NBA Player News

Sato’s minutes have been up and down as of late, and while he has a few good lines sprinkled in there, he’s tough to trust even if he starts. He could be worth a dart throw in DFS lineups, but this move probably has more to do with the fact that Washington has lost eight of their last nine games, causing coach Wes Unseld Jr. to shake things up.

Towns was the hero in the Knicks’ comeback win in Game 3 and it looked like he might be able to do it again with a strong second half before the Pacers pulled away in the fourth quarter. The 29-year-old power forward continued to play hard down the stretch and appeared to injury his knee late in the game. The Knicks will need a healthy Towns if they’re going to extend this series to a Game 6, let alone pull off a comeback from down 3-1 in the series.

While the Knicks opted to start Mitchell Robinson over Josh Hart again, Hart ended up playing 36 minutes. The Knicks usual starters Brunson, Hart, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Karl Anthony-Towns all played at least 34 minutes. Of those players, Brunson’s -16 was the worst. The 28-year-old point guard has struggled defensively, which isn’t his strong suit. With the Pacers pushing the pace and scoring 130 points, Brunson’s 31 points matter less in the grand scheme of things. Brunson and the Knicks will be looking to avoid elimination in Game 5 back at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

Mathurin has only played sparingly in these playoffs, but gave the Pacers a shot in the arm with his play off the bench in Game 4 Tuesday. The 22-year-old small forward had 20 points in just 12 minutes off the bench. Mathurin excelled at getting to the free throw line as he made 11-of-12 free throws. Ben Sheppard has cut into Mathurin’s minutes in these playoffs and that will likely continue. While Mathurin was more effective in Game 4, Sheppard has also been a key role player for the Pacers during this playoff run.

Siakam had his second game in the Eastern Conference finals with at least 30 points in Game 4. It’s no coincidence the Pacers have won each of those games. The Pacers have made the Knicks play their up-tempo style for most of this series and that’s a major factor in the Pacers’ 3-1 advantage in the series. Siakam has been a key player seemingly scoring at will against New York.

Haliburton was excellent from the tip-off in Game 4 as he lead the Pacers to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. The 25-year-old point guard had 20 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists and zero turnovers in the first half, becoming the first player in the play-by-play era (since the 1996-97 season) to achieve this in a half of basketball in the regular season or playoffs. By the end of the game, Haliburton joined Baron Davis as the only players in playoff history with a triple-double, at least 30 points and zero turnovers. His efforts have helped bring the Pacers to be one win away from the NBA Finals. Indiana will have the chance to close out the Knicks in Game 5 on Thursday.

Nesmith suffered a right ankle sprain in Game 3 and was initially listed as questionable. The 25-year-old small forward landed on Jalen Brunson’s foot after a shot attempt in the third quarter of Sunday’s Game 3. Nesmith played just 26 minutes in Game 3. He played the hero in Game 1 when he dropped 30 points in the Pacers’ overtime win and seems poised to play through the ankle injury in Game 4 Tuesday.

Westbrook was on the injury report for Game 7 against the Thunder with a hand injury, and he announced that the surgery will repair two breaks in his right hand. There’s no reason to think this will impact his status ahead of training camp, but it does help justify his struggles over the final five games of Denver’s series against Oklahoma City. Westbrook has a $3.5 million player option and could choose to run things back with the Nuggets for another season.

After disappointing during the first three games of the Western Conference Finals, DiVincenzo seeing two triples go down late in Game 3 may have set the stage for Game 4. He was huge on Monday, with the 21 points being the most he’s scored in a game this postseason. Minnesota’s reserves combined to score 64 points, keeping them in the game despite Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle struggling offensively. In addition to needing their stars to be better in Game 5, Minnesota will need another good night from DiVincenzo to keep their season alive.

Alexander-Walker, who will be a free agent this summer, has picked a good time to increase his production. A double-digit scorer in each of the last three games, he was at his best Monday night. The 23 points were a playoff career-high for Alexander-Walker, who scored 20 in Game 2 of Minnesota’s second-round series against the Warriors. While expecting a similar performance from him in Game 5 would be a bit much, Alexander-Walker can be a factor off the bench. Even if the point total is not as robust, NAW must provide value again to help the Timberwolves force a Game 6.

With Julius Randle limited to five points on 1-of-7 shooting and Anthony Edwards getting off to a slow start, Minnesota needed more production from its “others” in Game 4. McDaniels was one of the players who answered the call, shooting 66.7 percent from the field and recording a complete stat line. Despite being asked to serve as the primary defender of league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, McDaniels has scored 22 points in two of the last three games in this series. The Timberwolves will need a similar effort in Wednesday’s Game 5 to keep their season alive.