Pick & Roll is back for tonight’s three NBA Playoff games. I hope you all had a nice holiday weekend and enjoyed some playoff basketball. Today we have some great Game 5 action on tap for MomentRanks Play — daily fantasy using Top Shot Moments.
Boston returns to Brooklyn where the series will most likely come to an end; Boston lost both games on the Nets home floor and the current Vegas spread for this one is 12.5 points. What does that mean for Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant tonight? Both scored 39+ points in Game 4, with Harden racking up 18 assists, as Harden’s Common Assist Moment scored a whopping 115 on Sunday!
The Trail Blazers and Nuggets are back in Denver tonight after each side was able to win one game on the road. Tonight we should see the most epic battle yet between Damian Lillard and Nikola Jokic. Interesting to note that no player aside from Lillard and CJ McCollum had more than one assist for Portland. It’s clear who runs this offense in the playoffs.
Lastly, we have the potentially Anthony Davis-less Lakers going back to Phoenix with the series tied. LeBron James looks to be a must-play tonight as if the Lakers are to have any chance, it will be on his shoulders. Look for Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton to carry the load for the Suns and potentially win a pivotal game in the series.
When building a roster in MomentRanks Play, each Moment can unlock a Moment Boost by achieving over their last-ten game averages (L10) in the stat that corresponds to the featured play. This means choosing the correct Moment is crucial to your lineup’s success. So how are you supposed to know which is the best?
First, make sure to understand the updated scoring and bonuses for Play if you haven’t already. Keep in mind: play type will dictate the Moment Boost if a player goes over their 10-game averages. You can also watch a quick tutorial on Play scoring.
Core Moments
Nikola Jokic — Series 2 Common /35,000 Assist ($9)
I am going with the Assist because Jokic has been lacking in the passing department with just 5.4 assists per game in his last ten. This moment has more upside than a Jump Shot Moment if he manages to record a triple-double. There’s more risk here too though, as he should get his scoring boost with more ease than the assist boost. I wish I could use a 3-Pointer Moment here, but the cheapest is near $1,000 — we’ll make that the premium pivot.
Premium Pivot: S1 Rare /275 3 Pointer ($980)
LeBron James— Series 2 Common /35,000 Assist ($33)
It is expensive to play a LeBron Moment, but with Anthony Davis unlikely to play you’re going to want him in your lineups tonight. His usage should be higher and we could see him come out demanding the ball early. You’re welcome to try the cheaper block moment but he’s yet to record one in the playoffs so I am going with the Layup to get what should be an easy boost.
James Harden— Series 2 Common /40,000+ Assist ($6)
This Harden assist is the must-play Moment of the day. Harden recorded a whopping 18 assists in Game 4 and he is poised to again be the primary ball handler in this offense as the Nets close out the series at home, barring disaster. If James comes anywhere close to that total again this will be one of the Moments you’ll need to be competitive. The argument for fading this pick is
Sleeper Moments
Jusuf Nurkic— Series 2 Common /40,000+ Block ($3)
There are only a few viable options if you want to get a block in your lineup tonight. The one I am going with is Nurkic; he has recorded four blocks in the last four games and his L10 average in the category is currently at 1.3, so a two-block game would yield a boost of 16.2 which is very solid.
Block Pivot: Javale McGee S1 Common /3339 Block ($36)
Cameron Payne — Series 1 Common /3999 Steal ($46)
The least expensive steal Moments today are $10, it can be a tough type of Moment to get into your roster, so forgive me for the price tag on today’s recommendation. Payne had a four-steal night in Game 3 of this series and his L10 average still sits at 1.1 so he will need a multi-steal game to return boost value, but he has shown he can do it. I am not playing this if I do not have to, but I know some people play with self-imposed special rules and are looking for Steal Moments.
Jae Crowder — Series 2 Common /40,000+ 3-Pointer ($3)
Crowder finally had a game in the postseason where he hit more than one shot from deep. He has shown he can get hot, as he had multiple games with six triples towards the end of the season. If he can muster up a similar performance he could smash his 2.4 L10 average in 3-pointers.
This is a fun sleeper play that will go overlooked by most, but if you want something a bit more reliable feel free to use the Durant premium pivot, though he’ll need five from deep to hit his a boost.
Three-Pointer Pivot: Kevin Durant S2 Common /15,000 ($53)
Have questions about setting your lineup on Play? Check out the Play FAQ, or send me a tweet, @JustinPerri8.