NBA Daily Notes: The Bucks keeping winning; Top fantasy picks for December 22nd

Welcome to another day of the NBA 2018-19 season. Yesterday, we had 10 blockbuster games to follow around and we have another 7 games to review tomorrow. Let's analyse some of the meaningful performances from the last night, results of the matches and the top players to look out for in the matches tomorrow.

Friday's recap:

Cleveland Cavaliers 110-126 Toronto Raptors
Detroit Pistons 86-98 Charlotte Hornets
Indiana Pacers 114-106 Brooklyn Nets
Atlanta Hawks 114-107 New York Knicks
Milwaukee Bucks 120-107 Boston Celtics
Orlando Magic 80-90 Chicago Bulls
Minnesota Timberwolves 98-124 San Antonio Spurs
Utah Jazz 120-90 Portland Trail Blazers
Memphis Grizzlies 99-102 Sacramento Kings
New Orleans Pelicans 104-112 Los Angeles Lakers

Highlights:

1. Kawhi Leonard (Toronto Raptors): 37 points, 12-16 FG, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 TO.

2. Emmanuel Mudiay (New York Knicks): 32 points, 12-20 FG, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal and 3 TOs.

3. LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers): 22 points, 8-20 FG, 12 rebounds, 14 assists, 2 steals and 2 TOs.

Lowlights:

1. D'Angelo Russell (Brooklyn Nets): 3 points, 1-8 FG, 3 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 TOs.

2. Gordon Hayward (Boston Celtics): 11 points, 3-13 FG and 3 rebounds.

3. Terence Ross (Orlando Magic): 2 points, 1-11 FG, 3 rebounds.

Friday's takeaways:

The depleted Toronto Raptors went up against a struggling Cleveland Cavaliers, winning 126-110. Detroit Pistons lost their 8th game in their last 10 with a 98-86 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Indiana Pacers beat the Brooklyn Nets in a tight contest, 114-106.
The Atlanta Hawks beat a resurgent New York Knicks 114-107, while the Milwaukee Bucks handed the Boston Celtics their 3rd straight loss with a 120-107 win. The Chicago Bulls overcame the Orlando Magic 90-80 in a low scoring game and The San Antonio Spurs blew the Minnesota Timberwolves out of the park, 124-98.
The Utah Jazz beat the Portland Trail Blazers with ease, winning 120-90. The Sacramento Kings pipped the Memphis Grizzlies to a nice 102-99 win. In the final game of the night, Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 112-104, on the back of a LeBron James triple double.

Tomorrow's games:

Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Clippers
Phoenix Suns @ Washington Wizards
Toronto Raptors @ Philadelphia 76ers
Milwaukee Bucks @ Miami Heat
San Antonio Spurs @ Houston Rockets
Dallas Mavericks @ Golden State Warriors
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Utah Jazz

PG 1 - Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors):

The Golden State Warriors are finally beginning to get into a groove this 2018-19 NBA season. They have won 6 of their last 10 matches and are currently just 1 game behind the Western Conference leaders, Denver Nuggets.

The Warriors have a 21-11 record and are 3rd in the West. In their latest game, the Warriors suffered a loss at the hands of the Utah Jazz, 103-108. This was not due to the lack of their star player, Steph Curry, not showing up.

Curry has had a wonderful start to his 2018-19 season, apart from a few injuries to deal with. He is averaging a wonderful 29 points per game, along with 5 assists and 5 rebounds per game as well. He is shooting at an eye-popping 50% from the field, under 48% from 3 and almost 95% from the free throw line, numbers which are quite frankly unheard of.

In the game against the Utah Jazz, Curry scored a brilliant 32 points in 37 minutes, getting 3 assists and 3 rebounds as well as 3 steals and 1 block. He will look to keep it going against the Dallas Mavericks tomorrow.

Alternate pick: Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers)

PG 2 - Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder):

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been a team on fire this season. Even though Andre Roberson is potentially out for the season and a bunch of injuries, they are still fighting for the top spot in the Western Conference.

They are currently 2nd in the West, with a 20-10 record and are just 1 game behind the Nuggets in first place. They won their last game with a huge performance from their big 3, 132-113, but the player in focus had his 2nd triple double in as many nights, Russell Westbrook.

