That’s a big deal, because if Mitchell Robinson can’t go, we’re going to get a lot of Isaiah Hartenstein, and he’s very affordable. It’s tough because he’s going to be on Joel Embiid for most of the game, and Philly complaining about the officiating seemed to help in Game 3. Embiid went to the line an absurd 21 times, and Hartenstein picked up five fouls in 25 minutes. I don’t expect a lot to change tonight, but Precious Achiuwa would be the next man up as a big man. Embiid will be licking his chops if he gets to deal with Achiuwa defending him for any length of time.
Daniel Gafford has joined the playoffs
I would expect Daniel Gafford to be a very popular play on this slate, and it brings up an interesting decision point. If Robinson is out, do you just take Hartenstein and pair him with Gafford, getting different elsewhere? Gafford played 25 minutes and scored 23 DK points, but it’s worth pointing out that he had five steals+blocks, good for 10 DK points. I don’t think it’s crazy to take a chance on playing Dereck Lively if Gafford is super popular, or just deviate in a big way and play someone far different. Lively didn’t do much on the glass, but neither did Gafford, and Lively had his connection going with Luka Doncic in a big way with multiple lobs.
Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo are both doubtful for Game 4
Khris Middleton is going to feel like nearly a must-play option for the Milwaukee Bucks without the two stars, and he took 29 shots in the overtime Game 3 and scored 42 real points. The good thing about this spot is the Pacers aren’t exactly a lockdown defense. During the regular season, Middleton had a 38.2% usage rate and 1.44 points per minute, so this feels like somewhat of an easy play, even if he doesn’t clear 60 DK points once again. We shouldn’t forget Bobby Portis either since he scored 1.27 points per minute with a 28.4% usage rate.
Tyrese Haliburton might want to stop shooting 3-point shots
This game somewhat stacks itself, and while I’m still interested in Tyrese Haliburton, it’s easy to be concerned about how healthy he is. The 3-point shooting has been a real issue since his hamstring injury, and in the first three games, he’s just 5-for-22 from distance. Haliburton was just 1-for-12 in Game 3, so it was a small miracle that he scored almost 60 DK, overtime or not. The assists are still there with a total of 36 in the series, so a smarter shot profile might help, but playing Haliburton or Pascal Siakam with some of our Bucks feels super appealing.
We have some cheap options in the late-night hammer
In Game 3 between the Suns and Wolves, I played the duo of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Eric Gordon, and I may well do it again. Alexander-Walker has been excellent in this series and hit another four 3-pointers in Game 3 while playing strong defense. The minutes have been there in every game, and he’s hit double-digits in real points all three times. For Gordon, it depends on Grayson Allen, but he missed Game 3 with an ankle injury. Gordon played well over 30 minutes and his shot didn’t even fall, but yet the DK score worked out perfectly fine. I doubt we get him at 5% again, but Gordon playing 34 minutes is in play on this slate.
