The Daily Dose: Dose: Break Time!!
It was a quiet night in the NBA with just two games as we head into the All-Star break. Here’s what went down and you can follow me on Twitter by clicking here. I also preview All-Star Weekend after the News & Notes.
Ingrid Williams, the 44-year-old wife of Thunder assistant Monty Williams, died in a car accident on Tuesday night that also killed the driver of the car that crossed the median and hit her head on in Oklahoma City. My condolences to Williams and the Thunder, in what is a devastating loss.
Thunder 121, Pelicans 95
Russell Westbrook just missed a triple-double with 23 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists and two 3-pointers on a very efficient 8-of-14 shooting, and Kevin Durant added 23 points, six assists and three treys on 10-of-17 shooting. Serge Ibaka also came through with 18 points, seven rebounds, a steal and three blocks, while backup center Enes Kanter double-doubled with 11 points, 12 rebounds and a block in 27 minutes. Steven Adams (8-6-2) and Dion Waiters (6 points) were pretty quiet on Thursday, and Anthony Morrow had 10 points and a couple 3-pointers off the bench. Waiters is intriguing, but unreliable, while Adams is still worth a deep-league look if you need a center. Kanter has quietly scored in double figures in seven straight games and has hit double digits in rebounds in four of those, making him a hot (and cheap) play right now.
The Pelicans got 23 points from Anthony Davis, but just three rebounds, two steals and no blocks, and Jrue Holiday had 23 points, four boards, six assists, five steals and a 3-pointer in 32 minutes off the bench. Norris Cole came through with 15 points, five rebounds, six assists and a 3-pointer on 5-of-13 shooting in another start, and looks must-own to me. Starters Dante Cunningham, Alonzo Gee and Omer Asik all played heavy minutes, but collectively scored just 12 points. Ryan Anderson was a disaster, hitting just 2-of-12 shots for four points and five rebounds in 21 minutes. That makes two straight really bad games for Anderson and he’s simply in a shooting slump right now. In his last four games he’s hit just 2-of-12, 3-of-10, 9-of-17 and 2-of-11 shots, good (or bad) for 32 percent. Hopefully his shot comes back over the break. As it stands, Davis, Holiday, Cole and Anderson are the only Pelicans you want to mess with in fantasy these days.
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Bucks 99, Wizards 92
The Bucks brought Greg Monroe and Michael Carter-Williams off the bench again and won their second straight game. Khris Middleton was a monster, finishing with 27 points, six rebounds, nine assists, five steals and a 3-pointer, hitting 9-of-17 shots in the win. Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo both scored 17 and combined for 22 rebounds, and Monroe had 12 points and nine boards in 33 minutes off the bench. MCW was pretty bad with five points, five rebounds, three assists, a steal and four turnovers on 1-of-5 shooting in 20 minutes, while Jerryd Bayless had seven points, eight rebounds, two assists, a block and a 3-pointer on 3-of-10 shooting in 21 minutes. The timeshare is on, but both of them are currently better plays than new starter O.J. Mayo, who hit 1-of-4 shots for two points and one assist. Miles Plumlee started over Monroe at center and had four points, six rebounds and a block, but unlike the point guards, Monroe is still the man in the middle for the Bucks, whether starting or coming off the bench.
The Wizards got a balanced attack from Bradley Beal (19 points, 5 assists, 2 threes), John Wall (15 points, 10 assists, three 3-pointers, 5-of-19 shooting), and Otto Porter, Marcin Gortat (10 rebounds) and Nene, who all scored 14 points. Jared Dudley started and played 39 minutes, but hit just 3-of-8 shots for six points, seven rebounds and two blocks. He’d scored in double figures in each of his previous three games, but didn’t have it last night. Garrett Temple played just 16 minutes and Ramon Sessions played 11 minutes, and both of them have taken a big hit now that Porter and Beal are healthy again. Nene was nice with six boards to go along with the 14 points, but he might be hurt again before you even pick him up.
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News & Notes
Tyreke Evans had knee surgery and is out for the season (get Norris Cole).
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has a torn labrum and could miss the rest of the season. Jeremy Lin looks like the pick up, with a dash of Jeremy Lamb thrown in.
Hassan Whiteside is suspended for next Friday in Atlanta for throwing an elbow at Boban Marjanovic on Tuesday. Amare Stoudemire should start in his place.
Kevin Love and Kelly Olynyk both avoided serious shoulder injuries on Tuesday and should be fine after the break.
Dwight Howard sounds likely to be traded against his wishes, as the Rockets don’t want to lose him to free agency this summer without getting anything in return. There is talk of the Hawks and Magic being big players in the trade game, while Markieff Morris is almost surely to be run out of Phoenix, especially after getting into it with Archie Goodwin on national TV on Wednesday night. For more Rotoworld trade talk, click here.
Check out Page 2 for an All-Star Weekend preview.
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