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  • 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 Today, 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 Today, 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 Today, 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 Today, 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 Today, 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 Today, 5:11 pm
     
  • Available for Game 1
    Doncic (knee) will be available for Game 1 of the NBA Finals versus Boston on Thursday, as expected.

    Advice: Doncic was listed as probable on the initial injury report, just like he has been throughout the playoffs, and that trend will likely continue throughout the Finals. He shouldn't have any minutes restrictions and should be ready to shoulder a heavy load on offense. Rotowire.com Today, 4:36 pm
     
  • Available for Game 1 of Finals
    Prosper (ankle) is available for Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Celtics on Thursday.

    Advice: Prosper used the break between the Conference Finals and the NBA Finals to recover from his injury, and he's ready to step on the hardwood for the first time since April 21. He's logged just one minute this postseason, so he's not expected to play a prominent role in the series. Rotowire.com Today, 4:36 pm
     
  • Olivier-Maxence Prosper (ankle) active Thursday
    Olivier-Maxence Prosper (left ankle sprain) is available for Thursday’s NBA Finals opener against Boston.

    Advice: Prosper has been sidelined since Game 1 of Dallas’ first-round series against the Clippers. The rookie wasn’t a consistent rotation member during the regular season, so there’s no need to consider O-Max for DFS lineups. Rotoworld Today, 4:36 pm