Oklahoma City Thunder are surging up the Western Conference

Westbrook has been nothing short of stupendous this season. He is averaging a triple double again. He is scoring just under 21 points per game, along with more than 10 assists and almost 11 rebounds per game. In the win over the Sacramento Kings, Westbrook scored a big 19 points, along with a massive 17 assists and 11 rebounds as well.

He is an elite defender and it shows, as he has had 5 games in a row with 4 or more steals, he had 6 steals in the win over the Kings. He is playing at an elite level and will continue to carry this form forward against the Utah Jazz.

Alternate pick: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)

SG 1 - Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns):

The Phoenix Suns have been a really bad team throughout the 2018-19 season, winning just 4 of their first 28 games. But of late, they have seem to have found some form, having won the last 4 games in a row and not just against teams in the same boat as them.

They are still at the bottom of the Western Conference but have a 8-24 record now. The main reason for this change has got to be the return of their star guard, Devin Booker.

Since Booker has returned from his injury, The Suns have not lost a single game, beating the likes of the Boston Celtics, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks. Booker himself has been magnificent since returning, averaging over 30 points per game, with 6 assists and 6 rebounds.

He seems to have become a great distributor of the ball, considering the lack of point guards on the Suns. For the season, Booker is scoring more than 24 points per game and almost getting 7 assists too. If it weren't for his frequent injuries, the Suns could have possibly been in playoff contention this season.

Look out for Booker to continue his strong play against a weak Washington Wizards.

Alternate pick: Lou Williams (Los Angeles Clippers)

SG 2 - James Harden (Houston Rockets):

No matter the day, James Harden seems to be the best player on the court on any given night. He has been in absolutely mind-blowing form, carrying the Houston Rockets on his shoulders.

The Rockets this season have not been playing as good as they were last season, currently occupying the 9th spot, with a 16-15 record. They have won the last 5 of their 6 matches, losing their last game to the Miami Heat 101-99. Let us now, discuss about the player in the spotlight, James Harden.

James Harden seems to have been let loose.

Harden is leading the NBA scorers this season as well, averaging a massive 32 points per game, along with 8 assists and just under 6 rebounds per game too. He has not scored below 30 points in his last 5 games and has crossed 45 points in 2 of them.

In the loss against the Heat, Harden had scored a huge 35 points, along with 12 assists and 6 rebounds. He even had 2 steals to go with his huge stat line but could not get the Rockets to win. With Chris Paul injured for another 2-4 weeks, Harden will take on an even bigger role in getting the Rockets into contention again, starting with the game against the San Antonio Spurs tomorrow.

Alternate pick: Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)

SF 1 - Kawhi Leonard (Toronto Raptors):

The Toronto Raptors have been leading the Eastern Conference since the 2018-19 NBA season began and are currently just 1.5 games ahead of the 2nd place Milwaukee Bucks with a 25-9 record.

They finally seem to be getting back on the winning track, having won their last 2 matches on the trot. They are missing a few of their starters in Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valanciunas, Serge Ibaka. Kawhi Leonard's return seems to have spurred them on again and he will look to bring his A-game in a tough match against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Toronto Raptors are struggling to consolidate their top spot

Leonard has been playing at a really high level this season, hurtling him into the MVP conversation once again. He is averaging a huge 27 points per game, with more than 8 rebounds a game and just over 3 assists too. He is an elite defender and is proving it, by getting almost 2 steals and a block per game too.

In the win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Leonard scored a massive 37 points in 32 minutes, along with 6 rebounds and 1 assist. He even had a nice steal to go with it. Look for him to keep it going for the Raptors to have a chance against the 76ers tomorrow.

Alternate pick: Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)

SF 2 - Paul George (Oklahoma City Thunder):

The Oklahoma City Thunder, as we read in one of the previous slides, has been playing some really good basketball this season. Currently 2nd in the Western Conference with a 20-10 record, they have won their last 3 games in a row and are only 1 game behind the top spot, currently with the Denver Nuggets.

Apart from another triple double season from Russell Westbrook, Paul George has been a huge part of why this team is playing so well.

Oklahoma City Thunder are coasting on the back of their Big 3

George has been playing some really good basketball this season, averaging more than 25 points per game on an average, grabbing just under 8 rebounds and dishing out more than 4 assists per game as well. George is considered one of the best defenders in league and he is averaging a massive 2 steals per game, along with just under 1 block average too.

