Dose: Westbrook�s World
Friday night was filled with scoring barrages in the fantasy world led by Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Brandon Jennings, Chris Bosh, and Gordon Hayward, who all scored over 30 points. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving also got in on the scoring action but perhaps the most impressive performance of the night was Russell Westbrook’s tremendous triple-double.
Westbrook leads the rolling Thunder
Russell Westbrook had a massive triple-double of 17 points, 15 rebounds, and 17 assists on Friday as the Thunder took down the Warriors. It was his first triple-double this season and quite a performance to watch. Westbrook did whatever he wanted on the court and was extremely active in getting his teammates involved. Not to be outdone, Kevin Durant had a massive outing as well, scoring 36 points on 14-18 shooting with nine rebounds. Even Serge Ibaka got in on the action with a season-high 27 points and eight rebounds. Needless to say, if you owned any of these guys, your fantasy Friday was likely solid.
Klay Thompson stood out for Golden State with 32 points, including three triples. Stephen Curry was less impressive with 19 points and six turnovers.
Cavs doing work
The Cavaliers edged out the Clippers in an exciting game Friday. LeBron James neared a triple-double with 32 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and nine turnovers. The turnovers were definitely an issue but his other numbers were so spectacular that it’s forgivable. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 37 points with five assists, five triples, and three steals. Rounding out the Cleveland core was Tristan Thompson, who had a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds. Thompson had been slumping big time as of late so hopefully this game is a turning point.
For Los Angeles, Blake Griffin led the way with 34 points and 10 rebounds. DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul each notched double-doubles as well while three other Clippers scored in double figures.
Detroit rock city
Andre Drummond tipped in the game-winner with just moments remaining and added 16 points and 16 rebounds as Detroit defeated Indiana on Friday. While Drummond provided a tremendous inside presence, Brandon Jennings was the star of the show. The point guard notched his second 30-point game in his last three, putting up a season-high 37 points with a career-high eight three-pointers. Since the Josh Smith trade Jennings has been on a tear and while his current run screams “sell high”, he might be worth riding out.
Hayward leads Jazz fantasy contingent
The Jazz defeated the Kobe-less Lakers on Friday thanks in large part to the play of Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Trey Burke. Hayward hit the 30-point mark for the first time since November, piling in 31 points on 12-18 shooting with four three-pointers and seven rebounds. Favors had his 14th double-double this season as he scored 18 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Trey Burke, who has started out 2015 very hot, scored 20 points with four triples and four dimes. Burke looks like the real deal going forward and if there’s an unsuspecting owner who doesn’t realize it, try to scoop him up in a deal.
Brooklyn’s finest
Jarrett Jack and Brook Lopez put on a show in Washington as the Nets bested the Wizards. With Deron Williams out with a rib injury, Jack continued to start and put in 26 points on a blistering 12-18 shooting, with seven assists, six boards, and two steals. Williams has already been ruled out for Saturday’s game and is really hard to trust lately so Jack is still a viable fantasy option. Brook Lopez came off the bench for 26 points in just 23 minutes, adding just three boards with two steals and two blocks. Lopez has been hovering in that minutes range as of late and his production has been down. He simply got hot on Friday and while he could blow up like this every now and again, he’s not a high end fantasy option right now so his name could fetch more than he actually worth if you’re trying to sell high.
Heating up in Florida
The Heat defeated the Kings on Friday thanks to some big time performances from Luol Deng and Chris Bosh. Deng hit the 20-point plateau for just the sixth time this season as he pitched in 25 points, six boards, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. Bosh on the other hand hit the 30-point mark for the fifth time this year as he put up 30 points with seven boards, three steals, and three triples. With Dwyane Wade nursing a hamstring injury, Bosh and Deng will continue to see the lion share of offensive touches.
20/20/20 Bulls
The Bulls used a huge second half surge to bury the Celtics on Friday thanks to some big scoring numbers from Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and Pau Gasol. Rose led the way with 29 points, including five triples, with 10 assists and two blocks while Jimmy Butler poured in 22 points with five boards and six steals. Gasol had a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds to round out a fine night for Bulls owners. Joakim Noah was unfortunately not involved in the party as he missed the contest with a sprained right ankle. Noah has been in and out of the trainer’s room all season so if he strings together a few nice games, sell immediately.
Noel leads young Sixers
The kids took over on Friday as Philadelphia took down the Pelicans. Anthony Davis was not active due to a toe injury and Nerlens Noel took full advantage, scoring 17 points with 11 rebounds and five blocks. It was arguably Noel’s best game as a pro but he wasn’t the only Sixer to have a big game. Michael Carter-Williams got involved in the action as well with 22 points, seven assists, six boards, and three steals. Robert Covington, who was questionable heading into the game with a right shoulder injury, suited up and put in 18 points with six boards and two blocks. Both MCW and Covington have been rolling as of late so if Noel can continue improving and they form a three-man weave of sorts in Philly, fantasy owners could be in for some exciting lines.
Leonard returns
Kawhi Leonard, who last played on December 15 due to a hand injury, finally got back into action on Friday and looked fantastic. The small forward dropped 20 points with four boards, five dimes, and three steals as San Antonio defeated Portland. Leonard was playing great before his injury and if his Friday performance is any indication, he should be treated as the high end fantasy player that he is going forward.
Gasol leads Grizzlies in fantasy goodness
Marc Gasol posted a sneaky great line of 12 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and two blocks on Friday as the Grizzlies defeated the Magic. Jeff Green had his first great game in a Memphis uniform as he came off the bench for 21 points while Beno Udrih filled in for the gimpy Mike Conley with 15 points and five assists. Gasol’s line was very business as usual and Green’s production was encouraging but Udrih was a nice surprise. Conley’s ankle injury doesn’t look to be overly serious but if you’re looking for a potential flier for the next game or two, he could be used as a nice spot starter. On the other side of the court Elfrid Payton was the star for Orlando. The rookie point guard dropped in 22 points and 12 assists. It was Payton’s third straight quality showing and it looks like he’s heating up again.
