Now that the Oklahoma City Thunder have advanced to the Western Conference Finals, the second round of the NBA playoffs has officially wrapped up. We’ve got some of the most surprising and entertaining basketball this season. MVPs clashed, juggernauts fell, and the New York Knicks made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. Undoubtedly, there was great basketball throughout the second round, and it translated to fantasy basketball. This article will focus on the five best fantasy performances from the second round of the playoffs. But there will be no repeating players throughout the list. With that being said, let’s get into it.
The Top 5 Fantasy Performances from the Second Round
1) Nikola Jokic – Game 1 – 76.4 Fantasy Points
For the overall series, the Thunder defense gave Nikola Jokic some trouble from his standards. This was not the case in game one of the series, however. This game set the tone for how unbelievably good this series was going to be. A game winner from Aaron Gordon, and an outstanding Jokic Game. Jokic gave the Nuggets 42 points, 22 rebounds, and six assists in the game. Jokic also had a great performance in Game 5, but the first game in the series was just a little better for fantasy. Nikola Jokic is an all-time great player, and he showed us why during these playoffs.
2) Donovan Mitchell – Game 2 – 72.5 Fantasy Points
After the Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 1 on their home floor, Donovan Mitchell did everything in his power to take Game 2. But the Cavs just could not close the door on the Pacers. The Cavs blew a seven-point lead in the last minute and six seconds of game time, with Tyrese Haliburton hitting a game-winning three-pointer. But as mentioned before, Mitchell was not the one to blame for this loss. Mitchell dropped 48 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and four steals in this game. It was a miraculous performance by Mitchell, but it wasn’t enough to save the Cavs. Unfortunately, the Cavs dealt with many injuries this playoffs, and it was a disappointing end to the Cavs’ great season.
3) Jayson Tatum – Game 4 – 65.6 Fantasy Points
In probably the most shocking result of the second round, the Knicks beat the Celtics in six games to advance to the conference finals. It’s a terrible way to lose, especially now that Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles near the end of this game. If you’re a Celtics fan, this one is going to be tough to swallow. In this game, Tatum was starting to hit his stride and looked back to his normal All-NBA level self. Before the injury, he had 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals. He had seven three-pointers as well. Tatum played extremely well, and it was so sad to see him go down the way he did. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see Tatum, maybe at all, next season.
4) Jalen Brunson – Game 4 – 62.0 Fantasy Points
Jalen Brunson and Tatum had a battle for the ages in Game 4. Brunson came out on top with the win and helped the Knicks take a commanding 3-1 lead on the Celtics. Brunson finished this game with 39 points, 12 assists, and five rebounds. Brunson has played outstanding throughout these playoffs. He has led the Knicks to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, and is no doubt a superstar in this league. Brunson has had so many great moments throughout the playoffs, and this performance was not short of great. If the Knicks somehow win the NBA title, some may say that Brunson is the greatest Knick of all time.
5) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Game 1 – 62.0 Fantasy Points
Throughout these playoffs, there’s been some discourse about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander not living up to the big moment. People said he was a “playoff dropper” and couldn’t bring this young Thunder team past the experienced Nuggets. Those people were proved wrong. Although the Thunder lost game one, SGA put on an MVP performance, dropping 33 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. This level of play would continue throughout the series as the Thunder beat the Nuggets in seven games. SGA and Jokic put on a great series, but SGA and this historic Thunder team came out on top.
The Last Word
As we look back on the second round, every series delivered in some capacity. I expect the continuation of great basketball through the Conference Finals and eventually the NBA Finals. We got great performances from every single star in the second round. Some honorable mentions for this round would be Julius Randle in Game 3, Tyrese Haliburton in Game 1, and Jaylen Brown in Game 5.
Featured image: © Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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