In the win over the Kings, George exploded, scoring 43 points, with 7 assists and 12 rebounds as well. He is one of the main reasons why the Thunder are doing so well and if he keeps this performance up, the Thunder has a great chance this season and tomorrow night against the Utah Jazz.

Alternate pick: Harrison Barnes (Dallas Mavericks)

PF 1 - Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks):

The Milwaukee Bucks have had a rollicking start to their 2018-19 NBA season, currently in the 2nd place in the Eastern Conference, and have closed down the gap with the top spot to just 1.5 games. Their new system under coach Mike Budenholzer really seems to be working out well.

In the last game, they beat the Boston Celtics convincingly, 120-107, with the Celtics unable to force their way back into the game. The Bucks are currently with a 22-9 record, having won their last 4 games in a row.

Milwaukee Bucks have this man to thank for their great start

If they want to get the 5 wins in a row against the Miami Heat, Giannis Antetokoumpo needs to keep performing at the level he has started to 2018-19 season. He is currently averaging just under 27 points per game and 13 rebounds per game as well.

He is even averaging 6 assists per game too, along with 3 combined steals and blocks, making him a very valuable player to the Bucks' setup. He scored a massive 30 points, along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists to go with 3 blocks against the Boston Celtics last night and needs to keep it going in order to get the win over the Heat tomorrow.

Alternate pick: N/A

PF 2 - Tobias Harris (Los Angeles Clippers):

The Los Angeles Clippers have been another surprise team from the Western Conference. They are currently 5th in the West, with a 18-13 record, just 3.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets at the top.

They have been in a rut in the past 5 games, winning just 1, their last game against the Dallas Mavericks, 125-121. One player who needs to get back to his November form, is Tobias Harris.

Tobias Harris has been an amazing player for the Clippers this season

Harris has been the go-to player for the Los Angeles Clippers this season. He is averaging a career high 21 points per game, along with 8 rebounds and 2 assists per game too. He is also shooting a lot more, and with more efficiency as well.

In the win over the Mavericks, Tobias scored 16 points, with 9 rebounds and 5 assists as well. In the last 5 matches, he has scored more than 20 points on just 2 occasions and the Clippers must be looking for him to break out of this rut against the Denver Nuggets tomorrow.

Alternate pick: Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors)

C 1 - Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers):

The Philadelphia 76ers have been a team who are on the verge of figuring out how to play elite basketball with each other, which will unlock them and take them to the next level. They traded for Jimmy Butler by sending Dario Saric and Robert Covington off to the Minnesota Timberwolves this season, showing that the Process seems to be truly at an end.

They are currently 4th in the Eastern Conference with a 21-12 record and just 3.5 games behind the Raptors. When Joel Embiid plays well, the team seems to play well too and win most of the time.

Joel Embiid has been touted as a dark horse MVP candidate

Embiid has been superb for the 76ers this season, averaging over 26 points per game this season, along with 13 rebounds and under 4 assists per game too. His rim blocking ability has only gotten better, as he is averaging a great 1.8 blocks per game.

In the previous game, a win over the New York Knicks, Embiid scored an efficient 24 points in 26 minutes and still managed to get 10 rebounds along with 4 assists and a block. He seems to be the key in the 76ers plan and look for them to go for the win against an injury-ridden Raptors team tomorrow.

Alternate pick: Steven Adams (Oklahoma City Thunder)

C 2 - Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets):

The Denver Nuggets are currently leaders of the Western conference, with a 21-9 record and they are on a 4 game win streak. The Nuggets have won the last 8 of their 10 matches, even without their regular starters such as Gary Harris, Paul Millsap and Will Barton, all out due to injury. One of the reasons why they are playing so well, is due to the star center, Nikola Jokic.

Nikola Jokic is playing like an MVP candidate

Jokic is averaging really amazing numbers, especially for a center. He is averaging 18 points per game, along with 10 rebounds and more than 7 assists per game as well. He is even managing a block a game and 1.5 steals too, showing improvement defensively.

In the win over the Dallas Mavericks last time out, Jokic was absolutely amazing, scoring a huge 32 points, along with 16 rebounds and 4 assists. He even managed 3 steals and 1 block in that match. If the Nuggets are to continue this amazing run, they need Jokic at his best against the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow night.

Alternate pick: Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz)