The Blazers and Cavaliers were in a dogfight most of the game. On the strength of Damian Lillard/POR and LaMarcus Aldridge/POR, Portland built a small cushion going into the final minute. Kyrie Irving/CLE rallied the Cavaliers to tie the game with less than 10 seconds remaining. No matter, Lillard hit a long three to win the game in the final seconds, leaving only four tenths of a second for Cleveland to respond. They managed to get a long game-tying attempt off but it missed. Elsewhere, Andre Iguodala’s/GSW return boosted the Warriors defense and the Thunder extended their win streak to seven games by beating the Nuggets in Denver. After most teams had yesterday off, tonight most are back in action. Here is today’s Fantasy Spin.
Top performers
1) DeMarcus Cousins/SAC. Despite this effort, the Kings still lost. 9 of 13 FGA, 12 of 15 FTA, 17 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 6 TO, 30 points.
2) Damian Lillard/POR. A tremendous performance and the difference maker over Cleveland.
3) Stephen Curry/GSW.
4) LaMarcus Aldridge/POR. Has an unstoppable jumpshot when he finds his rhythm.
5) David Lee/GSW.
Honorable mention: Ty Lawson/DEN, Zach Randolph/MEM, Kyrie Irving/CLE.
Top Sleepers
1) Dion Waiters/CLE. Every so often he has flashes of brilliance. 11 of 19 FGA, 1 of 1 FTA, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 TO, 25 points.
2) Tony Allen/MEM.
3) J.J. Hickson/DEN. Now the top Denver big man in fantasy terms.
4) Gerald Henderson/CHA.
Biggest Busts
1) Rudy Gay/SAC. Suffered a knee injury. 1 of 6 FGA, 2 of 3 FTA, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 TO, 4 assists.
2) Andre Iguodala/GSW. Played limited minutes and wasn’t in game shape, but his return undoubtedly helped the defense.
3) Jordan Hill/LAL.
4) Eric Gordon/NOP.
5) Andre Miller/DEN.
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Blazers Move on to Minnesota
A look at tonight’s action from a daily fantasy perspective. An asterisk (*) indicates a team playing the second of back-to-back games:
Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat (7:00 pm EST), Over/Under 190; Heat -3.5
The Heat will seek revenge for a loss in Indiana earlier this season. The bad news is that LeBron James/MIA is not completely healthy and may not even play. It’s a very bad spot for LeBron in terms of fantasy production, so he should be avoided in all daily leagues. Because both teams play excellent defense, the upside for all players is limited.
Utah Jazz at Orlando Magic (7:00 pm EST), Over/Under 197; Magic -4
Orlando’s poor play during the recent absence of Nikola Vucevic/ORL shows how important he is to them. I like both Vucevic and Derrick Favors/UTA to have big games. Victor Oladipo/ORL is a good speculative play.
Charlotte Bobcats* at Toronto Raptors (7:00 pm EST), Over/Under 191.5; Raptors -6.5
The Raptors are fully healthy, have the fatigue edge and are playing better with their new talent configuration. Terrence Ross/TOR remains a top speculative play because of his upside and low price.
Sacramento Kings* at Atlanta Hawks (7:30 pm EST), Over/Under 204.5; Hawks -7
DeMarcus Cousins/SAC is coming off a monster games, but will be tired and has an unfavorable matchup against Al Horford/ATL.
Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics (7:30 pm EST), Over/Under 195; Celtics -1
Washington Wizards at Brooklyn Nets (7:30 pm EST), Over/Under 196; Nets -5
Nene Hilario/WAS is still dealing with a right foot injury. The Wizards are a much better team with him on the floor, as a Nene/Marcin Gortat/WAS tandem form a formidable inside presence, allowing the talented Wizards outside shooters more space.
New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks (8:00 pm EST), Over/Under 186.5; Knicks -2.5
There is good news and bad news for the Knicks. The good news is that Tyson Chandler/NYK is nearing a return and may even play tonight. The bad is that a resurgent Amare Stoudimire/NYK will miss this game due to knee swelling. I anticipate a close game and recommend both Carmelo Anthony/NYK and Andrea Bargnani/NYK versus the Bucks.
