The Thunder, who were never really in Wednesday's Game 5, turned to a strategy of hacking center Omer Asik late in the game, but Asik finished by hitting 4-of-6 shots and 13-of-18 free throws for 21 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.
Asik, who shot 56 percent from the line this season, handled the pressure admirably and knocked down a majority of the free throws the Thunder handed him. The Thunder got it down to a six-point deficit, but continued to foul Asik, who kept hitting more than he was missing. Scott Brooks will be ripped for the decision, but given the fact that the Thunder really weren't doing much before the hack-fest starting, Brooks was just pulling at straws trying to make something happen. The Thunder will try to avoid a Game 7 by beating the Rockets in Houston in Friday's Game 6, but they'll have to play much better than they did tonight to make it happen.

Omer Asik is getting treatment on his back in advance of Wednesday's Game 5.
Asik's back has "bugged him (the) last couple days," but it's not expected to prevent Asik from playing as he usually would. He went off for 17 points, 14 boards, a steal and a block on Monday and will be tasked with playing a key role once again on Wednesday.

Omer Asik double-doubled in Game 4's 105-103 win against the Thunder with 17 points and 14 boards in 38 minutes.
He added one assist, one steal and one block on 7-of-10 shooting to keep the Rockets alive. Asik has been big in the paint on defense and the Thunder haven't really been aggressive in getting shots at the rim. Although, OKC did rank 29th in the NBA in points in the paint, so Houston's perimeter defense will be huge in order to extend this series. Patrick Beverly was also solid on Monday with 16 points, four boards, three assists, one steal, one block and two 3-pointers.

Omer Asik grabbed 22 boards in a win over the Suns on Tuesday, adding eight points, two steals and two blocks in 38 minutes.
He leads the NBA in total rebounds with 914 and is ranked third in rebounds per game behind Dwight Howard and Nikola Vucevic. Asik doesn't have much skills on offense, but his 1.1 blocks make him a must-start in standard leagues.

Omer Asik went off for 22 points (ties a career high) and 18 rebounds on 11-of-13 shooting in Monday's easy win over the Magic.
He didn't block a shot, but owners have to be psyched with his stellar line tonight. He played through an illness on Friday and had just six points and four boards, but looks good to go from here on out.

Omer Asik (illness) played in Friday's loss to the Grizzlies, scoring six points on 3-of-5 shooting with four rebounds and no steals or blocks in 22 minutes.
It's understandable to see Asik struggle against the Grizzlies' stout interior on a night he wasn't up to par. The Rockets play on Saturday against the Clippers, and owners should watch for reports about his health going into that contest.

Omer Asik did not go through shootaround because of a head cold, but he's expected to play on Friday.
We're not worried about Asik as it seems like his absence in shootaround was merely precautionary. If for some reason he's forced to sit out, Greg Smith, who had a ridiculous double-double on Wednesday, would draw the start.

Omer Asik had 13 points, 11 rebounds and one block in Friday's win over the Cavs.
Asik's groin did not appear to bother him and he was able to rest for the entire fourth quarter of this blowout. The Turkish sensation hasn't missed a game all year and is one of just six NBA players averaging a double-double with at least 1.0 blocks. He does have a pair of tough matchups on deck with the Spurs and Pacers.

Omer Asik (groin) returned to practice on Thursday and is expected to play on Friday.
Asik tweaked his groin earlier in the week, but we're not concerned about it after he was able to get through a full practice on Friday.

Omer Asik played through his groin injury on Wednesday and had 14 points, seven rebounds and a block on 4-of-7 shooting.
He's fine and should be in starting lineups going forward.

Omer Asik, who left Tuesday's practice with a mild groin strain, is going through shootaround on Wednesday which is a "strong sign" he'll be ready to play.
The Rockets take on the Suns and will be looking for revenge, so Asik's presence inside will help against a team without Marcin Gortat. Asik should be ready to roll, and as long as he plays, owners should be sure he's active as he's a solid choice to put up a productive line.

Omer Asik suffered a "mild" groin injury in Tuesday's practice, and we're calling him questionable for Wednesday's game against the Suns until we get another report.
Asik should have a field day against the Suns even if Jermaine O'Neal plays a full boat of minutes, and while we might normally say the Rockets could get conservative against an imploding team the Suns got the best of the Rockets on Saturday. If Asik can't go, then Greg Smith would be the next man up but the Rockets could also skew toward smaller lineups.

Omer Asik shot 4-of-5 from the field for 12 points with 15 boards in just 23 minutes against the Mavericks on Wednesday.
He's the current leader in total rebounds on the season and has added a useful 54 percent from the field and 1.1 blocks per game. It would have been hard to image that a lumbering man like Asik would flourish in Houston's up-tempo game, but he's been nothing short of impressive.

Omer Asik torched Larry Sanders and the Bucks for 16 points and a career-high 22 rebounds on 7-of-12 shooting in Wednesday's tough loss.
Asik is having a great season and while his fantasy rankings aren't great due to the fact that he's only good for points, rebounds and blocks, and is a terrible free throw shooter, he's helping fantasy owners more than he's hurting. The only problem is the Rockets weekly schedule going forward, which is 3-3-3-3-4-3-2.

