NBA Player News

Martin originally signed a training camp deal, which allows the Pelicans to keep him around the organization with their G-League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron. This won’t alter any fantasy leagues.

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.

Surprisingly, Edwards only attempted two shots during the first half of Game 4. A little too willing to allow the game to come to him, the Timberwolves’ star was more aggressive after halftime, even if that did not mean more shots for him early on. Edwards’s ability to get into the paint led to others getting clean looks, helping Minnesota trim the deficit. Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, while Edwards was better after halftime, Julius Randle (5/7/3/1 in 28 minutes) struggled, shooting 1-of-7 from the field. With their season on the line Wednesday night, Minnesota will need Edwards and Randle to be on their A-games from the start in Game 5.

While Holmgren scored 22 points in Oklahoma City’s Game 2 win over the Timberwolves, that was also a game in which he failed to record a steal or blocked shot. Chet was far more impactful as a defender in Game 4, with the four defensive contributions being the most in a game for him since Game 3 of the second-round series against Denver. Oklahoma City again decided to go small to begin the second half, starting Alex Caruso (10/2/1/2 with two three-pointers in 33 minutes) alongside Holmgren instead of Isaiah Hartenstein. While Minnesota did manage to climb back into the game following that change, the ability to go small is one reason why the Thunder are so dangerous. They’ll host Game 5 on Wednesday.

Williams was outstanding in Game 4, joining Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to become the first Thunder teammates to score 30 points or more in the same playoff game since Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in 2014. J-Dub scored Oklahoma City’s first five points and never seemed to slow down, finishing with his first 30-point game since Game 3 of the second-round series against the Nuggets. Add in the assists and steals, and Monday night was a great time to have Williams in either playoff fantasy or DFS lineups. Oklahoma City hosts Game 5 on Wednesday.

Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are one win away from the NBA Finals, and extra possessions were a significant factor in Game 4. SGA grabbed four offensive rebounds, and Oklahoma City finished with 19 as a team. Add in 21 Minnesota turnovers, and the Thunder attempted 11 more field goals than the Timberwolves. Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30 field goal attempts and 40 points were playoff career highs, and he was masterful in crunch time, looking for his shot and setting up teammates for clean looks. OKC will aim to close out the series on Wednesday night at home.

Nesmith sprained his right ankle during the third quarter of Sunday’s Game 3, as he landed on Jalen Brunson’s foot after attempting a shot. While he did return to the game during the fourth quarter after getting the ankle retaped, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star reported that Nesmith was in pain when he woke up Monday morning. The expectation is that he’ll be a game-time decision for Game 4. While Bennedict Mathurin has been Nesmith’s injury replacement in the past, Ben Sheppard may be a better fit due to his superior defensive ability. No Nesmith would also mean Andrew Nembhard would be asked to defend Jalen Brunson more.