Giannis Antetokounmpo has 97 points in his past two games against the 76ers, including his second career game with at least 45 points in a victory in South Philly last night. Antetokounmpo averaged a slick 43.0 PPG and 15.7 RPG in three games against the 76ers this season, becoming the first player to average 40 PPG and 15 RPG against a single team in a season (minimum three games) since Shaquille O'Neal versus the Clippers during his 1999-00 MVP opus.
Joel Embiid countered Antetokounmpo in becoming just the third 76ers player with a 30-point triple-double in the past 35 seasons, joining "Bubba Chuck" Allen Iverson and plain old "Chuck" Charles Barkley in this unique club. The 76ers shot 13-of-13 on passes from Embiid, including hitting all seven from 3-point range.
The Bucks downed The Process with a clutch late run and clinched the best record in the NBA, something the team also accomplished in 1973-74 and 1970-71, teams that both made the NBA Finals. Now that Milwaukee has secured the top record, it's worth noting we could see plenty of Tim Frazier, Bonzie Colson, D.J. Wilson, and Pat Connaughton for the Bucks in these final games.
Thursday recap
Highlights
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: 45 points (13-22 FG), 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: 34 points (12-31 FG), 13 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 3 TO
Lowlights
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings: 9 points (3-10 FG), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 TO
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Los Angeles Lakers: 7 points (3-19 FG), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 TO
Thursday takeaways
Stephen Curry finished last night's win over the Lakers with just one 3-pointer and seven total points, which is notable, given he had scored at least 10 points in 81 straight games, including regular season and playoffs; the second-longest streak of his career. I find it relevant that Quinn Cook has produced at least 18 points in two of the past three for the Warriors. I'd look for Cook to get extra run and become a worthy streaming option once the Warriors, who lead the conference by two games, secure the top seed.
The Lakers trailed by 27 points after the first quarter, their largest deficit at the end of the first quarter in the shot clock era (since 1954-55). Even though he made the lowlights section, it remains impressive how much offensive usage Caldwell-Pope is consuming to close the season. I'd look past the ugly outing and continue to stream him for those in need of scoring upside. For those in deeper formats, guard Alex Caruso lofted 14 shots for the Lakers last night -- including a rousing put-back jam -- and should continue to see a heavy workload to conclude the campaign.
Make sure to track lineup updates until tipoff of this weekend and into next week. This is a time of the season that sees teams on both sides of the success spectrum rest starters and stars without much warning. If you play in a league with transaction limits, perhaps save a few for Sunday's massive 14-game slate that should be rich with worthy streaming options.
Injuries of note
Blake Griffin has missed the past three games with a sore left knee that is a concern given the gravity of these late-season games for Detroit, a team still fighting to secure a playoff berth. Griffin is considered questionable for tonight's meeting with the Thunder.
Memphis' Mike Conley is considered doubtful for tonight's tilt with the Mavericks. Luka Doncic is listed as questionable for the contest.
Miami's Josh Richardson suffered a groin injury that should see him sidelined for several weeks.
Devin Booker won't suit up again this season after sustaining an ankle injury against Utah earlier this week. Josh Jackson is a fun addition in both redraft and daily fantasy competition. A sprained left ankle will sideline rookie Deandre Ayton for a third straight game, making Richaun Holmes a great streaming target for tonight's matchup with the Pelicans.
Analytics advantage for Friday
During the past five games, including three starts, the Grizzlies' Delon Wright has averaged 13.0 PPG with 10.2 combined rebounds and dimes to go with absurdly strong defensive rates to the tune of 4.2 combined blocks and steals during this sample. With Conley unlikely to play tonight, Wright is poised to produce great value as a streaming option (available in 90 percent of ESPN leagues) or as a cheap building block in DFS play. Per the analytics advantage, Wright's usage rate jumps nearly three percent sans Conley from the floor this season, boosting his offensive profile against a soft Dallas defense.
Top players to watch tonight
Goran Dragic makes for a contrarian building block for DFS purposes, given he's topped 37 minutes in four straight and should again play a full clip against a porous Minnesota backcourt in a must-win moment for Miami amid a playoff hunt. With Richardson out of the lineup, shares of playmaking wing Justise Winslow in addition to Dragic is a savvy way to stack at affordable pricing.
