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  • Kristaps Porzingis (calf) probable for Game 1
    Kristaps Porzingis (right soleus strain) is expected to play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

    Advice: Porzingis has been out since April 29, but he was reportedly ready to come back as soon as Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana. Boston’s commanding lead in that series allowed the Celtics to rest Porzingis, but after so much time off, it’s unclear if he’ll be rusty or face a minutes restriction. Porzingis’ return presumably means Al Horford will shift back to the bench. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:59 am
     
  • Probable for Game 1
    Porzingis (calf) is expected to play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Mavericks on Thursday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: Porzingis has managed to participate in multiple scrimmages in recent days without any setbacks. He hasn't played since Game 4 of the Celtics' opening-round series versus Miami on April 29, so it will be interesting to see how many minutes he can handle to open the series against Dallas. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:44 am
     
  • Plays reduced minutes in Game 5
    Gobert provided nine points (4-8 FG, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one steal in 26 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

    Advice: Gobert's 26 minutes were his lowest of the series despite recording just one foul. The 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year was often forced to play away from the rim and come out to meet Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the perimeter in the pick-and-roll. Gobert averaged 11.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 34.0 minutes across the five games against Dallas. Rotowire.com Friday, 1:27 pm
     
  • Limited at Friday's practice
    Coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis (calf) participated in a couple of drills during Friday's practice and is pleased with where the big man is at in his rehab progress, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.

    Advice: Porzingis was still mostly limited to individual shooting drills during the media portion of Friday's practice, but he looked to be moving well. He hasn't played since Game 4 of the Celtics' opening-round series versus Miami on April 29, so Porzingis will likely need to get at least a few days of 5-on-5 work in before getting full clearance for game action. The Celtics face the Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals next Thursday, June 6, giving Porzingis ample time to increase his activity. Rotowire.com Friday, 12:11 pm
     
  • Rudy Gobert limited to five rebounds on Thursday
    Rudy Gobert shot 4-of-8 from the field and 1-of-2 from the foul line in Thursday’s loss to the Mavericks, amassing nine points, five rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 26 minutes.

    Advice: Gobert was relatively quiet on Thursday night after recording a double-double in Minnesota’s Game 4 victory. He averaged 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the series but could not significantly impact the action as a rim-protector. Gobert’s 2023-24 season was an improvement on 2022-23, his first after being traded to Minnesota. The chemistry between him and Karl-Anthony Towns improved, but the partnership lowered the fantasy ceilings of both players. Gobert has top-50 potential, but this represents his ceiling rather than his floor. Rotoworld Thursday, 8:37 pm
     
  • Making good progress
    Coach Joe Mazzulla said Wednesday on the Zo and Bertrand Show that Porzingis (calf) is "ramping up the intensity level" ahead of the NBA Finals, but the big man's status for Game 1 remains to be determined.

    Advice: The Celtics are waiting on the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Mavericks and Timberwolves, but it sounds like Porzingis has a shot to return early on in the NBA Finals. There are likely to be daily updates on Porzingis' status, but Boston fans have reason to be optimistic based on Muzzulla's update. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 10:10 am
     
  • Rudy Gobert tallies 13 points, 10 rebounds Tuesday
    Rudy Gobert accumulated 13 points (4-of-5 FGs, 5-of-9 FTs), 10 rebounds, one assist, and one blocked shot in 39 minutes in Tuesday’s 105-100 win over Dallas.

    Advice: The Timberwolves aren’t done yet, as their best players performed well enough to avoid being swept. Gobert recorded his second double-double of the series, the first coming in Minnesota’s Game 2 loss at home. He also played a series-high 39 minutes for the Timberwolves, who did not have to deal with Mavericks backup center Dereck Lively II (neck sprain). Gobert and the Timberwolves avoided falling apart in crunch time, which was an issue in the first three games of the series. They’ll look to extend the series even further on Thursday night at home. Rotoworld Tuesday, 8:25 pm
     
  • Kristaps Porzingis (calf) out for Game 4 Monday
    Kristaps Porzingis (right soleus strain) is out for Monday’s game against the Pacers.

    Advice: While it was reported before the series that Porzingis could return as soon as Game 4, he will not be available on Monday. The combination of Boston leading the series 3-0 and Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton dealing with a hamstring injury likely bought Porzingis added time to recover. The NBA Finals will not start until June 6, so the Celtics taking care of business on Monday would buy KP additional time to get healthy. Al Horford will remain in the starting lineup. Rotoworld May 26, 3:01 pm
     
  • Ruled out for Game 4
    Porzingis (calf) has been ruled out for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers on Monday, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.

    Advice: Porzingis was initially targeting a return to action for Game 4, but he'll remain sidelined with the Celtics holding a 3-0 lead in the series. If the Pacers win Game 4, it's unclear whether Porzingis will be able to return later in the Eastern Conference Finals or if he'll be available for a potential trip to the NBA Finals. Rotowire.com May 26, 2:10 pm