Omer Asik had just eight points, seven rebounds, a steal and block on Wednesday, hitting 3-of-5 shots and both of his free throw attempts.
He came in on fire, and is still averaging 14.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in seven February games, despite tonight's line. He's shooting 60 percent from the floor over that stretch, but just 58 percent from the line in four attempts per game. He was due for an off night, and we expect him to pick up where he left off after the All-Star break.

Omer Asik had 13 points, 15 rebounds and zero blocks in Tuesday's win.
Asik has hit double digits in rebounds in nine straight games, with double doubles in seven of those, and is averaging 13 points, 13.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks over his last five. Sure, he doesn't steal or assist the ball, and is a terrible free throw shooter, but only shoots four per game. In our opinion, he does a lot more good than harm, especially if you're punting free throw percentage. It also doesn't hurt that he hasn't missed a single game this season.

Omer Asik had his fifth double-double in his last six games on Sunday with 17 points and 12 boards to go with three blocks on 8-of-9 shooting vs. the Kings.
He's created a bit of a hullabaloo with his rebounding prowess, averaging 13.7 per game over his previous 10 contests. He's also been blocking shots with 1.3 per game in that span and it's surprising to see a lumbering man like Asik succeed on a team that leads the NBA in possessions per game. He belongs in all lineups.

Omer Asik blocked a season-high four shots against the Blazers on Friday with nine points and 13 rebounds in a 118-103 win.
The rebounds have also been coming in bunches in his last seven games with 13.9 per game. Asik had a bit of a Bizarro shooting night with 3-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from the line since he shots 53.6 percent and 54.9, respectively. Asik should be in all lineups.

Omer Asik had 11 points and 15 rebounds in Tuesday's easy win over the Warriors.
Asik is hot again, double-doubling in four of his last five games and averaging 12.8 points, 16.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks over his last five. Keep rolling him out there.

Omer Asik had 10 points, 19 rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block on 4-of-7 shooting Wednesday.
He also had a whopping seven turnovers, but is hot again after an off night last Friday, averaging 11 points, 18 rebounds and a block over his last three games.

Omer Asik took advantage of Brook Lopez on Saturday and had 20 points, 16 rebounds and zero blocks in a win over the Nets.
He had zero points and six boards in his previous game and hadn't hit double figures in scoring in four straight games coming in. Hopefully this was the game he needed to get going again, although his 2-of-6 free throw shooting wasn't impressive.

Omer Asik battled foul trouble against the Wolves on Saturday, scoring two points with five rebounds in 16 minutes.
He was coming off a career-high 22 points, so there's nothing to be concerned with at this point. Asik doesn't have much of an offensive game and he's terrible at free throws this year, making just 55 percent of his attempts. He should still be in most lineups for boards, blocks and field goal percentage. Greg Smith picked up 25 minutes with 12 points and eight boards in the loss.

Omer Asik scored a career-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting (6-of-7 FTs) with 12 rebounds, one steal, and three blocks in Friday's loss to the Pacers.
If Asik could do this with any regularity he'd be a fantasy stud, but he's not going to make free throws like this normally and the five turnovers he had tonight illustrate an ongoing problem. Unless you're punting in these areas, his value is much lower than his big man stats would suggest.

Omer Asik had 12 points, 15 rebounds, a steal and two blocks in Wednesday's loss to the Mavs.
Asik was recently struggling but has turned it around, posting double-doubles in two of his last three games and averaging nearly 12 points and 11 boards over that stretch.

Omer Asik shot 6-of-7 from the field and made all four free throws for 16 points to go with 10 rebounds and two assists against the Sixers on Saturday.
It was the first time in over two months he was able to shoot 100 percent from the line with more than two attempts in a game. Asik is shooting 53 percent from the line and taking 4.4 attempts per game, so he is the third worst player to own for free throw percentage in fantasy leagues. He's a threat for a double-double every night with some blocks and is one of the better big men to own.

Omer Asik had his third poor night in a row with eight points, eight rebounds and a block in 26 minutes in a loss to the Hornets.
Asik was cruising along until his last three games, but it seems to be more of a slump than anything else. This is a good buy-low opportunity on Asik, who is averaging 10 points, 11 boards and a block on the season, despite his recent fade.

Omer Asik struggled again on Tuesday with just two points, five rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes against the shorthanded Lakers.
Asik had just four points and six boards on Saturday, but it feels more like a slump than anything else. Look for him to bounce back at New Orleans on Wednesday, as he was rolling prior to these two bad games.

Omer Asik hit 8-of-14 shots to tie a career high with 21 points, along with eight rebounds and a block in a win over the Hornets.
He's having a great season and has scored in double figures in two straight games after scoring nine or fewer in his previous three games. He's not going to be a great scoring option, but his 12 boards and a block per game are where it's at from your fantasy center.