Tonight features two of the most exciting series the Playoffs has offered yet. The Nuggets head to Phoenix to play the Suns in Game 1, while the Bucks prepare for a Nets team that won’t have James Harden for Game 2. So it should definitely be another great one on MomentRanks Play, especially with the Conference Semifinals Head-to-Head Contest starting up today.
I’ll be looking at star players like Devin Booker, Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo to fill out the core of my lineups. Finding a few good sleepers might be tough on such a small schedule, but lineups will be a bit more diverse with a main-stay like Harden not playing.
Always remember when building your team on 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. You can also watch this quick tutorial on Play scoring if you ever need a refresher.
Let’s get to it!
Core Moments
Nikola Jokic — Series 2 Common /35,000 Assist ($10)
Jokic may have finally broken out of his passing slump. He had 9 and 6 assists in Games 5 and 6, respectively, after totaling just 12 in Games 1 through 4. His L10 average sits at 5 even, so I think he has a good shot to hit this boost and record 6+ assists tonight. You’ll remember that the Nuggets won both those games with the higher Jokic assist totals, so hopefully they’ll look to use him as a passer more tonight in hopes of another victory.
Kevin Durant — Series 2 Common /15,000 3-Pointer ($66)
Durant is one of those players whose Moment type options are very limited. You can only play KD as a 3-pointer or scoring boost Moment. With just 1.8 3-pointers made per game over his last ten contests, including just one in the first game against the Bucks, it seems likely that Durant hits two or more from deep tonight.
Giannis Antetokounmpo — Series 2 Common /35,000 Block ($9)
Antetokounmpo has three potential Moment boost types: assists, blocks and scoring. Over his last ten games Giannis has averaged 5.4 assists, 0.8 blocks and 23.8 points. It appears his normal range of assists is around 4-7 so I don’t see much upside there, but he has blocked two shots in each of the last two games he’s played, and all it’ll take is one block to get a boost. I’ll go with the block but wouldn’t fault you for a scoring Moment if you don’t like the risk.
Kyrie Irving — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Jump Shot ($6)
I say this every time I use Kyrie: his cheapest non-scoring Moment is over the $200 mark. This just makes him tough to use any other way for most competitors. I do still think his base score could be useful if you think he goes off, but even a 44-point game from Irving would only yield roughly 15 bonus points on a scoring Moment. This is a player I’m willing to pass on for a sleeper with big boost potential.
Devin Booker — Series 2 Common /35,000 3-Pointer ($9)
Booker hit 8 threes in Game 6 to end the season for the Lakers. I hope you had his 3-pointer Moment in your lineups that night. There’s no reason to be cute and not play this Moment. Booker’s assists have been dropping as Chris Paul runs the floor more as the playoff run continues, so I wouldn’t pivot there, and you know my feelings about scoring Moments. The low number of 2.2 3-pointers per game should be easy to overcome if he has another night like the one he did last game. Lock it in.
Sleeper Moments
Chris Paul— Series 2 Common /40,000+ Assist ($5)
It is certainly hard to call CP3 a sleeper, but with the 5-man size of the roster and the names of the guys in the Core Moments, being a sleeper isn’t really an insult. Instead it means this Moment might be overlooked, but I like Paul to go for double-digit assists tonight. I have the Suns winning Game 1, and the passing performance of the veteran All-Star should be what drives home the win. His 8.3 assist per game average over the last 10 appearances isn’t too difficult for him to get past, so definitely consider using Paul tonight.
Jae Crowder — Series 2 Common /40,000+ 3-Pointer ($3)
Who doesn’t remember how many threes the Nuggets gave up in their last series? It felt like every time down the court someone was attempting a deep ball. That might have been the Damian Lillard effect, but I still think the Suns come out firing. That should mean Jae Crowder gets up a few attempts tonight, if he sinks 4-5 triples (2.6 L10 average) and has a big game from the corner, this Moment could find its way to some winning lineups.
Have questions about setting your lineup on Play? Check out the Play FAQ, or send me a tweet, @JustinPerri8.