NBA

Jackson hasn’t been helpful against Minnesota so far. Christian Braun will benefit from getting some extra reserve minutes should Jackson be ruled out.

KCP hasn’t been a factor on offense in the second round and his status for Game 3 is up in the air. Justin Holiday has provided a spark off the bench lately and will be asked to continue stepping up if KCP is ruled out.

Frustration has gotten the best of Murray as of late and he avoided suspension after throwing a heat pack onto the court during a game. The Nuggets’ point guard rotation is hobbled, but Murray hasn’t missed a game yet and will likely try to give it a go. He hasn’t missed a game this postseason yet.

The Bucks guard is being punished after throwing a ball at spectators multiple times during his team’s latest loss to the Pacers. He’s entering unrestricted free agency and will be forced to sit for the first four games of 2024-25.

Anunoby exited Game 2 with a hamstring injury, and it appears that the team is preparing to play Game 3 in Indiana without him. Miles McBride and Alec Burks should both take on extra minutes if Anunoby is forced to sit out.

Lee has spent the past 12 years coaching in the NBA after playing professionally overseas for a few seasons. Lee spent time on Mike Budenholzer’s staff in both Atlanta and Milwaukee, and he is currently the top assistant coach for Boston. When the Celtics’ postseason run ends, Lee’s focus will shift to helping Charlotte through their rebuild.

Indiana heads home trailing two games to none, but they should be encouraged by Toppin’s play in the Big Apple. After scoring 12 points in Game 1, he tallied 20 more in Game 2 and has reached double figures in six straight. Toppin’s play on Wednesday helped the Pacers on a night when they got little from Myles Turner (six points, seven rebounds, one assist, and one blocked shot). Indiana’s bench dominated the first two games, outscoring New York by a 46-12 margin in Game 2. The series shifts to Indianapolis for Game 3 on Friday night.

McConnell has played well in the first two games of this series, but that hasn’t been enough to convince Pacers coach Rick Carlisle to leave him on the court in crunch time. While the veteran point guard did the best job of making Jalen Brunson work for his scoring opportunities, starter Andrew Nembhard closed the game. While Nembhard (15 points, four assists, and one 3-pointer in 27 minutes) is more of a threat offensively, he has not been as effective defending Brunson in crunch time. While their places in the rotation may not change for Game 3 on Friday, don’t be surprised if McConnell’s minutes increase, as the Pacers can’t afford to fall into a 0-3 hole.

After shooting 73.2% from the foul line during the regular season, Siakam has been even worse in the playoffs. He missed both attempts in Game 2, falling to 16.7% (1-of-6) for the series. Add in the six games against the Bucks, and Siakam is now 7-of-28 (25%) for the postseason. The Knicks potentially losing OG Anunoby to a hamstring injury will impact how they defend Siakam, with Precious Achiuwa taking on the responsibility down the stretch of Game 2. Regardless of who’s defending Spicy P, he must be much better at the foul line.

After attempting just six shots in Monday’s Game 1 loss, Haliburton was the focus of many conversations. He was far more aggressive on offense in Game 2, attempting eight shots in the first quarter alone and finishing with a game-high 34 points. Haliburton can be even more aggressive on that end of the floor, which could happen in Game 3 on Friday. Despite the defeat, Wednesday’s performance was a step in the right direction for the All-Star point guard.