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  • PJ Washington sinks series-winning free throws
    PJ Washington shot 2-of-6 from the field and 3-of-5 from the foul line in Saturday’s win over Oklahoma City, scoring nine points with five rebounds, two assists, and two 3-pointers in 30 minutes.

    Advice: Scoring-wise, Game 6 was Washington’s worst of the series. However, more will remember the two free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining that clinched the game (and the series) for Dallas. Washington had a good series overall, scoring 21 points or more in Games 2 through 4 and recording three double-doubles. Next will be another difficult matchup, with the Mavericks facing the Nuggets or Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. Rotoworld Saturday, 8:11 pm
     
  • Dereck Lively II grabs 15 rebounds in Game 6 win
    Dereck Lively II accumulated 12 points (5-of-6 FGs, 2-of-3 FTs), 15 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one blocked shot in 30 minutes in Saturday’s 117-116 win over Oklahoma City.

    Advice: He may not have been a starter like fellow rookie Chet Holmgren, but that did not prevent Lively from impacting the action in this series. He was outstanding in Game 6, establishing a new playoff high with 15 rebounds while dishing out three assists. Lively hit double figures in scoring in three of the series’ final four games, and the Game 6 double-double was his first. Lively’s play meant he took the lion’s share of the playing time on Saturday, with starter Daniel Gafford (10/7/1/0/1) playing 19 minutes. The partnership has worked well for the Mavericks, and that will also need to be the case in the Western Conference Finals. Rotoworld Saturday, 8:08 pm
     
  • Rare appearance in loss
    Sims racked up one rebound, one assist and one block across four minutes during Friday's 116-103 loss to the Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Sims played four minutes of garbage time as the Knicks were soundly beaten by the Pacers. Though he is known for playing his stars heavy minutes, even in losses, common sense prevailed with Tom Thibodeau closing with his second unit. Despite another ankle injury to Mitchell Robinson, Sims has been unable to carve out a consistent role, something that doesn't bode well for his future when looking beyond this season. Rotowire.com Saturday, 3:42 am
     
  • Held in check Friday
    Hartenstein contributed four points (1-3 FG, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and one steal over 33 minutes during Friday's 116-103 loss to Indiana in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Hartenstein was unable to repeat his heroics from Game 5, grabbing just seven total rebounds in the loss. Coming off an astonishing 12 offensive rebounds, he struggled to have a meaningful impact as the Knicks were simply outclassed. With the series now deadlocked at 3-3, the two teams will face off one final time in Madison Square Garden on Sunday, with the winner moving on to face the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Rotowire.com Saturday, 3:36 am
     
  • Myles Turner posts 17/8/3/0/2 line in Game 6 rout
    Myles Turner finished Friday’s 116-103 win over the Knicks with 17 points (6-of-10 FGs, 4-of-5 FTs), eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one 3-pointer in 31 minutes.

    Advice: Following their 30-point loss in Game 5, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle described his team’s effort as “embarrassing.” The players took those words to heart, maybe none more than Turner. Isaiah Hartenstein, who grabbed 12 offensive rebounds in Game 5, was his assignment in that loss, and the longest-tenured Pacer was much better on Friday night. In addition to throwing down a few thunderous dunks, Turner led the Pacers in rebounds and did an excellent job of protecting the rim. He’ll look to do more of the same in Game 7 on Sunday afternoon. Rotoworld Friday, 8:12 pm
     
  • Mid-range mastery: Pascal Siakam scores 25 points
    Pascal Siakam shot 11-of-21 from the field and 3-of-4 from the foul line in Friday’s win over the Knicks, scoring 25 points with seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 31 minutes.

    Advice: After getting blown out in Game 5, the Pacers returned the favor in Game 6 to keep their season alive. And Siakam was a significant part of that. Spicy P shot 11-of-19 from two, doing a lot of his damage in the mid-range. He led six Pacers in double figures with 25 points, and all five starters grabbed at least six rebounds. Siakam and the Pacers will need a similar effort in Game 7 on Sunday, as they are 1-5 on the road this postseason. Rotoworld Friday, 8:07 pm
     
  • Woj: Porzingis likely to miss Games 1 and 2 of ECF
    According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Kristaps Porzingis (right soleus strain) is unlikely to be available for Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

    Advice: Injured during Game 4 of Boston’s first-round matchup with Miami, Porzingis missed Game 5 of that series and the second-round (five games) against Cleveland. On May 4, the 7-foot-3 big man said he was “slowly making progress” in his recovery, with the Celtics considering him to be week-to-week. Regardless of who the Celtics draw in the conference finals, Games 1 and 2 will be played on Tuesday (May 21) and Thursday (May 23) of next week. According to Wojnarowski, there is optimism that Porzingis will be available at some point in the series, with Boston taking on either New York or Indiana. Al Horford will remain in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. Rotoworld Friday, 5:13 pm
     
  • Expected to miss start of Round 3
    Porzingis (calf) is expected to miss the start of the Eastern Conference Finals, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

    Advice: Porzingis has been sidelined since he sustained a calf injury in Game 4 of Boston's first-round series. Wojnarowski reports that Porzingis is making progress in his recovery, and there's some optimism that he could return at some point during the series. Boston will face the winner of the second-round series between the Knicks and Pacers, and the opening two games are slated for Tuesday and Thursday. Rotowire.com Friday, 5:13 pm
     
  • Records double-double
    Towns finished Thursday's 115-70 victory over Denver in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals with 10 points (4-10 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 13 rebounds and five assists across 29 minutes.

    Advice: Towns had a couple of clutch buckets in the early stages of the game, but for the most part, he took a backseat in the scoring column as Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels carried Minnesota offensively in this win. The Timberwolves need Towns to be at his best if they want to have a shot at winning a complicated Game 7 on the road, and for that to happen, he'll need to be even more aggressive on the offensive end of the court, an area in which he hasn't been consistent throughout the series. Towns has reached the 20-point mark in four of the six games he's played in the semis, and the Timberwolves have gone 3-1 in those contests. Rotowire.com Thursday, 9:02 pm