In clutch fashion, Pascal Siakam hit just the fourth game-winning buzzer-beater for the Raptors in the past 15 seasons and the first one to come in Toronto. The shot marked the first game-tying or go-ahead attempt of the third-year forward's career.
Kawhi Leonard rested on the second leg of a back-to-back, and yet the Raptors still beat the Suns to improve to 9-2 sans their superstar. It's notable that Phoenix has suffered 17 last-second losses over the past 15 seasons, the most of any team during this sample.
Siakam is a significant reason the Raptors sustain such success with Leonard resting, as he's remarkably 17th in the entire league in win shares, second on Toronto behind just Leonard, who sits 10th in the NBA in this appraisal of overall value. Siakam was the 27th pick of the 2016 draft and was again a late-round pick in fantasy drafts or even an undrafted free agent in most leagues. His ascent to becoming a legitimate All-Star candidate has aligned with his rise as a fantasy star and reminds us that being aggressive and proactive in fantasy free agency is a crucial element of sustained success.
When I filed my fantasy basketball free-agency column back on Nov. 4, Siakam was rostered in just 11.1 percent of ESPN leagues and could have been acquired for only a few clicks and a roster spot.
Who is the next rising name to target? I continue to champion the Spurs' Derrick White, who rates 29th overall on the Plater Rater the past 30 days, two spots ahead of Siakam, and yet is rostered in fewer than half of ESPN leagues. Even an overlooked vet like Charlotte's Marvin Williams has shined of late, ranked 63rd among players the past month while available in more than 80 percent of leagues. The main point being, the pursuit for production never ends.
With an eye on influential fantasy performances and relevant statistical trends, let's delve into the night that was in the NBA.
Thursday recap
Highlights
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: 22 points (9-19 FG), 13 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 blocks, 5 TO
Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers: 32 points (11-20 FG), 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 4 TO
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder: 26 points (7-30 FG), 9 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 TO
Lowlights
Tim Hardaway Jr., New York Knicks: 8 points (2-7 FG), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 TO
Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers: 15 points (6-20 FG), 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 TO
Thursday takeaways
The London crowd saw a close game unfold on Thursday, with the Washington Wizards downing the Knicks by one point (albeit, the Knicks scored 11 points in the fourth quarter), moving to 8-5 without John Wall this season (11-21 with him). Bradley Beal posted 26 points and now has at least 25 points in seven straight games, the longest streak by a Wizards player since Antawn Jamison during the 2009-10 season. Top fantasy free-agent target Tomas Satoransky produced an efficient 14 points, including two on an exciting put-back jam, while Trevor Ariza's ascent as a surprising source for assists continued, as the veteran wing produced seven dimes and has averaged 5.3 assists his past nine outings.
The Knicks have gone 1-13 in their past 14 games, including five straight losses, and have allowed at least 100 points in 23 consecutive games, the team's longest such stretch since allowed 25 straight games with at least 100 points in 1988-89. Even in the loss, Emmanuel Mudiay proved his revival is real, yet again, with 25 points on 18 shots as the team's offensive engine. Noah Vonleh, a free-agent favorite of mine, tallied a double-double and is an excellent source of frontcourt help for those in need (Clint Capela's investors, for example).
The Lakers tied a franchise record with 19 3s, thanks in large part to Kuzma tying his career-high with seven makes from beyond. In yesterday's Daily Notes, I profiled Kuzma as a key player to watch last night, and he delivered in a tough spot, which bodes well for his value even when LeBron James returns to the fold from his injury (James resumes practice next week). The surprising performance of the night went to Ivica Zubac and his career-high 26 points and season-high 12 rebounds. For all the talk of reshuffling the frontcourt mix with either Tyson Chandler or JaVale McGee, it's Zubac making the pitch for a more meaningful role. The Thunder roll out a traditional frontcourt, allowing for Zubac to play heavy minutes, so it will be intriguing to see how his workload fluctuates against smaller teams in the coming games.
The Nuggets scored the second-most points in a game this season in drubbing the Bulls. Denver became the first team since the Spurs in Jan. 2016 to win by at least 30 points following a 30-point loss (the Warriors blew the Nuggets out recently). Jamal Murray joined Kuzma with seven 3-pointers, his second-most made 3s in a game. Nikola Jokic finished two rebounds shy of another triple-double. Assuming Will Barton (who remains on the mend from injury) is rostered in your league, I'd submit some buy-low offers in the coming days, as you could net a vital cog of an elite NBA offense while the price is still deflated.
Even in the ugly loss, second-year sharpshooter Lauri Markkanen tied his career-high with five made 3-pointers and the rare bright spot for a struggling Chicago team. The Bulls suffered their ninth straight loss, the longest active streak in NBA.
Injuries of note
DeMarcus Cousins is expected to make his debut with the Warriors tonight against the Clippers, a matchup detailed in greater detail below.
Gary Harris looked good scoring 14 points in 19 minutes of action in return from a lingering hamstring injury. It's likely Harris will ramp up to his full starting role in the coming games.
Analytics advantage for Friday
The Spurs visit the Timberwolves on Friday at 8 ET on ESPN. San Antonio enters this matchup with a 15-2 record in the past 17 meetings between these teams. During that span, the Spurs have outscored the Timberwolves by 11.0 PPG. San Antonio's two losses durin this span have been their past two visits to Minnesota, both double-digit wins by the Timberwolves.
This game is a real test for Minnesota, as the Wolves enter Friday coming off a 42-point loss to the 76ers, tied for the second-worst loss in team history. Karl-Anthony Towns must overcome previous struggles facing the Spurs; he's averaged just 12.3 PPG on 38 percent shooting against San Antonio during his career (against 23 PPG on 50 percent shooting facing all other teams).
Since trading Jimmy Butler on November 14, the Timberwolves are 16-14. In that span, they are allowing the second-highest 3-point percentage (37.3) in the NBA. San Antonio's bench, meanwhile, leads the NBA in 3-pointers (266). This matchup trend makes the likes of White, Bryn Forbes, and even forward Davis Bertans, fun targets tonight. For those building out multiple DFS lineups today, some shares of a Spurs stack in a game with a healthy total of 225 points could prove rewarding.
Top players to watch tonight
The red-hot Warriors, winners of six straight, visit the Clippers on Friday at 10:30 ET on ESPN. Cousins is expected to make his Warriors debut, 357 days after rupturing his Achilles last season with the Pelicans. Golden State is the first team since the 1975-76 Celtics to have five All-Stars from the previous season, per Elias. Boston won the title that season.
Last season, Cousins averaged 25.2 PPG, 12.9 RPG, and 5.4 APG with New Orleans. He'll be a welcome addition to a Golden State team that's getting just 6.5 points and 4.7 boards from its starting centers this season. "Boogie" became just the sixth player in NBA history to average 25 points and 10 rebounds and then change teams in the offseason. Among those players, he was the only one to join a defending champ. It's unclear what Cousins' workload will look like tonight (my guess is around 20 minutes), but he'll undoubtedly be the key player to watch even in a rotation that features several other superstars.
As for the Clippers, they've played the Warriors well this season, splitting two games so far with their loss coming on a last-second Stephen Curry layup. For LA, I'll be watching how Tobias Harris navigates deft defense from Draymond Green and Kevin Durant, as he and Danilo Gallinari will be tasked with keeping pace with a juggernaut opponent. Given this game has an absurd total hovering around 241 points, the key playmakers from both rotations should shine.