Fantasy Basketball

Sims racked up one rebound, one assist and one block across four minutes during Friday's 116-103 loss to the Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Sims played four minutes of garbage time as the Knicks were soundly beaten by the Pacers. Known for playing his stars' heavy minutes, even in losses, common sense prevailed with Tom Thibodeau closing with his second unit. Despite another ankle injury to Mitchell Robinson, Sims has been unable to carve out a consistent role, something that doesn't bode well for his future when looking beyond this season.

Hartenstein contributed four points (1-3 FG, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and one steal over 33 minutes during Friday's 116-103 loss to Indiana in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Hartenstein was unable to repeat his heroics from Game 5, grabbing just seven total rebounds in the loss. Coming off an astonishing 12 offensive rebounds, he struggled to have a meaningful impact as the Knicks were simply outclassed. With the series now deadlocked at 3-3, the two teams will face off one final time in Madison Square Garden on Sunday, with the winner moving on to face the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Porzingis (calf) is expected to miss the start of the third-round series in the Eastern Conference Finals, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

Porzingis has been sidelined since he sustained a calf injury in Game 4 of Boston's first-round series. Wojnarowski reports that Porzingis is making progress in his recovery, and there's some optimism that he could return at some point during the series. Boston will face the winner of the second-round series between the Knicks and Pacers, and the opening two games are slated for Tuesday and Thursday.

Jokic contributed 22 points (9-19 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds and two assists across 36 minutes during Thursday's 115-70 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Jokic delivered one of the best performances of his playoff career in Game 5 of the series, but he was unable to repeat those numbers in this woeful loss despite a respectable stat line. Jokic shot under 50 percent from the field for the third time in the series, and the Nuggets have lost every time that has happened. While the entire Nuggets offense must perform better in a do-or-die Game 7 contest on Sunday, Jokic will be the one who sets the tone early on.

Lively totaled 11 points (3-4 FG, 5-6 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 23 minutes during Wednesday's 104-92 win over the Thunder in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Lively has been playing off the bench due to the solid play of Daniel Gafford down low, but the rookie out of Duke made his presence felt on both ends of the court Wednesday. Aside from missing just one shot from the field, Lively was active defensively and recorded the first playoff double-double of his career. Lively is averaging 7.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in the postseason, and while he looked very good in this pivotal win, he's not expected to move to a starting role ahead of Game 6 on Saturday.

Horford accumulated 22 points (8-15 FG, 6-13 3Pt), 15 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and one steal in 35 minutes during Wednesday's 113-98 win over the Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Horford dominated the boards in a series-clinching win Wednesday, leading all players in the contest in rebounds to go along with a handful of assists, a team-high trio of blocks and ending as one of two Celtics with 20 or more points in a double-double performance. Horford reached double figures in rebounds for the first time this postseason, also crossing the 20-point mark for the first time.

Towns finished Thursday's 115-70 victory over Denver in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals with 10 points (4-10 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 13 rebounds and five assists across 29 minutes.

Towns had a couple of clutch buckets in the early stages of the game, but for the most part, he took a backseat in the scoring column as Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels carried Minnesota offensively in this win. The Timberwolves need Towns to be at his best if they want to have a shot at winning a complicated Game 7 on the road, and for that to happen, he'll need to be even more aggressive on the offensive end of the court, an area in which he hasn't been consistent throughout the series. Towns has reached the 20-point mark in four of the six games he's played in the semis, and the Timberwolves have gone 3-1 in those contests.

Gordon recorded 12 points (4-7 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 28 minutes during Thursday's 115-70 loss to Minnesota in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

The entire Nuggets offense struggled in this game, as shown by the fact the team shot 30.2 percent from the field and 19.4 percent from three-point range in this Game 6 loss. Despite the collective struggles, Gordon found a way to make an impact with his two-way play, and he was also one of just three Denver players who scored in double digits in this loss. Gordon has been arguably the second-best player for Denver in this series, and he'll aim to deliver another strong showing in Game 7 at home on Sunday.

Tatum supplied 25 points (9-16 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals across 43 minutes during Wednesday's 113-98 win over Cleveland in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Tatum once again led Boston in this round, nearing a triple-double to boost the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals. Tatum led all Boston players in scoring, assists and steals while hauling in a double-digit rebound mark and coming up one dime shy of a triple-double. Tatum joined Larry Bird as the only Celtics players with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals in a playoff game. If Tatum can continue to play at the level he played at in the series vs. Cleveland, Boston will be a tough team to top in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Morris finished with 25 points (10-13 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 0-1 FT), three rebounds and two steals over 33 minutes during Wednesday's 113-98 loss to Boston in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Morris provided the shorthanded Cavaliers with a much-needed boost off the bench in Game 5, leading all bench players in scoring while connecting on a team-high handful of threes in a bench-leading minute total. Morris recorded his best outing of the postseason Wednesday, surpassing double figures in scoring for the second time in these playoffs.

