Most of the mainstays weren’t lighting it up on Friday. Quiet nights from LeBron James and James Harden were countered with big games from Khris Middleton and Rodney Stuckey. Tim Duncan threw up a classic performance while Anthony Davis avoided a major injury. However, the story of the night was the play of Danilo Gallinari.  

Gallinari dominates

The Mavericks and Nuggets battled it out in double-overtime on Friday and boy was it a high-scoring affair. Although Dallas won 144-143 behind Dirk Nowitzki’s 25 points, the fantasy story of the night was the play of Danilo Gallinari. The sharpshooting forward scored a career-high 47 points, nailing seven three-pointers in the process. He shot 10-10 from the charity stripe and 15-23 from the field. He added nine rebounds, one steal, and one block and was without question the fantasy king of the night. The Italian import is averaging 18 points per game since March and is starting to convince fantasy owners that he’s still an elite player.

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Nets duo dominates

Both Brook Lopez and Bojan Bogdanovic starred for Brooklyn on Friday, combining for 48 points as the Nets cruised to a victory. Lopez continued his strong late-season run, posting 26 points and nine rebounds. Lopez has been the main reason behind Brooklyn’s playoff push. He’s averaging 23 and 10 during April and was logging similar numbers throughout March. Bogdanovic came off the bench to hit six triples on his way to tying a season-high of 22 points. The sharpshooting big man has been hit or miss all season but his three-point potential has been valuable nonetheless. He should have a bigger fantasy role next season.

Middleton gets theft happy

Bucks forward Khris Middleton exploded for a career-high six steals on Friday night; adding 22 points, seven boards, and three triples to round out a great line. Middleton has been a fantastic fantasy pickup this season and has rewarded savvy owners. His post-All-Star averages of 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal, and 1.5 triples per contest have been good enough for Top-60 value in many leagues.

Davis avoids scare

Anthony Davis left Friday’s game after suffering a potentially devastating throat contusion but was able to return and finished with 19 points, nine boards, four assists, one steal, and one block. The numbers don’t jump off the page but he did all his damage in just 23 minutes due to the injury situation. Davis had an underwhelming game on Wednesday so while Friday’s game started out in potentially disastrous fashion, owners can breathe a sigh of relief knowing their fantasy franchise is okay.

Lowry looks good in return

After a nearly three-week absence, Kyle Lowry returned on Friday and despite his poor 4-12 shooting, he produced across the board. The point guard tallied 10 points, eight boards, seven assists, and one triple as the Raptors edged Orlando. Feel free to use Lowry as the high end fantasy point guard that he is for the remainder of the season.

Vintage Duncan

Tim Duncan turned back the clock on Friday, scoring 29 points with 10 rebounds and three blocks as the Spurs squeaked by the Rockets. The five-time champion went toe-to-toe with Dwight Howard and held his own and then some. Duncan’s play over the last few weeks has been spotty at best, totaling single digits in scoring at times while dominating other contests. It’s typical for Duncan at this time of the year but frustrating for fantasy owners. Meanwhile, on the other side of the floor, Howard wasn’t too shabby. He racked up 12 points and 14 rebounds, adding two steals, and two blocks. Howard hasn’t been his dominant self in quite some time and it’s unlikely that he’ll return to the fantasy elite any time soon.

Thunderstruck

The Thunder beat up on the Kings Friday night, thanks in large part to a three-man weave from the home team. Russell Westbrook led the way with 27 points and 10 assists while Enes Kanter poured in 25 points and six boards. Dion Waiters was also impressive with 22 points, six boards, four assists, and three steals. Westbrook is obviously a fantasy dynamo and Kanter has been playing at a high level for quite some time but Waiters has truly blossomed as of late. Since March he’s averaging 13 points per game and his minutes are at a season-high clip as well. It will be interesting to see his progression as the team’s sixth man next year.

Backcourt barrage

The Pacers took down the Pistons on Friday thanks to the efforts of Rodney Stuckey and C.J. Miles. The two each scored 24 points and hit a combined eight triples. Both Stuckey and Miles have been spotty this season, each filling in and having spurts when necessary. Stuckey was obviously the better of the two and turned it on after the All-Star break. Looking to next season, Stuckey still looks to be the better play but both are really on the fringe of the later rounds in most leagues.

Stories from Utah

Despite a low scoring affair, the Grizzlies/Jazz game on Friday had quite a few nice fantasy story points. On the Memphis end, it was all about Beno Udrih and Marc Gasol. Filling in for Mike Conley, Udrih exploded for a season-high 20 points. Conley has a right foot sprain so Udrih may retain some value over the final few games of the season. Teammate Marc Gasol was very impressive. He scored 22 points with seven boards, six assists, and one block. For Utah, Gordon Hayward continued his steady season with 27 points, seven boards, two triples, and two steals. Rudy Gobert also starred with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks. Gobert’s numbers since March have been bananas. He’s averaging nearly 12 points and 14 rebounds per game and is sure to be a huge fantasy asset next season.