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  • Xavier Tillman (personal) active Thursday
    Xavier Tillman (personal reasons) is listed as active for Thursday’s Game 2 matchup between the Celtics and Pacers.

    Advice: Tillman wasn’t with his team for Game 1 because of personal reasons but will be available on Thursday. The reserve big man might give Boston some spot minutes off the pine but isn’t expected to play a significant role. Rotoworld Today, 10:04 am
     
  • Available for Game 2
    Tillman (personal) is available for Thursday's Game 2 against the Pacers, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.

    Advice: The reserve big has seen limited action throughout the playoffs, appearing in just three games -- one against Miami and two against Cleveland. With Kristaps Porzingis (calf) expected to be sidelined until at least Game 4, Al Horford has been seeing extended minutes. It's possible Tillman will be thrown into action in hopes of giving Horford some more rest time. Rotowire.com Today, 9:30 am
     
  • Poor shooting in Game 1
    Towns racked up 16 points (6-20 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and one steal across 34 minutes during Wednesday's 108-105 loss to Dallas in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

    Advice: The Timberwolves need Towns to be consistent as an offensive threat, and while the numbers have been there most of the time, the efficiency has been lacking. Towns has scored at least 20 points in four of his last eight appearances since the start of the series against the Nuggets while shooting 47.4 percent from the field in that span, so he seems to be getting the job done even when he has an off night from time to time. Given he only made 30 percent of his shots in Game 1 on Wednesday, Towns will aim to bounce back in Game 2 on Friday. Rotowire.com Today, 8:39 am
     
  • Close to double-double in win
    Gafford accumulated 10 points (5-9 FG), nine rebounds and one block across 21 minutes during Wednesday's 108-105 win over Minnesota in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

    Advice: Gafford has been rotating at center with Dereck Lively, but the former Wizards big man continues to deliver every time he's called upon duty. He's scored in double digits in six of his last eight playoff contests, a span in which he's averaging 11.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest. It's only one game, but he looked quite good despite dealing with the presence and threat of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns throughout the contest. Rotowire.com Today, 8:33 am
     
  • Naz Reid tallies 15 points, full line in Game 1
    Naz Reid shot 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-4 from the foul line in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, and three 3-pointers in 24 minutes.

    Advice: As has been the case throughout this season, Reid gave the Timberwolves solid production off the bench in Wednesday’s Game 1. Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, their bench outscoring the Mavericks reserves by a 28-14 margin didn’t mean much. Kyle Anderson added 11 points, two rebounds, two assists, and one 3-pointer in 17 minutes, shooting 5-of-8 from the field. While Reid and Rudy Gobert (12/7/1/1/2 in 38 minutes) recorded full stat lines, the struggles of Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards were too much to overcome. Minnesota will look to tie the series in Game 2 on Friday night. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:58 pm
     
  • Karl-Anthony Towns scores 16 points in Game 1 loss
    Karl-Anthony Towns finished Wednesday’s 108-105 loss to the Mavericks with 16 points (6-of-20 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers in 34 minutes.

    Advice: Minnesota’s top two offensive weapons struggled on Wednesday, with Towns shooting 6-of-20 from the field and Anthony Edwards slightly better at 6-of-16. KAT shot 51% from the field in the second-round series against Denver, and he was a 52.6% shooter in four regular-season meetings with the Mavericks. However, each meeting with Dallas was played before the trade deadline, so Wednesday was KAT’s first look at a Mavericks lineup that included PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford. If the Timberwolves are to win this series, Towns has to be more efficient than he was in Game 1. Game 2 is on Friday night. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:53 pm
     
  • Dereck Lively II grabs team-high 11 rebounds
    Dereck Lively II shot 4-of-4 from the field and 1-of-1 from the foul line in Wednesday’s win over Minnesota, amassing nine points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 27 minutes.

    Advice: As has been the case on most nights since the trade deadline, Lively and starting center Daniel Gafford combined to provide solid production for the Mavericks in Wednesday’s series opener. The rookie out of Duke was more effective as a rebounder and shot blocker, and his ability to make plays out of the short roll is why Lively played more than Gafford. And DG was solid in his time on the court, accounting for 10 points, nine rebounds, and one blocked shot. While Lively and Gafford averaged similar minutes in the second round (23.0 per game for the former, 23.5 for the latter), don’t be surprised if the former plays a little more in this series. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:30 pm
     
  • Nikola Jokic headlines All-NBA First Team quintet
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic were named First-Team All-NBA on Wednesday.

    Advice: The All-NBA first team offered no surprises, including the top four vote-getters for Most Valuable Player. Jokic, who won his third MVP in four seasons, led the way, with Gilgeous-Alexander, Doncic, and Tatum next. Rounding out the squad was Antetokounmpo, named All-NBA for the eighth time in his career. SGA earned All-NBA first-team honors for the second straight season. He and Jokic were the only unanimous selections. Rotoworld Yesterday, 4:56 pm
     
  • Xavier Tillman (personal) questionable for Game 2
    Xavier Tillman (personal reasons) is questionable for Thursday’s game against the Pacers.

    Advice: Tillman was not with the Celtics for Tuesday’s overtime victory. His absence did not impact the Celtics’ rotation, as he’s no higher than third in the pecking order behind Al Horford and Luke Kornet. Rotoworld Yesterday, 2:44 pm