Portland Trail Blazers* at Minnesota Wolves (8:00 pm EST), Over/Under 213; Wolves -2
Portland expended a lot of energy last night in Cleveland and that will give the Timberwolves the fatigue edge. Kevin Love/MIN is a solid lineup anchor.
Memphis Grizzlies* at Dallas Mavericks (8:30 pm EST), Over/Under 194; Mavs -9.5
The Grizzlies won’t have much of a chance unless Mike Conley/MEM is able to play and produce.
San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns (9:00 pm EST), Over/Under 203.5; Spurs -2.5
Tony Parker/SAS will be out for at least a few games and all the Spurs backcourt players should benefit from extra minutes. Patrick Mills/SAS, followed by Cory Joseph/SAS are most likely to step in as Parker’s replacement. Tim Duncan/SAS will take on some extra offensive burden and has an excellent matchup against the Suns interior players. I like the Suns to pull of an upset on the strength of their backcourt dynamic duo (Dragic/PHO and Bledsoe/PHO).
Chicago Bulls at Houston Rockets (9:30 pm EST), Over/Under 192; Rockets -6.5
There are reasons that both teams should lose this game, but of course someone has to win. Three key Rockets, Jeremy Lin/HOU, James Harden/HOU, and Chandler Parsons/HOU are carrying injuries and one or more will likely not play. The Bulls are scuffling these days and will have slim chances tonight if their point guard Kirk Hinrich/CHI is either out or limited. The battle inside between Joakim Noah/CHI and Dwight Howard/HOU will be one to watch.
New Orleans Pelicans* at Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 pm EST), Over/Under 204.5; Clippers -10
The Pelicans couldn’t keep pace with the hot-shooting Warriors last night and are huge dogs against the rested Clippers. This game is the most likely to be a blowout, so while both Blake Griffin/LAC and Chris Paul/LAC have exceptionally favorable matchups, potential blowout conditions could limit their minutes.
Injuries Relevant for Tonight’s Games
Pacers: Danny Granger (OUT); Heat: LeBron James (Q), Michael Beasley (OUT).
Jazz: none ; Magic: none.
Bobcats: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (OUT); Raptors: none.
Kings: Rudy Gay (Q), Carl Landry (OUT) ; Hawks: Cartier Martin (OUT).
Pistons: Chauncey Billups (Q) Celtics: Rajon Rondo (OUT).
Wizards: Nene Hilario (Q), Al Harrington (OUT) ; Nets: Brook Lopez (P),Andrei Kirilenko (OUT), Jason Terry (OUT).
Knicks: Tyson Chandler (Q), Amare Stoudamire (OUT), Pablo Prigioni (OUT), Raymond Felton (OUT) ; Bucks: Caron Butler (Q), Gary Neal (Q), Zaza Pachulia (OUT), Larry Sanders (OUT).
Blazers Wolves: Kevin Martin (Q), Chase Budinger (OUT).
Grizzlies: Mike Miller (Q), Tayshaun Prince (Q), Mike Conley (Q), Marc Gasol (OUT); Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki (P), Devin Harris (OUT).
Spurs: Tony Parker (OUT) ; Suns: Emeke Okafor (OUT).
Bulls: Kirk Hinrich (Q), Rockets: Chandler Parsons (P), James Harden (Q), Jeremy Lin (D).
Pelicans: Tyreke Evans (Q); Anthony Davis (OUT), Clippers: Matt Barnes (OUT), J.J. Redick (OUT),Reggie Bullock (OUT).
key: (P) Probable, (Q) Questionable, (D) Doubtful, (GT) Game time decision, (OUT) Out, of course.
My recommended lineup in the $11/$5,000 GPP at DraftStreet ($99,596 salary spent of $100,000 max):
Stars Worth Starting: Zach Randolph/MEM, Damian Lillard/POR, Josh Smith/DET
Bargain Plays: Vince Carter/DAL, Andre Bargnani/NYK
Speculative Plays: Ricky Rubio/MIN, Carlos Boozer/CHI, Victor Oladipo/ORL
Estimated DraftStreet points: 210.00 (+/- 55.00)
The Fantasy Spin is here every day, around 1 PM EST. Follow me @robdudek for breaking news and pre-game thoughts relevant to NBA daily fantasy.