Around the Association: Monday Recap + Player Props, DFS Plays for Tuesday Night

This article is part of our NBA Daily Recap series.

Welcome to another edition of Around the Association. Here is all of the fantasy-relevant news that you need to know:

Al Horford wins the staring contest

• Yesterday I pondered the question if Al Horford is dipping his bottle into the Fountain of Youth before every game. Now, I am pretty convinced he is taking his post-game ice baths in it. The veteran big exploded for 30 points (11-14 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds, three assists, one block and one turnover over 42 minutes to lead Boston to a 116-108 road win. 
• Horford's heroic efforts helped the Celtics tie the series up at two games a piece. This marked the 35-year-old's first career 30-point playoff outing. Horford has been incredible all series long, boasting averages of 18.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks over the first four contests. 
  • Jayson Tatum had a big outing in the win, finishing with 30 points (11-24 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 13 rebounds and five assists across 42 minutes. The All-Star struggled from deep on the road, shooting 3-for-16 (18.8 percent) from beyond the arc over Games 3 and 4. Regardless, Tatum has posted at least 29 points in five out of his first eight playoff appearances this postseason. 
• Despite coming up short and handing home-court advantage back to the Celtics, Giannis Antetokounmpo was his usual, unstoppable self. The reigning Finals MVP ended the loss with 34 points (14-32 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 6-11 FT), 18 rebounds and five assists over 41 minutes. Antetokounmpo did not have a single contest with at least 30 field goal attempts over the regular season but now has done both in Game 3 and Game 4. The dominant force is a must-have in all of my DFS lineups whenever the Bucks are on the slate. 
  • Jrue Holiday struggled with his shot in the loss, finishing with 16 points (5-22 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 5-5 FT), seven rebounds, nine assists and three steals in 41 minutes. Holiday is now shooting just 33.6 percent from the field and 30.9 percent from deep through the first four games of the series. Monday's effort marked the eighth time in 32 playoff games for the Bucks that Holiday has shot under 30 percent from the floor.

Dubs rally to take control

• With Ja Morant (knee) watching from the sides, the Grizzlies were in a good spot to steal Game 4 on the road and tie up the series with a double-digit lead in the fourth. However, Golden State was able to rally in the final period to win 101-98 and gain a commanding 3-1 lead over Memphis.
• Stephen Curry did not have the most efficient performance, but the two-time MVP still shined with 32 points (10-25 FG, 4-14 3Pt, 8-9 FT), five rebounds, eight assists and one steal across 38 minutes. In the five games he has appeared in since rejoining the Warriors' starting lineup, Curry is averaging 28.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists per showing.
  • I want to highlight Otto Porter's performance. The veteran forward ended with only 12 points (4-7 FG, 4-6 3Pt), two rebounds, three assists and two steals, but he was incredibly key for Golden State down the stretch. The Warriors would not win that game without Porter's efforts in the fourth.
• Tyus Jones did a magnificent job filling in for Morant in the defeat. The 26-year-old ended with 19 points (8-18 FG, 3-7 3Pt), six rebounds, five assists and one block over 41 minutes. If Morant is once again ruled out for Memphis, Jones definitely remains a solid DFS fantasy choice but is bound to have some lofty ownership totals.
  • Kyle Anderson was great for Memphis off of the bench with 17 points (7-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-7 FT), eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals across 23 minutes. This was Anderson's first double-digit effort of the postseason and his first time seeing over 20 minutes in his last five showings. Maybe this effort will lead to Taylor Jenkins opting to roll with the veteran more.

Previewing Tonight's action

Player Prop Corner

Props via the DraftKings Sportsbook 

• Joel Embiid: Over 25.5 points
  • Embiid is coming into Tuesday's Game 5 with a questionable tag but the All-Star center will suit up, barring some sort of setback. While Embiid has not been a dynamic scorer thus far against Miami, averaging just 21.0 points per game over his first two showings, I think that will all change tonight. Miami's defense has been lockdown all series long, but with the improved play of James Harden I am expecting a few adjustments to be made leaving Embiid with more opportunities. A 25.5-point line for a player who averaged over 30 points per game in the regular season is just too low for me. Also, expect Embiid to be extra motivated after missing out on another MVP award to Nikola Jokic. 
• Chris Paul: Over 8.5 assists
  • The veteran Point God has been a bit off-brand in the assists department as of recent. Paul is averaging just 5.5 assists per game over the first four contests of the series. However, with Phoenix back at home and with its home-court advantage on the line, I am expecting a very solid showing out of Paul. The 36-year-old averaged 1.6 more assists per game at home this season compared to on the road.

DFS Corner

• Stud of the Slate: Luka Doncic ($11,200 FanDuel salary)
  • Doncic is the most expensive player on today's slate, but I am still making sure to get him into nearly all of my lineups. While he calmed down a bit over Games 3 and 4, the 23-year-old has posted at least 47 FanDuel points in each of his seven postseason appearances this year. Don't think too hard about this one.
• Value of the Slate: Victor Oladipo ($4,900 FanDuel salary)
  • Oladipo has officially found himself in Miami's rotation and with Kyle Lowry (hamstring) already being ruled out, it would not be surprising to see Oladipo see even more run during Game 5. The Indiana product has gone for double-digit scoring efforts in three out of his last five showings while averaging 13.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game over that span. While I am expecting Oladipo to come with high ownership he does bring along strong value.
• Spero's Wild Card of the Slate: Duncan Robinson ($3,500 FanDuel salary)
  • I would consider myself a bit of a risky DFS player on the basis that I love to have the cheap value players that nobody else was even looking at. More often than not, these plays don't often pan out, but when they do, it can be very profitable. Robinson hasn't seen the court in this series (literally), but after losing back-to-back games in Philadelphia, it wouldn't surprise me to see Robinson thrust into action for Game 5. This is quite the gamble, but if you are someone who enters multiple entries like me, I like the strategy of tossing him in a few lineups.