West's best meet in NBA Cup semis as Thunder battle Rockets
Fri Dec 13 8:00pm ET
Field Level Media
LAS VEGAS -- Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder may not have been the marquee NBA Cup semifinal the league was hoping for, but it might just be the best window into the future of the Western Conference.
The Thunder are getting used to being the hunted this season after taking the league by storm and earning a No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last season. They may not catch anyone by surprise this year, but they are still the deepest and most dangerous team in the conference -- even without Chet Holmgren, who has been out for more than a month after suffering a fracture near his hip.
For most franchises, the "next man up" mantra tends to be wishful thinking. With a team that is led by a talent like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, it's not even a second thought. With the depth that Oklahoma City has, it becomes an outright expectation.
The Thunder have gone 11-3 with Holmgren on the sideline. They sit at 19-5 overall and are on track to be the No. 1 seed again.
They find themselves in the NBA Cup semifinals as the top seed in the West draw, having gone 3-1 in group play. They beat the Dallas Mavericks 118-104 on Tuesday to advance to Las Vegas.
Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't plan on leaving empty-handed.
"It would mean a lot, this opportunity to win," he said. "You play the game at a high level as a kid. You tie your shoes up and play AAU ball to win the tournament on the weekend. You go to college to try and win the NCAA Tournament. (Or even) the tournament at the beginning of the season, the Maui Invitational or whatever it's called.
"You're always trying to win. That's my mindset. That's my teammates' mindset. We're always trying to win."
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.2 points, fourth in the league before Friday's games, and 6.3 assists. Jalen Williams has also become a key piece; the third-year forward is averaging 21.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. Isaiah Hartenstein has filled Holmgren's role in the starting lineup with 11.6 points and 12.8 rebounds per game after making his Thunder debut on Nov. 20.
The Rockets are in a similar position to last season's Thunder, but their rise is perhaps even more surprising. As much promise as Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun are showing, things got pretty rough for them during their first few seasons in the league. Green especially struggled to find his footing.
Houston's willingness to stay with their young duo appears to be paying off in spades. The Rockets sit at 17-8, trailing only the Thunder in the West, and have won seven of their last 10 games. Green is averaging a team-high 19.2 points per game, while Sengun averages 18.8 points and 10.6 rebounds.
The Rockets earned the West's No. 2 seed in knockout play by going 3-1 during the group stage. They advanced to Las Vegas with a thrilling but controversial 91-90 victory against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, as a loose-ball foul sent Green to the line for the game-winning free throws with 3.5 seconds remaining.
It was a statement performance defensively for the Rockets, who are now among the league's toughest units. Saturday's semifinal is another chance to make a statement against a Thunder defense that many pundits consider the league's best.
"I think we're the top two defenses," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. "They're very stingy on that end and they do it in a different way. They're one of the best at creating turnovers and drawing (players) into a crowd. They give up some things as well, but they really protect the paint at a high level.
"It's an honor to get here, and we felt we did good in our group to get here. Now we just want to make some more noise while we're here."
--Will Despart, Field Level Media
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Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (ankle) is expected to play on Monday despite being listed as questionable for the Suns' road matchup with the Cavaliers, according to Suns' coach Mike Budenholzer. Beal missed the last two games with his ankle injury but was fairly effective off the bench before the injury. He scored double-digit points in six straight games after moving to the second unit and averaged 16.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 31 minutes per game. He'll be a key part of the Suns rotation in their matchup in Cleveland on Monday afternoon.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Caris LeVert (wrist) has been added to the injury report on Monday afternoon with what they're calling right wrist soreness. Since the Cavaliers are playing a mid-afternoon game, this late of a reported injury doesn't seem like a good sign. He went straight to a questionable status, so fantasy managers will likely want to go with a backup option. Since Isaac Okoro (shoulder) is also sidelined, Max Strus and Ty Jerome could serve as streaming options. The latter posted 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, and one steal in their last outing against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (shoulder) has officially been upgraded from probable to available on Monday and will play in his second game back from a five-game absence. The 23-year-old returned on Saturday against the Boston Celtics to the tune of 14 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block across 38 minutes. Johnson is a quality start in all fantasy formats as he usually stuffs the stat sheet, especially when Trae Young is on the court as well. It could be more of a defensive battle against the Knicks on Monday as he'll likely go up against OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (foot) was originally listed as questionable but was upgraded to probable and will be available to play in Monday afternoon's matchup against Minnesota. Morant missed Friday's game against the Spurs, but he was productive in his four previous matchups, averaging 22.25 points, 5.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. His lowest production during that run was against Minnesota when he had just 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists in 30 minutes. The Grizzlies still won by two points, but Morant will hope to have a much stronger showing in the rematch at home on Monday.
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (Achilles) has been upgraded from probable to available and will take the court against the New York Knicks on Monday. There isn't any other player in the league who enjoys playing against the Knicks quite like Young. In 21 career games against the Knicks, Young averages 25.4 points, 9.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 40.4% from the floor and hitting 2.5 threes per contest. The Hawks and Knicks always seem to battle it out, so efficiency probably won't be the highest priority in this one.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (ankle) will now play on Monday after originally being listed as questionable for their game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Timberwolves PR announced that he'll be starting which means Naz Reid will take a hit to his fantasy value since he'll be coming off of the bench again. Gobert remains a must-start in all fantasy formats, especially for teams looking for big-man stats as he's posted 17 double-doubles so far along with 26 games of at least 10 boards.
