This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We've got another pair of Game 6 battles Friday night, with the Celtics and Grizzlies facing elimination. Boston's state of mind will be interesting after the team's blown fourth-quarter lead at home, while Memphis will be looking to buck the odds again after routing Golden State on Wednesday.
Slate Overview
Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks (-1.5) (O/U: 211.0 points)
Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors (-8.5) (O/U: 217.0 points)
The last two meetings between the Celtics and Bucks have been the highest-scoring matchups of the series, finishing with totals of 224 and 217 points. Jayson Tatum was able to bounce back in a big way with 34 points in Game 5 while Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to be an unstoppable force with a 40-point, 11-rebound double-double. Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday were also heavily involved for their respective clubs, and the foursome may be the most trusted plays to go with in Game 6.
The Grizzlies' 134-95 thumping of the Warriors was an eye-opener, especially since it came without Ja Morant (knee). Memphis accomplished it through a true team effort that saw seven players score in double-digits. Whether the trio of 21-point tallies that Jaren Jackson, Tyus Jones and Desmond Bane compiled can be replicated in the hostile territory of Chase Center remains to be seen, however.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during the course of a day. Therefore, although the following is a foundation for the latest injury report as of the time the article is written, check back throughout the course of the day with RotoWire for the latest news regarding the status of all players on that night's slate, including those carrying injury designations that aren't listed in this section.
Ja Morant, MEM (knee): DOUBTFUL
Morant missing out should lead to another start at point guard for Tyus Jones.
Khris Middleton, MIL (knee): DOUBTFUL
Middleton's likely ongoing absence could continue to afford Pat Connaughton, Grayson Allen and even Bobby Portis extra opportunity.
Robert Williams, BOS (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Williams were to miss another game, Daniel Theis would likely start again at center.
Other notable injuries:
Otto Porter, GSW (foot): QUESTIONABLE
Elite Players
We have two healthy players with five-figure salaries on Friday's slate – Giannis Antetokounmpo ($12,000) and Jayson Tatum ($10,600).
Antetokounmpo has essentially been the safest DFS play of the second round and just racked up 56.7 FD points in Game 5. Notably, he's only scored less than 50 once over the series.
Tatum put up 52.2 FD points in Game 5, his second straight effort over 50 and third overall in the last four. With Boston's season on the line, the star forward should be in for massive usage.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Stephen Curry, GSW ($9,400)
Curry dropped 50 FD points two games ago before slumping to 21.6 over 25 minutes in the Game 5 loss, but he should naturally remain very popular tonight.
Jaylen Brown, BOS ($8,700)
Brown's 45.6 FD points across 35 minutes on Wednesday and the fact the Celtics are facing elimination should combine to keep the star wing in plenty of lineups Friday.
Jaren Jackson, MEM ($7,900)
Jackson eclipsed 40 FD points in each of the last two games with Morant out and should remain very popular at his salary in the guard's likely continued absence.
Al Horford, BOS ($7,600)
Horford had a much quieter offensive night in Game 5, but he still netted 37.6 FD points and went over 40 in each of the previous three appearances.
Other likely chalk play: Tyus Jones, MEM ($7,200)
Key Values
Jordan Poole, GSW vs. MEM ($6,000)
Poole's salary was over $7K earlier in the series, so he makes for a highly intriguing value tournament play after seeing a downturn the last two games. The emerging guard has posted 24.7 and 10.7 FD points on 5-for-18 shooting in that pair of outings, but also generated 28.1 to 56.1 FD points in the first three. Poole has shaken off brief shooting slumps before and holds plenty of appeal at what could also be a slightly reduced rostering rate, given his ability to get hot from three-point range.
Bobby Portis, MIL vs. BOS ($5,900)
Portis bounced back from three straight average efforts in Games 2-4 to post 38.1 FD points across 28 minutes on Wednesday. It was his fifth tally of greater than 30 FD points in the postseason, and his still-reduced salary Friday keeps him very much in play, especially for tournaments. Portis hasn't been nearly as efficient with his shot against Boston's stingy defense as he was with the Bulls, but if Middleton continues to sit, the big should log enough minutes to allow him to net a strong return.
Kyle Anderson, MEM at GSW ($4,700)
Anderson is averaging 37.9 FD points per 36 minutes with Morant off the floor since the start of the regular season and 37.6 and 27.7 in the last two over a combined 46 minutes. The versatile wing is shooting 71.4 percent from the last three games while averaging a well-rounded 11.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks over that span. If Morant sits out again Friday as expected, Anderson could once again play a key role as Memphis tries to stave off elimination for the second straight game.
