NBA

Robinson was cleared to play after being listed as probable for Wednesday’s game against the 76ers, but he didn’t end up being part of the team’s rotation. With Jimmy Butler sidelined, Robinson should see some minutes off the bench, though there is certainly a chance that Erik Spoelstra continues to roll with Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Delon Wright.

Miami has already ruled Jimmy Butler out for multiple weeks, and Rozier won’t be Miami’s savior that gets them out of the Play-In Tournament. Tyler Herro will continue to start, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Delon Wright will take on extra minutes. Duncan Robinson, who was not part of the rotation for their game against the 76ers, may end up taking on a role in this game.

Kawhi was sidelined for the final eight games of the regular season, but the team is expecting him to available for Game 1. However, they won’t officially say one way or another until closer to Sunday. P.J. Tucker has been starting in his place, and he will return to playing a bench role if Leonard is back.

Both players were questionable ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with Atlanta after sitting out the final game of the regular season (or in Drummond’s case final three games), but they were both available to play. Though they are questionable again, there shouldn’t be much fear that they will sit out. Alex Caruso is officially questionable, and he is the only player that may end up missing Friday’s game.

Butler suffered the injury in the first quarter of Wednesday’s loss but managed to play the rest of the game. He was seen noticeably grimacing throughout the contest, most notably after a steal and fastbreak dunk. Butler’s absence couldn’t have come at a worse time for Miami. The Heat will play in an elimination game Friday against the Bulls, and the winner will advance to face the Celtics as the No. 8 seed. Without “Playoff Jimmy” on the court, Miami will have to lean more heavily on Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith, Nikola Jovic and Caleb Martin.

Despite previously being undefeated in the Play-In Tournament, the magic ran out for Trae and the Hawks in this one. This was their third straight appearance in the Play-In after making the Eastern Conference Finals before that. While Young was able to come away with a 20-point double-double, his inefficient shooting and turnovers certainly weren’t pretty. He was a team-worst -27 in 43 minutes, which means they outscored Chicago by 12 points in his five minutes on the bench. There had already been plenty of rumors suggesting that Atlanta could trae Young this summer, and after a performance like this, those rumors will certainly heat up.

Capela nearly had a double-double before halftime, and he was able to reach 10 rebounds early in the third quarter. He scored 16 points before the break, but he didn’t get many buckets after that. This was a down year for Capela, as he had his worst field goal percentage since his rookie season, which is a big part of his value in 9-cat leagues. He’ll be on the wrong side of 30 to start next season, and it is hard to imagine him bouncing back. He should continue to be a reliable source of big man stats, but he isn’t as dominant in fantasy as he once was. The emergence of Onyeka Okongwu will only continue to hinder that.

While his counterpart in the backcourt struggled in this game, Murray was able to turn in an excellent performance. He had a big first half and entered the break with 23 points. He hit a quick three to open the second half, but he wasn’t able to do much scoring after that. With Murray having an excellent game while Trae Young struggled, rumors will heat up quickly. There had already been plenty suggesting that Atlanta will move on from one of them, and a failed attempt to make the playoffs will not convince anyone that this team deserves another run. One way or another, Murray should be the sole point guard option on his team next year, which will be excellent for his fantasy production.

Caruso briefly exited from Wednesday’s game before returning to play more. He ended up exiting early and only played 17 total minutes in the win. Wojnarowski also added that White’s status is “in doubt”, so if he can’t suit up against the Heat on Friday, Javonte Green will likely start in his place. He logged 22 minutes against Atlanta and finished with 10 points, six rebounds and four assists.

White may not win the league’s Most Improved Player award, but after a breakout season, he went nuclear in their first game of the postseason. The Play-In Tournament doesn’t technically count towards a player’s stats, but this would have been a career-high for points for White, and he did it with ridiculous efficiency. It has been an incredible year for White, but they’ll need one more big game out of him to make it to the playoffs. They’ll travel to play the Heat with a chance to take on the Celtics in the first round on the line.