After a quiet night Thursday, the postseason restarts Friday night with a pair of pivotal Game 6 clashes. Fortunately for the four teams involved in the high-stakes battles, we're dealing with a very light injury report, and only the Pistons are set to potentially face some depth issues.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Friday, May 15 at 11:15 a.m. EDT:
- Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers (-4.5) (O/U: 210.5)
- San Antonio Spurs (-5.5) at Minnesota Timberwolves (O/U: 218.5)
Betting metrics typically remain stable across postseason series unless a major injury alters the landscape. As such, we're dealing with fairly standard and familiar numbers in both series Friday, and despite the modest projected totals, we should see plenty of strong individual performances given the talent on all four squads and the heavy minutes each should play.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Duncan Robinson, DET (back): QUESTIONABLE
If Robinson, who was present for Friday morning shootaround, can't suit up, Kevin Huerter or Caris LeVert would be in for extended opportunity at shooting guard if they can play through their questionable tags.
Other notable injuries to monitor:
Kevin Huerter, DET (thigh): QUESTIONABLE
Caris LeVert, DET (heel): QUESTIONABLE
Elite Players
We have two players on five-figure salaries for Friday's slate – Victor Wembanyama ($12,600) and Cade Cunningham ($10,300).
Wembanyama has scored at least 47 FD points in every game during the series during which he's played normal minutes, and he's comfortably double-doubled in each one of those contests in the process.
Cunningham went off for 60.9 in the Game 5 OT thriller and is averaging 45.2 FD points over the first five games of the series overall while shooting a blistering 46.9 percent from three-point range.
Visit RotoWire's NBA Daily Starting Lineups and NBA News for up-to-the-minute information!
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($9,000)
Edwards dipped to 21.4 FD points in Game 5, but he'd averaged 52.0 in the two games prior and projects for very high usage with the Timberwolves facing elimination.
Donovan Mitchell, CLE ($8,200)
Mitchell has been excellent in his first two home games of the series with 52.0 FD points per contest, and the combination of his salary and upside should make him very popular again Friday.
James Harden, CLE ($7,600)
Harden has scored over 50 FD points in each of the last two games and eclipsed 44 FD points in another contest, all numbers that should ensure a high roster rate.
Evan Mobley, CLE ($7,500)
Mobley has gone off for 55.1 and 48.6 FD points in the last two games, which should make him extremely popular Friday at a salary that's barely increased.
Stephon Castle, SAN ($7,400)
Castle's consistency – he's eclipsed 30 FD points in every game of the series – and salary should make him a popular option due to his combination of savings and upside.
Key Values
Julius Randle, MIN vs. SAN ($6,300)
Randle has been far from reliable during the first five games of the series, but the talented forward showed some signs of life in Game 5 and is also carrying a salary that is essentially unheard of for him. Randle provided 30.5 FD points across 36 minutes on Wednesday via a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included one assist, his first 30+ tally since Game 1, when he contributed 34 FD points. Randle's shot attempts were back up to 17 in Game 5 after he put up either 10 or 12 in Games 2-4, and he should have a good chance to remain more involved Friday as Minnesota looks to stave off elimination.
Jarrett Allen, CLE vs. DET ($5,900)
Allen has had a solid series overall even when factoring in a couple of single-digit scoring totals. The big man is averaging 28.1 FD points via 13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 blocks across 29.8 minutes per game, and he's eclipsed 32 FD points in three of the first five contests. He's sporting an impressive 62.0 percent conversion rate on his 14.0 rebounding chances per game in the series as well, and it's worth noting his success against the typically tough matchup posed by Jalen Duren isn't unprecedented – Allen also tagged the Pistons for 31.4 and 43.8 FD points in two of his three regular-season meetings with them.
Naz Reid, MIN vs. SAN ($5,600)
Reid has continued to play his customary role off the bench during the series and mostly thrived in it, averaging 28.6 FD points per contest on the strength of 13.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 29.0 minutes per game. Reid has shot 50.0 percent, including 46.2 percent from behind the arc, during the five games as well, and he's scored at least 24 FD points on four occasions overall. Given his very reliable minutes and ability to consistently produce in this matchup, Reid is a very appealing value play at his salary.
ALSO CONSIDER: Ausar Thompson, DET at CLE ($5,800)
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