There’s just a single NBA Playoffs game on a Thursday night, but what a Game 6 this is set to between the Bucks and Nets. In my Tuesday article, I called Game 5 the game of the playoffs thus far, and I think I was correct. Tonight’s Bucks-Nets matchup should again be must-watch basketball, and that’s all the more reason to set your lineup on MomentRanks Play — daily fantasy with Top Shot Moments.
There’s good reason to think that with two of the best talents in the Western Conference — Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul — set to miss the remainder of their respective series or longer, the door is more open for the winner of this series to win it all.
Kevin Durant showed just how incredible of a player he is in Game 5, as he scored 49 points on 23 shot attempts. To add to it, he had 17 boards and 10 assists to complete the triple-double in what was a historic performance by one of the best pure scorers the game has ever seen.
Durant’s going to need another performance like that to beat Giannis Antetokounpo and Khris Middleton on their own floor, and it wouldn’t shock me to see James Harden be less than fully effective again tonight. I like the Bucks to defend their superb home court record and get the win.
Quick reminder to make sure you set your lineups for the Conference Semifinals Head-to-Head Contest! It’s not too late to go on a hot run and get to the top. There are great prizes like Cool Cats Drop 1 packs and more! Then of course there’s also today’s Play Daily Contest for another chance to win Top Shot Packs and Moments.
Also remember that 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.
Good luck today!
Core Moments
Kevin Durant — Series 2 Common /40,000+ 3-Pointer ($59)
If there was a definition of Core Moment in the dictionary it would be this one. Go ahead and lock it in without any hesitation. It was the must-have moment two nights ago and it most likely will set the pace tonight as well. At just $59 on the marketplace, it’s a good one to hold, too, especially if you think the Nets will be in the Finals.
Giannis Antetokounmpo — Series 2 Common /35,000 Block ($7)
Antetokounmpo was able to record two blocks in Game 5, propelling the block moment into the top spot amongst the potential Moment options. Interestingly he has not recorded a multi-block game at home since the Eastern Conference Finals in 2019. I can’t really explain that trend, but I am going against it and taking the block again tonight.
With the criticism coming from the media about how Antetokounmpo didn’t play defense against Kevin Durant at the conclusion of the last game I think we get a stellar defensive performance from Giannis tonight. One block does activate the boost past the L10 average of 0.8, but we will likely need two in order for it to be the best way to play Giannis.
Khris Middleton — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Assist ($4)
Middleton’s game is rather consistent. He has hit exactly three 3-pointers in 6-of-8 playoff games this year so far, never surpassing the mark. Therefore, I am looking towards the Assist as the way to play Middleton. If Antetokounmpo is going to be potentially scoring at will, Middleton should assist a few of his buckets. We only need to get five assists to trigger the bonus, and I am expecting 6-7 tonight as the offense percolates in this elimination game for the Bucks.
Jrue Holiday — Series 1 Common /3,342 Assist ($151)
The assist is going to be the way to play Holiday again tonight. It was the highest scoring Moment for him last time and with how his role has developed in the postseason it is the best option despite the triple digit price tag. Holiday has averaged 7.0 assists over the last ten contests and with the Bucks expected to win, he should approach double digits tonight. I’d pivot to a sleeper rather than going with his base score on a scoring moment, though.
Sleeper Moments
James Harden — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Handles ($6)
Harden shot a whopping 1-of-10 in Game 5 and it was clear that he was not at 100 percent. If I were to guess, he won’t be tonight either. He did have 8 assists, so his role as a facilitator is secure. You’re playing him if you think he does anything close to what he can when healthy, as he can easily threaten double-digit assists even with a bad hamstring.
I will be benching him, which is why he is here in the sleeper section. Despite that, he’s still James Harden, so he’s going to have some upside if his injury has healed since the last game.
Jeff Green — Series 2 Common /12,000 Dunk ($13)
I must give credit where credit is due, Jeff Green earned his way into the top lineups on Tuesday and has potential to do so again with Kyrie Irving still sidelined. His L10 scoring average is at 13.2 and this is his only moment type, so you’re hoping for another 20-point night from Green. There are worse options with this single game player pool; I’ll be looking at players on the Bucks as sleepers more as I like my players to be on the winning side.
Brynn Forbes — Series 2 Common /12,000 3-Pointer ($7)
The options for high upside boost plays from the Bucks team appears to be minimal. I am going to recommend Forbes as my final sleeper tonight because I do think he could get hot and make a couple of big buckets in this big game for Milwalkee. There’s added potential here as Forbes would likely see more time if the Bucks lead gets insurmountable.
To activate the Moment boost Forbes would need to hit three shots from deep, he went 7-of-14 in the Game 4 win against the Heat this year and that type of performance would make him a winning play. High risk but a high return on this sleeper.
Have questions about setting your lineup on Play? Check out the Play FAQ, or send me a tweet, @JustinPerri8.