Mobley provided 33 points (15-24 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-5 FT), seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal across 43 minutes during Wednesday's 113-98 loss to Boston in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Mobley once again stepped up in the starting lineup for the shorthanded Cavaliers, putting forth his best game of the series despite the team coming up short as Cleveland's season come to an end. Mobley led all players in Wednesday's contest in scoring while hauling in a team-high-tying rebound total and notching a team-best pair of blocks. Mobley concluded the semifinals by averaging 21.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 62.7 percent from the field.

Wade will move into the starting lineup for Wednesday's Game 5 in Boston, Serena Winters of Bally Sports Cleveland reports.

Wade should get all the run he can handle with the Cavaliers' backcourt depleted, and he'll be joined in the first unit by Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Max Strus and Evan Mobley. Sam Merrill should also see an uptick in minutes due to Caris LeVert (knee) joining Donovan Mitchell (calf) and Jarrett Allen (ribs) on the sidelines for Game 5.

McDermott supplied zero points (0-1 FG) in three minutes during Friday's 116-103 victory over the Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

McDermott played three minutes to close the game Friday, at which point the Pacers had the game sealed up. Having played a total of just 19 minutes in the series, it's safe to say that McDermott is not going to play a role in determining the outcome of what has been a fantastic series between two bitter rivals.

Hart exited in the fourth quarter of Friday's 116-103 loss to the Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal round with abdominal soreness and wasn't able to return. He finished with five points (2-8 FG, 1-4 3Pt), eight rebounds, three assists and one block in 31 minutes.

Hart has been powering through a variety of issues in the playoffs, but the Knicks likely erred on the side of caution Friday in ruling him out late in the contest while the Pacers held a commanding lead. Presumably, Hart will be ready for Game 7 on Sunday, but there should be more clarity on Saturday when the Knicks practice.

Prosper (ankle) won't play in Saturday's Game 6 against the Thunder.

Prosper has yet to suit up this postseason while dealing with a left ankle sprain. While it is unclear when the rookie forward will return to action, it seems unlikely he will receive significant playing time even when available.

McDaniels notched 21 points (8-10 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal over 30 minutes during Thursday's 115-70 victory over Denver in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

McDaniels is not known for his scoring ability and often gets recognition for his defensive work. Still, he stood out when it mattered the most in this series and finished as Minnesota's second-highest scorer. McDaniels is not expected to hover around the 20-point mark regularly going forward, but this was an excellent showing in a game during which his team needed him to step up. In fact, this was McDaniels' second-best scoring output in the current playoff run, as he scored 25 points in the Game 2 win over the Suns in the first round.

Alexander-Walker will move to the bench for Thursday's Game 6 versus Denver.

This is an expected move with Mike Conley back from his injury. Alexander-Walker fared well in his spot start in Game 5, producing 14 points (5-12 FG, 4-8 3Pt), two rebounds, five assists and two blocks across 39 minutes.

Anunoby (hamstring) has been ruled out Friday for Game 6 in the Knicks' Eastern Conference semifinal round series with the Pacers, Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reports.

As expected, Anunoby won't be available for Game 6, and considering he's still been limited to light on-court work since straining his hamstring in Game 2, it's unlikely he would be available for Game 7, if necessary. Miles McBride, Precious Achiuwa and Alec Burks will help pick up the slack in Anunoby's absence.

Edwards notched 27 points (8-17 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 7-8 FT), four rebounds, four assists and three steals in 34 minutes during Thursday's 115-70 victory over Denver in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Edwards bounced back from an ugly outing in Game 5 and led Minnesota in scoring in this pivotal matchup, as he looked far more aggressive than during his previous appearance. Edwards deserves credit for his constant off-the-ball movement as well, as his movements on the perimeter, coupled with the return of Mike Conley from a one-game absence, made things very difficult for Denver on defense. This was Edwards' fourth game with at least 25 points in the series, and he's expected to operate as Minnesota's primary offensive weapon in Sunday's do-or-die Game 7 at Ball Arena.

Gilgeous-Alexander racked up 30 points (12-22 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 4-6 FT), six rebounds, eight assists, one block and two steals across 43 minutes during Wednesday's 104-92 loss to Dallas in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Whether the Thunder struggle offensively or not, Gilgeous-Alexander will always get the job done. Unfortunately, he couldn't do everything on his own Wednesday, and he came up short of carrying OKC to a Game 5 victory despite filling out the stat sheet admirably. With the Thunder's back against the wall, Gilgeous-Alexander will need to be at his best on Saturday, as the Thunder will aim to avoid an early playoff exit on the road in Game 6. The star floor general is averaging 31.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game in the current series against Dallas while riding a four-game streak of appearances with 30 or more points.

