NBA

Reaves came alive in the fourth quarter and had nine points over the final six minutes of the game as the Lakers traded leads with the Nuggets. It didn’t end up being enough to keep their season alive, but Reaves was still able to turn in a solid stat line. This was year one of a four year deal that has been a bargain for the Lakers. That flexibility should allow the Lakers to reload this summer, with Reaves being one of the only players outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis that should be a safe bet to be wearing purple and gold again next season.

While it certainly won’t mean much, LeBron played well in this series and closed it out with another excellent performance. He averaged 27.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 2.4 steals, 1.0 block and 2.0 triples while shooting 56.6% from the floor through the five-game series, which was much closer than the gentlemen’s sweep makes it look. The Lakers were outscored by a total of 11 points in five games and were at the mercy of two game-winning shots by Jamal Murray. Year 21 is over for LeBron, and there will be plenty of rumors about his future that start flying as early as Tuesday morning.

After a strong first half, AD exited the game briefly due to a left shoulder injury. While he was able to play through it, he really wasn’t the same player after that. 16 of his 17 points came before halftime, and if he stayed healthy, the result of this game may have been different. AD has been banged up all season, but he was still able to play a career-high 77 games. Davis has been knocked in fantasy hoops over the last few years by his lack of games played, but he may have flipped the script this season. He should go earlier in drafts next season, with managers hoping that he will be healthy once again.

MPJ had a spectacular series, which included him scoring at least 20 points in the final four games after scoring 19 in Game 1. However, what shouldn’t go unnoticed is that he logged 46 minutes in this game to help close out the series. He’s just two years removed from only playing nine games, and he has now played 86 games this season with only one absence. Porter Jr. has been fantastic, and they’ll need him to stay hot in their second round matchup with the Timberwolves if they hope to repeat as champions.

For the second time this series, Jokic fell one assist shy of recording a triple-double. This time, he was one assist away from his second 20/20/10 triple-double of the series. He was unreal throughout their five games against the Lakers, averaging 28.2 points, 16.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 triples while shooting 59.1% from the floor and 92.6% from the line. They’ll move on to face the Timberwolves in the second round, which will be another tough matchup down low. However, that won’t prevent Jokic from putting up big numbers.

For the second time this series, Murray came up big at the end to help Denver secure a win. He buried a pull-up jumper with about three seconds left, and the Lakers weren’t able to get a good shot up on the ensuing possession. Murray is no stranger to late-game heroics, as he also hit a game-winner in Game 2. The Nuggets will take on Minnesota in the second round after they swept Phoenix, which will be a rematch of last season’s first round series. The Timberwolves are one of the best defensive teams in the league, so Murray will likely have to make more big plays next series in their quest to repeat.

After only playing 12 minutes in their last game, with Willie Green opting to use a smaller lineup, JV was back to his usual minutes in this one. He wasn’t quite as dominant on the glass as he was in Game 1, but he was still able to haul in a game-high 13 boards. After a strong run of fantasy success, JV’s minutes have dipped over the last two seasons, which has limited his fantasy impact. He is still a beast on the boards, but it is difficult for him to contribute much else in 23.4 minutes per game, which was his role this season.

It didn’t end up meaning much, but Marshall had a solid series and ended it with an excellent offensive game off the bench. This was a new playoff career-high for points for him, and he is now set to enter unrestricted free agency. He has been a solid role player for New Orleans, and he may end up fetching a decent-sized contract for a new team this summer. Regardless of where he ends up, Marshall is far more valuable as a role player than he is in fantasy basketball.

In a category fantasy league, BI was actually able to contribute some value, specifically on the defensive end. However, in the playoffs, they need him to make an impact as a scorer. Unfortunately, Lu Dort got in the way of that. Over the course of the series, Ingram averaged 14.3 points on 34.5% shooting from the floor, which simply won’t get the job done with Zion Williamson sidelined. It was a successful season for New Orleans, as they finished with 49 wins, but that didn’t help the much in the tightly-contested Western Conference playoff race. This was BI’s fifth year with the team, and they have yet to win a playoff series. Expectations will certainly be high heading into next season.

Giddey’s shot has been a weakness for the team’s offense all year, but he has improved drastically over the course of the season. He may have peaked during Games 3 and 4, as he knocked down four 3-pointers in each to help the Thunder complete the sweep and advance to the second round. His season-high of five 3-pointers also came in New Orleans, so he seems to really enjoy shooting on these rims. Unfortunately, he’ll have to adjust to shooting in either Dallas or Los Angeles, depending on the results of that series.