

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero led the way with 39 points in Tuesday's 104-103 Game 5 loss to Cleveland. He shot 14-for-24 from the field and 4-for-7 from downtown en route to becoming the third-youngest player ever with 39-plus points in a playoff game, behind only LeBron James and Magic Johnson. Banchero's night included eight rebounds and four assists with five turnovers. The Magic star now boasts two 30-point efforts in the series and is averaging 24.8 points overall, along with 7.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Orlando will need similar numbers from him in Friday's Game 6 to survive for another day.


Orlando Magic guard/forward Gary Harris suffered a hamstring strain in Tuesday's Game 5 against Cleveland. After averaging 28 minutes in the first four games of the series, the veteran was limited to a 19-minute outing. Harris came up with a pair of blocks in the contest but didn't contribute anything else on the box score, shooting 0-for-3. Jalen Suggs went close to 40 minutes on the night with Harris out of the lineup for the fourth quarter. Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony could be looked at for bigger contributions in Friday's Game 6 if Harris is unavailable.


New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson had a team-high 40 points in Tuesday's overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He added six assists, three rebounds, and three steals. While Tyrese Maxey had a game-high 46 points, Brunson had another stellar performance. Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough, with the series heading back to Philly for Game 6. Brunson has scored at least 39 points in each of his last three games, and he has an excellent chance to remain as dominant on Thursday night.


Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid had a triple-double in Tuesday's overtime win over the Knicks. Embiid's performance wasn't pretty, with the 30-year-old scoring only 19 points, by far his fewest of the series. While DFS managers appreciated his 16 rebounds, 10 assists, and four blocks, he still had nine turnovers. As usual, Embiid was favoring his knee during the contest. Although he'll likely appear on the injury report ahead of Game 6 on Thursday night, he should be on the floor. Embiid has played better at home during the series, including a 50-point showing in Game 3, meaning he has a good chance to turn things around.


Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 46 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, to lead his team to an overtime win over the Knicks. He added nine assists and five rebounds. On a night when Joel Embiid struggled, Maxey put the Sixers on his back to keep the series alive. The 23-year-old easily had one of the best games of his career, so he'll try to keep it going in Game 6 on Thursday night. With that in mind, Maxey has played much better on the road during this series, so he could have trouble replicating his Game 5 performance.
