Apologies for the tardiness, but my area has been hit with an ice storm that has knocked out most internet services. The focus of last night was Oklahoma City’s visit to San Antonio. Tony Parker/SAS made a surprise return for the Spurs, while Kawhi Leonard/SAS sat out. The Thunder couldn’t get much going against the Spurs’ interior defense, but did shoot the ball effectively at the outside. OKC’s defensive effort won them the game and confirmed their spot at the top of the NBA heap. It’s a relatively quiet Sunday on the hardwoods, with only three games on the schedule. Here is today’s Fantasy Spin.
Sunday NBA contests at DraftStreet
In just a few days, ten NBA teams will take the floor on Christmas Day. It will also be your chance to turn $11 into $25,000 by finishing first in a mammoth $100,000 GPP DraftStreet is running that day. Be on the lookout for $2 qualifiers for the Christmas Day 100K in the lobby in the upcoming days.
I hope you had a chance to participate in our DraftStreet weekly freeroll this past Friday. 1174 players took part and 100 of them earned vouchers for the upcoming $100,000 GPP on Christmas Day. Look for information about next week’s freeroll early next week.
The marquee contests today are the $22 buy in/$5,000 GPP, and the $5 buy in/$2,500 GPP. There are also double-up guarantees with buy-ins ranging from $2 to $109.
Thunder and Pacers in Action Tonight
A look at tonight’s action from a daily fantasy perspective. An asterisk (*) indicates a team playing the second of back-to-back games:
Boston Celtics* at Indiana Pacers (6:00 pm EST), Over/Under 187 ; Pacers -12 . INJURIES: BOS: Sullinger (P), Rondo (OUT) ; IND: none.
Jared Sullinger/BOS had one of his best games against the Wizards, but limped off the court. His status is uncertain and without him the Celtics depth will be tested. The reintegration of Danny Granger/IND into the Pacers attack is worth watching. Speculation has it that Paul George’s/IND minutes will be cut back a bit as Granger settles into the sixth man role.
Toronto Raptors at Oklahoma City Thunder* (7:00 pm EST), Over/Under 203.5; Thunder -10.5. INJURIES: none.
The Thunder beat the Spurs yesterday on the strength of terrific interior defense from Serge Ibaka/OKC and Steven Adams/OKC. The Raptors earned a road victory against the Mavs two nights ago. Though the Thunder will be somewhat tired, I expect their depth to carry the day. Look for Adams and Reggie Jackson/OKC to play extra minutes. Toronto guard tandem DeMar DeRozan/TOR and Kyle Lowry/TOR are solid plays.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Clippers* (9:30 pm EST), Over/Under 210; Clippers -5. INJURIES: MIN: Budinger (OUT); LAC: Redick (OUT).
Kevin Love/MIN remains the centerpiece of the Wolves’ offense and he must have a great game if Minnesota is to stay in this one. Kevin Martin/MIN is a decent speculative play now that his DraftStreet salary has fallen. The recently returned Matt Barnes/LAC is a great value play and Blake Griffin/LAC is a solid lineup anchor.
injury key: (P) Probable, (Q) Questionable, (D) Doubtful, (GT) Game time decision, (OUT) Out, of course.
My Lineup
My recommended picks in the $2/Xmas Day Satellite at DraftStreet ($99,070 salary spent of $100,000 max):
Stars Worth Starting: Kevin Love/MIN, DeMar DeRozan/TOR. Kyle Lowry/TOR
Bargain Plays: Steven Adams/OKC, Matt Barnes/LAC.
Speculative Plays: Reggie Jackson/OKC, Brandon Bass/BOS, Serge Ibaka/OKC.
Estimated DraftStreet points: 210 (+/- 60.00)
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.