ESPN's basketball daily cheat sheet is your pregame destination before you lock in daily fantasy and betting decisions for that night's games. Here you'll find our top insights for the slate, including players to target for your daily fantasy rosters, along with game-by-game injury reports.
What you need to know for Tuesday
Game 5 between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder arrives with the Western Conference finals tied 2-2 and the series feeling as unpredictable as ever.
San Antonio responded in Game 4 with a 103-82 win, fueled by a dominant defensive effort and another statement performance from Victor Wembanyama. Now the pressure shifts back to Oklahoma City, which must find more offense after committing 20 turnovers and shooting just 6-of-33 from beyond the arc in Game 4.
The Thunder are also dealing with injuries to key playmakers, with Ajay Mitchell ruled out and Jalen Williams still managing a hamstring issue. That puts even more responsibility on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and the rest of the Thunder's supporting cast.
The Spurs formula is clear: keep Wembanyama involved, protect the ball, control the paint and make life difficult for SGA. The series has become a best-of-three, making Game 5 a potential swing point for the entire matchup.
Let's dig further into the matchup to identify some betting angles and DFS value picks for tonight's action.
Moody's bets for Tuesday
Spurs +4.5 (-115): This matchup should be closer than the spread suggests. Oklahoma City's injuries have left SGA carrying more of the offense, while San Antonio has kept him out of rhythm without fully selling out with double teams. If the Thunder's supporting cast continues to struggle, Spurs +5.5 has appeal given how well San Antonio's starting five has played. The Spurs won outright in Game 1 as underdogs and have covered in two of four games this series. They're also 11-6 against the spread as road underdogs this season, including 1-1 in this series.
Isaiah Hartenstein 20+ points, rebounds and assists (+155): Hartenstein has had at least 20 PRAs in two of four games in this series, though it is worth noting he played just 12 minutes in Game 1. From Games 2 through 4, he averaged 7.6 field-goal attempts, 14.3 rebound chances and 3.3 potential assists per game. He's well positioned to clear this threshold if given enough minutes. Hartenstein has had at least 20 PRAs in 35 of 43 games this season when playing at least 21 minutes.
Top Daily Fantasy Values of the Day
By Eric Moody
$8,100+ salaries
Victor Wembanyama, C, Spurs ($13,000): Wembanyama is one of the few players in the league who can contribute in every statistical category. He has scored at least 60 fantasy points in three of four games in this series, including one with 84. Wembanyama has a 28.6% usage rate so far in the series, and his ceiling is the highest of any player on either side. He's also an excellent captain option.
$6,100-$8,000 salaries
De'Aaron Fox, PG, Spurs ($7,200): Fox has scored 33.2 and 38 fantasy points in the two games he's played in this series. He has had at least 13 field-goal attempts and played at least 30 minutes in each of those games. Fox's speed with the ball and ability to break down defenders make him a real problem for Oklahoma City. He provides DFS players with a relatively high floor.
Devin Vassell, SF, Spurs ($7,000): Vassell has been a steady contributor for the Spurs this postseason, scoring at least 29 fantasy points in every game of this series, including one with 41.2. He also leads San Antonio with 39.3 MPG in the series, giving him one of the safest minutes floors on the slate.
$1,500-$5,900 Salaries
Jared McCain, PG, Thunder ($4,200): McCain finished Game 4 with a disappointing 5.5 fantasy points in 24 minutes, but he produced 29.5 and 31 fantasy points in Games 2 and 3. He's capable of delivering solid performances, and with Ajay Mitchell out, his ceiling could be higher in Game 5.
Isaiah Joe, SG/SF, Thunder ($2,800): SGA will continue to draw significant attention from San Antonio's defense, which should create clean perimeter looks for a floor spacer like Joe. Joe could see more minutes now that Mitchell is out, especially after playing a series-high 19 in Game 4 and finishing with 26.8 fantasy points.
Projections and Injury Reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder
8:30 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock
Line: Spurs +4.5 (-110) | Thunder -4.5 (-110)
Money line: Spurs +142 | Thunder -170
Total: 216.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Thunder by 3.2, straight up 60%, 220.1 total points.
Injury Report:
Spurs: David Jones Garcia, (OFS - Ankle)
Thunder: Jalen Williams, (GTD - Hamstring); Ajay Mitchell, (OUT - Calf); Thomas Sorber, (OFS - Knee)