White closed with 18 points (7-17 FG, 4-9 3Pt), five rebounds, six assists and two blocks in 36 minutes during Wednesday's 113-98 victory over the Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

White had a strong outing from deep in Wednesday's series-clinching win, connecting on a quartet of threes. White stepped up for Boston in the series, tallying at least 18 points in two of the five contests. White could be a key factor once again for the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals as an additional option offensively behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Strus ended Wednesday's 113-98 loss to the Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals with 12 points (3-10 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), seven rebounds and nine assists in 45 minutes.

Strus put up a well-rounded stat line, handing out a team-high-tying assist total to go along with a team-high-tying rebound mark in a near double-double outing. Strus reached double figures in scoring in three of the five games against Boston, adding at least seven rebounds and seven assists in the final two games of the series.

Joe is part of the starting lineup for Wednesday's Game 5 against Dallas, Brandon Rahbar of DailyThunder.com reports.

Joe replaces Josh Giddey in the first unit, a relatively unsurprising move considering Joe has played more minutes than Giddey in three straight games. Despite his starting status, fantasy managers shouldn't expect the three-point specialist to see normal starter's minutes. Instead, he'll likely settle in at around the high teens or low twenties.

LeVert (knee) has been ruled out for Wednesday's Game 5 against the Celtics, Spencer Davies of SI.com reports.

LeVert started in place of Donovan Mitchell (calf) during Monday's Game 4 loss but aggravated a lingering knee injury and will join Mitchell and Jarrett Allen (ribs) on the sidelines Wednesday. Dean Wade will move into the starting lineup, which also features Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Max Strus and Evan Mobley. LeVert's season will be over if Cleveland doesn't win Wednesday in Boston.

Nembhard finished with 15 points (6-12 FG, 3-4 3Pt), six rebounds, six assists and one block over 38 minutes during Friday's 116-103 win over New York in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Nembhard put together arguably his best performance of the postseason, especially when it comes to his efforts on the defensive end. Having been worked over by Jalen Brunson in the past couple of games, Nembhard appeared as though he was focused on making amends for his recent shortcomings. Although Brunson ended with a game-high 31 points, many of those came with the game already in the bag for Indiana. If they are to walk out of Madison Square Garden with a victory Sunday, Nembhard is going to have to once again be more than a traffic cone on defense.

McConnell supplied 15 points (7-13 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two rebounds, four assists and one steal in 16 minutes during Friday's 116-103 win over the Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

McConnell was a factor once again Friday, providing the Pacers with a boost on both ends of the floor. He continues to be an underrated piece for Indiana, continuing what has been arguably his best season as a professional. Despite typically playing no more than 20 minutes, McConnell has scored double-digits in five of the past seven games, while handing out a combined 45 assists during that period.

Brunson amassed 31 points (11-26 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 6-9 FT), one rebound and five assists in 38 minutes during Friday's 116-103 loss to Indiana in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Brunson ended with a game-high 31 points, the majority of which came in the final quarter. He struggled to find his rhythm early in the game, at one point missing 11 consecutive shot attempts. The Knicks lost Josh Hart late in the game due to an abdominal injury. If the injury causes him to miss or at least play limited minutes in Game 7, Brunson may need to be at his absolute best if New York has any chance of moving onto the next round.

Doncic is probable for Saturday's Game 6 against the Thunder due to a right knee sprain and left ankle soreness.

Doncic hasn't missed a game this postseason despite being a regular on the injury report. That trend should continue Saturday as the Mavericks attempt to secure a spot in the Western Conference Finals. Across the previous five matchups versus Oklahoma City, Doncic averaged 23.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.8 steals in 41.0 minutes per game.

Murray recorded 10 points (4-18 FG, 2-7 3Pt), two rebounds, five assists and one steal over 33 minutes during Thursday's 115-70 loss to Minnesota in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Murray had been the catalyst of the Nuggets offense during this series, but he struggled massively Thursday, though the entire team looked overmatched from start to finish. There's no doubt the offense runs through Nikola Jokic, but it's also not a secret that Denver tends to struggle heavily when Murray is not at his best, and that has been the case in each of the three losses the Nuggets have suffered in this series. Murray will aim to bounce back in Sunday's Game 7, as the Nuggets need him at his best to avoid a monumental upset and keep their hopes of a title defense alive.

Murray (calf) is available for Thursday's Game 6 against Minnesota.

Murray has been playing through questionable tags for the duration of this series, so this news isn't a surprise. There's no word of any restrictions ahead of tipoff.