game in this year’s playoffs and has a double-double in 14 straight games. He will look to stay warm and close Toronto on Saturday.
who to play
Morant failed to score a triple-double with 23 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists in Game 2 of the Grizzlies-Timberwolves series. He appears to be at 100% and will play his first first-round road game on Thursday. While his numbers at Minnesota during the regular season were lackluster, his career playoff averages on the road are impressive. He’s averaging more than 30 points away from home on the road and the Timberwolves aren’t as formidable as last year’s Utah Jazz team.
who fade away
Conley had what was probably his worst playoff performance earlier this week. The Jazz veteran was held scoreless and missed all seven of his field goals. He had four rebounds, three assists and four fouls. While Conley could bounce back in Game 3, he only averages 22.5 minutes per game and there are other players at his price who are likely to be more exposed.
Still deciding who to lock for your DFS list? We’ve identified one player worth blocking and one player to avoid before the board below, but you can get my full selection of stud and value plays at every position by heading over to SportsLine.
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