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  • Jayson Tatum racks up six turnovers in Game 1 win
    Jayson Tatum logged 42 minutes in Thursday’s 107-89 win over the Mavericks, finishing with 16 points (6-of-16 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), 11 rebounds, five assists, one block, and three 3-pointers.

    Advice: Making his second NBA Finals appearance, Tatum struggled with inefficiency on Thursday. In addition to shooting below 50% from the field, he was responsible for six of Boston’s 12 turnovers. Tatum averaged 3.3 turnovers per game in Boston’s four-game sweep of the Pacers, and the average has increased by the round in these playoffs. His performance in Game 1 did not weigh down Boston, as Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis helped pick up the slack, but he will need to be better moving forward. Game 2 is on Sunday night. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:40 pm
     
  • Derrick White hits three 3-pointers, scores 15
    Derrick White amassed 15 points (5-of-11 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), two rebounds, five assists, one steal, and three 3-pointers in 35 minutes in Thursday’s win over the Mavericks.

    Advice: Boston opened the 2024 NBA Finals on a high note, as they blitzed the Mavericks early and kept the visitors at a safe distance throughout. White was one of six Celtics in double figures and one of two players (Jayson Tatum) to make three 3-pointers on the night. The Celtics shot 16-of-42 from deep as a team, outscoring Dallas by a 48-21 margin. Backcourt sidekick Jrue Holiday also had a good night, as he finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers in 35 minutes. Boston will look to take a 2-0 series lead when the teams meet again on Sunday. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:22 pm
     
  • Jaylen Brown posts 22/6/2/3/3 line in Game 1 rout
    Jaylen Brown played 37 minutes in Thursday’s 107-89 win over Dallas, accumulating 22 points (7-of-12 FGs, 6-of-11 FTs), six rebounds, two assists, three steals, three blocks, and two 3-pointers.

    Advice: DFS players who slotted Brown into their lineups were rewarded handsomely on Thursday, as he produced a full stat line while leading the Celtics in scoring, steals, and blocks (tied with Kristaps Porzingis). The Eastern Conference Finals MVP did not skip a beat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, which was good for Boston, as Jayson Tatum struggled with his shot and turnovers. Brown has been on a roll recently, and the lower price tag could make him a better pick to lead your DFS squad than Tatum moving forward. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:18 pm
     
  • Kristaps Porzingis comes out hot, finishes with 20
    Kristaps Porzingis (right soleus strain) finished Thursday’s 107-89 win over Dallas with 20 points (8-of-13 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), six rebounds, three blocks, and two 3-pointers in 21 minutes.

    Advice: Appearing in a game for the first time since April 29, Porzingis showed no signs of rust in his NBA Finals debut. The 7-foot-3 big man was elite in the first quarter, tallying 11 points, three rebounds, and three blocked shots. Porzingis did not start on Thursday, with Joe Mazzulla electing to stick with Al Horford. The approach was successful, and Boston not having to extend Porzingis minutes-wise was another positive. Horford played 20 minutes and was productive, finishing with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two 3-pointers. Game 2 is on Sunday night; we’ll see if Mazzulla leaves Porzingis in the sixth-man role or moves him back into the starting lineup. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:08 pm
     
  • PJ Washington records 14/8/1 line in Game 1 loss
    PJ Washington finished Thursday’s 107-89 loss to the Celtics with 14 points (5-of-11 FGs, 4-of-6 FTs), eight rebounds, and one assist in 36 minutes.

    Advice: Like many of his teammates, Washington struggled from deep in Game 1. The Mavericks forward was 0-of-3 from three, and the Mavericks shot 7-of-27 as a team. With Boston making 16 3-pointers, the 27-point margin was too significant for Dallas to overcome. Washington has reached double figures in six consecutive games, but Thursday ended a three-game streak of at least two 3-pointers. He and the Mavericks will look to rebound in Game 2 on Sunday night. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:04 pm
     
  • Kyrie Irving goes cold from deep, scores 12 points
    Kyrie Irving played 37 minutes in Thursday’s Game 1 loss to the Celtics, tallying 12 points (6-of-19 FGs), three rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

    Advice: Playing in the NBA Finals for the first time since his last season with the Cavaliers (2016-17), Irving struggled mightily in Game 1. Not only did he fail to make a 3-pointer, missing all five attempts, but he did not attempt a free throw. Boston outscored Dallas by a 48-21 margin from three, and the Mavericks also struggled from inside the arc. While Dallas needs to be better, beating a team as good as the Celtics with Irving struggling is challenging. He’ll look to bounce back in Game 2 on Sunday. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:03 pm
     
  • Luka Doncic scores game-high 30 in Game 1 defeat
    Luka Doncic shot 12-of-26 from the field and 2-of-5 from the foul line in Thursday’s loss to the Celtics, scoring 30 points with 10 rebounds, one assist, two steals, and four 3-pointers in 38 minutes.

    Advice: Doncic was relatively effective as a scorer, but he could not do much playmaking for others in his NBA Finals debut. Boston did its best to avoid committing too many bodies to defending Doncic, resulting in a postseason-low one assist. Also, Luka was responsible for four of Dallas’ ten turnovers on the night. It would be wise to avoid overreacting to Game 1, as the Mavericks dropped their series openers against the Clippers and Thunder. But Doncic’s assist tally will be something to track moving forward. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:56 pm
     
  • Coming off bench in Game 1
    Porzingis will come off the bench in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Mavericks on Thursday.

    Advice: Head coach Joe Mazulla said that Porzingis wasn't going to have any minute restrictions in Game 1, but the team opted to play it safe with his conditioning level, and he'll come off the bench. That decision makes sense given that Porzingis hasn't played since logging 14 minutes in the 102-88 win over the Heat on April 29 in Game 4 of the first-round series. For Game 1 of the Finals, Al Horford will remain in the starting lineup, though he's still expected to experience a downgrade in his minutes with Porzingis seeing action off the bench. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 5:15 pm
     
  • Al Horford to start NBA Finals opener Thursday
    Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford will start Thursday’s game against the Mavericks.

    Advice: Horford will remain in the starting lineup for Game 1 in a move that may surprise some. Kristaps Porzingis, who has been sidelined since injuring his calf during Game 3 of Boston’s first-round series against Miami, will come off the bench in his first game back. The last time Porzingis came off the bench in a game, regular season or playoffs: , as a member of the Knicks. Rotoworld Yesterday, 5:11 pm