The second round continues to quickly unfold Saturday with a two-game slate, and both the Pistons and Thunder each have a chance to take commanding 3-0 series leads. The injury report continues to be very light, but the two names on it carry significant weight.
Slate Overview
For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Saturday, May 9 at 11:00 a.m. EDT:
- Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers (-4.5) (O/U: 211.5)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (-8.5) at Los Angeles Lakers (O/U: 211.5)
We could be in for two very competitive games Saturday if the spreads are any indication, a development that wouldn't be unexpected considering both the Cavaliers and Lakers are at home and desperate to avoid falling into 0-3 series deficits. However, as the projected totals indicate, both games are also expected to be on the lower-scoring side.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Luka Doncic, LAL (hamstring): OUT
In Doncic's ongoing absence, Austin Reaves should continue in a primary ball-handling role while Marcus Smart is likely to remain in the first unit.
Jalen Williams, OKC (hamstring): DOUBTFUL
In Williams' likely absence, Ajay Mitchell should remain in the first unit.
Other notable injuries:
Kevin Huerter, DET (thigh): DOUBTFUL
Sam Merrill, CLE (hamstring): QUESTIONABLE
Elite Players
We have two players with five-figure salaries on Saturday's slate in Cade Cunningham ($10,500) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,000).
Cunningham recorded 47.6 FD points across 41 minutes in Game 2 and delivered 39.1 FD points in Game 1 as well, giving him plenty of upside in this matchup against the Cavs' backcourt of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.
Gilgeous-Alexander has posted subdued tallies of 31.4 and 27.4 FD points in the first two games of the series, but game script has had a role and the star point guard's ceiling remains north of 60 FD points.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
LeBron James, LAL ($8,900)
James has exceeded 40 FD points in each of the first two games of the series while shooting 60.0 percent, numbers that should make him very popular at his salary.
Donovan Mitchell, CLE ($8,000)
Mitchell had his best game since the early stages of the postseason in Game 2 by posting 46.7 FD points in Game 2, a figure that lock him into a high roster rate.
James Harden, CLE ($7,900)
Harden averaged 39.8 FD points over the first eight games of the postseason before a dip to 20.7 in Game 2, but he should still be very popular Saturday.
Chet Holmgren, OKC ($7,800)
Holmgren is averaging 50.7 FD points in the last three games and has exceeded 50 in each of the first two games of the series, which should ensure he's very popular again Saturday.
Tobias Harris, DET ($7,200)
Harris is averaging 39.0 FD points over the first nine postseason games and has exceeded that number on five occasions, which should once again make him one of the best potential fantasy-point-per-dollar play on the slate.
Key Values
Jarrett Allen, CLE vs. DET ($6,200)
Allen has a tough matchup against Jalen Duren down low in this series, but the veteran acquitted himself very well in Game 2 and still carries a very reasonable salary. Allen went off for 39.9 FD points despite navigating five fouls, furnishing 22 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block across 31 minutes. That followed another foul-impacted stint on the floor in Game 1 where Allen was limited to 18 minutes and 9.1 FD points overall, which does make him a better tournament than cash game play Saturday. Nevertheless, considering he's posted six tallies of at least 30 FD points already this postseason, including a massive 59.9 in Game 7 against the Raptors, he has the upside, particularly on his home floor.
Ajay Mitchell, OKC at LAL ($5,900)
Mitchell is expected to remain in the starting five due to the ongoing absence of Jalen Williams, and the second-year guard has already amply proven capable of delivering strong returns in that capacity as a complementary option. Mitchell is averaging 28.2 FD points across 31.0 minutes in his first four games with the first unit this postseason, doing so on the strength of 18.8 points, 4.5 assists and 3.8 rebounds per contest. Mitchell also delivered 24.0 and 32.5 FD points off the bench in Games 3 and 4 of the first-round series against the Suns, and during the regular season, he also eclipsed 20 FD points twice in three games against the Lakers in his second-unit role.
Daniss Jenkins, DET at CLE ($4,700)
Jenkins is another guard that's been benefitting from an injury on his squad, as Kevin Huerter's quadriceps issue has afforded the former a solid and dependable role off the bench. Huerter is doubtful for Saturday's contest and ultimately expected to sit out, and Jenkins has averaged 14.0 points (on 46.2 percent three-point shooting), 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals over 28.0 minutes per contest in the last three postseason games. He's struck for 35.9 and 26.2 FD points in the first two games of this series specifically, and he also posted 22.5 and 31.7 FD points in two of four regular-season meetings with the Cavaliers. Given the results he's generated with a bump in playing time in the last three contests, Jenkins should see some good run again Saturday and makes for an interesting tournament-only option.
ALSO CONSIDER: Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC at LAL ($5,200); Duncan Robinson, DET at CLE ($4,600)
