This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We're teed up for a big four-game postseason slate Tuesday that could feature three series-clinching games, as the Pacers, Knicks and Celtics are just one win away from moving into the semifinal round. We also have a bit of a heftier injury report than has been the norm early on in these playoffs, including one major confirmed absence in that of Damian Lillard following his Game 4 Achilles tear.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Tuesday, 4/29 @12:15 a.m. ET:
Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers (-8) (O/U: 222.5)
Detroit Pistons at New York Knicks (-5.5) (O/U: 214.0)
Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics (-11.5) (O/U: 200.0)
Los Angeles Clippers (-2) at Denver Nuggets (O/U: 208.0)
The betting landscape is a varied one Tuesday, with spreads especially running the gamut, from a projected wire-to-wire battle to an expected double-digit series clinching victory for the Celtics. The Pacers are somewhat surprisingly not bigger favorites despite the absence of Lillard and their 3-1 series lead, and the Clippers' status as road favorites is certainly notable as well.
Projected totals are also fairly diverse, and the Magic-Celtics contest is expected to be particularly low-scoring. Milwaukee is still expected to generate a solid amount of offense in Lillard's absence, and if the prognosis of that game being the highest-scoring of the night proves accurate, it could mean an especially prolific performance for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Damian Lillard, MIL (Achilles): OUT
In Lillard's absence, Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. should handle the point-guard minutes.
Jaylen Brown, BOS (knee): QUESTIONABLE
If Brown can't suit up, Sam Hauser is likely to draw the start at small forward while Jayson Tatum would see even more usage than usual.
Jrue Holiday, BOS (hamstring): OUT
In Holiday's ongoing absence, Al Horford should remain in the starting five.
Other notable injuries:
Russell Westbrook, DEN (foot): QUESTIONABLE
Michael Porter, DEN (shoulder): PROBABLE
Aaron Nesmith, IND (back): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have three players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate - Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,900), Nikola Jokic ($11,800) and Cade Cunningham ($10,300).
Antetokounmpo will be set for even more usage than usual with Lillard out. He already comes into Game 5 averaging 33.8 points, 14.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting 62.2 percent over the first four contests against Indiana, numbers that have led to 58.9 FD points per contest.
Jokic is averaging 66.1 FD points while shooting 54.4 percent, including 47.6 percent from behind the arc, in the first four games of the series and just put up 80.2 FD points in Game 4. With the series knotted at 2-2, Jokic should once again enjoy sky-high usage in the pivotal contest.
Cunningham has scored 52.9 FD points or more in each of the last three games of the series, generating a double-double in each of those contests. With Detroit facing potential elimination, he should be over 20 shot attempts for the fifth time in as many games.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Jayson Tatum, BOS ($9,700)
Tatum may take the floor without Jaylen Brown and has scored 51.8 and 65.3 FD points in the last two contests since returning from his Game 2 absence due to a wrist injury.
Paolo Banchero, ORL ($9,400)
Banchero scored over 57 FD points in each of the first two games of the series, and although he's averaged a more modest 41.3 FD points in the last pair of contests, he should naturally be very popular in a potential elimination game for Orlando.
Jalen Brunson, NYK ($9,200)
Brunson has tallied 51.1 FD points or more in each of the last three games, production worthy of an even higher salary than he's sporting.
Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK ($9,000)
Towns has 49.1 and 39.3 FD points in the last two games and is likely to be a very popular alternative for those whose lineup configuration doesn't allow them to pay up for Jokic.
James Harden, LAC ($8,800)
Harden just put up 44.3 FD points in Game 4 and also collected 56.7 in Game 1, scores that make him an excellent fantasy-point-per-dollar value at his salary.
Key Values
Myles Turner, IND vs. MIL ($6,400)
Turner has been put together a solid first four games of the series, eclipsing 40 FD points twice and averaging 32.0 FD points, 15.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.8 blocks across 29.5 minutes per contest. The veteran big man's numbers are right in line with his season-long numbers against Milwaukee, as he averaged 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 blocks in four games versus the Bucks. Turner has taken double-digit shot attempts in three of the first four contests as well and nine in the other game in that sample, so he should carry a safe floor as Indiana goes for the series win Tuesday.
Mikal Bridges, NYK vs. DET ($6,000)
Bridges got the series off to a modest start in Game 1 with a 19.4 FD-point tally, but he's come alive since by averaging 15.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.0 blocks across 40.3 minutes per game in the last three contests, leading to an average of 35.2 FD points in that span. Bridges has managed that production despite shooting just 41.9 percent over that sample, lending credence to the notion he could be even better with just a slight uptick in efficiency in Tuesday's potential series-clinching contest.
Kevin Porter, MIL at IND ($5,300)
Porter should be a primary beneficiary of Damian Lillard's absence Tuesday, and the talented point guard already offered a glimpse of what he's capable of by recording 42.0 FD points across 33 minutes in Sunday's Game 4 when Dame went down. Porter averaged 39.1 FD points in his four starts during the regular season as well, and he averaged 29.7 FD points during Lillard's 14-game absence due to a blood clot in his calf during the stretch run of the regular season. Overall, Porter averaged 45.6 FD points and generated a 24.7 percent usage rate per 36 minutes with Lillard off the floor during the regular season, so there's certainly precedent there for him to significantly outpace his salary.
ALSO CONSIDER: Aaron Gordon, DEN vs. LAC ($5,700); Norman Powell, LAC at DEN ($5,600)
