NBA Player News

Johnson is back after sitting out Monday’s win over the Kings. As a result, Garrison Mathews returns to the bench, where he offers little value as a deep-league streamer. Feel free to leave Mathews on the waiver wire.

Garland picked up the injury on March 23 against the Jazz and played through it before ultimately missing time. He missed four of the Cavs’ final seven games of the regular season and Games 1 and 2 of the first-round playoff series with Indiana, re-aggravating the injury in the process. If Ty Jerome re-signs with Cleveland this offseason, he’s the guy most likely to replace Garland in the starting five.

Caruso has been Oklahoma City’s most productive reserve in the NBA Finals, which makes some sense due to him being the lone player on the roster with a championship ring. After recording 11 points and a complete stat line in Game 1, Caruso was more lethal as a scorer in Game 2. A double-digit score in three of his last four appearances, the 20 points are the most Caruso has tallied in a game since Game 1 of the Thunder’s second-round series against Denver. Given the matchup, he should continue to hit the high-20s in minutes, which raises Caruso’s ceiling on both ends of the floor. Game 3 is on Wednesday in Indianapolis.

After only scoring 28 points in Game 1, Oklahoma City’s reserves were more impactful in Game 2, finishing with 48. Wiggins helped lead the way, as the 18 points were the most he’s scored in a game since the Thunder’s Game 1 win over the Grizzlies in the first round. Expecting production of this caliber from Wiggins consistently would be a bit much. Still, he’ll need to be a factor, especially if Oklahoma City continues to start Cason Wallace (4/3/1/2/1 in 24 minutes). Sunday’s rout was a reminder of what Wiggins is capable of offensively.

After shooting 6-of-19 from the field in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Williams was better in Sunday’s victory. While the percentage still has room for growth, J-Dub attempted nine free throws after getting just four on Thursday. Add in the rebounds and assists, and Williams managed to bring more to the table following his disappointing Finals debut. Oklahoma City outscored Indiana by a 33-21 margin in the second quarter, and Williams was a factor, shooting 3-of-6 from the field and scoring nine points. That’s the level of offensive aggression the Thunder will need J-Dub to bring to the table consistently if they’re to win the series. Game 3 is on Wednesday in Indianapolis.

While Holmgren’s point total wasn’t much to write home about in Game 2, it represented a marked improvement over what he brought to the table in Game 1. Having scored six points in the opening game of the NBA Finals, Holmgren exceeded that number in the first quarter of Game 2 by putting up nine points. He was held in check for the rest of the night, but other Thunder players stepped up to help Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shoulder the offensive workload. If the Holmgren who showed up to begin Game 2 is the norm, Oklahoma City’s chances of winning the franchise’s first NBA title increase substantially.

While Gilgeous-Alexander did score 38 points in Oklahoma City’s Game 1 defeat, he shot below 50 percent from the field. The NBA’s Most Valuable Player was more forceful in Game 2, and the approach led to SGA attempting 12 free throws while also shooting over 50 percent from the field. Gilgeous-Alexander made some history during the victory, becoming the 12th player in league history to score at least 3,000 points in a season — that counts the regular season and playoffs. Putting up high point totals should not be an issue in this series, even with the Pacers’ ability to use multiple defenders on SGA. The key will be how he gets those points, and how often the Thunder point guard can get to the foul line. Game 3 is on Wednesday in Indianapolis.

The Pacers finished Game 2 with seven double-digit scorers, but none scored more than Tyrese Haliburton’s 17 points. As for Siakam, his point total was salvaged by an 8-of-9 night at the foul line. Spicy P only scored 19 points in Game 1 but was far more efficient, and he also finished that game with a double-double. Oklahoma City boasts an elite defense, and they were far better across the board on Sunday. Siakam and the Pacers will look to regain the series lead when they host Game 3 on Wednesday.

Offensively, Turner has gotten off to a solid start in the NBA Finals. After scoring 15 points on 50 percent shooting in Game 1, he put up one more point on a similar percentage Sunday evening. However, Turner only grabbed four rebounds after recording nine in the series opener. Sunday’s defeat does not rest on Turner’s shoulders, but Indiana will need him to be more forceful as a rebounder and defender moving forward. The Pacers host Game 3 on Wednesday night.

While Haliburton shot over 50 percent from the field, Game 2 was far from his best effort. The Pacers’ star point guard finished with five turnovers, the most in a game for him since Game 4 of Indiana’s first-round series against Milwaukee. High-turnover nights have not been the norm for Haliburton, so there should not be much to worry about for Wednesday’s Game 3 in Indianapolis. Given how well he’s played throughout the postseason, it would be unsurprising if Haliburton rebounded in style Wednesday night.

Walker injured his right ankle during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals and was already ruled out for the first two games of the NBA Finals. Based on Carlisle’s comments during his availability ahead of Sunday’s Game 2, the Pacers will be without their forward for the foreseeable future. Walker is still using one crutch to move around, but he may be able to ditch the apparatus in the “next day or so.” Walker’s continued absence does not significantly impact Indiana’s rotation, even with Carlisle’s willingness to go deep into his bench. Obi Toppin will continue to play most of the backup power forward minutes.