A busy night in the NBA went mostly to expectation. The Pacers easily handled the Magic, the Heat’s big two had great games, the Thunder won a defensive battle against the Grizzlies, and the Raptors continued their winning ways with another road victory. First Tiago Splitter/SAS and now Danny Green/SAS, San Antonio’s injured players are returning. It looked good for the Pelicans, but a disastrous fourth quarter handed the Spurs the road win. There are only four games on the NBA hardwood floors tonight, but as usual there is plenty of action at DraftStreet. We are about 24 hours away from the BIG NBA 150K, an enormous contest awarding $50,000 for first place. Here is today’s Fantasy Spin.
Fantasy Boom and Bust
TOP GUNS:
LeBron James/MIA. With the King and Dwayne Wade/MIA playing so well, who can beat the Heat in a seven-game series? 9 of 19 FGA, 6 of 8 FTA, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 1 TO, 24 points.
Blake Griffin/LAC. He thrives in high scoring games.
Kenneth Faried/DEN. When he is active on the boards very few can stay with him.
Kevin Durant/OKC. About as good as one can get against the Grizzlies’ slow tempo game.
Tony Parker/SAS, Brandon Jennings/DET, DeMarcus Cousins/SAC.
SLEEPERS:
Shaun Livingston/BKN. The best player on the floor, but give the Sixers credit – they fought the Nets to the end. 4 of 9 FGA, 5 of 6 FTA, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 7 steals, 2 TO, 13 points.
Samuel Dalembert/DAL. Rare interior production for the Mavs.
J.R. Smith/NYK. He returned to his natural sixth man role and produced.
Marvin Williams/UTA, Kevin Garnett/BKN.
DISAPPOINTMENTS:
Joakim Noah/CHI. Tossed from the game; played less than 19 minutes. 1 of 6 FGA, 2 of 2 FTA, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 TO, 4 points.
Kyle Lowry/TOR. Couldn’t hit an outside shot and then left with a knee injury.
Tyreke Evans/NOP. Played five minutes, left with a rib injury and didn’t return. That was one reason the Pelicans collapsed in the fourth quarter.
Dion Waiters/CLE, Timofey Mozgov/DEN, Jason Thompson/SAC.
DraftStreet NBA Contests
Whatever your daily fantasy budget is I urge you to use a good chunk of it tomorrow at DraftStreet. The NBA Big Score is one of the biggest single contests NBA daily players will have a crack at this season. If you have been a regular DraftStreet player over the months and years, your loyalty is being rewarded by the offer of a hefty voucher discount. Players who have accumulated at least 17,000 DraftStreet points can purchase a $22 direct entry ticket into the Big Score . Normally a $22 voucher costs 22,000 points so the offered discount represents over 20% off. I’ve already purchased a ticket. You can also enter via the satellite route: for $2 or $5, you can qualify for the 150K Big Score. These special contests are marked with a green dollar sign and they fill up quickly. I am by no means a high roller and I play at DraftStreet mostly for the fun and challenge. But I also relish opportunities to win big money for a small investment.
If you don’t have a DraftStreet account, you can sign up HERE . Enter the $150,000 Big Score for $22 and set your lineup by 7 pm on Wednesday. Finish in the top 1000 and you will at least double your money; finish near the top and your gain will be in the thousands of dollars.