It’s been a while since the East has boasted a better division than the West, but even when you spot a lowly East team a big lead on a West team, nothing is safe! Russell Westbrook just went insane (I would too if the Magic were beating my playoff bound team!) in the OKC comeback charge, turning around a 21-point deficit during the second half on his way to a 57/13/11/3/0 line. He shot 21-40 from the field with 6 treys, just willing OKC to the W after this dramatic 3 to get it into OT.
Good thing Nikola Vucevic can’t hit his FT! Westbrook took the missed freebie board, and no Magic was gonna stop him… Take that, Voldemort! It’s come to pass as just the norm, but at 31.8/10.6/10.4, it looks like Westbrook is going to easily average the tripdub, something I really didn’t think we’d ever see again. Hopefully you built your team around his deficiencies fairly well, because man he’s tough to beat if you can slaughter the right cats. Westy is your besty! What an unbelievable season, Here’s what else went down last night in fantasy basketball action:
Terrence Ross – If you’re California Dreamin’ and ThrAGNOF Streamin’, hopefully you got some Ross in your line-ups last night! 23/1/2/1/1 with 5 treys. Too bad it was a few treys too short for Orlando…
Evan Fournier – Monster 24/6/5 line with 3 treys. The Virgin certainly got deflorated with this deflating loss though…
Dwight Howard – From the depths of the dwindling stables of true NBA big men, it’s a… Goromotaro! 22/20/4/0/1 on 8-17 shooting and a very uncharacteristic 6-7 FT and only 1 TO. Tearing up Philly and all their 3rd and 4th string bigs! Didn’t need to be Superman, just had to be Man Man.
Kent Bazemore – Returned after 11 games off to actually be… good at basketball?! 19/4/4/2/1 with no TO on 6-10 FG (4-5 3PTM 3-5 FT). A return trip off the IL against Philly will get ya on the right foot!
Richaun Holmes – Not like he played bad, going 25/8/1/1/1 on 11-16 shooting with a trey. Sherlock just couldn’t stop Dwight Moriarty!
Giannis Antetokounmpo – I think he got the memo I’m pimping him for #1 next year! 22/9/3/3/3 with 2 treys in another 1.5 rainbow performance. Bucks beat the Celtics too! So much green in this game, it was like St. Patty just vomited everywhere!
Malcolm Brogdon – A nice game from of one of the most frustrating PG positions of the 2016-17 season, Broggy Bear went 16/4/9/1/1 with no TO in 29 stellar minutes. Actually gives him a pretty nice run lately, and he still has a Friday/Sunday left this week if he’s somehow available for championship streaming.
Avery Bradley – The rebounding is coming back! 12/10/2/2/0, but still not quite the same breakout we saw before his Achilles injury. Hopefully he can finish strong and have a nice Playoffs to instill some 17-18 confidence.
Goran Dragic – Slim’s 30-point challenge pick had a nice game, but was more the tripdub flirt variety! 20/7/9/2/0 in a nice fat W for the Heat against the nice fat Poppycock.
James Johnson – Year of the neck tat! 18/7/4/3/2 with 2 treys as he continues his breakout year. Seems he could easily fit a similar role next year for the Heat, they just need some consistent wing play and avoid a brutal start…
Kristaps Porzingis – Your only Poppycock to show up, going 20/8/2/0/3. Derrick Rose sat, and 40 minutes of the doofy Ron Baker only yielded a 6/5/3/0/0 line with 3 TO. Yuck.
Marco Belinelli – 21 points and 2 treys in a night he got hot. ThrAGNOF! He’s at 20+ points in 3 of 6, and single-digit points in the other 3…
Kemba Walker – Shoots only 7-25 and scores a measly 19 points, yet the Hornets somehow stole a W at Toronto. We the North, more like We Didn’t Show Up!
Cory Joseph – Cojo played well for his home country though, going 18/7/5/2/2 in a poutine – I mean rainbow – line. Mmmmm, now I’m hungry… Huge start to his week if you used him in the Finals.
Jonas Valanciunas – Minutes are still too rough to trust, but he does have back-to-back good games, going 14/15/0/1/3 last night. Vintage Luminescent Lithuanian! Raps have games against Indiana and Philly left on the docket this week, and I still think the minutes-risk of him going back down to 20 mins in those games makes him tough to feel confident about.
J.J. Barea – Racks up another low-minute dimebag. 8/2/11 in only 19 minutes, while no one else on this team can facilitate. I’m still a little surprised his run is so low.
DeMarcus Cousins/Unibrow Rides – The Pels bigs were feeling it, going 29/16/6/0/1 and 30/13/2/2/1, and proved to be just a little too much for the Mavs. Hey Boogie, remember when you cost me a Finals appearance because your kankle was too sore?! Thanks for saving it for this week, you clown!
Jeff Teague – Yeah, I am in basketball frustration mode. Friggin’ Teague let Mike Conley (36/3/6/4/0) run all sorts of game on him, so he imploded for only 4/1/5 in under 20 minutes. Yup, there goes my title hopes for my one team left standing. Shit like this happenin’!
Vince Carter – I shoulda just streamed VC, going 21/9/0/1/0 with 4 treys. As Trump would say on this situation… “Sad!”
Marc Gasol – At least went into this game questionable instead of doubtful, but you gotta start getting the stats! Probably gotta let him go if this is your final week.
Stephen Curry – Friggin’ dead holed me! 29/3/11/1/0, but one point short for the clinching 30-point challenge point. At least he made all his FT (7-7). because nothing it worse than a missed freebie costing you a point.
Kawhi Leonard – Nothing egregious to really point to for the Spurs dropping this one – Kawhi was only 7-20, but no one else really stepped up.
John Wall – Damn, some fireworks in LA! Wall went nutso on the Clip for 41/7/8/3/0 and a trey on a red hot 16-23 shooting, but the Wiz just couldn’t get stops in the 133-124 loss.
Marcin Gortat – “The Ten Foot Pole was a good soldier for 3/4 of the season, and will be remembered for his weird-shaped bald head and metrics-friendly dubdubs. But now we must lay him to rest!” I just eugoogalized him!
J.J. Redick – On the Mt. Rushmore of ThrAGNOF! 31/0/1/0/0 with 7 treys.
Blake Griffin – Nearly tripdubbed for 26/10/9/2/0. If you bought him cheap while injured, you’re reaping some big rewards right now! Like a free Kia!
Gordon Hayward – We’re going streaking! Through the quad! So Hayward’s quad must feel better, going 20/7/4 last night with 3 treys. Good to see him back in action to wrap up the championship week.
Rodney Hood – Thankfully if you streamed Hood, you still got a brilliant 24 minutes on an 18/1/2/2/0 line with no TO and 5-5 from deep. Hopefully someone is dancing to that line in a 3PT% league!
Rudy Gobert – No blocks?! NO BLOCKS?! WHERE’S L’BEEF?!?!?! 16/15/0/0/0 in an oddly empty line…
Ben McLemore – Ugh, the Kinds were awful! Buddy Hield had a -29, but how about 19:51 minutes for poor Georgios Papagiannis with a -33!! Yikes. McLemore went 22/4/1/0/0, but I think underscores there just isn’t a single King you want to be playing over your standard fantasy league’s final few nights.
Hopefully everyone is looking solid through the first half of their Finals matchups, and looking towards the prize at the end of the rainbow! Did I get that phrase right?! Hah! Shoot me your thoughts on the week so far, and let’s win you some titles!
