NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 5/19

May 19th 2024Justin Phan

Each day, this column will provide live updates for all NBA news. Enjoy up-to-the-minute alerts for injuries and lineup confirmations. The Key News to Watch section will highlight notable injuries to monitor for the current NBA slate.

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Key NBA News to Watch

  • OG Anunoby (hamstring) — In

  • Josh Hart (abdominal) — In

Indiana Pacers News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner

  • Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) — Out for season

All five Pacers starters played at least 30 minutes in their Game 6 win, with Nembhard logging a series-high 37.7 minutes. Nembhard's expanded role came at the expense of TJ McConnell, who saw the least playing time (16.2) he has in a game this series. Expect Siakam, Turner, and Haliburton to all see their minutes ratcheted up to at least the mid-30s in this decisive Game 7.

Of note is Haliburton's usage, which has been roller-coaster throughout the series—peaking at 32.9 percent in Game 3 and cratering at 11.4 percent in Game 1. He's ranked a lowly fifth among all Pacers in usage over the last two contests at 17.6 percent, behind Siakam, McConnell, Turner, and Nembhard.

New York Knicks News

Confirmed Lineup: Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein

  • OG Anunoby (hamstring) — In

  • Josh Hart (abdominal) — In

  • Mitchell Robinson (ankle) — Injured

  • Julius Randle (shoulder) — Out for season

  • Bojan Bogdanovic (foot, wrist) — Out for season

Anunoby has been upgraded to questionable after missing the last four games with a strained left hamstring. He is likely to go through shootaround ahead of Game 7 to determine whether he can return to the lineup, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Josh Hart is also listed questionable but will try to play through the injury. Hart struggled with abdominal soreness throughout Game 6 before being ruled out for the rest of the contest.

Given the stakes, it would be stunning if Hart didn't play in this decisive Game 7; it's more a question of how much the injury will affect his play. Anunoby's potential return would be a huge shot in the arm for a Knicks side running out of healthy bodies and allow coach Thibodeau to keep Hart's minutes to a reasonable level. It's unclear if Anunoby would have any official restrictions or minute limitations upon his return, but he'd presumably slot right back into the starting lineup with Miles McBride returning to his usual reserve role and Alec Burks excised from the rotation entirely.

Minnesota Timberwolves News

Confirmed Lineup: Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert

Edwards took a hard fall on his back in Game 6 but managed to stay in. He looked mostly like himself after and played 12 of the next 14 minutes before checking out for good with the Wolves up 36 early in the fourth quarter. It's a good sign he didn't even appear on the injury report; regardless, there was no chance he would've missed this decisive Game 7.

Conley returned from a one-game absence to play 18-plus minutes in the first half despite coach Finch saying that the Wolves would be "mindful" of his calf injury. His importance to the team cannot be understated. With him on the court during the series, the team has a +12.1 Net Rating, which leads all rotation regulars.

Denver Nuggets News

Confirmed Lineup: Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic

  • Vlatko Cancar (knee) — Injured

The first half of Game 6 should give us a glimpse of what to expect from coach Malone regarding minutes in a decisive Game 7. Jokic, Murray, and MPJ all played 20+ minutes in the first half, with Christian Braun and Justin Holiday limited to 8:23 stints off the bench.

Murray has been Jekyll and Hyde all series, and how well he plays usually dictates the result of games. In the Nuggets' three wins, he's shot 26-for-52 (50%) from the field and 5-for-12 (41.7%) from three. He's at just 26% FG and 26.7% 3PT in their three losses.