This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We're set for a pair of critical Game 5s in a pair of series that are knotted at 2-2, and both contests are unsurprisingly expected to be very tightly contested. We also are blessed with a very light injury report, always a major plus when the player pool is narrow to begin with.
Slate Overview
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Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Tuesday, May 14 @12:00 a.m. ET:
Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks (-2.5) (O/U: 215.5)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets (-4) (O/U: 205.5)
Oddsmakers are understandably predicting the pair of Game 5 clashes to be very close, even with each series having already seen a big blowout victory apiece. Both road teams are certainly being afforded respect despite being in enemy territory, with Indiana having played New York very tough at MSG in the first two games of the series and Minnesota having surprisingly handed Denver two very rare Ball Arena losses in Games 1 and 2.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
OG Anunoby, NYK (hamstring): OUT
In Anunoby's absence, Precious Achiuwa should continue drawing the start at power forward.
Tyrese Haliburton, IND (back/ankle): QUESTIONABLE
If Haliburton is unable to play through his questionable tag, T.J. McConnell could draw the start at point guard, while the rest of the starting five would be teed up for extra usage.
Jamal Murray, DEN (calf): QUESTIONABLE
Murray should be able to continue playing through his injury, but if he were to have a setback, Reggie Jackson would be in line for a start at point guard
Other notable injuries:
Isaiah Hartenstein, NYK (shoulder): PROBABLE
Elite Players
We have three players with five-figure salaries on Tuesday's slate – Nikola Jokic ($12,100), Anthony Edwards ($10,300) and Jalen Brunson ($10,100).
Jokic has been over 60 FD points in each of the last two games, both Denver wins, and he should naturally be heavily involved once again back on his home floor, where he posted 57.1 FD points back in Game 1.
Edwards exploded for 63.5 FD points in 45 minutes during Game 4, and he also proved capable of eclipsing that total in Denver's altitude by recording 63.9 back in Game 1. He's also shooting 60.5 percent, including 44.4 percent from distance, in the first four games.
Brunson is in a bit of a funk over the last two games, shooting just 37.2 percent, including 18.2 percent from three-point range, and scoring under 35 FD points in both contests. However, his usage is essentially locked in, and he shot 56.8 percent over the first two games of the series at MSG.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Tyrese Haliburton, IND ($9,500)
If Haliburton is announced as available again despite his injuries, he should be very popular after having scored 61.7 and 57.3 FD points in Games 2 and 3.
Josh Hart, NYK ($8,700)
Hart's absolute of a Game 4 performance (6.6 FD points) aside, he should be in plenty of lineups Tuesday after averaging 43.8 FD points in the Knicks' first nine postseason games.
Jamal Murray, DEN ($8,100)
Assuming Murray continues to play through his calf injury, he should be in plenty of lineups at his salary after producing 42.3 and 40 FD points in his last two games.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN ($7,800)
KAT has been more quiet than usual in his last two games, but the combination of his upside and salary should keep very popular on the small slate.
Pascal Siakam, IND ($7,700)
Siakam is averaging 31.8 FD points per game and shooting 54.4 percent thus far in the series, numbers that should keep his rostering rate solid at his salary Tuesday.
Key Values
Aaron Gordon, DEN vs. MIN ($6,700)
Gordon just authored his second 50+ FD-point tally of the postseason in Game 4, going nearly perfect from the field (11-for-12) and draining all three of his free-throw tries and both three-point attempts. The veteran big man averaged 28.4 FD points in the first three games of the series as well while shooting a blistering 63.0 percent, including 60.0 percent from behind the arc. It's clear Gordon is capable of getting the better of the matchup against what might be the weakest defensive link on the T-Wolves' first unit, Karl-Anthony Towns, keeping Denver's floor-spacing forward firmly in play while back at home in Game 5.
Mike Conley, MIN at DEN ($6,100)
Conley has been offering solid, well-rounded production over the first four games of the series, putting up 10.8 points (on 38.9 percent three-point shooting), 7.8 assists. 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest on his way to an average of 29.6 FD points. The fact Jamal Murray is playing through a calf strain could be helping Conley's case as well, and the veteran point guard is encouragingly matching the 8.5 shot attempts he averaged during the regular season. Conley has already eclipsed 30 FD points on five occasions this postseason, making him a very viable value at his salary.
Obi Toppin, IND at NYK ($4,400)
Speaking of players who've been able to deliver solid returns during the playoffs, Toppin has scored over 24 FD points in five of the last six postseason games, shooting 55.6 percent, including 42.3 percent from distance, during that span. The big man also boasts a 54.5 percent success rate from behind the arc during the current series against his old Knicks squad, affording him plenty of upside at his salary despite the second-unit role.
ALSO CONSIDER: T.J. McConnell, IND at NYK ($5,600); Naz Reid, MIN at DEN ($4,000)
