Derrick Rose was impressive in his long-awaited return, with 29 points, but he did miss 19 shots and turned the ball over eight times, showing a bit of rust. Carmelo Anthony was even better, scoring 43 including the clinching 3-pointer in overtime. Tyson Chandler (8 PTS, 16 REB, 3 BLK) was a huge factor and Iman Shumpert (15 PTS. 6 AST, 9 REB, 3 STL) made up for a quiet day from the hobbling Baron Davis. Luol Deng played almost 50 minutes trying to stop Melo, but shot just 4-16 against the improved Knicks’ defense.
In Other Games
CLE @ NJN: It’s been quite a run for Gerald Green, rescued from the D-League in late February. His 32 points led the Nets to an OT win, and he’s finishing games now with the first unit. Anthony Morrow was also hot off the bench with 24, and both Deron Williams (18 PTS, 10 AST) and Kris Humphries (16 PTS, 11 REB) double-doubled. Antawn Jamison (34) had his best game in ages for the Cavs, while Alonzo Gee added 22 points and 11 boards. Lester Hudson topped his previous outburst with 26 to presumably earn another 10-day contract; he could be useful in deep leagues down the stretch.
DET @ MIA: That was more like it for Miami, even without Dwyane Wade, who sat out with a sore ankle. LeBron James had 26, Chris Bosh 22 and James Jones hit six triples off the bench. Brandon Knight led the Pistons with 16, but they fell behind in the second quarter and didn’t get close again.
PHI @ BOS: It’s going from bad to worse for the 76ers, who were never in this one. They shot 38% and seldom-used rookie Nikola Vucevic (14 PTS, 13 REB) was their best player. Hard to think the veterans haven’t quit on their coach. Boston, going in exactly the opposite direction, got balanced scoring and hit almost 59% of their shots, with Kevin Garnett (20 PTS) and Rajon Rondo (15 AST) leading the way. The starters would have had bigger numbers had they been needed in the fourth quarter.
TOR @ OKC: Garbage time can hurt fantasy owners. Kevin Durant (23) and Russell Westbrook (15) were on their way to impressive lines until James Harden (17) and the second unit buried the Raptors with a 24-0 run, allowing the big guns to rest. Toronto also lost Andrea Bargnani to another calf injury after just 13 minutes; the severity is unknown but he’s doubtful for tonight.
UTA @ SAS: As expected, Tim Duncan (13 PTS, 16 REB) and Tony Parker (28) got plenty of minutes, with Manu Ginobili scoring 23 including 14-15 from the free-throw line. The surprise was Boris Diaw starting at center, as coach Popovich gave DeJuan Blair a night off. Utah was trailing 57-40 at the half and could never catch up; Paul Millsap scored just two points in 21 minutes, so Derrick Favors (14 PTS, 12 REB) got extra run and rarely-used DeMarre Carroll (16 in 18 minutes) got a chance to impress.
HOU @ SAC: Kyle Lowry had seven assists in his 18 minutes off the bench in his first game; as his fitness and stamina improves, Goran Dragic (15 PTS, 9 AST) will become less valuable. Courtney Lee got hot with 25 to lead the Rockets to an easy road win. Jimmer Fredette (17) started at SG for Sacramento and Terrence Williams had 21 off the bench, but the big men didn’t show up.
Monday, Monday
WAS @ CHA: One of these losing streaks will end. The Bobcats have been getting good games from Byron Mullens since he was re-inserted as a starter, and Cory Higgins was a big surprise with 22 points on Saturday. The Wizards are usually led by John Wall and Jordan Crawford; the latter looked tired in back-to-back-to-back games and may bounce back tonight. Kevin Seraphin, averaging 13.2 PTS and 7.6 REB as a starter, was a great fantasy pickup back when I first started singing his praises.
DET @ ORL: It’s gotta be tough to get blown out in Miami then face Orlando the next night, but that is the Pistons’ fate. Even if Dwight Howard and his coach hate each other, the big man should dominate this game. Not sure if Ryan Anderson (ankle) will return; if not, Glen Davis will have another big night.
TOR @ IND: Another team that was clobbered last night and must face a rested, superior opponent, Toronto is in trouble without Bargnani. James Johnson did return from his coach-imposed banishment yesterday and may be back in the starting lineup tonight. The Pacers should win easily — Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert are strong plays, while Leandro Barbosa might enjoy playing against his former team.
OKC @ MIL: The Bucks have been going well against much easier opposition. Drew Gooden is still bothered by back pain, so Ersan Ilyasova is doing some extra rebounding, but the Thunder front line is imposing and all their stars got plenty of rest in last night’s easy win.
LAC @ MEM: Both these teams are hot. Mo Williams (toe) has missed nine games but is nearing a return; Randy Foye has been on fire in his absence. High-flying Blake Griffin might be hard for Marreese Speights to handle, so we might see more of Zach Randolph tonight. Probably the best game to watch, in addition to plenty of interesting fantasy opportunities.
LAL @ NOH: Today’s word is tenosynovitis, the medical term for Kobe Bryant’s sore shin. If Mamba has to miss another game, look for Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol to put up big numbers. The Hornets’ Eric Gordon would also benefit. It figures to be a tough night at the office for Chris Kaman and Jason Smith, but they are still worth having in your lineup.
PHO @ MIN: The Suns won’t give up on their playoff dream but I like Minnesota to give them a battle. Kevin Love is great, and J.J. Barea should be getting back up to full speed. Michael Beasley provided a big spark off the bench last game. The unlikely Phoenix heroes in their win over the Lakers were Shannon Brown and Michael Redd, who may keep up their hot shooting against the Timberwolves’ D.
GSW @ DEN: Danilo Gallinari is expected back from his broken thumb and the Nuggets have been getting strong play from guards Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo. On Saturday, they lost to these Warriors in California, so there’s also a revenge factor. David Lee should get his numbers no matter who wins.
SAS @ UTA: This is a home-and-home in 24 hours and the Spurs fired their big guns last night. Their 11-game win streak — which matters not one bit to Pop — is in jeopardy against a Jazz team desperate to stay in the playoff hunt and eager to earn a split. Devin Harris might have a good night and with C.J. Miles hurt, Gordon Hayward will get big minutes.
HOU @ POR: The Blazers are 4.5 games behind the Rockets and an extreme longshot to make the playoffs, but they should be up for this one. Raymond Felton and LaMarcus Aldridge are the keys; talented Nicolas Batum is playing with a sore knee, which makes Wesley Matthews the third option. The Rockets’ win last night was easy (Marcus Camby played just 12 minutes) so fatigue won’t be too much of a factor.
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Club At The End Of DraftStreet
| Sure Things | Over $14,000 |
| K. Love | $21,606 |
| A. Jefferson | $18,077 |
| D. Howard | $18,700 |
| L. Aldridge | $17,177 |
| Bargains | Under $9,000 |
| J. Redick | $7,143 |
| L. Barbosa | $6,337 |
| D. Green | $7,5887 |
| D. Favors | $8,259 |
| Hunches | $9,000 to $14,000 |
| D. Granger | $13,148 |
| C. Kaman | $12,900 |
| B. Mullens | $11,087 |
| Z. Randolph | $11,922 |
I showed a $40 profit for Week 5, and am even, to the dollar, over the five weeks we’ve been doing this every day. That’s hardly a retirement plan, but it’s been fun and I still keep learning. Daily fantasy leagues were completely new to me; it’s never easy to guess right on all eight players, but if you have six or seven guys who are hot enough, you can win.
Garbage time and injuries did me in on Sunday. Finished out of the money in my daily leagues, and faded to fourth in my weekly league. I’m always in the $2 Salary Cap league (Guaranteed Prize Pool $600, first prize $140) and the $5 GPP ($1,000 in prizes, $250 to the winner) but today will also try a Snake-Draft, as the 10-game NBA slate provides plenty of choices.
As you can see in the chart, there are a lot of “Sure Things” to build around. Especially if Kobe is confirmed out, you could use Pau Gasol ($17,435) and Andrew Bynum ($17,319) as your centers. Remember, you can make unlimited lineup changes until 7:00 Eastern.
There is also an extensive choice of players in my “Hunches,” the middle salary range. I could have listed Roy Hibbert ($12,966) or Rudy Gay ($12,723) or half a dozen others who figure to play well. Good luck with your teams.
For anyone who still hasn’t tried Draft Street, it’s free to join and you can learn the game by playing in free leagues.
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