Beast of the Night: Paul Pierce blew up for 43 points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals and four three-pointers. He shot 58 percent (11-19) from the floor and 94 percent (17-18) from the free-throw line, and had three turnovers. Pierce has been a pleasant surprise this season, giving his fantasy basketball owners top 24 value.
Lines for Discussion:
Roy Hibbert: 6-14 FG (43%), 3-3 FT (100%), 15 Pts, 13 Reb, 1 Blk, 1 TO; That’s five straight double-doubles for Hibbert, who looks like he’s getting a second wind after a sluggish March. For the season, Hibbert has been a top 60 asset and should be viewed similarly in next season’s drafts.
Carmelo Anthony: 13-24 FG (54%), 7-8 FT (88%), 2 threes, 35 Pts, 12 Reb, 10 Ast, 2 Stl, 5 TO; In the past month, Anthony has averaged 26.2 points, 7.4 boards, 3.3 dimes, 1.6 steals, 0.6 blocks and 1.2 threes per game, while shooting 48 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line — top 12 numbers. Let’s see what happens when STAT returns.
J.J. Barea: 10-20 FG (50%), 3-4 FT (75%), 5 threes, 28 Pts, 5 threes, 5 Reb, 8 Ast, 1 Stl, 5 TO; Barea’s probably propelling more than a few fantasy basketball teams toward championships, but with Luke Ridnour set to return this weekend, the ride might hit an untimely speed bump.
Brandon Knight: 11-12 FG (92%), 2-2 FT (100%), 4 threes, 28 Pts, 2 Reb, 7 Ast, 2 TO; Knight is averaging 15.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.0 threes per game this month. He could be an exciting prospect next season, if it weren’t for that crowded Pistons backcourt.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
Tristan Thompson: 12 Pts, 13 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 4 TO; He’s a solid pickup in deeper leagues.
Manny Harris: 18 Pts, 3 threes, 3 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk, 3 TO; Give him a look in deeper leagues.
Steve Novak: 25 Pts, 8 threes, 2 Ast; Pick him up for threes.
Danny Green: 11 Pts, 3 threes, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 1 TO; He continues to start and remains a strong source of threes and steals.
Injuries:
Rajon Rondo (back): monitor his status
Mickael Pietrus (knee): day-to-day
Ray Allen (ankle): day-to-day
Alonzo Gee (ankle): day-to-day
Wilson Chandler (hip): no timetable for his return
Samuel Dalembert (back): day-to-day
Al Horford (chest): cleared to take contact; no set timetable for his return yet
D.J. Augustin (knee): questionable tonight
Anderson Varejao (wrist): unlikely to play again this season
Kevin Martin (shoulder): could return tonight or Thursday
Marcus Camby (back): questionable tonight
Darren Collison (groin): day-to-day
Kobe Bryant (shin): day-to-day
Luke Ridnour (ankle): likely out until Sunday
Gerald Wallace (hamstring): questionable tonight
Deron Williams (calf): out tonight
Chris Kaman (leg): likely done for the season
Amar’e Stoudemire (back): hoping to return Friday
Glen Davis (knee): questionable for tonight
Paul Pierce (calf): monitor his status
Andrew Goudelock (migraine): day-to-day
Nikola Pekovic (ankle): could be shut down
For Tonight:
Novak and J.R. Smith should feast again tonight, as the Knicks visit the Nets.
See how Earl Clark fares, as the Magic visit the Celtics.
Throughout the season, be sure to leave your questions, comments, concerns, trade offers, roster problems and more in the comments below.
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