Houston Rockets guard/forward Amen Thompson (calf) has been upgraded from questionable to available on Monday and will play through the calf tightness that he was experiencing. Before he was forced to miss a game, Thompson registered 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday. He's a great start in any fantasy format but has especially excelled this year in category leagues with his defensive potential. Through 38 games, he's averaging 12.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (toe) is now in a walking boot and will be sidelined indefinitely due to a left big toe injury. ESPN's Shams Charania reports that the former 17th-overall pick was put in a boot on Monday and there is no timetable for his return while he seeks out an additional opinion. DiVincenzo was starting to find his stride with the team and averaged 11.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will likely see some added playing time while he's sidelined.
Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (conditioning) has been ruled out of Monday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nurkic has missed the last six games with an illness, making Monday's matchup against Cleveland the seventh straight game he'll have missed in a row. The injury report lists this as a "return to conditioning" designation, but the Bosnian has also been rumored to be in trade discussions. In his absence, expect Mason Plumlee and the newly-acquired Nick Richards to clean up the glass for Cleveland. Richards grabbed 11 boards in 29 minutes off the bench for Phoenix in his Suns debut, making him the preferred option over Plumlee on Monday.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (calf) has been ruled out of Monday's game against the Phoenix Suns. Mobley strained his right calf against the Thunder on Thursday night and was forced to miss Saturday's game against the Timberwolves as well. The 23-year-old has been a big piece of Cleveland's success this season, averaging 18.6 PPG and 8.8 RPG. In his absence, expect Jarrett Allen to get more usage in the starting lineup. Also expect Caris LeVert to be inserted into the starting lineup while George Niang should get more minutes off the bench. Niang grabbed 10 rebounds on Saturday while putting up 15 points. Niang should be a sneaky DFS play on Monday.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (foot) has been upgraded to probable for Monday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Morant has been dealing with foot soreness that forced him to miss the Grizzlies' last game against the Spurs but he'll be able to tough it out today. The 25-year-old is obviously a must start in all fantasy formats today, though in his only game against the Timberwolves this season he scored just 12 points and recorded just four assists. Those are well below his season norms of 21.4 PPG and 7.5 APG, so fantasy managers may want to temper expectations.
Dallas Mavericks guard Quentin Grimes (back) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Charlotte Hornets. Grimes is dealing with back spasms that will force him to miss just his third game this season. Grimes has been a decent contributor off the bench for Dallas, averaging 10.2 PPG and 4.0 RPG. With Dallas very short on depth at the guard position, expect Kyrie Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie to get extended minutes beyond their normal starter minutes today with both Jaden Hardy and Grimes unavailable off the bench.
Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (shoulder) is listed as probable for Monday's game against the New York Knicks. Johnson has been dealing with right shoulder inflammation that caused him to miss five games in a row before returning against Boston on Saturday. Johnson has been fantastic for the Hawks this year, averaging 19.7 PPG and 10.2 RPG. His 5.2 APG is a career high as well, making him a very well-rounded fantasy threat. The 23-year-old grabbed 15 rebounds in both matchups against New York this season while also averaging 22.0 PPG, making him a must start in all fantasy formats on Monday.
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (heel) is listed as probable for Monday's game against the New York Knicks. Young is dealing with Achilles soreness in his right heel but will be able to play through it. Fantasy managers should have high expectations for the 26-year-old today as he generally loves playing in Madison Square Garden. Against the Knicks this season Young has averaged 21.5 PPG and 10.5 APG in two games. He's a must start in all fantasy formats.
Nuggets' C Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 20 points, 10 assists and 14 rebounds in a 113-100 win over Orlando on Sunday, Jan. 19.
Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (ankle) is listed as questionable ahead of Monday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Beal has missed each of the last two games due to a left ankle sprain. The fact that he was upgraded to questionable means that Beal is trending in the right direction. The Suns are likely to use a committee approach to fill the void if Beal continues to miss time. That means, Ryan Dunn, Grayson Allen, and Royce O'Neale should all see increased playing time. Both Allen and Dunn are worth looking at as streaming options if Beal is forced to miss another game.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (ankle) is questionable heading into Monday's game against the Celtics. The 36-year-old injured his ankle late in Saturday's win over the Washington Wizards. Head coach Steve Kerr labeled him as "day-to-day." However, Curry indicated he was planning to play, so fantasy managers may not be without him on Monday night. With Draymond Green (calf), Jonathan Kuminga (ankle), and Brandin Podziemski (abdomen) sidelined, the Warriors could rely on Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, and Buddy Hield for most of their production if Curry isn't available.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (foot) is listed as questionable ahead of Monday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Morant is in danger of missing his second straight game due to a foot injury. He has reportedly been playing through the issue for some time, but possibly it's getting worse. The absence of Morant should mean that Scotty Pippen Jr. gets additional playing time. Pippen got off to a hot start to the season, but has cooled down lately. He's still worth a look as a streaming option if Morant is unable to play.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (toe) has been ruled out ahead of Monday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. DiVincenzo will now miss his third game in a row due to toe issue. The absence of DiVincenzo should mean that Mike Conley gets additional playing time. The 37-year-old has played over 20 minutes in each of the last two games. Conley will be a slightly more appealing fantasy option until DiVincenzo returns.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (illness) is questionable heading into Monday's game against the Jazz. The former Duke Blue Devil is no stranger to the league's injury report. He's already missed 32 games this season for various reasons. But Williamson is in danger of missing this one because of an illness. If he's out versus Utah, Javonte Green, averaging 7.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 14 starts this season, is the favorite to replace him in the lineup, although CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, and Dejounte Murray (elbow) should benefit the most on the scoring end.
